A dramatic slowdown in activity is now hitting the building and construction industry, as builders clear a backlog of projects and predict little else in the pipeline for 2009. Today, Steve Sandherr presides over an industry that was booming just five years ago, but now represents one of the most depressed sectors of the economy. There’s virtually no demand for projects that rely heavily on consumer spending—building for retail strip malls, hotels and restaurants have all tanked. Commercial developers are finding it harder to get projects financed, which contributes to an overall slowdown in a sector dependent on shovel-ready jobs. Sandherr estimates his industry has… Read More