2022 Year in Review: Ben McConchie, Erland Construction, Inc.

What was your most important professional accomplishment or most notable project, deal, or transaction in 2022?
I’ve had the benefit of working on a handful of Erland’s notable 2022 projects including the completion of a new residence hall for St. Mark’s School which houses single and double rooms for students, faculty apartments, and exceptional spaces for learning. I’ve also been closely involved with the construction of a new 215,000 s/f, three-story, lab-ready facility in Cambridge. As we began digging, unforeseen groundwater conditions were quickly revealed. It took a tremendous effort from the entire project team to work through these challenges. Steel erection is now underway and we’re looking forward to celebrating the last beam placement this spring.

How has your career path changed in 2022?
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to move into the role of group manager for the academic, corporate, commercial group at Erland this year.

What emerging trends will drive investment and development in 2023?
The combination of rate increases, high cost inflation, and supply chain issues will make development in 2023 complicated.

What person, project, transaction or market trend had the greatest impact on your industry this year?
The disruption to the supply chain has had the greatest impact on the construction industry this year. The unpredictability of material lead times due to plant closures, raw material shortages, and shipment delays influenced project schedules and costs across the board. Our project teams, including the architects, engineers, and subcontractors we partner with, had to get innovative and work together to mitigate the ongoing impact to our projects.