Over four months have passed since the start the COVID-19 pandemic. So much has changed in all aspects of life. The construction industry is certainly no exception. As we often cite, subcontractors make up approximately 85-90% of the skilled labor on any given construction worksite. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many ASM members were deemed to be essential workers and kept working, and adjusting, throughout the various levels of the shutdown. These jobs primarily included housing and public construction, such as schools and other state or municipal facilities. Many other ASM Members were at a near complete shutdown for weeks until the state and municipalities permitted work to restart in May. It was a challenging four months for all subcontractors - whether working at full capacity or waiting to get back to work.  PPP and PPE were the focus of most discussions. Everyone investigated whether to apply for a PPP loan and after donating PPE to hospitals and first responders, many construction companies struggled getting enough mask and gloves on time for the reopening.

Michael McDonagh is the CEO of of the Associated Subcontractors of Mass., Boston.