Matthew Thibault, Construction Dive Journalist Profile

Articles

Construction Dive’s May 2025 economic roundup

2 weeks ago | constructiondive.com | Joe Bousquin |Matthew Thibault |Julie Strupp |Sebastian Obando

A stable backlog and dip in energy costs offered some relief, but outside of data centers, momentum weakened across key construction sectors, according to the latest economic reports. Data center projects remained the bright spot for commercial contractors. Work on these facilities drove most of the growth in planning and helped sustain commercial building activity overall.
Adopting technology is a team effort: Skanska exec

3 weeks ago | constructiondive.com | Matthew Thibault

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Adopting new technology requires everyone to buy in, said Danielle O’Connell, senior director of emerging technology for Skanska USA, the U.S. arm of the Swedish builder. The contractor uses what O’Connell calls its Eight-Step Plan, a tech addition roadmap that lays out critical moves to help it assess and integrate products.
White House unveils plan for tech-focused permit reforms

3 weeks ago | constructiondive.com | Matthew Thibault

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. The Council on Environmental Quality has issued its Permitting Technology Action Plan, which seeks to modernize federal environmental review and permitting processes for a plethora of infrastructure projects, according to a May 30 news release from the White House.
Manhattan Construction opens new Atlanta office

3 weeks ago | constructiondive.com | Matthew Thibault

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Manhattan Construction opened a new Atlanta office, the builder announced on May 27. The new office, located at 2100 Powers Ferry Road SE, will focus on aviation, government, healthcare, laboratory and mission-critical projects, according to the news release. It’s designed to foster collaboration, innovation and operational efficiency as Manhattan continues to grow its presence in the region.
Texas plans $20B to mitigate looming water crisis

4 weeks ago | constructiondive.com | Matthew Thibault

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Both chambers of the Texas legislature passed bills last week to advance a total of $20 billion for the fight against a looming water crisis, the Texas Tribune reported. The Senate approved House Joint Resolution 7, an amendment to the Texas constitution that gives voters the chance to decide this fall on a proposal to send $1 billion toward water projects in the state each year until 2047.
The top commercial contractors of 2025

1 month ago | constructiondive.com | Matthew Thibault

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. New York City-based Turner Construction has once again retained its top spot as the No. 1 contractor in the country by revenue, according to Engineering News-Record’s 2025 Top 400 Commercial Contractors list released last week. Reston, Virginia-based Bechtel reclaimed second place after Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit, which placed No. 3 this year, pushed it out of the runner-up slot last year.
6 contech startups snare a collective $101M

1 month ago | constructiondive.com | Matthew Thibault

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Startups that help contractors decarbonize buildings, manage their workforces and make jobsites safer were some of the businesses that benefitted from fresh infusions of investor funding in the second quarter of 2025. Here are six startups that caught investors’ eyes and raised capital for their businesses.
Development team kicks off $385M Grand Hyatt Miami Beach

1 month ago | hoteldive.com | Matthew Thibault

Listen to the article 2 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Balfour Beatty has mobilized its operations to begin construction on the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach hotel and convention center project in Miami Beach, Florida, according to an April 29 news release. The construction services contract is valued at nearly $385 million.
With AI, ‘walk before you run’: Skanska USA exec

1 month ago | constructiondive.com | Matthew Thibault

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Anita Nelson wants you to start small with artificial intelligence. The chief strategy officer for Skanska USA Building, the U.S. arm of the Swedish builder and developer, Nelson discussed the suite of AI products that the contractor has rolled out to its employees, which it calls Sidekicks. The Safety Sidekick, Skanska’s newest internal offering, helps employees access Skanska data on safety and jobsite conditions.
Theodore Roosevelt’s $400M mass timber library rises in North Dakota

1 month ago | constructiondive.com | Matthew Thibault

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Vancouver, British Columbia-based Mercer Mass Timber has completed the first phase of construction on the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, according to a May 20 news release. The project’s construction costs total $400 million, per a funding breakdown by the library.

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