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President's Message / July 2021

I hope your summer is off to a great start. For me, it has been a great relief to be once again participating at in-person industry events. Last week, I was at the Surety Claims Institute's annual meeting in Park City, Utah, as part of a panel discussion covering The False Claims Act. It was wonderful to see many industry friends, partners, and clients after so long. There really is no replacement for in-person discussions, communications, and sharing of ideas. It was also great to spend some downtime after the meeting with my family, including visiting National Parks such as Zion and Bryce Canyon. Such an amazing part of the country! (Please click below for full message)...

Dennis O'Neill Is Featured Speaker on "Surety Today" Podcast Focusing on Construction Technology

Beacon's President Dennis O'Neill was recently the featured speaker on the podcast "Surety Today" hosted by Michael Stover, a partner at the law firm of Wright, Constable & Skeen LLP. The episode, which lasts about 45 minutes, focuses on various new technologies and software used in the construction industry. Dennis started off the interview by providing some interesting facts and figures about the current state of the construction industry in the U.S. He then transitioned into the how the construction industry is now using advanced project management software, remote site monitoring, drones, and other technologies. In the podcast, Dennis also talks about some of the impacts of Covid-19 on the industry and how technology is being used in response...

Beacon Staff Updates - July 2021

Congratulations to Kieran O'Connor, who was recently promoted to Vice President, Southeast U.S. Kieran has been a key team member of Beacon's construction consulting team since joining us 10 years ago. His drive, experience, and deep technical knowledge have helped him to evolve into a true leader... Later this month, we will celebrate a bittersweet event--the retirement of Karen Anderson, who has been a key member of Beacon's team since 2007. Karen, we will truly miss you. But, we will save the goodbyes. laughter, and tears for your retirement party! In recent weeks, we also welcomed a new member to our team, Michelle Punch...

Beacon Staff Profile: Edward Forester, Project Engineer

Edward Forester is an experienced project engineer with the ability to take on a broad range of construction consulting assignments. Since joining Beacon’s team in 2019, Edward has assisted on a number of important construction consulting and surety consulting assignments, including one very high-profile project involving some of the largest bridge renovation projects in North America. A native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Edward worked for Beacon in its NYC office until relocating from New York to Galway, Ireland in late 2020. He now lives next to Galway Bay in the heart of the city's historic downtown. From his base in Galway, Edward is playing an active role on Beacon's Europe-based consulting team...

Beacon Staff Profile: Andrew Lem, Surety Consultant & Project Engineer

Andrew Lem, E.I.T., joined Beacon in 2017 and quickly became a key member of our New York City construction consulting team. A native New Yorker who grew up in Northern Westchester County, Andrew is a graduate of Villanova University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Since joining Beacon, Andrew has been involved in a wide variety of construction consulting assignments, covering all of the following areas. Andrew has also become the "go-to team member" in our New York office for construction loan monitoring and related services. His experience includes...

Construction Project Cash Flow Analysis: Some Key Problems & Solutions

Mike Kinahan is a Project Manager in Beacon's Medford, MA office. We asked Mike to weigh in on some of the ways Construction Project Cash Flow issues can get contractors in trouble and what can be done to head off cash-flow-related problems before they get out of hand.
Question: Mike, how do contractors typically get in trouble when it comes to managing cash flow on construction projects?...