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of new construction starts advanced 12% in October to a seasonally ad- justed annual rate of $469.8 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construc- tion, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. Much of the upward push came from non-residential building, which was lifted by the start of a mas- sive manufacturing project as well as by broader strengthening across sev- eral structure types. Also contributing to the total con- struction gain in October was a slight increase for the housing sector. Mean- while, non-building construction in October stayed even with its elevated September amount, helped by the start of several large electric power plants. Through the first 10 months of 2011, total construction on an unad- justed basis came in at $355.6 billion, down 3% from the same period a year ago. The October data produced a read- ing of 99 for the Dodge Index, up from September's 89, and the highest level so far this year. "After registering an up-and-down pattern during the first seven months of 2011, the construction start statis- tics from August through October have, on balance, shown improve- ment," stated Robert A. Murray, vice- 40 • JANUARY 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS The Dodge Report BEDFORD, Mass. — The value New construction starts boosted by non-residential activity in October president of economic affairs for Mc- Graw-Hill Construction. "Much of this has been related to the start of very large projects, such as October's huge manufacturing facility and several electric power plants. "However, more sustained expan- sion for construction starts will require a supportive economic environment, which has yet to emerge," he said. "Job growth remains meager, and bank lending has picked up only slightly. Furthermore, tight fiscal conditions at all levels of government mean de- creased funding for a wide range of publicly financed projects, and this will carry over into 2012." Non-residential building in Octo- ber climbed 36% to $180 billion (an- nual rate). The manufacturing plant category soared 740%, boosted by $3.0 billion for work on the Adam's Fork Energy Project in Wharncliffe, W.V. This facility, when completed, will convert regional coal into gaso- line. If the Adam's Fork Energy Proj- ect is excluded from the October statistics, manufacturing plant con- struction would still advance, but at a modest 2% clip, while non-residential building would be up 9% and total construction would be up 4%. Office construction in October also posted a large percentage gain, climbing 58%. Support for the office category came from the start of a $285 million office building in New York, N.Y., which reached groundbreaking after being put on hold for the past couple of years. Other large office projects that supported October's office volume in- cluded a $200 million Facebook data center in Prineville, Ore, a $77 million operations center for the electric utility district in the Sacramento, Calif. area, and a $63 million military office build- ing at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. Warehouse construction in Octo- ber increased 34%, helped by the start of an $80 million distribution center in Rome, Ga., while hotel construction grew 4%, with the lift coming from a $125 million renovation to a conven- tion center hotel in King of Prussia, Penn. Store construction in October con- tinued to languish, sliding 15%. On the institutional side of the non-residential market, the amuse- ment-related category jumped 98%, aided by the $235 million renovation of the Cobo Convention Center in De- troit and groundbreaking for a $180 million sports arena in Lincoln, Neb. Gains were also posted by the public buildings category (courthouses and detention facilities), up 39%; and churches, up 8%. The largest institutional category, educational buildings, slipped 3% in October, although several large high schools did reach groundbreaking in such states as Delaware ($115 mil- lion), Connecticut ($81 million), Utah ($62 million), and Texas ($51 million). Healthcare facilities in October re- treated 8%, despite the start of a $275 million hospital at Fort Benning, Ga. and a $132 million hospital addition in Danbury, Conn. The transportation terminal cate- gory in October dropped 35%, follow- ing its heightened volume in September. Residential building, at $129.7 bil- lion (annual rate), grew 2% in October. Multifamily housing continues to MEMBER * ...and beyond! Delivered In 2 To 3 Days contin ued on pa g e 42