Construction + Economy

By Derek Bobbitt and Geoff Ling, Merrimack Group The first 100 days of the new U.S. administration have been tumultuous to say the least. The tariff war has caused major disruption to supply chains, caused significant stock market volatility, and stoked fears of inflation and recession. For lighting business owners, this environment has introduced a [...]

President Trump’s unprecedented tariffs on Chinese imports, which have triggered a dramatic drop in shipments from China to the United States, cast a shadow of uncertainty over the U.S. economy. President Trump, fulfilling campaign promises, has radically altered decades of American trade policy by imposing broad and unpredictable tariffs. As of early April 2025, a [...]

The landscape of the U.S. home remodeling sector is evolving in 2025, due to the interplay between tariff pressures and a potential rebound in renovation activity. During the pandemic, there was a surge in home improvement projects as people spent more time at home, and spent less money on going out to eat and travel. [...]

  A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately reinstate funding previously awarded under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), after President Trump froze these disbursements on his first day back in office. The ruling, delivered by Judge Mary McElroy of the U.S. District Court for [...]

  Home Depot Home Depot’s Q4 2024 financial report reveals promising growth, signaling a potential loosening of previously tight home improvement spending. Sales for the quarter reached $39.7 billion, a 14.1% increase compared to Q4 2023, with comparable sales up by 0.8%, ending eight consecutive quarters of decline. In the U.S., comparable sales rose by [...]

Here is a quick summary of the construction forecast for 2025-2026, highlighting key trends and developments in various sectors of the construction industry. Non-Residential Construction Non-residential construction is expected to grow slowly through 2025, with no significant decline anticipated. However, certain segments within the private non-residential sector may experience downturns, while data centers and semiconductor [...]

  The data center sector has exploded into a major force in construction, fueled by the increasing demands of artificial intelligence. This surge is significantly boosting nonresidential construction planning, with projections indicating it could add substantially to U.S. economic growth in the coming years. This data center construction boom hasn’t gone unnoticed in the lighting [...]

The Producer Price Index (PPI) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that while plywood prices have fallen, most other key hardware and building supply commodities have increased in price. Light Fixtures: The price of light fixtures increased 2.9% in January 2025 compared to January 2024. From December 2024 to January 2025, light [...]

  On inauguration day, President Trump issued an executive order to halt disbursements of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), causing uncertainty for numerous climate and infrastructure projects. This “Unleashing American Energy” order directs federal agencies to pause and review funding processes for these acts. Scope and [...]