Peter Bigwood, basic supervisor at Mecalac North America, shares his perception into the state of the concrete business and the challenges contractors are managing every day. Concrete Contractor linked with Bigwood over electronic mail in June 2025.
Q. What have been the most important challenges for concrete contractor suppliers thus far in 2025?
Peter BigwoodMecalac North America
Q. What has been occurring to deal with these challenges? How impactful have these efforts been?
Artistic methods to draw labor — both by versatile working situations, revolutionary pay schemes, or higher coaching might be efficient. As for the rate of interest setting and tariff scenario, generally there isn’t any alternative however to soak up the extra prices and reside to battle one other day.
Q. Outdoors of the economic system, what segments of concrete building have seen development in 2025?
Now we have been most affected by the pressures on residential homebuilding. Rates of interest and financial uncertainty look like the principle culprits.
Q. How do you suppose this development/narrowing will monitor going into 2026?
Once more, the affect of tariffs could show to be even worse than we’re experiencing already, as the associated fee will increase work their means by the provision chain.
Q. How are suppliers dealing with financial challenges?
As above, there are occasions when the one choice is to rein in your prices as finest you may, alter to the market situations, and ensure your group can climate the storm.
Q. How have they been impacted by tariffs? Are you able to present some examples?
At first, we have been in a position to share the prices of the ten% tariffs on our European-manufactured gear amongst our sellers, their clients and ourselves. As the brand new paradigm took maintain, nevertheless, we now have been passing on the whole burden of the extra prices to the tip customers.
What do you count on the economic system to do for the rest of 2025 Q. and 2026? What’s your forecast?
We anticipate continued diminished circumstances for the rest of the yr, however do maintain out hope that with diminished inventories, we might even see elevated volumes in 2026.
What technological areas do you see the potential for innovation? Q. What points do you hope these options will deal with?
The apparent one — AI — ought to proceed to evolve and supply up improved strategies to offer buyer assist, together with technical documentation, troubleshooting and components operations; telematics at the moment are turning into ubiquitous, however analytic instruments are enhancing to make the methods extra helpful; lastly, social media, or extra particularly, the even handed and strategic use of similar will result in higher advertising and marketing outcomes for concrete contractors savvy sufficient to harness its energy.
Q. What are the newest adjustments for Mecalac?
Now we have simply been acquired by a a lot bigger outfit, and we’re wanting ahead to getting access to vastly better sources to assist us develop and thrive in these difficult occasions. Synergies, relationships, topic consultants, networking alternatives, all this and extra will assist our modest enterprise unit succeed.
Q. On a extra lighthearted notice, what has caught your curiosity these days in concrete?
With the accent on “light-hearted,” I’m regularly amazed at how concrete sharpening corporations can rework older manufacturing facility and warehouse flooring into issues of magnificence. I do know this isn’t precisely the high-tech finish of the enterprise, however these guys are magicians!
