I hope your fall is going well. October is a great month here in the Boston area. Foliage is at its peak, the weather is crisp and clear, and there are plenty of great outdoor activities going on. On a beautiful Sunday earlier this month, my wife and I went to see the New England Patriots play the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium. It was a great all-around game by the Pats, who won 29-0, led by their rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe who did a fantastic job in his first NFL start. To top things off, the Patriots wore their vintage bright red uniforms and throwback helmets for the first time in many years, thanks to an NFL rule change (see photos here). However, what really made the day fun was watching the game with our long-time friends Pat and Marianne Tompkins.
The throwback uniforms and helmets featuring the old team logo ("Pat The Patriot") reminded me just how fast time flies by and how important it is to make the most of every day. The Patriots were wearing those same red uniforms when my friend Pat and I attended high school back in the 1980s. Faster than I would like, 35+ years have flown by, and Pat and I have both been working in the construction industry for 25+ years. Click below for full message and photos...
The Construction Financial Management Association (CMFA) 22nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference was held September 24-26, 2022 in Cambridge, MD. This year, Beacon Vice President Kieran O'Connor was a speaker at the event, participating as part of a panel of Surety industry professionals. The panel members focused on all of the following areas: (1) Trends in Surety results Mid-Atlantic & Nationwide; (2) Outlook for Underwriting and performance and losses of Surety and Subcontractor Default Industries; and (3) Legal or claim trends.
Looking at the topic from the Construction Consultant's perspective, Kieran's portion of the presentation covered current trends in the U.S. Construction Industry, Surety Claims trends, and Solutions to current challenges...
As I write this message, I am taking a week off to visit Ireland. My wife Laura and I are visiting with my extended family here, which is always a pleasure. Ireland is such a unique and fun country. If you have never visited, I highly recommend it. From its beautiful countryside, scenic coastline, quaint historic towns, dynamic cities, music, and culture, Ireland really has something for everyone. Most of all, Ireland's people are warm, friendly, and very funny.
One of the highlights of our trip was getting a tour of the historic Leinster House in Dublin, where the Irish government meets, including their Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate). Irish Senator Mark Daly was a fantastic tour guide (see full article for photos). Mark is currently head of Ireland’s Senate (and is a close friend of my cousin Tomas).
Thanks in part to its well-educated, tech-savvy workforce, Ireland has also become one of the leading business capitals of Europe. Major companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, AirBNB, and PayPal all selected Ireland as the location for their European headquarters. Of course, let's not forget Beacon Consulting Group. We have had a presence here through our strategic partners for more than one year now...
Josue Rivas Bermudez is the newest member of Beacon's construction consulting team. Based out of Beacon's Fort Lauderdale, Florida office, Josue holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has extensive experience working on major construction and engineering projects around the world. Having worked in the oil and gas industry for a number of years, Josue has worked in several different countries—traveling and living wherever the job took him. Along the way, Josue developed his foreign language skills. He can now communicate in four languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian). At Beacon, Josue is using his knowledge of construction project management and engineering to help provide our clients with outstanding service on a wide range of construction consulting assignments...
Beacon's staff is always on the go. Whether flying to project sites around the country or traveling to participate in events related to surety claims and construction consulting, you can always find a Beacon staff member getting ready to catch a plane. Below are some photos from recent events and activities around the country, including photos from industry meetings, fundraising events, and other fun get togethers. Click below to learn more and view photos...
Once again, the summer has flown by in the blink of an eye! Last week my wife and I dropped off our 2nd oldest daughter at Syracuse University (SU) for her first year at college. While dropping off a teenager at college can be bittersweet, for me it's always fun and exciting to see the buzz of activity as young people move into their dorms and head into the next phase of their lives. The enthusiasm and excitement of the students stepping out on their own for the first time is energizing. Plus, it's eye-opening to see the incredible, modern facilities that many college campuses have today...
Earlier this month, this year's ABA Fidelity & Surety Law (FSLC) "Midwinter Meeting" was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nashville, TN. Because of Covid-19, the FSLC's midwinter meeting was postponed until August this year. Beacon's team was very active at this year's meeting. Dennis O'Neill was a featured speaker on a panel discussion entitled "Investigation / Completion Options: Completion Agreement—Technical, Engineering, Legal." The panel focused on the many challenges associated with investigating and finishing up troubled construction projects where the surety company (and its construction consultants) must step in to ensure a project's completion...
Beacon Consulting Group is proud to be sponsoring (and participating in) "Run Medford," a charity Road Race / fundraiser to be held on September 18th in Medford, MA. Beacon's Boston area office is in Medford, a city located less than 5 miles northwest of downtown Boston. Medford's population is now over 59,000 people and it's home to many thriving businesses, as well as Tufts University. Medford was on the route of Paul Revere's famous midnight ride, which is celebrated with a reenactment every year. Past residents of Medford include such well-known figures as former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, aviator Amelia Earhart, and Beacon's President Dennis O'Neill!...
I hope your summer is off to a good start. It's hard to believe we are already halfway through 2022 (our 20th year in business). June was a busy, highly productive month for Beacon. Our team members (including myself) spent many days and weeks traveling to construction project sites around the country to help our clients track and manage a wide range of projects. Click below for full message...
Beacon Consulting Group has long provided construction loan monitoring services to leading banks and other financial institutions. Earlier this year, Beacon started work on a construction loan monitoring project for a leading privately-held bank based in New York City. The project is a large mixed-use (residential / commercial) development project located in Parsippany, NJ. Beacon's team was retained to provide construction loan monitoring during Phase 1 site development work related to the PARQ project in NJ.
