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Data is a New Currency for Electrical Contractor Operations by Jim Romeo

William Attardi on October 25, 2025

Construction runs on decisions, and better data helps to make better decisions. When field measurements, schedules, costs and submittals data converge, managerial confidence is strengthened. Foremen spot risks early, and managers spot problems before they occur. Real-time telemetry from equipment, automated progress capture and clean cost codes transform guesswork into measurable productivity. The payoff is fewer delays, tighter change control, safer sites and predictable closeout—turning data into days saved and margins protected. Wipfli, a national accounting and business consulting firm, published a 2025 State of Technology in Construction report, which surveyed 308 executives. It shows there is an appetite for technology and the data it yields. Firms that turn field data into shared insight—securely and in real time—will move from tools to tangible labor savings, safer job sites and faster closeout. What does this mean for projects and job site management?  – Data is a New Currency for Electrical Contractor Operations – Electrical Contractor Magazine

 

AI Is Enabling an Always-On Economy. Companies Need to Pick Up the Pace by Steven Rosenbush

William Attardi on April 22, 2025

 Intelligent agents make it easier for supply chains, logistics, cybersecurity, market research and more to operate 24 hours a day. Artificial intelligence is transforming businesses in an underappreciated way, extending the productive hours across various functions and industries. Companies need to start adapting for a world in which more markets operate 24 hours a day, much as trading does now.  Those human constraints have often led to delayed decision-making and missed opportunities at all sorts of companies. The shift to an always-on economy isn’t just about using AI to make predictions. It’s about acting on them continuously.AI Is Enabling an Always-On Economy. Companies Need to Pick Up the Pace. – WSJ

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.