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Commercial Construction Soars in September

William Attardi on November 1, 2025

Total construction starts were up +3.1% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.26 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network. Nonresidential building starts rose by +11.9%, residential starts improved +3.6%, and nonbuilding starts fell -6.2% over the month. On a year-to-date basis through September, total construction starts were up +3.5% from last year. Nonresidential starts were up +5%, residential starts were down -4.2% and nonbuilding starts were +10.8% higher over the same period. For the 12 months ending Sept. 2025, total construction starts were up +6.7% from the 12 months ending Sept. 2024. Residential starts were down -1.4%, nonresidential starts increased 6.8%, and nonbuilding starts were up +16.7% over the same period.  Commercial Construction Soars in September | Electrical Wholesaling

Stellantis Says It will Invest $13B to Expand Its US Operations, Adding More Than 5,000 Jobs by Alex Veiga

William Attardi on October 15, 2025

Stellantis says it will invest $13 billion over the next four years to expand its manufacturing capacity in the United States, a move that the automaker says will increase its domestic vehicle production by 50% and add more than 5,000 jobs. The world’s fourth-largest carmaker said Tuesday the investment will support the introduction of five new vehicles, including a Dodge Durango to be built in Detroit and a midsize truck to be assembled in Toledo, Ohio. The new jobs will be spread across plants in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.  Stellantis says it will invest $13B to expand its US operations, adding more than 5,000 jobs | AP News

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”