Booming Industry One of the most promising industries of the moment is the offshore access industry. Companies in this business make it possible for clients to move personnel from a boat to a stable platform offshore. This can be an offshore wind turbine or an offshore oil platform, depending on the industry the client is operating in. It might seem attractive to start a company in this industry, but the industry is very complex for outsiders to grasp, so the purpose of this article is to provide some basic information about what you need to make a profitable in this industry. The Method First of all it is important to know which offshore access method you want to employ for your business. Do you want to transfer personnel by helicopters? A jack-up platform? Or does the Windcat Workboat appeal the most to you? This is an important choice, because each method has its pros and cons, and some market segments prefer one method over another.The helicopter has a huge advantage because of its fast lead time. This is an important criterion for clients, because time is literally money in the offshore industry. However, the helicopter has many flaws. For instance, it is relatively unsafe. Moreover, the helicopter is very vulnerable to external conditions such as the weather, causing lots of downtime.The Windcat Workboat is the most popular option in the offshore wind sector. The Windcat Workboat can be described as a small vessel that is used to navigate to offshore wind turbines. When it approaches the turbine, it goes full throttle, in order to ‘stick’ to the platform. Finally, the personnel can cross safely. The Windcat Workboat is a bit of an all-rounder in this industry.The jack-up platform is a rather expensive construction. As the name implies, it is a platform with three or four legs that rises out of the sea. In this way it is possible to transfer personnel. This method is very inflexible and expensive, but offers a relative high degree of safety, which is one of the most important requirements for clients.The last method that I want to discuss is the offshore access system (OAS). This is a machine with hydraulic legs that are able to compensate wave motions. The system also contains a gangway that is used to connect to platforms. The personnel then walk over the gangway to the other side. The system is relatively new and therefore not well-known yet in the market. Costs The cheapest method of providing offshore access will be the helicopter, beginning at a price of 200,000 euro’s. However, it has to be noted that you will need a large fleet in order to handle all the orders in the industry, since the demand for offshore access solutions is rapidly rising. The most expensive option will be an offshore access solution. These will cost you one million euro’s for material expenses solely.Moreover, you will need highly skilled personnel with specialized knowledge. The right personnel are crucial for two main reasons: First of all without skilled personnel you cannot construct an offshore access machine or other offshore transport methods. Secondly, personnel must assist in offshore transfers. Offshore accidents can lead to severe reputation damage, so it is really important to assist clients in their operations. Evaluation The offshore access industry is a costly business to enter. However, if you are established, huge profits can be reaped. The growth of the industry will remain for the coming decades, since the demand for offshore access solutions keeps rapidly growing, mainly due to large oil discoveries near the coast of Brazil and the focus of governments on offshore wind as form of energy generation.

The ‘Great Recession’ theoretically lasted about 18 months, from 2007 to 2009. Recovery has been agonizingly slow in many industries but we are now in 2015 and the construction industry is more rapidly shrugging off the residual effects of the recession.How Bad Was It?Even though construction industry is cyclical and recession typically follows a boom period, nothing could have prepared it for the harsh and widespread reach of the recession:

Residential: Homeowners defaulted on homes and others delayed buying homes, leading to a glut of residential real estate languishing in realtors’ inventory.

Commercial: Commercial construction also was hard hit, severely impacted by the federal budget sequester and eventual-but-temporary shutdown, followed by scaled back government spending, and sharply reduced lending practices.

Institutional: Institutional construction remained stagnant, affected by the same limitations and funding problems that the commercial construction sector faced.
How Were Construction Workers Affected?Nevada, California, Florida, and Arizona are typically areas with plenty of construction work. But the recession changed that:

Nevada employed an estimated 146,000 construction workers at the peak of its construction boom. That number was reduced by 59 percent.

Arizona’s construction employment dropped 50 percent from its pre-recession industry peak.

Florida was close on the industry-related unemployment heels of Nevada and Arizona, losing 40 percent of its construction workforce.

California fared better but still recorded a 28 percent drop.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 2.3 million construction workers lost their jobs in the recession (nearly 30 percent of the total number of lost jobs).

The overall construction industry has an estimated 1.4 million fewer construction workers in 2015 than it did in 2007.
The Construction Outlook in 2015 and BeyondHappily, the U.S. and its construction industry continue to move away from the harshest effects of the Great Recession. Industry observers expect to see these improvements:

Non-residential construction: picking up and looking more solid, especially with the expected 2.6 percent real GDP growth in 2015. This sector may rise by 8 percent with growth in office buildings, hotels, and industrial facilities.

Single family housing: expected to increase by 11 percent in the number of residential units, thanks to easier access to home mortgage loans.

Manufacturing plant construction: will probably drop about 16 percent after huge increases of 2013 and 2014.

Institutional construction: expected to continue its moderate upward trend and increase 9% over 2014 results.

Residential construction: called the potential ‘wild card’ of 2015 because of rising interest rates. Existing home sales may climb toward 10 percent.

Public construction: growth will remain low due to ongoing federal spending constraints. However, transportation spending is expected to grow by about 2.2 percent.
Ironically, construction workers may not be rushing to return to new jobs. Many left the industry altogether, retraining for other employment.Texas and North Dakota both show significant increases in construction employment. North Dakota now needs to recruit construction workers. Texas’ construction employment is up 10 percent, nearing its pre-recession peak.Economists don’t expect the construction industry to return to its peak level (2006) until 2022 or later. However, the BLS anticipates that the fastest-growing jobs now and 2022 will be in healthcare and construction.So while the Great Recession did a considerable amount of damage to the overall economy, individual incomes, and morale, 2015 and beyond are looking considerably more favorable in the commercial construction industry.

People involved with the cars need to stay current with the automotive industry news. Doing so ensures a cutting edge understanding of the new technologies, designs, and trends that bring about a greater success for the industry and a better value for the customer.The first line of defense when something goes wrong with your car is your trusted mechanic. Your mechanic probably keeps up with the latest news regarding the automotive industry, not just because it is his livelihood, but because he knows that doing so will bring him greater success. A mechanic must be well informed in order to perform maintenance on the latest models and new technologies found in them.The new technologies often come from prototypes or concept cars. These prototypes are to the automotive industry what the bikini edition is to Sports Illustrated. It’s the sexiest and most anticipated event of the year. Manufacturers get to show off their new designs and ideas for the future of the industry. Often times you’ll find both designer and general car enthusiasts that line the walls of the annual Detroit Auto Show or similar ones throughout the world. Sometimes these cars set the stage for upcoming cars such as the Chevrolet Volt, which has new “green” technologies that have been implemented in new and upcoming cars.In addition to designer and enthusiasts being at these trade shows, you’ll find inventors and entrepreneurs. These are the folks that often times find ways to implement new technologies in a way that can be delivered to the general public. Such is the case with Tesla Motors, an entrepreneurial company that has found a way to make high performance cars that rival world renowned sports cars, all the while using electricity to power the car.These people’s experience and jobs culminate in serving a very critical person, the consumer. It is after all you and I that drive the industry based on not only how many, but more importantly, what cars we buy. Before we begin our shopping, we should update ourselves based on the industry news and trends. This way we can be sure to get the most bang for our buck.Clearly, where there is a consumer, there is a dealer. The dealerships must maintain a pulse on the industry trends in order to stock his lots with the cars that we want to buy. Otherwise he won’t be in the industry for long.No matter what role we play in the industry we need to always be sure and keep up with the auto industry news, otherwise how will we be effective at what our role is? It is absolutely critical that we all stay informed. To do so we can: keep magazine subscriptions, attend trade shows, and read blogs and other information about the industry.