Annual Report 2000

An Interview with the Chairman

Following his installation as New York Building Congress Chairman, Jeffrey M. Levy, who is President and Chief Operating Officer at EMCOR Group, Inc., was asked for his perspective on the current state of the building industry. Below are some of his comments on the challenges facing the industry, the City's economy, and the role of the Building Congress in securing the region's long-term prosperity.

What do you see as the primary function of the Building Congress?

The Building Congress has a rich and distinguished history of leadership in our City and represents a unique coalition of key professional, labor and management groups in design, construction and real estate. While many groups in our industry have their own organizations and specific issues of concern, the Building Congress is unique in that we are a force for collaboration and unity focusing on the broader issues that are of concern to all of us.

How would you characterize the state of the industry today and its prospects for the future?

The building industry is enjoying a period of economic renaissance. New York City's economy and competitive position have improved dramatically over the last five years and our industry has both contributed to and benefited from this recovery. It is important that we take advantage of this positive outlook and promote the importance of our industry to the region's long-term competitiveness.

What would you define as major objectives for the Building Congress in the coming year?

The Building Congress must project -- to the general public as well as to policy makers -- the industry's importance to the City's economy. We should champion our role by highlighting the many accomplishments of our members and their direct and indirect contributions to improving the quality of life. Design, construction and real estate firms have historically been leaders in sustaining and stimulating the City's economy by providing jobs, services, housing, and needed infrastructure. The industry also provides career training, community support and philanthropy. Yet there is little recognition of our diverse contributions. We would be wise to project to the City's major stakeholders the value added by our industry.

How can the Building Congress accomplish this?

We must work collaboratively with our diverse constituencies to:

• maintain and promote an agenda of important industry issues and policies;
• highlight our industry's successes and contributions;
• identify and support investments that will have the greatest leverage for New York City's continued economic growth and global leadership;
• and, inform all New Yorkers about the many positive human-interest stories of our industry at work.

Above all else, our objective should be to encourage industry-wide collaboration with contributions from each segment of the Building Congress coalition. Nothing is more vital than conveying common messages using positive and persuasive information.