It seems that contractors have had the same issues since the dawn of time: Finding and keeping qualified employees, rising health care costs, boosting productivity, and maintain- ing (or increasing) profitability. Combine those issues with concerns about the economy and product availability, and many contractors feel they are juggling too many items at once. The good news is that the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) reports that man-hours were up slightly in 2005. In addition, many firms are experiencing improvements in profitability and balance sheet strength. Also, overhead expenses as a percent of revenue were lower and revenue per employee increased and reached a historical high.
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