$35 Off New Shoes with Shoe Donation for Earthquake Victims

ALLEN EDMONDS STORES & SOLES4SOULS COLLECT SHOES FOR HAITI
Port Washington, WI (February 10, 2010) – Do you have a pair of slightly worn shoes sitting in your closet that could use a new home? You can now put them to good use by exchanging them for $35 off your purchase of a pair of new Allen Edmonds men’s shoes. Donated shoes can be any brand of gently worn women’s, men’s or children’s shoes and are being collected for Soles4Souls, a charitable organization that will distribute the shoes to the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Donations can be made from March 2nd through the 14th at participating Allen Edmonds retail stores. Visit www.allenedmonds.com for more information and to find a store location near you.

“Soles4Souls has committed to donating over one million pairs of shoes to aid in Haiti’s recovery and rebuilding process,” notes Colin Hall, chief marketing officer at Allen Edmonds. “We are happy to help meet this goal.”

Elementary School Construction

 See more construction pictures 

The Step by Step Foundation is building an elementary school in Lehaie, Haiti, a small fishing village on Haiti's coast.

3 years just to clear the rubble...

Haiti's President Preval said it will take three years to clear the rubble of last month's deadly earthquake.

Preval said it would take "1,000 trucks moving rubble for 1,000 days" before people could even begin to rebuild.

No Sand in Haiti!

According to the Associated Press, Haiti's government is banning the use of quarry sand from structural construction in an attempt to improve building safety.

Poor construction is blamed for the collapse of many buildings in the Jan. 12 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people. read the entire story

Construction Spending Drops to 6-Year Low

Only 4 Out of 337 Cities Added Construction Jobs in 2009 As Construction Spending Drops to 6-Year Low

February 2, 2010

Virtually every community in America experienced a decline in construction employment based on a new analysis of federal employment statistics prepared by the Associated General Contractors of America.  Given that construction spending declined by $100 billion last year to a six-year low of $903 billion, it is easy to understand why only four communities added construction jobs between December 2008 and December 2009.  The lone bright spot last year was the stimulus, which helped boost highway and street construction spending last year.  The lesson is that Congress needs to pass a jobs bill with significant new infrastructure investments to avoid further job losses.

And, keep an eye on hiring in Haiti here at www.constructionjobsinhaiti.com

Companies Committed to Improving Quality of Water in Haiti

New Water Treatment Plant Should Be Installed This Year

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It has been almost a month since the devastating earthquake destroyed Haiti. Dozens of nations and non-profit organizations are working non-stop to help rebuild the country. Parkson has joined these efforts and is committed to improving the quality of water in Haiti. The company is working now with numerous non-profits and partners to build and install a low-maintenance treatment facility in the coming months.

“Our intention is to have a new plant designed by the middle of 2010 and installed late this year or in early 2011,” explains Zain Mahmood, Parkson’s CEO. “A Parkson engineer will travel to Haiti in mid-March to evaluate the specific needs, operating requirements and potential installation sites.”

With 25,000 installations in its 50 years of existence, Parkson Corporation is a leading provider of advanced solutions in water recycling and treatment and is committed to providing clean water for the world. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, with offices in Chicago, Montreal, Dubai and partners in Latin America, India and China, Parkson is an Axel Johnson Inc. company. To learn more, visit www.parkson.com.

10 Years of Construction Jobs

Haitian Government officials have reported that at least 250,000 homes were destroyed by the earthquake, most of them in the capital, and thousands more may be declared uninhabitable in the weeks to come. Haiti's Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive says it will take 10 years to rebuild.

Another 75,000 Construction Jobs Lost in the US

According to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Labor, Construction employment declined by 75,000 in January, with nonresidential specialty trade contractors losing 48,000 jobs and accounting for the majority of the decline.

Since December 2007, employment in the U.S. Construction Industry has fallen by 1.9 million. 

In January, the number of unemployed persons in the U.S. was reported to be 14.8 million workers.

No one can survive a hurricane in a tent

What if some of the president's stimulus money went into U.S. construction workers building buildings for emergency shelters around Port-au-Prince — over the next four to five months? 

And maybe it doesn't have to be 100 percent U.S. funds. Maybe former President Clinton can also raise some, and the balance of the world kick in as well.

Shovel-ready project. Employ unemployed American construction workers to build the buildings. Hire American concrete, steel and shipping companies. And if the building dimensions and layout are done correctly, the buildings can be later converted to apartments, manufacturing buildings, etc. It would leave Haiti with some infrastructure it has never had. And their government can take their time rebuilding the inner city of Port-au-Prince. 

Luke Pickett's Letter to the Editor, SeaCoast Online

Clinton picks Scot to rebuild Haiti

FORMER US president Bill Clinton has turned to a Scottish architect to help re-build Haiti after the country's devastating earthquake.

John McAslan, who was raised in Dunoon and runs one of London's most successful architectural firms, has been personally asked by Clinton to help the shattered country.

McAslan, 55, returned from Haiti last week after a fact finding mission to see the extent of the damage.

In his first interview on the project, he told how honoured he was to be appointed by Clinton to rebuild homes, hospitals and schools in the country.

But he claimed the task was almost "unimaginable" in scale and will require the backing of governments and the United Nations for years to come. Read the entire story

"Almost all the infrastructure is gone there..." Bill Clinton

Haiti will have to start almost from scratch

"The government ministries — nearly all have been decimated," says Rajiv Shah, who is coordinating the U.S. relief and rebuilding effort as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. "The leadership of so many of the organizations that Haitians look to — many have died and many have suffered tremendous loss of relatives and property. It's extraordinary."

The business sector also has been crippled, Shah says.

"Just one example: 60% of the construction firm capacity in Haiti was destroyed by the earthquake," he says.

"What is needed is a Marshall Plan for Haiti," says Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien, whose company, Digicel, provides mobile service in the country. "For once and for all, we have to lift Haiti off the floor."
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DuraSip to Hire 100

Most Haitians are living in tents, and as hurrican season approaches, government agencies are scrambling to begin building durable homes.

A company out of Union, Mississippii, is sending a sales representative in hopes of becoming a major part of reconstructing Haiti by providing low-cost, durable homes.

Construction could begin within 90 days according to company offcials.
Housing contracts have not been laid out yet but once funding is secure, DuraSip will need to hire as many as 100 U.S. residents.
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American Construction Skills and Knowledge needed ASAP!

According to one Engineering expert, most of the buildings that collapsed and buried people were made of heavy substandard concrete or cinder blocks with no lateral supports and supporting columns that were too small in diameter. Those columns were formed by substandard steel, or rebar, that also was too small and smooth so that it slipped when the earth.
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