CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The on-going supply chain issue is hitting a number of industries as they struggle to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic.
One industry in particular is construction.
"It just compounds itself and I, honestly, would like to say from our last conversation that things are getting better," said Marion Briggs, Contractor & Owner of Sun Country Homes of Florida, Inc. "I don’t perceive that they’re really a whole lot worse but they’re not better.”
If you’re in the process of building a home right now, you might be experiencing a familiar problem. Many new homes are taking longer to be built as the on-going supply chain shortage is cutting into family’s plans.
“It’s just been a struggle and I think, as builders, how do you go from producing a product from permit to completion of build in eight months to now where it’s like a year and a half?” says Briggs.
Briggs believes the issue stems back to the recession ten years ago, saying it was a time when builders stopped building. That recession affected inventory as there was a lot of uncertainty on how the economy was going to bounce back.
"We were already struggling with our labor so we’re already hurting with that in this area," she said. "To add to that the issues of the pandemic caused is just insult to injury.”
Briggs says one of the potential solutions is to have more people work in construction. She says the industry is facing a labor shortage and would like to see more efforts in recruiting workers.
“When you think of construction, you don’t have to think, ‘Oh I’m going to labor in the sun all my life.’ No. You have to think I’m going to start at the bottom, perhaps, but I can work my way up to the top and one day I can be my own boss and run a company. There is that much ability to do that here.”
For those new homeowners, Briggs says the best thing right now are interest rates. And that these on-going setbacks won’t be forever.
“It’s worth trying to work towards becoming a homeowner," Briggs said. "Where there’s a will there’s a way.”
