Building & Construction
April 10, 2026
Join AMU for a Community Chat with AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson
Written by Michael Cowden
Ken Simonson, chief economist for The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will join AMU and SMU for a Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, April 15, at 11 a.m. ET.
The live webinar is free. A recording will be available free to SMU members. You can register here.
What we’ll talk about
As always, there is a lot to discuss when it comes to construction.
On the one hand, the market has been bullish on demand from data centers, the power infrastructure required to support them, and the metals intensity of it all. On the other hand, tariffs are still driving up material costs – and the Trump administration remains committed to them. Immigration policy continues to limit labor supply. And inflation stemming from the Iran War means the chance of more rate cuts is very slim.
We’ll also discuss some specific impacts of the Iran War.
Over the long term, there are massive, multi-year opportunities to rebuild damaged (and metals-intensive) oil and natural gas facilities. But in the near term, there are risks. Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds, for example, have been significant investors in infrastructure projects around the world. Will they continue to be? And what is the fate of mega-projects in the region, such as Saudi Arabia’s planned city of Neom?
As always, we’ll keep it to about 45 minutes. You can drop in, learn something – and then get on with your day. We’ll take your questions too. So remember to think of some good ones for the Q&A.
Why should you listen?
Because the construction sector matters to your business. And because AGC is the leading association for the US construction industry, with more than 28,000 member firms across a range of markets. Also, Simonson has been chief economist at AGC since 2001, so he has seen more than a few construction cycles.
