WED AM News: Survey sheds light on top challenges for construction industry; State’s final BEAD proposal gets federal approval

December 3, 2025

— A recent survey from Neenah-based compliance firm J. J. Keller & Associates found labor shortages, rising material costs and job site safety are top challenges facing construction companies.

The company’s research arm, the J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights, yesterday issued the study results alongside the American Society of Safety Professionals.

When asked about the biggest industries at the moment, 38% of those surveyed pointed to labor shortages while 35% said rising material costs and 32% said job site safety. That was followed by training and onboarding with 25%, equipment maintenance or availability with 24% and subcontractor management with 16%.

Ray Chishti, senior environmental health and safety editor for the Neenah company, says labor shortages can “pressure workers” to cut corners.

“Crosstraining crews and using smart scheduling tools help cover labor gaps without risking safety,” he said in the report. “Safe job sites are productive job sites — preventing incidents protects both your budget and your schedule.”

Report authors also highlight “unmet” safety and compliance needs in the sector, including training that’s more tailored to specific industry applications and better ways to engage the workforce.

“Engaging workers and subcontractors in safety is a significant concern,” they wrote. “There’s a need to develop safety cultures that extend beyond meeting minimum compliance requirements.”

The online survey tapped 719 respondents between late June and early July, including a mix of J. J. Keller customers and ASSP members, as well as others reached through social media and industry publications. The most common trade among respondents was general contracting with 23%, followed by electrical with 8% and carpentry and framing, also with 8%.

See the report.

— Wisconsin’s final proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program has gotten federal approval, which state officials say will “unlock” more than $1 billion for high-speed internet expansion.

The state’s BEAD proposal was approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, enabling state-level funding provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Gov. Tony Evers says the NTIA approval opens the door for efforts to connect more than 175,000 additional homes and businesses in Wisconsin.

He notes the three-year project to implement the BEAD program was complicated by late changes made by the Trump administration, calling it “a marathon” effort.

The NTIA in June published a restructuring policy notice after initial grant rounds under BEAD had already made some progress, leading Wisconsin to rescind preliminary awards and substantially alter its broadband program in order to comply, according to yesterday’s release.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, in a statement on the approval said broadband is a necessity for modern life in Wisconsin, not just a luxury.

“I will be the first to say this process has taken too long, only made worse by the Trump administration forcing Wisconsin to redo our entire application, but today’s approval brings us one step closer to putting shovels in the ground and making sure Wisconsinites in every corner of our state get the high-speed internet they need,” she said in a statement.

Under the state’s newly approved proposal, awards will begin to flow to BEAD-eligible locations in Wisconsin, with environmental review and final engineering steps now cleared to begin, the guv’s office says. Infrastructure construction is expected to start next year.

See the release.

— The number of deer taken by hunters during the gun deer season went down slightly, according to preliminary DNR data for the full Nov. 22-30 season.

Overall, preliminary Department of Natural Resources numbers show hunters registered 182,084 deer during the season, including 86,068 antlered and 96,016 antlerless deer. The total is down 0.8% statewide compared to last year. The antlered harvest was down 2.6% and the antlerless deer harvest was up 0.9% compared to 2024.

Since the opening of the bow and crossbow seasons this year, hunters have registered 294,757 deer — up 1.1% compared to the same time last year.

Meanwhile, DNR reported 790,044 licenses sold for deer hunting privileges as of Sunday, down from 0.12% at the same point last year. That includes gun, archery, crossbow, conservation patron and sports licenses. Of the licenses, 550,611 were for gun privileges only, which includes gun, conservation patron and sports licenses.

DNR said there were no further firearm-involved hunting incidents beyond the two the agency announced last week.

On the opening day of the season, a 24-year-old man died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, while a 57-year-old man was shot in the buttock and taken to the hospital for treatment. Both incidents are being investigated.

Watch a briefing video and see the release.

— Wisconsin’s state-chartered banks and credit unions were seeing asset growth through the third quarter of this year, according to the state Department of Financial Institutions.

The agency yesterday issued releases for both groups, covering 116 banks and 99 credit unions.

Total assets for banks rose from $69.6 billion on Sept. 30, 2024, to $72.8 billion on Sept. 30 of this year, DFI says. Meanwhile, total assets for credit unions increased $3.4 billion from the end of 2024 to reach $69.4 billion at the end of the third quarter.

Other indicators point to stability for both groups of financial institutions, agency experts say.

Margaret Coan, deputy director for the DFI Office of Credit Unions, points to rising net worth, average savings and average loan balances for credit unions in the state.

And Kim Swissdorf, DFI Division of Banking administrator, says that “while weaknesses in certain loan portfolios and asset quality metrics require ongoing monitoring, further improvement to the earnings and capital positions provide ample support through economic changes.”

See the figures for banks and credit unions.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— Inner Haven Wellness is expanding into the Milwaukee area, the eating disorder treatment provider announced.

Starting Jan. 5, the care provider will begin offering adult partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs at a facility in Brookfield. That’s in addition to its existing sites in Madison and Neenah.

The company’s treatment model includes nutrition and behavioral therapy, medical monitoring and other offerings for adults with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and other conditions.

Dr. Margherita Mascolo, CEO and chief medical officer for Inner Haven Wellness, says its approach aims to make clients feel “deeply understood and medically supported” as they seek treatment for eating disorders.

“With this expansion, Inner Haven will serve the most populated region of Wisconsin with specialized eating disorder care, reaching adults, families, and providers who have been waiting too long for local options,” she said in a statement.

See the release.

— The latest round of SBIR Advance grantees in Wisconsin includes two small businesses developing health care innovations.

The state’s Center for Technology Commercialization yesterday announced five companies receiving matching grants as they work on projects in the federal Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

One Phase 1 recipient, Madison-based Tensense, aims to improve total knee replacement procedures through better tissue assessment during surgery, according to the announcement. As with the other three Phase 1 grantees, the company is getting a $75,000 matching grant.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s ReNeuroGen is getting a $100,000 match as a Phase 2 recipient. The pharmaceutical company is developing a drug to treat various inflammatory conditions.

See more in the release.

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TOPICS

AGRIBUSINESS

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CONSTRUCTION

– 6 big Madison housing proposals soon up for approval

EDUCATION

– Kenosha teacher scandal spurs legislation, new policy — and a lawsuit

ENVIRONMENT

– Wisconsin hunters got slightly fewer bucks during gun deer season