Bryan Gottlieb

Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction, and community issues. He has worked at Adweek, managed a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif., and reported on finance, law, and real estate for the San Diego Daily Transcript. He later served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and was managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage.

Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure projects, new products and business.

email gottliebb@enr.com | office: (248) 786-1591

A picture of a long-haul truck driving down the road

Economic Indicators

Can distributors and shippers regain their pricing power in 2024?

FreightWaves’ Q1 2024 ‘Freight Sentiment Indexes’ show improvement across carriers, brokers, shippers

Bryan Gottlieb

January 29, 2024

No Comments

The freight market anticipates a rebound in 2024, with increased shipper confidence, carrier recovery, and positive sentiment, but challenges persist.

Economic Indicators

ARMA Releases Mostly Upbeat Fourth Quarter Product Shipment Report

Shipments square with other economic data from U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, show 2023 enjoyed solid growth

Bryan Gottlieb

January 23, 2024

One Comment

Asphalt roofing market thrives in Q4 2023: Shingles up 25.5%, modified bitumen up 10.4%. BUR base, ply, and mineral cap sheets decline and the Canadian market faces challenges.

Federal Workforce Rule Change

Labor Dept. Revises Worker Classification on Employees vs. Independent Contractors

Rescinds 2021 independent contractor rule; replaces it with analysis consistent with case law

Bryan Gottlieb

January 19, 2024

No Comments

The Labor Department issued a new rule to clarify worker classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act; the rule restores the multifactor analysis used by courts for decades and takes effect on March 11.

Blown Away

Roof Peeled Right Off Its Rafters Due to High Winds

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this before,” says homeowner’s son

Bryan Gottlieb

January 17, 2024

No Comments

A farmhouse in Richmond, Vt., experienced severe roof damage due to high winds, with the community rallying to repair and install a new roof swiftly.

Chilos Construction principal Bacilio Rios has been cited for $281,000 in proposed fines from OSHA.

Safety Violations

Labor Dept. Proposes $281K in Fines Against Wisconsin Roofing Contractor

Occupational Safety and Health Administration says Appleton, Wis.-based Chilos Construction owner has repeatedly flouted safety regulations

Bryan Gottlieb

January 16, 2024

No Comments

OSHA cited Appleton, Wis.-based Chilos Construction principal Bacilio Rios for repeat safety violations while performing residential roof work and proposed fines in excess of $281K; this is the second time Rios has been penalized by the Labor Dept.

President Biden signing the new regulatory change into law in Feb. 2022.

Trade Organization News

Trade Group Criticizes Regulatory Change to Federal Acquisitions Rules

Executive Order amends how business with the federal government on projects is executed; requires a ‘Project Labor Agreement’ for contracts exceeding $35 million

Bryan Gottlieb

January 9, 2024

No Comments

Upcoming changes to how federal projects are awarded could increase costs for roofing contractors, leading trade associations to threaten court challenges to Biden administration’s revision.

The U.S. Labor Dept. proposed fines against a roofing contractor and a residential home builder working on two homes in Boca Raton, Fla.

Worker Safety

Roofing Contractor, Home Builder in Boca Raton, Fla. Fined $168K by Labor Dept.

OSHA proposes penalties for lack of fall protection and training for employees against both a roofing contractor and a residential home builder

Bryan Gottlieb

January 9, 2024

No Comments

All Phase Roofing and Lennar Homes are facing fines proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor for safety violations during roofing work. OSHA has cited repeat and serious violations and proposes $159,117 and $8,929 in penalties, respectively.

Latinos have made tremendous gains in business ownership, most concentrated in the construction sector.

Behind The Numbers

Census Data Shows Increase in Latino Business Ownership

As the U.S. population has become more diverse, so has ownership of the nation’s businesses

Bryan Gottlieb

December 28, 2023

No Comments

As the racial and ethnic makeup of the United States has changed. the U.S. Census Bureau released a thumbnail of just how much gain people of color, and Latinos in particular, have made, according to 2020 Census data.

Sarasota retiree disputes a 12% home value increase after roof replacement.

Florida Dispatch

Homeowner Challenges Increase in Home’s Taxable Value Tied to New Roof

A Florida law passed in 1992 capping increases is at odds with jump in home valuation

Bryan Gottlieb

December 27, 2023

No Comments

Sarasota retiree disputes a 12% home value increase after roof replacement, citing Florida's 'Save Our Homes' law. The law limits annual property value hikes for homesteads to 3%, but discrepancies arise due to interpretation by the local appraiser.

Vinyl chloride prepares to go under the microscope of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Regulatory News

Vinyl Institute Says It Will Work with EPA on Vinyl Chloride Risk Evaluation

A mainstay of the construction industry comes under scrutiny by regulators

Bryan Gottlieb

December 18, 2023

No Comments

The Vinyl Institute responded to the EPA's prioritization of investigating the potential health hazards of vinyl chloride, affirming its readiness to ensure the safety of PVC, a mainstay in the construction industry.