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DALLAS, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Blue Book Building and Construction Network www.thebluebook.com the largest and most active network in the commercial construction industry, has partnered with the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association https://regionalhca.org/ to provide its members with significant value-added benefits.

This new alliance complements the missions of both organizations in supporting the growth of the construction industry. Subcontractors will now have access to pre-bid meetings, networking events, and special promotions and discounts. In addition, General Contractor members will have free access to The Blue Book Network’s leading Bid Communication and Collaboration solution, ONETEAM. 

«We are excited about the opportunity to become more actively involved with the RHCA,» said Matt Daniel, Dallas-Fort Worth Area General Manager at The Blue Book Network. «Both our organizations have had a presence in Dallas-Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Deepening our relationship with this partnership couldn’t have come at a better time and will benefit both our constituencies as well as the local economy.»  

John H. Martinez-D., President of the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association, commented, «During this time of uncertainty, The Blue Book Network partnership with the RHCA gives our diverse contractor members confidence in finding out about project opportunities. The RHCA is proud of our alliance with one of the construction industry’s most trusted members.»

About The Blue Book Building & Construction Network
The Blue Book Building & Construction Network / www.thebluebook.com is an employee-owned company and the largest, most active network in the U.S. commercial construction industry. Today, The Blue Book Network defines and delivers the industry through three unparalleled databases of: companies, projects and people. By integrating and understanding the relationships shared by these groups, The Blue Book Network provides an indispensable resource to connect with the industry every day.

About Regional Hispanic Contractors Association 
The mission of the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association is to promote and support the advancement and economic growth of the Hispanic contractors, architects and engineers in Texas. We are committed to developing programs and facilitating the resources needed to help the diverse Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) Industry reach their potential.

Contact: Matt Daniel, Area General Manager, (609)221-8247

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SOURCE The Blue Book Building and Construction Network

DALLAS, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Blue Book Building and Construction Network www.thebluebook.com the largest and most active network in the commercial construction industry, has partnered with the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association https://regionalhca.org/ to provide its members with significant value-added benefits.

This new alliance complements the missions of both organizations in supporting the growth of the construction industry. Subcontractors will now have access to pre-bid meetings, networking events, and special promotions and discounts. In addition, General Contractor members will have free access to The Blue Book Network’s leading Bid Communication and Collaboration solution, ONETEAM. 

«We are excited about the opportunity to become more actively involved with the RHCA,» said Matt Daniel, Dallas-Fort Worth Area General Manager at The Blue Book Network. «Both our organizations have had a presence in Dallas-Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Deepening our relationship with this partnership couldn’t have come at a better time and will benefit both our constituencies as well as the local economy.»  

John H. Martinez-D., President of the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association, commented, «During this time of uncertainty, The Blue Book Network partnership with the RHCA gives our diverse contractor members confidence in finding out about project opportunities. The RHCA is proud of our alliance with one of the construction industry’s most trusted members.»

 About The Blue Book Building & Construction Network
The Blue Book Building & Construction Network / www.thebluebook.com is an employee-owned company and the largest, most active network in the U.S. commercial construction industry. Today, The Blue Book Network defines and delivers the industry through three unparalleled databases of: companies, projects and people. By integrating and understanding the relationships shared by these groups, The Blue Book Network provides an indispensable resource to connect with the industry every day.

About Regional Hispanic Contractors Association 
The mission of the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association is to promote and support the advancement and economic growth of the Hispanic contractors, architects and engineers in Texas. We are committed to developing programs and facilitating the resources needed to help the diverse Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) Industry reach their potential.

Contact: Matt Daniel, Area General Manager, (609)221-8247

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SOURCE The Blue Book Building and Construction Network

NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As 2021 begins, a new survey from The Conference Board reveals the biggest issues that will keep business leaders up at night in the new year. CEOs in the United States are more worried about higher corporate taxes and increased regulation, but less worried about global political instability and disruptions to global trade. And compared to their global peers, U.S. CEOs are more eager to have staff return to the physical workplace. U.S. executives also see the widespread availability of a vaccine as a game changer for their businesses.

The survey gauged CEOs and C-suite executives from around the world about their biggest business challenges in 2021. Among the top stressors worldwide, respondents primarily cited COVID-19, recruiting and retaining top talent, recession risk, vaccine availability, and accelerating digital transformation.

The survey, C-Suite Challenge™ 2021, was conducted between November 7^th – December 10^th. More than 900 CEOs and more than 600 C-suite executives weighed in from primarily three regions: Europe, Asia, and North America. Highlights and insights include the following:

External Challenges in 2021: Highlights 

U.S. CEOs think vaccine distribution will have an outsized impact on their businesses.

• U.S. CEOs: They see vaccine availability as a game changer, ranking it 2^nd (the highest among CEOs globally).
• CEOs Globally: Among CEOs worldwide, it ranks 3^rd.
• Chinese CEOs: They rank it much lower, at 9^th.

U.S. CEOs are more worried about regulation & taxes, less worried about trade & global turmoil.

• More concern about corporate tax rates: In 2020, it was U.S. CEOs’ 14^th top worry; in 2021, it rose to 5^th.
• More concern about regulation: In 2020, it was their 9^th top worry; in 2021, it rose to 4^th.
• Less concern about trade disruptions: In 2020, it was their 4^th top worry; in 2021, it dropped to 7^th.
• Less concern about global political instability: In 2020, it was their 4^th top worry; in 2021, it dropped to 10^th.

Recession fears: Chinese CEOs are more worried than U.S. CEOs about another downturn.

• U.S. CEOs: They rank recession risk as their 3^rd top worry for 2021.
• Chinese CEOs: They rank recession risk 1^st – their top worry.
• CEOs Globally: Among CEOs worldwide, it ranks 2^nd.

Internal Challenges in 2021: Highlights

Turbocharging innovation: COVID-19 has accelerated the need for creativity.

• Accelerate pace of digital transformation: Both U.S. CEOs and CEOs globally rank it 1^st.
• Improve innovation: Both U.S. CEOs and CEOs globally rank it 2^nd.

As recession fears linger, companies stay defensive by prioritizing cash flow & controlling costs.

• Lower costs: Globally, CEOs rank the need to control costs as 4^th; U.S. CEOs rank it 3^rd.
• Improve cash flow: Globally, CEOs rank it 6^th; U.S. CEOs rank it 7^th.

Human Capital Management Challenges in 2021: Highlights

Returning to the office: U.S. CEOs are most committed to bringing workers back.

• Bringing workers back to the physical workspace: Among CEOs globally, it ranks 9^th; U.S. CEOs rank it 3^rd.

Remote work stabilizes: Few CEOs plan to further increase or decrease their remote workforce.

• Increase number of remote workers: Globally, CEOs rank it 17^th; U.S. CEOs also rank it 17^th.
• Decrease number of remote workers: Globally, CEOs rank it last, at 21^st; U.S. CEOs rank it 18^th.

Talent reigns supreme: Recruiting and retaining the best and brightest remains the top priority.

• Recruit and retain top talent: Regardless of a company’s location or size, attracting and retaining top talent ranks as the top priority for CEOs and other C-suite executives globally in 2021. This was also true in 2020.

COVID-19’s Legacy: CEOs Rank the Pandemic’s Long-Term Impacts

Reduced business travel is likely here to stay.

• U.S. CEOs: They rank reduced business travel as the 2^nd most likely long-term impact of COVID-19.
• CEOs Globally: They rank this scenario as the most likely long-term impact.

Will my work office shrink? U.S. CEOs expect reduced office space.

• U.S. CEOs: They rank reduced office space as the most likely long-term impact of COVID-19.
• CEOs Globally: They rank this scenario as the 5^th most likely long-term impact.

CEOs expect automation to accelerate.

• U.S. CEOs: They rank more automation of tasks as the 3^rd most likely long-term impact of COVID-19.
• CEOs Globally: They rank this scenario as the 2^nd most likely long-term impact.

Commentary on the survey results

Rebecca Ray, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Human Capital, The Conference Board
«In 2021, a hybrid model with a mix of onsite and remote workers will likely be the new norm. In this environment, as new employees join teams and have little personal contact with existing team members, leaders will need to ensure that all have a sense of belonging. Organizations should take a hard pause to ask themselves: Is the culture we had – and, perhaps, want to preserve – the right culture for this new environment?»

Dana Peterson, Chief Economist, The Conference Board
«While CEOs continue to fret about a possible downturn, 2021 is poised to be the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. In most regions – especially the United States – CEOs believe the distribution of a successful vaccine will have a significant impact on their businesses this year. The spread of COVID-19 vaccines will, among other benefits, provide greater clarity and predictability around short-term planning and operations.»

Chuck Mitchell, Executive Director of Content Quality, The Conference Board
«The current crisis means the luxury of having a years-long lead time to digitally transform is gone. Investment in digital technology is only a piece of that puzzle. Organizational culture, enlightened leadership, and talent will ultimately create a sustainable competitive advantage. Recovery will require finding the right balance between conserving cash and investing in innovation needed to succeed in a new commercial landscape.»

Ataman Ozyildirim, Global Research Chair, The Conference Board
«Looking beyond reduced business travel, altered landscape of commercial office space, and increased automation of tasks, CEOs believe the need to address the resilience of global supply chains will be one of the most likely long-term legacies of COVID-19. During the pandemic, many policymakers and companies learned that a heavily optimized supply chain often lacked the agility to substitute alternate sources of supply. While concerns about global trade disruptions diminished recently, the global pandemic has exposed new vulnerabilities in supply chains.»

About The Conference Board
The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what’s ahead. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org

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SOURCE The Conference Board

Inspired by the Skills of Professional Drift Drivers, Research Seeks to Combine the Technology of Vehicle Automation with Artificial Intelligence Algorithms

LOS ALTOS, Calif., Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — What if every driver who ran into trouble had the instinctive reflexes of a professional race car driver and the calculated foresight of a supercomputer to avoid a crash? Researchers at Toyota Research Institute are working with Stanford’s Dynamic Design Lab to make this vision come true.

The engineers are conducting research into how to bring together the instincts of professional drivers and automated driving technology. Their goal is to design a new level of active safety technology and share it broadly so that Toyota and other auto manufacturers can deploy it on the road.

«Every day, there are deadly vehicle crashes that result from extreme situations where most drivers would need superhuman skills to avoid a collision,» said Gill Pratt, TRI CEO and Chief Scientist at Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). «The reality is that every driver has vulnerabilities, and to avoid a crash, drivers often need to make maneuvers that are beyond their abilities. Through this project, TRI will learn from some of the most skilled drivers in the world to develop sophisticated control algorithms that amplify human driving abilities and keep people safe. This is the essence of the Toyota Guardian™ approach.»

Every year, car crashes result in nearly 40,000 fatalities in the United States, and about 1.25 million fatalities worldwide. Toyota’s goal is to reduce that number to zero. While most crashes occur in mundane situations, in other situations drivers may need to make maneuvers that take their vehicle close to and, at times, exceed normal limits of handling. When faced with wet or slippery roads for instance, professional drivers may choose to ‘drift’ the car through a turn.

«Since 2008, our lab has taken inspiration from human race car drivers in designing algorithms that enable automated vehicles to handle the most challenging emergencies,» said Professor Chris Gerdes of Stanford University’s Dynamic Design Laboratory.  «Through this research, we have the opportunity to move these ideas much closer to saving lives on the road.» 

TRI has supported the Dynamic Design Lab’s research for many years. The current project draws upon Stanford’s published paper, «Opening New Dimensions: Vehicle Motion Planning and Control using Brakes while Drifting,» in which Stanford researchers demonstrated advanced drifting on MARTY, an electrified, automated DeLorean. Stanford’s experimental results produced a proof-of-concept architecture capable of controlling a rear-wheel drive vehicle in a drift using brakes, steering and propulsion. TRI is now applying this architecture to vehicle platforms, including the GR Supra.

TRI is also engaging Toyota’s engineering expertise in motorsports and advanced development. Toyota Racing Development (TRD U.S.A., Inc.) in the United States is providing valuable technical and experiential know-how in motorsports and drifting. Separately, TRI is also working with Toyota Motor Corporation’s Vehicle Dynamics Control Team — based in Japan — to apply the drifting architecture for future Toyota vehicles.

About Toyota Research Institute
Toyota Research Institute (TRI), established in 2015, aims to develop active vehicle safety and automated driving technologies, robotics, and other human amplification technology.  Led by Dr. Gill Pratt, TRI’s researchers use artificial intelligence to benefit society and improve the human condition by creating a future where everyone has the freedom to move, engage, and explore. TRI is based in the United States, with offices in Los Altos, California, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more information about TRI, please visit http://tri.global.

Media Contacts

Stephen Hughes
Communications Manager
Toyota Research Institute
Stephen.Hughes@tri.global
650-422-8947

Wendy Rosen
Communications Dir.
Toyota Research Institute
Wendy.Rosen@tri.global
650-284-6429

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SOURCE Toyota Research Institute