Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
On this latest episode of FMA Shorts, Carolyn McGary, an educator and national director of FM Pipeline Team Inc., discusses ways to recruit young talent as the facilities management industry faces a workforce crisis. This clip was taken from a webinar titled, “Bridging the Gap: Next-Gen Workforce Development in Facilities Management.” The full session is available […]
As the United States grapples with aging building stock and the need for infrastructure modernization, a critical workforce challenge threatens the commercial real estate sector’s ability to maintain, modernize, and operate the built environment. JLL’s latest skilled trades talent research reveals that by 2030, an estimated 2.1 million skilled trades positions for electricians, HVAC technicians, […]
Skilled trades are considered a strong foundation for a facilities management career. As the U.S. confronts a critical shortage of skilled trade workers, the Lowe’s Foundation announced an expanded $250 million commitment to help train and develop 250,000 tradespeople by 2035 through its Gable Grants program. This announcement follows a $100 million initiative from financial giant BlackRock to support the next […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. UConn Stadium Makeover Among other things, March is known for the beginning of spring, Women’s History Month, and of course, college basketball. As both its men’s and women’s teams fought their way to the March Madness Final […]
Stephen Odom, a senior facilities manager at Papa Johns, believes having a strong background in skilled trades can set you up for success in facilities management—especially when it comes to working under “extreme” pressure. Odom’s own background includes about 20 years in the commercial mechanical industry, with previous roles such as regional HVAC manager, national […]
Unplanned downtime is one of the most expensive problems a facility can face. According to ABB’s Value of Reliability report, two-thirds of companies deal with unplanned downtime at least once a month, at a median cost of $125,000 per hour. Electrical system failures are a leading contributor to that figure, yet the vast majority are […]
It’s here! It’s finally here! After brutal temps pummeled much of the country during winter, March 20th marks the first official day of spring. For facilities managers, the warmer weather provides opportunities to tackle tasks delayed during the cold and to give everything a nice refresh. However, the new season also poses some challenges like […]
The $3 trillion global facilities management (FM) industry supports employee and occupant experience, business continuity, enterprise resilience, and more. The field is also constantly evolving and adapting to economic shifts, digital transformation, and other factors. According to the recent JLL Global State of Facilities Management Report, three key trends for industry stakeholders to stay on […]
Cold snaps don’t always arrive with a major storm. A quick drop in temperature after a mild stretch can be enough to stress vulnerable piping, especially in perimeter zones and low-circulation spaces. For facilities management teams, a frozen or burst pipe can turn into tenant disruption, safety exposure, and avoidable downtime in a matter of […]
Editor’s note: Originally published in 2025, this FM Perspectives op-ed is being reposted in honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (observed March 8). 22: The percentage of women in the global FM labor force. 45: The average age of women in FM. These two pieces of data are from IFMA’s “Women in Facility Management: A […]