Christopher Durso
Editor-in-Chief
Construction ExecutivE

“2003 INDUSTRY FORECAST: Projections for Materials, Equipment and Labor.” With that headline on the cover of the very first issue of Construction Executive, published in January 2003, we were off and running.

Twenty years later, we’re still running, still forecasting and still publishing the premier magazine for the business of construction. In celebration of this big-time anniversary, I’m pleased to present an all-new, all-different, all-redesigned CE.

As befits a magazine that regularly profiles construction projects of all sizes, we approached our redesign from the ground up and the inside out, focusing first on our content infrastructure, including our feature well, department mix, tone and perspective. From there, we turned to exteriors and finishes, such as our logo, page layouts, headline styles and dozens of other great and small details that contribute to the look and feel of CE.

As we worked through this process with THOR Design Studio, our new design partner, several words kept coming up: clean, bold, professional and stylish. We wanted a magazine that matches the needs and sensibilities of the construction professionals who read it—and we think we nailed it. CE 2023 is a classic B2B publication for the 21st century, delivering case studies, best practices and thought leadership with an engaging voice and a sharp aesthetic. At the center of each issue, as always, you’ll find our feature well—medium-length and longform stories that profile innovative projects and interesting people (such as ABC 2023 National Board Chair Milton Graugnard and ABC Convention 2023 keynote speaker Duncan Wardle), analyze emerging trends and priority issues (such as onsite sanitation after the pandemic) and generally go deep on things we think our readers need to know to run a profitable and productive construction business.

The front of CE, meanwhile, is home to three new departments: “From the Editor” (hi, it’s me!); “ABCs,” which brings together Associated Builders and Contractors–related content including “Industry Insider” and “Washington Update”; and “Nuts and Bolts,” a bright, shiny toolbox of news, trends, interviews and insights. In the back, it’s a returning lineup of departments addressing core industry topics: “Business,” “Safety,” “Workforce,” “Jobsite” (formerly “Markets”) and “Community.” Our final page introduces “Closeout,” offering a literal snapshot of the grandeur and beauty that construction projects bring to communities everywhere.

CE’s mission has been—and remains—to inform, educate and inspire the construction executives whose companies build the world and everything in it. They’re always trying to do it better and, as I hope this redesign demonstrates, so are we.

What’s Old Is New

Our print redesign is only one of the ways we’re recognizing CE’s 20th anniversary. We recently introduced a redesigned version of our CE This Week newsletter—leaner, smarter and better focused on the business of construction; if you don’t already subscribe, sign up for free.

Next up on the chopping block is CE’s website, ConstructionExec.com. We’re in the process of redesigning and relaunching our online portal, with a goal of creating a more robust, responsive platform for CE content in every format, including print articles, videos, webinars, social media and more. Look for that to go live some time in the second half of 2023.