Interviewby AnaPaulaMontanha,Editor-in-Chief
Delivering America’s Infrastructure Insidethe Operationsof aSkilled TradeGeneral Manager
AnaPaulaMontanha,Editor-in-ChiefofHumanCapital CareerTrendsMagazine,interviewedBrunoFillipeda Silva,askilledTradeGeneralManagerwithoversixyears ofexperienceoverseeingmulti-stateplumbingand electricaloperations.Inthisedition,Mr.daSilvashareshis criticalinsightintothelabor,logistical,andpolicy challengesfacingAmerica’sinfrastructuresector.
TheUnitedStatesfacesagrowingparadoxin infrastructuredevelopment:unprecedented federalinvestmentcoexistswithanacute shortageofskilledlabor.AstheInfrastructure InvestmentandJobsActchannelsbillionsinto housing,utilities,andrenewableenergysystems, thepooloflicensedplumbers,electricians,and trademanagershasfailedtomeetdemand.This laborshortageisnotatransientpost-pandemic anomaly—itisastructuralbottleneckinnational developmentstrategy.
Thisarticleexaminestheroleofskilledtrade entrepreneurs—specifically,construction managersoperatingacross-stateplumbingand electricalcontractingfirms—inmitigatingthis crisis.DrawingonofficialdatafromtheBureauof LaborStatistics(2024),interviewswithexecutive operators,andpeer-reviewedlabormarket studies,thisargumentsuggeststhatsuch professionalsnotonlyfillanationalneedbutalso deserveformalpolicyrecognitionwithinlabor andworkforcedevelopmentframeworks.
LABORMARKET ANALYSIS
AccordingtotheU.S.BureauofLaborStatistics(2024),the nationrequiresover50,000newplumbersannuallythrough 2031,drivenbybothexpansionandretirements.Electriciansare projectedtogrowby7%withinthesameperiod,outpacingthe nationalaverageforalloccupations.Theshortageisespecially acuteinstatesexperiencingaccelerateddemandforrealestate andenergyretrofitting[...](Pollinetal.,2024).
Demographicshiftsexacerbatethesegaps.Theaverageageof U.S.plumbersnowexceeds42years,andenrollmentin apprenticeshipprogramsremainsstagnant.AsElbashbishyand El-Adaway(2024)note,laborsupplydeficitsarecausing widespreaddelaysinbothprivateandpublicinfrastructure projects,addingbillionsineconomicdrag.
Skilledtradeentrepreneurshaveemergedaspivotalto infrastructurecontinuity.Operatinginnichedomainssuchas commercialplumbingretrofitsforhotelsandrestaurantchains, thesefirmsoftenfunctionasbothemployerandgeneral contractor.Theycreatejobs,maintaincomplianceacross jurisdictions,andexecuteessentialinfrastructureunder exactingtimelinesandcostconstraints.
Source: GuerrillaEconomics.Dunham,J.,&Flaherty,M.(2024).BlockedPipes:TheEconomic ConsequencesofSkilledWorkerShortages.Retrievedfrom https://guerrillaeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Blocked-Pipes.pdf Elbashbishy,T.,&El-Adaway,I.H.(2024).ImpactofSkilledLaborShortagesonProject Costs.MissouriUniversityofScienceandTechnology. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=3745&context=civarc_enveng_facwork U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics(2024).EmploymentProjections.https://www.bls.gov/emp/
POLICYMISALIGNMENTAND IMMIGRATIONGAP
Despitefulfillingcriticaleconomicfunctions,skilledtrade entrepreneursremainunder-recognizedinpublicpolicy frameworks.U.S.laborpolicydisproportionatelyfavors academicandSTEMprofessionals,oftenneglecting seasonedtradespecialistswhomanageteams,develop regionalsystems,andfillcriticalinfrastructureroles.
BrunoFillipedaSilvaexemplifiesthisprofile.Aconstructiongeneral managerwithoversixyearsofexperienceintheUnitedStates,Bruno FillipedaSilvaleadsamulti-stateplumbingandelectricalcontracting firmservicinglarge-scalecommercialdevelopments,including300+ unithotelchains.HisteamsoperateacrossMassachusetts,NewYork andIndianapolis,navigatingcomplexcompliancerequirements,crossjurisdictionallicensing,andsubcontractormobilization.Hiscompany contributestoinfrastructuredevelopmentinenergy-efficientretrofits andhousingmaintenance,twofederallyprioritizedsectors.
Source: GuerrillaEconomics.Dunham,J.,&Flaherty,M.(2024).BlockedPipes:TheEconomicConsequencesofSkilled WorkerShortages.Retrievedfromhttps://guerrillaeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/BlockedPipes.pdf
Elbashbishy,T.,&El-Adaway,I.H.(2024).ImpactofSkilledLaborShortagesonProjectCosts.MissouriUniversity ofScienceandTechnology.https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=3745&context=civarc_enveng_facwork
U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics(2024).EmploymentProjections.https://www.bls.gov/emp/
So G W P El of ar U
Expert entrepreneur’sperspective. AnInfrastructure
AspartofHumanCapital’songoingseriesonexecutiveleadershipandindustrytransformation,Editor-in-ChiefAnaPaula Montanhaspeakswithexpertsshapingthefutureoftheirfields-Mr.daSilvaexemplifiesthisprofile.Aconstructiongeneral managerwithoversixyearsofexperienceintheUnitedStates,BrunoFillipedaSilvaleadsamulti-stateplumbingand electricalcontractingfirmservicinglarge-scalecommercialdevelopments.
Howistheconstruction industryevolving,and whatchallengesstand outfromageneral manager’sperspective?
Wearebeingaskedto domorewithless— meetstricterenergy codes,deliverfaster, andhandlemore specializedsystems. However,theworkforce isnotkeepingup. Skilledtradesareaging out.Everymonth,I havetoreassignor retraincrews.
Whatpolicybarriers limityourabilityto grow?
Restrictionsonwhocan bidonpublicprojects arearealissue.Ihave workedon developmentsthat likelyfallunderpublic housingorfederally backedprograms—but mycompanyoftengets cutoutofdirectbids. That’srevenuelossand lostopportunity,not justforme,butforthe projects.
Whatstrategieshelp youmanagecross-state operationsunderlabor stress?
Wesystematized everything.From state-specific licensingtomobile schedulingapps.I builtacoremodel withregionalleads andadatabasethat tracksthelocationof everyworkerand theirlicensedjob.Itis aboutstandardization andcompliance.
Howhastechnology changedyourbusiness model?
Techsupports execution,butdoesnot replacelabor.Weuse appstotrackmaterials, issueinvoices,and monitorsiteprogress. However,someonestill hastoinstallthe conduitorfitthe plumbing.Techisa tool;laboristhe foundation.
Source: U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics(2024).Occupational OutlookHandbook:PlumbersandElectricians.Retrieved fromhttps://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-andextraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm PoliticalEconomyResearchInstitute(PERI).Pollin,R., Chakraborty,S.,&Wicks-Lim,J.(2024).LaborSupplyand DemandUnderNewU.S.InfrastructureLaws.Universityof MassachusettsAmherst.https://peri.umass.edu
Q&A Expert entrepreneur’sperspective. AnInfrastructure
Whatarethetop threatstoyourbusiness overthenextdecade?
Threethings:not enoughlicensed workers,unpredictable materialcosts,and regulatorycomplexity. Eachstateisdifferent, andtheruleschange fast.
Whatwouldbethe impactifyourbusiness couldnotoperateat scale?
Projectpipelines wouldbreak.Our clientsrelyonour systems.Youcannot justfindanewcrew overnight—especially formulti-state operations.Weare partofthesupply chain.Withoutus, delaysandcost overrunswouldspike.
Whateconomicshifts areshapingyour operationstoday?
Laborcostsarerising. ClientswantEV-ready systems.Materials fluctuateweekly.We adaptbytraininghybrid workersandstaying lean,butpolicyhasto catchup.Weare alreadydelivering—give usastableoperating environment.
Source: U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics(2024).OccupationalOutlookHandbook:PlumbersandElectricians.Retrieved fromhttps://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm PoliticalEconomyResearchInstitute(PERI).Pollin,R.,Chakraborty,S.,&Wicks-Lim,J.(2024).LaborSupplyand DemandUnderNewU.S.InfrastructureLaws.UniversityofMassachusettsAmherst.https://peri.umass.edu
Interviewby AnaPaulaMontanha,Editor-in-Chief
CONCLUSION
ThefutureofAmericaninfrastructuredependsnotonlyonfunding,butonthosewhodeliverit. SkilledtradeentrepreneurslikeBrunoFillipedaSilvaaremorethanlabor;theyareintegratorsof capital,workforce,andcompliance.Theirunder-recognitioninpolicyconversationsisnot merelyabureaucraticoversight;itisamissedopportunityfornationalprogress.
IfAmericaistorestoreitshousingstock,expandenergycapacity,andmodernizecritical infrastructure,itmustharnessthefullspectrumoftalentalreadyembeddedwithinitseconomy.
References
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