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Business Journals
25-07-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
New AI platform has mapped every construction project in Texas giving contractors "God mode" for leads
A New Edge in Construction Intelligence Texas GCs have always relied on luck, timing, and relationships to win new construction projects. But a new AI-powered platform by is a game changer helping GCs discover private projects earlier, engage decision-makers sooner, and win deals ahead of competitors. One Houston-based general contractor put it plainly: 'It's God mode for leads.' a Texas-focused market intelligence platform, has mapped over 65,000 active private construction projects across the state. The platform provides structured access to early-stage signals such as rezoning activity, land title changes, permitting updates, and ownership transfers—often before plans are finalized or teams are selected. Unlike traditional platforms that rely on user input or call centers, pulls directly from city and state databases, private sources, and creates proprietary data where no structured information currently exists. Every update is tied to a traceable source document, giving users a clear paper trail for every insight. equips users to act early by connecting dots that would take a human weeks to uncover. Built for Early Signal Detection Contractors can follow civil engineers, developers, and architects, track movement across projects, and engage earlier with decision-makers. The platform helps BD teams position themselves as trusted advisors—shaping scope, not reacting to it. is the only source of early intelligence on private construction projects before the bid stage, giving contractors real-time visibility into upcoming opportunities. It surfaces what's coming—not just what's already out there. 10x Better Than Legacy Tools Traditional bid-management platforms like ConstructConnect and Dodge track public bid-stage activity. But by the time projects hit those systems, it's often too late. Private work is different. You find very few private opportunities on bid boards, and often the ones featured are much too late. 'ConstructConnect tells you what's already happening. Mercator shows you what's coming,' says founder Chloe Smith. Chloe Smith created the platform in 2020 after watching her father, a 45-year industry veteran, prepare for retirement. 'They were flying blind,' she recalls. 'Had he walked out, they wouldn't know where the work was coming from next.' 'My dad always talked to me about relationships,' she adds. 'As I matured, I realized the massive risk this imposed on his company. If he decided to retire, those relationships would disappear. Their revenue channel instantly appeared highly fragile.' She describes as a force multiplier tool for BD teams: a sales 'cheat code' that eliminates hours of manual research and replaces it with verified, real-time intelligence. And more than that, it solves a deeper pain point: the FOMO of not knowing what you don't know. 'We were tired of hearing about projects too late. With Mercator, we're in early—and it's directly impacted our win rate.' — VP, Business Development Free Permits App – Click Here Results on the Ground Texas-based users are already seeing impact. It's already being used by GCs like Joeris, Bartlett Cocke, and ChalkLine, and it's quickly becoming the de-facto standard in proactive business development across the state. A Houston interiors firm used to identify a permit revision, secure a meeting, and win the project. A Dallas GC tracked multifamily conversions early and secured two jobs before competitors were even aware. One Houston-based contractor secured a self-storage project by spotting an early land acquisition and rezoning signal. They invited the developer to tour a similar build, influenced the design, and ultimately won the job. A self-perform contractor identified a healthcare expansion weeks in advance and locked in supplier work ahead of any bid package. Internal metrics show users surface 3–5x more early-stage opportunities weekly—and spend far less time chasing dead-end leads. 'If I have one coffee meeting, I might walk away with two leads in an hour. If I'm on Mercator, I could find five in that same time.' — Director of Business Development, General Contractor 'It really allows us to parse the data, analyze it, and get high-quality leads to reps in the field. So yes, I'm a fan.' — Senior Manager, Business Development 'Mercator cuts through the noise. We don't waste time chasing dead-end leads anymore.' — Sales Manager Pricing – Click Here to Book a Live Demo Widespread Adoption and Growing Demand is actively used by members of Houston AGC, Austin AGC, San Antonio AGC, and Texo AGC/ABC. It tracks commercial, industrial, healthcare, institutional, and multifamily projects across tenant improvement, exterior renovations, core and shell, and ground up construction in every major metro in the state. The platform's growth reflects a broader shift in how construction teams are using technology. In a more competitive, margin-conscious market, timing and insight have become decisive advantages. 'AI gives people the time and space to be more strategic,' says Nihar Dalmia, a partner at Deloitte. 'It enables higher-value work and accelerates decision-making.' doesn't replace business development. It sharpens it. The best teams don't just react faster—they show up earlier, with more to offer.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Private project abandonments hit record highs
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. Private developers scrapped more projects in May than in any other month on record, according to the latest data from Cincinnati-based ConstructConnect. The Project Stress Index, a measure of construction projects that have been paused, abandoned or have a delayed bid date, increased 11.4% in May. That figure puts project stress 22.8% above 2021 baseline levels, said Devin Bell, associate economist at ConstructConnect. 'Abandonment activity has continued to rise, reaching its highest reading in over a year,' said Bell. 'While public sector abandonment activity remains within historic levels, private sector abandonments have reached multi-year highs.' Bell pointed to high interest rates and shifting market conditions as key factors reducing project viability. He said those pressures continue to erode developer confidence. A 30.3% spike in overall project abandonments caused the surge in stress in May, according to the report. In contrast, delayed bids dropped 1.9% and on-hold activity remained essentially flat. Since the end of 2024, abandonment activity has climbed 66.5%, while bid delays have increased 4.3% and on-hold activity has dropped 18.5%, according to the report. For example, clean energy manufacturers canceled, closed or downsized about $8 billion in projects in the first quarter of 2025. That includes the cancellations of a $1.2 billion plant in Arizona and a $2.6 billion battery factory in Georgia. For the month, private sector struggles stood out sharply, said Bell. Private abandonments increased 62.6% over the month, and are now up 92.2% year over year. That surge has led to the highest level of abandonments since ConstructConnect began tracking data in mid-2019. Meanwhile, private projects placed on hold increased 23.1% over the past 12 months, according to the report. Public projects moved in the opposite direction over the last year. Abandonments on public works remained flat, while public projects put on hold fell 15.2%, according to the report. Recommended Reading Private delays, abandonments drive project stress higher Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
