The number of contractors involved in more than 60% of green products is growing and is set to grow to 31% both inside and out of the United States, according to a study by Dodge Data and Analytics. The largest green growth is occurring in First World and emerging economies around the world, such as the US, Brazil, South Africa, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. The rate of green building in the US, the UK, and Germany—even in the wake of Brexit—is expected to double by 2018.
The opportunity for green builders in the near future seems inevitable, but is there a way for a new construction product manufacturer to find his way into the market in 2016?
The answer lies in understanding the drivers for green building and positioning your company to take advantage of the developments.
Contractors who do business with government are at an advantage, especially in the United States and a few other Western countries. The US and Germany both have set a priority to expand new initiatives into other countries. Approximately 21 percent of contractors that are currently in the US now report that more than 60% of their contracted projects are green.
Some of the drivers for green building include new environmental regulations around the world, a market demand for sustainable energy construction, and individual client demand for green construction within certain industries. Part of the reason that green building is accelerating more quickly in the US than in the rest of the world is the client demand in the country. Clients in countries that are not the US are much more concerned with market demands, a great deal of which is keeping up with the money that the US spends on green construction.
Contractors outside of the US are more concerned with the impact of building sustainable energy buildings on the health of the actual occupants of that building. Basically, if you are trying to build inside of the US, your investors will want to know if you can reduce water and energy costs. Outside of the US, you should present how you will protect natural resources in the surrounding environment.
Overall, the US is trying to stay ahead of the world in the new green economy, and global competition is increasing because of the value inherent in green building. Depending on the contract that you are trying to get, focus on the needs of the partner organizations and clients in order to take advantage of the new, wide open green market. If you are selling to contractors inside of the US, make sure they know your products can help with energy costs—sell yourself as the supply-side cost reduction expert. Outside of the US, you might be able to get a leg up by featuring the ways in which your products will eventually help the people who will live and work in the buildings that will be created.
