ATLANTA—With construction booming, commercial real estate builders like Balfour Beatty are facing a familiar problem: labor shortages. The question is what to do about it in the face of growing demand.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Al Petrangeli, president of Balfour's Georgia division, to get his thoughts on how bad the shortage is in Georgia and how his firm is addressing the challenge in part two of this exclusive interview. You can still read part one:Atlanta's New Wave of P3s.

GlobeSt.com: Many within construction and commercial real estate have mentioned the labor shortage confronting the construction industry. To what extent has Balfour Beatty encountered this, and how are you addressing it?

Petrangeli: When the recession hit, many of the seasoned laborers could no longer find jobs. They were forced to leave the industry and pursue opportunities outside of construction.

The increased demand for labor since the economic comeback—especially considering large projects such as the new Atlanta Falcons Stadium, the new Atlanta Braves Stadium and other similar complex projects in Georgia—coupled with the reduction in workforce has led to the hiring of workers that are not as skilled as those that left the industry during the downturn. This is affecting not only general contractors but the subcontractor community as well. 

Like many other contractors, we have encountered this shortage across our business, especially on multifamily projects, and are proactively addressing this shortage in partnership with our subcontractors. Together, we are constantly assessing their capacity and adjusting accordingly to meet expectations and client commitments.

We keep our clients abreast of the changing market conditions and are continuously providing insight as to how these circumstances will affect them and providing guidance to keep projects on track. As an industry, it is important that we partner with colleges and even high schools to help educate students about career paths in the construction industry and act in support of the efforts of local colleges offering skilled training for this type of workforce.

GlobeSt.com: Looking ahead to the new year, what do you expect in 2015 for both Balfour's Georgia Division and commercial construction in general? 

Petrangeli: In general, the overall pace of commercial construction is set to pick up, and Balfour Beatty's Georgia Division spent 2014 positioning for growth. We acquired some of the best talent and hired for several strategic positions to support our business goals. Going into 2015, we have a strong pipeline of work with a more diversified client base. We see