As always, the NIC Conference in Chicago is a great experience and an unique opportunity to connect owners, managers, lenders and (of course) the attorneys that represent each of them. Interesting conversations always ensue, and here are a couple of takeaways from our interactions:

  • Operators continue to struggle with the demand for qualified, reliable staff at facilities. Many have been forced to increase wages to keep up with a rising market (thanks, Amazon!), but even increased wages are not a cure-all. As always, a good director is worth his or her weight in gold.
  • The cost of construction was also a hot topic and we had one owner at a dinner suggest that the recently re-negotiated NAFTA will result in cheaper steel from Canada with cheaper lumber to follow steel's trend. That view was met with some healthy skepticism at our table, but time will tell us who was right on this one.