The Mobilization Mindset
Mobilization Mindset is the podcast for construction and manufacturing leaders who are building smarter, leading stronger, and growing with intention. Hosted by Mobilization Funding CEO Scott Peper, each episode features insightful conversations with founders, operators, and changemakers who are rewriting the rules and doing the work.
From workforce challenges to mental health, communication to cash flow, culture to leadership - this is where grit meets strategy, and strategy meets action. No fluff. No filters. Just real insights for the MF’ers moving their businesses forward.
The Mobilization Mindset
Episode 128 | The Construction Trends That Will Shape the Industry in 2026 with Steve Cona III
In this episode of The Mobilization Mindset, Scott Peper, Founder & CEO of Mobilization Funding, sits down with Steve Cona III, President & CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors - ABC Florida Gulf Coast - to explore what the best construction companies are doing differently - and why “doing business as usual” is the fastest way to fall behind in 2026.
Steve leads ABC Florida Gulf Coast, the regional chapter of a national construction trade association representing hundreds of member firms across the Florida Gulf Coast - including general contractors, specialty contractors, material suppliers, and professional associates. Working closely with member companies across different trades and business sizes gives him a clear view into the challenges contractors face day to day, from workforce shortages and contract risk to cash pressure and permitting delays.
Those pressures are shaping how construction enters 2026. While there is no shortage of opportunity, the companies that come out ahead won’t be the ones chasing “bright and shiny” projects. They’ll be the ones that perform consistently, understand their risk, protect their people, and stop treating the business like a lifestyle operation.
You’ll hear:
- How top contractors turn performance into leverage - better terms, faster pay, and less retainage
- The most common mistake smaller contractors make: taking on risk without knowing the cash required to deliver
- How workforce investment, safety, and training unlock larger and better projects
- What contractors should do when projects go sideways - and how strong companies protect their reputation
- Why infrastructure, healthcare, and public work will dominate the next decade
- How smaller and mid-sized contractors can break into public work through continuing contracts
- The real impact of permitting delays, policy, and cash strain on contractors and workers
- Where technology, prefab, and AI actually help - and where they can’t replace skilled labor
The takeaway:
As markets grow and projects get larger, the margin for error disappears. Contractors who don’t understand their cash requirements, sign bad contracts, or underinvest in their people put themselves at risk long before the job ever starts.
Watch the full episode now and learn how contractors can grow responsibly, protect their people, and position their business for sustained success as the industry moves into 2026 and beyond.
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