"Now more than ever, forward-looking businesses are seeking innovative strategies for boosting bottom-line business performance, increasing value to shareholders, improving their overall productivity and quality of operations, and better utilizing existing assets," said Frank MacInnis, chairman and CEO of EMCOR. "This first-of-its-kind study indicates that senior executives across a spectrum of industries are looking to facilities services to help meet those critical goals."

Conducted by market research firm Moskowitz/Jacobs Inc., the research study included CEOs, presidents, and CFOs, as well as senior operational management executives across a range of industries and from many of the largest companies and institutions. There were 450 respondents from industries that included financial services, health care, higher education, manufacturing, energy and utilities, hotels/hospitality, retail, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and construction/real estate.

According to EMCOR, the research was quantitative and statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level.

Among other findings of the survey:

Energy was a major area of concern, with 87 percent of respondents indicating they have room to improve; 74 percent saying that they do not have a handle on controlling the cost, quality, and reliability of the power delivered and consumed across their enterprises; 59 percent indicating that they feel they are not well positioned in-house to control energy and improve operational efficiency; and 49 percent saying that they are seeking ways to optimize energy usage.

The survey indicates that facilities services outsourcing is a very high interest area, in all industries, at all organization levels, yet 50 percent of executives say that their facilities are not currently well managed.

The results of the study are available on EMCOR's Web site at www.emcorgroup.com.

Publication date: 03/22/2004