HONOLULU -- The business and credit crisis is taking its toll on the state's construction industry. However, there is good news.

It is a good time to do maintenance work at Tory's Roofing, which, like every other construction company in town, is looking for more business.

"There's a lot more competition out there because when it gets slow, everyone gets hungry for work," Tory's Roofing Vice President Mike Tory said.

Right now, government is the major source for new contract. The state comptroller said the competition between contractors is showing up in the bids.

"We are receiving lower prices and we are having more bids submitted," state comptroller Russ Saito said.

That makes it a good time to go to bid. So, the state is trying to spend $1 billion on hundreds of contractors in the next year to 18 months.

"We are trying to keep the construction industry fully occupied because that's a big factor in our economy," Saito said.

To get that $1 billion out into the construction community as quickly as possible, the state said it is coordinating as many as half a dozen institutions to try to identify the jobs that can be bid out the most quickly.

"It doesn't help the economy unless cash gets spent, and that's what we are trying to do," Saito said.

"That's welcome news to us. That's a lot of work we can use it. We're ready," Tory said.