Our new website, www.chicagolandagc.org, is up and running and with it, so is the member portal. Whether you were a Fox Valley member or a BA member, your login credentials are set up on the new site.

Former Fox Valley members: An email went out earlier this morning from info@chicagolandagc.org regarding your login credentials. If you did not receive this email, please list info@chicagolandagc.org as a safe sender and contact Hilary Korabik at hkorabik@chicagolandagc.org for your credentials. 

Former BA members: Your login credentials are the same as they were with the Builders Association. If you've forgotten your username or password, contact Hilary Korabik at hkorabik@chicagolandagc.org.

Through our member portal you have access to member pricing for events, the ability to pay invoices online, and access to member-only documents such as contracts and wage negotiations. 

Please note: From time to time, we send out e-Blasts from info@chicagolandagc.org. Please whitelist this as a safe sender to be kept in-the-loop about upcoming events and industry news. 

Meet our Executive Director. As Executive Director, Dan McLaughlin is eager to work with members to form an even stronger voice for the construction industry. He is responsible for the implementation of all Board-approved programs and services. Most recently, Dan served as the Executive Director of the Builders Association, where he played an instrumental role in initiating and executing the merge between the Builders Association and the Fox Valley AGC. Prior to his time with the Builders Association, Dan served as the Executive Director of the Plumbing Contractors Association for 21 years. In his spare time, Dan enjoys researching family history, traveling, and spending time with his four grandchildren. Dan can be reached at dmclaughlin@chicagolandagc.org.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jack Shales, co-founder of Shales McNutt Construction, former President of Fox Valley AGC (1992-1993) and longtime member of the Association. Jack passed away on January 26. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. The full obituary is available here. 

Through March 31, 2018, members can take advantage of a member discount pilot program with Amazon. Amazon Business allows companies to create corporate Amazon accounts that provide an easy way for companies to purchase business products from Amazon.com and save money. Amazon Business account users can save up to 20% on the first $500.00 of orders, get free two-day shipping, and can also access exclusive discounts on Amazon Business items. AGC member companies are able to set up accounts free of charge and then control and monitor who has access to make purchases, plus run reports. Learn more here.

Join us from 8-10 a.m. on Thursday, February 15 at the office of member company Baker Tilly (205 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2800, Chicago) for a presentation on Tax Reform. Breakfast and networking will begin at 8:00, and the program will start at 8:30. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the most significant overhaul of America's tax system in decades. While simplification, a state goal of the reform, may have been achieved for some individual filers, construction contractors and subcontractors will need to navigate a maze of new, complex and interrelated tax provisions. The sooner you understand these changes, the sooner you can adapt, maintaining your competitive edge in the marketplace. Representatives from member company Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP will present the must-know information about tax reform in an interactive format. Register today, as space is limited! Registration is available here. 

This year's Spring Summit luncheon to honor our Safety Award winners will be held on Wednesday, May 16 at Maggiano's in Oak Brook. More information will be available soon. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Construction Safety Council (CSC) is hosting free four-hour trainings on working safely with electricity in construction. Training sessions will be held 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on February 14, April 19, and May 16 at the CSC offices at 4415 W. Harrison Street, Suite 404, in Hillside, IL. Electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard. Whether you work directly with electricity or around it, the potential for electric shock, electrocution, fires, and explosions exist. Some workers are completely unaware of the potential electric hazards present in their work environment, which makes them more vulnerable to the danger of electrocution.

Looking to grow in your knowledge of working safely with silica? From March 5-9, OSHA is making a one-hour video training available. The training will focus on background and awareness, compliance in construction, general industry compliance, and best practices. Sign up to access the video.

AGC of America is offering a free webinar from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. CST on Thursday, February 15. The webinar will cover everything from safety to financials, making sure to give you all the information you need to survive in this growing sea of competition. If you find yourself wondering how to leverage technology for profit and efficiency, how to create a positive company culture that boosts worker happiness, or how to keep your competitive edge as new firms continue to crop up, this is the webinar for you. Registration is available online. 

CSI is hosting a presentation overviewing trends and drivers affecting building enclosure and the building industry. The program will also cover building performance simulation fundamentals and history, BIM,  comparisons of underlying simulation methods, and thoughts on how these can be used to design better building envelopes. The event will take place on Thursday, February 22nd at Maggiano's at 516 N. Clark Street in Chicago. The event is divided into a morning session and an afternoon session, each of which is similar to the other. Attendees may choose to attend one or both. Chicagoland AGC members receive the Industry Partner Rate.

March 8th is International Women's Day, and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is hosting a fundraiser to celebrate. Join NAWIC from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 8 at Old Crow Smokehouse to raise money for Camp NAWIC, a week-long free day camp that inspires the next generation of women in construction. Registration is available online. 

Two Chicagoland AGC member companies, Mortenson Construction and Safety Controls Technology, will be giving a presentation titled "Silica--What to do to Comply" from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6 at the ASA Construction Expo & Safety Conference at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. Register here! 

For a second consecutive year, maximum fines for Department of Labor safety and health agencies increased to keep pace with inflation.

The 1.02 percent increase is in line with the Consumer Price Index inflation rate as of October 2017, the department said in Jan. 2 notice (83 Fed. Reg. 7) detailing the updated penalties.

As we all know, contractors face the potential for overlapping jurisdictional claims between two or more unions. MARBA has issued a memorandum on the procedures, should a jurisdictional issue arise. The full memorandum may be read here.

Registration for our 2018 Lean Construction Education Program is available online! The series will be held on Wednedays February 28, April 11, April 25, May 9, and May 23. Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) developed the Lean Construction Education Program to help its members develop the tools necessary to build lean. Chicagoland construction professionals at all experience levels have taken Lean Education courses through the Education & Training Foundation to acquire the building blocks necessary to transform their projects and companies into lean operating systems. We are pleased to offer all seven units again this year. After successful completion of all seven units individuals will be eligible to take the Lean Certificate of Management Credentialing Exam. Please note: Unit 7 will occur before Unit 6 to accommodate instructor schedules. Prerequisite knowledge from Unit 6 is not required to successfully complete Unit 7. 

As a member of Chicagoland AGC, you have access to continuing education courses through the Construction Education Institute (CEI). Read on to learn about a few of the upcoming courses that our members have found particularly valuable. 

Barcelona Creative Group is a team of highly skilled and experienced marketing and design professionals. They are industry leaders working with clients to delivery measured results--blending traditional advertising tactics with new technologies and digital tools. Barcelona leverages consumer demographics, market research, and industry trends to create customized, innovative strategies to help you maximize your customer engagement. Welcome, Barcelona Creative Group!

The Chicagoland AGC extends a warm welcome to BrightView Landscape Development. The company has been operating since 1949 and is an industry leader in landscape, irrigation systems, golf course construction, and engineering site construction work. BrightView does work both as a general contractor and as a subcontractor. Welcome, BrightView!

Enterprise Fleet Management, provides automotive fleet services for over 1.5 million fleet cars, trucks and vans. They offer fleet sales, financing, leasing, maintenance programs and management systems for companies in the USA and Canada. Together, Enterprise Fleet Management and its affiliate, Enterprise Holdings, have been managing commercial fleet vehicles for over 55 years. Welcome to Chicagoland AGC!

G.O. Service is a union sub-contractor focused on general conditions work, such as interim cleaning, debris removal, safety rails, and temporary partitions. G.O. Services also operates buck-hoists and elevators. Welcome to Chicagoland AGC!

The Chicagoland AGC is pleased to welcome Modern Builders Contractors Inc.! The company was started in 2016 and focuses on carpentry.