We kicked off the implementation of our Construction Leadership Council (CLC) last month at the hip Kaiser Tiger establishment with a group of 50 under-40 industry professionals. This program was established to fulfill the need to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the construction industry as well as the Association both at the local and national levels.

Be sure to submit your firm's Safety Awards application to be eligible for prestigious Builders Association Safety Recognition, Excellence, and Improvement Awards to be conferred at our Spring Summit on May 13th.

Plan to join your industry colleagues for lunch at our Spring Summit on May 13th at Maggiano's in Oak Brook. On the agenda: networking, safety awards, and a timely presentation on attracting and retaining quality Millenials to the construction industry in general and your firm in particular.

Over 40 project managers are currently registered for Friday's Project Management Seminar Series event on Risky Issues...only a few seats remain!

For the first time Free Expo Passes are being offered for this safety conference on March 24 and 25 at the Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana.

This program will feature representatives from public and private groups highlighting bidding opportunities for contractors in 2015. The event is coordinated by the Chamber’s Technical Assistance Committee (CCC TA) Committee, comprised of officials from numerous public organizations, private firms, and construction affiliated associations.

On December 16, 2014, the president signed into law the $1.1 trillion spending bill, which eventually passed both the U.S. House and Senate after a tumultuous week filled with partisan politics on unrelated provisions. This nine-month bill funds federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security – which was only funded through Feb. 27. The new law includes a series of association-backed multi-employer pension reforms, all designed to allow employers and employees the opportunity to protect and improve retirement programs.

The AGC is featuring a March special for its Diversity Rules DVD. Save 20% and receive free shipping on this DVD with two training videos created exclusively for the construction industry. Each is designed to aid construction employers with harassment prevention, sensitivity and correction training.

Builders Association members may participate in the Mechanical Contractors Association's Construction Education Institute at little or no cost as an added benefit of your BA affiliation. Take advantage of their latest webcast, "How to Plan for Conflict in the Workplace." In an ideal world we would always able to see past the immediate problem to the optimal solution and work out a logical way to get there. Easier said than done! Construction leaders must learn to plan for conflict so disagreements can be turned into an attempt to find an effective solution, instead of just proving one is "right."

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Best wishes to member Falk PLI as it celebrates its 20th anniversary in its new office building this week.

Check out the latest companies to join the Builders Association....

Acton Mobile Industries
Mechanical Inc.
Shipley Law Group
The Horton Group
VANIR Construction Management
VIATechnik