Builders Association is pleased to announce the launch of a new member portal and updated website. The new member portal provides expanded functionality to better serve our members:

• User friendliness: Easily maintain your profile
• Reset your password or request your username in real time
• Community Calendar: Register for and sponsor events
• Members-only access to labor contracts, wage information, and communications archives
• Recruit talent at a special member rate through our new job board
• Membership: Primary company contacts can renew membership online (new members can join online, too!)
• Groups: Association committee members can efficiently communicate and share files
• Donate to Builders Association PAC fund
• And much more to come such as private, interactive, members-only forums
  

If you did not receive an email introducing you to the new system, please contact Abby Koppers at 773-444-0465 or akoppers@bldrs.org.

The Builders Association Government Relations Committee looks forward to hosting a reception honoring Legislators of the Year and supporting the Builders Association PAC fund on October 6th at Ridgemoor Country Club in Harwood Heights. The Builders Association will be honoring Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R), State Representative Carol Sente (D), and State Representative Kelly M. Burke (D) as Legislators Of The Year.

Join us for an evening of networking with fellow Association members and the honored Illinois legislators who are working to promote your business and the Chicago area construction industry as a whole.

Now that the Federal Aviation Administration has finalized its new rules on the commercial use of small drones, construction contractors are taking an even greater interest in these vehicles and whether they can make a significant contribution to the bottom line. AGC's WebEd Five-Part Drone Series will feature construction contractors already flying drones, and both legal and related experts.

The Builders Association will host a free seminar, Communicating In A Crisis, for Association members on October 12th.

An array of crises can happen at any time, all of which can put the image and reputation of your company at stake. Anthony Huey‘s seminar will help members prepare for how best to handle situations when disaster strikes.

Join us on October 12th at Maggiano’s Oak Brook (240 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523) from 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM for this complimentary seminar. Builders Association members can RSVP directly to info@bldrs.org or register online.

Many thanks to Presentation Sponsor The Horton Group. Please contact Builders Association staff at 773-444-0465 or info@bldrs.org if you are interested in being Refreshment Sponsor for this seminar.

Kathy Cole and Rick Julien of DK Cole Company are presenting at CFMA's Midwest Regional Conference at McDonald's Campus in Oak Brook on September 27. The 2016 Midwest Regional Conference Committee is pleased to present another outstanding array of educational sessions that offer something for all levels of Construction Financial Professionals.

Join LCI for Lean Coffee - an open conversation in a small and low-pressure environment about the topics that are relevant to the Lean community.

Lean Coffee is designed for participants to share the problems you are solving, the issues you want to solve, and lessons you have learned on your Lean Journey. No previous Lean experience is required. Each meeting is subject to different participants and topics.

Date: September 8, 2016 (first Thursday of each month)
Time: 7:30 - 9:00AM
Location: DIRTT, 325 N. Wells, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL
Cost: Free

Register by emailing lcichicago.cop@gmail.com.

The 2016 CLC Leadership Development Conference brings together mid-level career professionals in various areas of the construction industry from across the country to network, learn and share in Atlanta, October 27-29. This event is co-sponsored by AGC Georgia, which has created a program with key takeaways on how to improve performance in the industry.

This is the first in a series of recruiting tips specifically for construction companies. It is provided by Kathy Cole, president, DK Cole executive search. The company specializes in the construction industry.

On August 2, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its updated field operations manual to explain how OSHA inspectors must calculate fines, which are rising as much as 78 percent. Association staff have determined that in general, the updated manual shows fines for different violations increasing across the board by 78 percent, not only for willful, repeat, serious, failure-to-abate violations—as previously known—but also for "low" and "moderate" gravity fines.

The CTA board recently voted to spend $23 million to renovate the Illinois Medical District Blue Line station, which services four hospitals, including Rush University Medical Center and Stroger Hospital. The Illinois Medical District is the third-busiest stop on the Forest Park branch.

CTA officials reported that the station serviced over one million users last year and has not had a major renovation since it opening in 1958. While a portion of the project work will be done by the CTA, a $14 million contract was awarded to James McHugh Construction and UJAMAA Construction Joint Venture. Learn more about the rehab here.

Bosch is bringing its annual event, Bosch ConnectedWorld, to Chicago on September 27 and 28. The event, which will be held at Morgan Manufacturing, will bring together 500 Bosch Executives, customers, partners, and senior leaders to discuss trends and real-world implementations up and down industry value chains. More than 70 speakers will dive into the IoT from different angles and show engaging live demos and results from implemented projects in manufacturing, mobility, city, energy and other verticals.

For more information about the event and to register, please click here. Enter IoTChicago and receive a $250 discount.

Every year 22 million workers are at risk of losing their hearing from workplace noise hazards. Hearing loss disability costs businesses an estimated $242 million annually in workers' compensation. This is why OSHA is partnering with other agencies to offer a challenge to inventors and entrepreneurs: Help develop a technological solution to workplace noise exposure and related hearing loss.

The Builders Education & Training Foundation looks forward to hosting its Project Management Seminar Series in the coming months. "Personal Success For Project Managers" will take place in the morning of November 11 and "Top 10 'Risky' Items Every PM Or Superintendent Should Know" will take place in the morning of December 2. Both classes are instructed by Brad Benhart, professor at Purdue University's Building Construction Management program.

The Builders Association partners with MCA and various other Chicago trade associations in order to offer excellent education opportunities through the Construction Education Institute. Register today for this month's FREE Dynamics of Supervision course.

Many elements are needed to work simultaneously and harmoniously on any construction site. Effective supervision is considered one of the most important of these elements. In this course you will learn why effective supervision is needed, how to apply some key elements of leadership, and how to build and maintain job satisfaction and morale on the construction site. By developing listening skills, learning how to handle problem employees, and understanding the planning process, foremen can expand their supervisory skills to provide a productive work environment. 

When: September 23, 2016, 8AM-4PM
Where: MCA Construction Education Institute, Burr Ridge, IL

Register Today!

Congratulations to Builders Association members who top the list of ENR's Top 100 Green Building Contractors in America: Barton Malow Company, Clark Construction, James McHugh Construction, Pepper Construction, and W.E. O'Neil Construction. We are proud to have you among our ranks.

Barton Malow Company has moved its Chicago office just a stone's throw from the Builders Association office. Their new address is 8700 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Suite 1050N, Chicago, IL 60631.

The McShane Companies announced that Bob Galante has joined the firm as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Galante has more than 30 years of experience within the commercial real estate development and construction industries with a strong planning and analysis background. He joins The McShane Companies following the recent retirement of the firm’s prior CFO, Mel Meyer, who had been with the company since 1999. Galante has completed the seamless transition and is now overseeing the firm’s accounting, financial reporting, tax and treasury functions.

Read more about McShane's announcement here.