Yes, the rumors are true. The Builders Association now has an Instagram and a Facebook. Make sure to follow us for event updates and industry news!

The Builders Association is gearing up for the 2017 Safety Stand Down, which will take place the week of May 8-12. Nearly 5,000 workers are participating at 335 job sites throughout the Chicagoland area.

The annual Safety Stand Down is an opportunity for our members to demonstrate their commitment to safety and the well-being of their workforce. This year's Safety Stand Down will focus on struck-bys and caught-ins, the leading causes of fatalities in Region V so far this year.

When your business depends on your truck, depend on the Ram family of trucks and vans. This is an industrial-level family that provides exceptional attributes where they really count the most. Power, durability and versatility are all standard in a Ram. Now during Ram Commercial Truck Season use your exclusive AGC cash allowance with our special event incentives to save even more. See your dealer or Ramtrucks.com/commercial and build your business with Ram.

The Builders Association is thrilled to welcome Hilary Korabik as its newest staff member, taking over as Communications Coordinator. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Saint Louis University. Prior to working at the Builders Association, Hilary worked in social services, most recently as a labor support doula with the Teen Parenting Program at Christopher House. Welcome, Hilary!

Mitigating Risk. Working in the construction industry, we hear this phrase on repeat and know its importance all too well. Your opportunity to learn more about this topic is coming up at the annual Spring Summit, where we will be hosting Steve Coughran, Director of Strategy for Coltivar Group. Steve will give a presentation on risk management, staying relevant in a quickly evolving industry, and strategizing for long-term success.

The next Evening with Industry Icons is just over two weeks away, and the CLC is looking forward to hosting another panel of esteemed construction leaders. The event will take place on Thursday, May 18th at Muvico Rosemont 18. Registration will open at 5:00 p.m., with the panel discussion starting at 5:30 in Auditorium C. A cocktail reception in Bogart's Dining Room will follow the panel, from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

For the past 15 years, the Builders Foundation has been building a solid foundation for the industry to grow upon by supporting qualified college students from the Chicagoland area majoring in the fields of construction management or constructing/civil engineering. Come celebrate our 15th annual golf outing fundraiser for a good cause!

With the advent of new mass-timber technologies and specialized connection systems, sustainable wood-based structures are steadily gaining traction. The Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings is hosting a seminar, The Heavy Timber High Rise: Building Tall with Wood in the 21st Century, devoted to this timely topic. Presentations will cover everything from new technologies and design process to fire safety issues and challenges. The event will end with a panel discussion, featuring leading industry professionals.

Beginning on June 23, 2017, contractors must comply with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OHSA) respirable crystalline standard for construction. Although AGC continues to work towards the rule’s repeal and—at minimum—delay, contractors should be prepared to comply with it. As of today, nothing is certain except for the June 23 compliance date. To help educate AGC members, AGC has developed the "Respirable Crystalline Silica in Construction" webpage designed to provide contractors with a better understanding of what is expected of them by OSHA.

Grow, increase, expand. These concepts form the foundation of a company’s strategic goals. Although not all strategies require entering new markets, at some point, firms must expand beyond existing clients or geographies to achieve significant growth.

I’ll never forget the project manager search we conducted for Tom, the COO of a large specialty contractor. Tom was highly regarded and his technical expertise was unmatched. But, he had an interview style that caused all five candidates he interviewed to walk away discouraged. In fact, some walked away angry!

With heavy competition for talent, you can’t have a "negative COO" on the interview team. Finding the right balance between selling the company and vetting the candidate is the key. Look for team members with these following skills. If you do, you’ll get the right people on your recruiting team.

Membership to Builders Association includes access to a breadth of education and training opportunities through the Construction Education Institute. Several valuable courses being offered this month are described here.

The Glenn H. Johnson Construction Company is proudly celebrating 50 years of dedicated service to its clients. Founded in 1967, the company has been building not only construction projects, but a reputation based on the Christian principles of honesty and integrity in all of its dealings. Glenn H. Johnson Construction continues endeavoring to be an organization which is respected by all who come in contact with them. They continue to succeed through their dedication to establishing and maintaining relationships built upon those who entrust the company with their construction needs.

From the Builders Association, a big congratulations and wishes for continued success to Glenn H. Johnson Construction Company!

The following Builders Association members have been participating in a five-unit monthly Leadership Development Course and will be graduate in May. Congrats to:

Anthony Alleman (Pepper Construction)
Ryan Cummings (Blinderman Construction)
Dana Erdman (Bulley & Andrews)
David Haas (Pepper Construction)
Susan Heinking (Pepper Construction)
Jay Hunger (Bulley & Andrews)
Scott Lapp (Bulley & Andrews)
Jarrod Lichty (Bulley & Andrews)
Tim Lumpp (Pepper Construction)
Mark Ristow (Bulley & Andrews)
Terrence Roche (Denk & Roche Builders)
Brian Sanders (Bulley & Andrews)
Mike Shydlowski (W.B. Olson)
Susan Uhlarik (McShane Construction)