| October 7, 2014
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In This Issue |
Events
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Education/
Training
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Safety
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AGC News
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Member News
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Here's Looking At You
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News You Can Use
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 Quick Links |
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Events |
InterContinental Dallas Hotel Dallas, Texas
Following the April BIMForum, this conference will focus on optimizing construction using aspects of BIM. Speakers from around the nation will be presenting on how they use BIM proactively and effectively to have a measurable impact on the construction process. Topics will include BIM Execution Planning, Collocation Management, What BIM Means For Insurance, and more.
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Join Julie K. Schatz, Program Manager for CompGroup AGC
for this free seminar that will focus on managing claims, how to get the best
possible outcome and steer away from excessive claims.
Seating is limited to the first 40 to
registrants.This seminar will provide the tools to manage claims for the
best possible outcome, regardless of how many your company receives. You will
also have a better understanding of the worker compensation regulations and use
of forms.
Ideal for: Business Owners; Human Resource Directors/Managers; Safety Directors
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Sheraton Downtown Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
AGC's Construction HR and Training Professionals Conference provides two days of education and networking for HR, training and workforce development professionals in the construction industry. Educational sessions cover the most cutting-edge techniques in training and development currently in use and envisioned for the future in the industry.
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4th Annual C3 Golf Tournament at Wildcat Golf Course
11 a.m. - Registration 12 p.m. - Shotgun Start (Lunch Provided)
4:30 p.m. - Awards Reception and Dinner
Don't miss the chance to sign up for this year's Construction Career Collaborative Golf Tournament on Monday, October 20, at the Wildcat Golf Club! Click here to learn more about registering for this event and sponsorship opportunities!
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San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk
San Antonio, Texas
Register today for the CLC Leadership Development Conference. This year’s event is co-hosted with the San Antonio Chapter of AGC and will take place at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk. Highlights of the program include keynote speaker George "The Iceman" Gervin, former San Antonio Spurs player; Chuck Greco, Linbeck Group, LLC, and Senior Vice President of AGC of America; and a roundtable session that will allow attendees to learn best practices from CLC groups from across the country.
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Caesar's Palace
Las Vegas, Nevada
The Construction Financial Management Conference was developed in response to a need for programs and workshops designed specifically for financial professionals in the construction industry. The three-day conference will feature lectures and workshops on topics such as construction taxes, change order and claims management, federal acquisition regulations and more.
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Join us at Houston's premier golf entertainment complex, Topgolf, for this fun event geared for golfers of all levels - beginner to advanced.
Tournament is limited to first 50 teams of four players and benefits the AGC Houston Advocacy Fund.
Fees include three rounds of Topgolf, food, beverages, and libations. Awards given to top three teams. Registration begins at 2:00 p.m. with the tournament being held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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Cooper Guest Lodge
Dallas, Texas
For construction leaders on the rise, no program provides a more comprehensive, uniquely focused program than AGC's Advanced Management Program (AMP). This exclusive six-day program grounds construction industry executives in the essential skills and techniques required to successfully lead an organization. The conference will feature lectures on topics such as risk management, construction ethics, safety management, and much more. For details, click here.
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The ACE Mentor Program of Houston invites you to join in The Third Annual Build It Forward Event. This event brings together students involved in the ACE Mentor Program and industry-wide professionals. For more information and to learn how you can get involved, please click here.
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Education/Training |
This course is designed to provide general guidelines aiding the construction industry in complying with various State of Texas tax laws. Topics include auditing tips, how to calculate and pay local taxes, and more.
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AGC Houston-Frontline Leadership is a six-session training program designed to equip new, current, or aspiring supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage and develop their people and projects. The format consists of six half-day modules that can be taken as stand-alone courses or as part of the series.
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Participants will learn notice deadlines and requirements for filing lien and bond claims; How to obtain forms to use for claims; How to obtain project information; How to avoid project information; How to avoid common problems with lien and bond claims; How to document a claim and what is is not covered by a lien or bond claim.
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AGC Houston-Frontline Leadership is a six-session training program designed to equip new, current, or aspiring supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage and develop their people and projects. The format consists of six half-day modules that can be taken as stand-alone courses or as part of the series.
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BIM Technology explores the major applications and classes of BIM tools across all project phases; how BIM processes for QTO, shop drawing and fabrication, and construction scheduling can improve projects; and the impact models have for improving estimating, scheduling, and coordinating.
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Gain an awareness of how pre-project planning affects the potential success of a project and understand the different areas of planning for the construction phase of a project. Broaden your understanding of the impact building codes, permits, reviews and inspections can have on a project. Learn how Building Information Modeling (BIM), LEED, environmental issues and lean construction are impacting the construction industry.
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This session will build on the Liens and Bonds speech with an advanced discussion of liens and how they are enforced. The session will also cover a variety of payment topics such as spotting important issues in joint check agreements, the new law related to releases and the construction trust fund act.
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Safety |
OSHA has issued a final rule extending the deadline for crane operator certification requirements in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction final rule published Aug. 9, 2010, by three years, to Nov. 10, 2017. The rule also extends by three years the employer's responsibility to ensure that crane operators are competent to operate a crane safely. The final rule becomes effective Nov. 9, 2014.
During the three-year period, OSHA will address operator qualification requirements for the cranes standards including the role of operator certification. The final cranes and derricks rule required crane operators on construction sites to meet one of four qualification/certification options by Nov. 10, 2014.
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The management system course provides the participant the opportunity to design the core elements of a management system for environmental, risk, safety and health programs. The goal of this course is to assist participants in the design and development of a management system through classroom instruction, case studies, and student exercise activities.
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Attendees will review best practices to better protect themselves and others from hazards. Topics include confined space awareness overview, hazard control, hazard recognition and entering a permit-required confined space. Click here for information about the Spanish session.
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One of the many goals of this course is to help students make better risk-informed decisions by introducing more structured decision-making processes that focuses on five critical, yet interrelated, steps. These steps are as follows: identifying potential undesired outcomes, assigning an order-of-magnitude consequence severity to each outcome, assigning an order-of-magnitude occurrence likelihood to each outcome, assessing total risk magnitude, and making riskinformed decisions based on assessed risk magnitudes.
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This free training class focuses on preventing frequently cited construction hazards. The Focus Four Hazards in Construction are conducted as four-hour awareness training focusing on the greatest dangers of working on a construction site. Click here to learn more about the Spanish session.
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This class addresses the practices and procedures necessary to disable machinery or equipment, to prevent the release of hazardous energy while employees perform servicing or maintenance activities. Click here for information about the Spanish session.
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This course covers the OSHA Standards, policies, and procedures in the construction industry. Topics include scope and application of the OSHA Construction Standards, construction safety and health principles, and special emphasis on those areas in construction that are most hazardous.
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AGC News |
Vote for your favorite APEX 11 construction projects! The judges cast their votes to select the 2014 APEX 11 Awards and now it's your turn. We want you to vote for your favorite construction projects too.
The top 13 APEX 11 "People's Choice" projects will be featured in the AGC Houston 2015 Calendar, which will be distributed to more than 2,500 industry professionals. Contest ends October 17, 2014.
To view all 61 projects online in the agchouston.org 2014 Photo Gallery.
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October 29, 2014
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Join AGC and The Computer Guidance Corporation to hear more what technology solutions are available for workflows and digital content management and how construction companies leverage ECM and other technologies for their daily operations. Our guest speaker, Lisa August, Accounts Payable Manager of EE Cruz Company and Inc., will share her insight on how the heavy highway contractor has mastered the utilization of different ECM applications within their organization to ensure that they deliver their projects on time and on budget. Click here to learn more or register.
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Benefit from financial strength and superior loss control program. It is managed by a board comprised of CompGroup AGC members—general contractors and subcontractors from all parts of Texas are represented. It is a TDI-approved Workers' Compensation Purchasing Group.
Learn more about membership benefits in the CompGroup AGC, Inc. today! Contact your insurance agent or call Program Administrator Roberts & Crow at 800-406-9614 - ask for Julie Schatz.
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October 8, 2014
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
As part of the construction industry’s effort to hire 100,000 veterans during the next five years, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation have partnered to provide construction employers a free 90-minute webinar on Hiring Our Heroes: Best Practices for Construction Employers.
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The construction industry and the millions of workers it employs have much at stake in this year's election. At a time when the industry is rebounding from the longest and deepest slump of any sector, it is especially important to elect leaders willing to work for common-sense solutions to the challenges facing the construction industry and its workforce.
Between now and November 4, we invite you to cast your vote in the primary and general elections taking place in Texas. To view the candidates, register to vote and find the nearest voting location, please click here.
AGC wants to make it as easy as possible for you to get educated and involved, which is why AGC Houston has all the tools you need to not only learn more about your elected officials and the issues that matter to AGC Houston, but also to take the next step by making your voice heard and contacting your legislators. To view the Houston Building Chapter's Legislative Action Center website, click here.
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The construction industry has been booming with the completion of some outstanding projects and it's time to show them off! Apply today for the 2015 Alliant Build America competition or the 2015 AGC in the Community competition. All member companies in good standing who meet the competition requirements are encouraged to apply and receive some well-deserved recognition for the hard work and dedication that goes into each project.
The deadline for project submissions is Friday, October 31, 2014. Click here to apply and learn more.
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We're excited to announce new AGC Houston emblem stickers available to all members!
Show your AGC pride. Contact AGC Houston today at (713) 843-3700 and get hard hat stickers while they last. They're free for members!
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"The AGC Alternative," the first of its kind, nationwide private insurance exchange to serve the commercial construction industry, begins offering firms belonging to the Associated General Contractors of America quotes today.
The private exchange, developed in collaboration with Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings, the global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker, features comprehensive insurance coverage from Aetna, MetLife and Group Vision Service as part of its introductory suite of benefits.
Now that the exchange's initial benefits providers have been selected, association members can get coverage quotes for policies that go into effect as early as January 1, 2015. For more information about the association's new private insurance exchange, click here.
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AGC Houston members are now eligible for even more discounts thanks to our new membership with National Purchasing Partners! Sign up today with NPP to access some of these great savings opportunities:
- Expedia: Additional 5% on Expedia hotel bookings - over and above Expedia's already low prices.*
- Verizon: Access the nation's largest and most reliable 4G LTE network. Sign up to see your savings opportunity.**
- LegalZoom: Personalized, affordable, legal protection. Automatic 15% discount.
- Reliant Energy: Discounted prices, one-stop-shop service to install temporary meters, and more.
AGC Members Enroll Today! Visit the Membership Discounts page on the AGC.org for more information.
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A final rule announced September 11, 2014, requires employers to notify OSHA when
an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization,
amputation or loss of an eye. The rule, which also updates the list of employers
partially exempt from OSHA record-keeping requirements, will go into effect on
Jan. 1, 2015, for workplaces under federal OSHA jurisdiction.
Under the revised rule, employers will be required to notify OSHA of work-related fatalities within eight hours, and work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations or losses of an eye within 24 hours.
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Member News |
PepperLawson Construction recently welcomed industry veteran Todd Granato as the new company president. He will be leading the company’s strategy and operations, including client relationships, project management, field operations and support services. Granato comes to the position with more than 27 years of industry and Houston-area experience that span a variety of markets including commercial, retail and education. His deep understanding of the industry has its roots in operations where he led projects ranging in size from $1 million to more than $100 million. He has also served in business development, preconstruction services and operations management. Congratulations and we wish you the best of luck!
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Cypresswood Golf Club
Spring, Texas
Manhattan Construction Company’s Houston office will be hosting the 14th Annual Manhattan Charity Golf Classic on Friday October 10, 2014, at Cypresswood Golf Club in Spring, Texas. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Houston Chapter for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. This annual event has raised more than half a million dollars for MDA’s ALS research program in Houston, and the team has a goal to raise another $100,000 at this year's tournament.
For information on registering a team or for sponsorship opportunities, please contact Nikia Allen.
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Here's Looking At You |
 AGC Houston President/CEO Jerry Nevlud and Chief Financial Officer Ada Lam recently celebrated two milestones in their career with the Chapter: Ada came on board at AGC Houston in 1999 and Jerry in 2000. Jerry first joined the Chapter in May 2000 as the executive director for contractor development and was later appointed Chapter President on September 1, 2004 upon Pat Kiley's retirement.
Lam, previously a CPA, joined the Chapter as the Executive Director for Finance and Administration and Controller. Among her duties, she is currently overseeing the building renovation and technology task force.
Both Lam and Nevlud have been key to the growth and ongoing success of AGC Houston.We are looking forward to many more years of their leadership. Thank you both for all your contributions and steadfast commitment to AGC Houston and our construction industry!
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On October 2, 2014, AGC Houston members gathered at Crisp bistro in The Heights, filling the bar and back patio areas. Attendees included numerous AGC Houston committee members and Chairman Steve Mechler, Balfour Beatty Construction, LLC.
The popular event offers members a great networking opportunity and the chance to win an Ipad Mini. The next 1st Thursday mixer is slated for February 5, 2015.
Congratulations to Bill Stewart, Cadence McShane Constrution, on winning the iPad mini.
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News You Can Use |
Office space under construction in Houston has increased by about 54 percent during the past 12 months. More than half of that space is leased or committed, with large tenants that are moving or expanding taking the bulk of the space. About 5.4 million square feet of new space is expected to deliver by the end of the year, which will bring the yearly delivery total to 10.8 million square feet — far exceeding last year’s delivery total of 3.2 million square feet. In response to the construction boom, Houston added more construction jobs to its market than any other major metro in the country from August 2013 to August 2014, according to a survey conducted by The Associated General Contractors of America.
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The RSA/RDA lecture series, Near Future, brings to Houston five visionaries from a mix of professions whose creative work attempts to forecast the future. AGC is proud to have been a Corporate Supporter of the Rice Design Alliance for the past 24 years.
The lecture series kicked off on Wednesday, October 1, with Jean-Louis Cohen, an architectural historian and critic.
On Wednesday, October 8, Belgian photographer Filip Dujardin will be in dialogue with Oscar-nominated production designer K.K. Barrett (best known for his work with director Spike Jonze on such films as Her and Being John Malkovich).
On Wednesday, October 15, British architect and curator Liam Young and Polish visual artist Agnieszka Kurant will continue the discussion.
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October 9, 2014
Omni Houston Galleria Houston Hotel
Due to Houston’s penchant for "smart growth," both the city and the suburbs are flourishing. Across a broad spectrum—income growth, new jobs, housing, population growth and migration—no other major metropolitan region in the nation has performed as well as Houston during the past decade. Joel Kotkin, a leading urban theorist, will share his latest research findings which suggests that opportunity cities like Houston offer far better prospects for the vast majority of their citizens.
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The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced the results of a study of job postings from across the United States, revealing that demand for the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and LEED Green Associate credentials grew 46 percent during a 12-month period. Top fields being advertised included available positions in mechanical, electrical and civil engineering; construction management; architecture; software development; sales management; property management; and interior design, among others.
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The increased coverage around Obamacare and the state’s strong economy has led to more people being covered under employer insurance, which has played a role in bringing the number of uninsured down. However, due to Texas' lack of a comprehensive Medicaid program, the state has seen a much larger drop in the percentage of uninsured. This will begin to affect employers, especially those who hire low-income, uninsured workers. Employer penalties for uninsured employees will start in 2015. Dr. Vivian Ho of the Baker Institute states, "If these workers aren't insured, it’s more people these employers will have to take a penalty for because it’s expected the employers should provide insurance for uninsured people."
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The Texas Supreme Court just issued a blockbuster opinion affirming the limited scope of no-damages for delay clauses. The Court recognized the traditional exceptions to the enforcement of no-damages-for-delay clauses. These include an owner’s "active interference" with a contractor "or other wrongful conduct," including "arbitrary and capricious acts." The Court reasoned that the purpose of such exceptions is to "preclude a party from insulating himself from liability for his own deliberate, wrongful conduct." No longer is there uncertainty about the applicability of the traditionally recognized exceptions to no damages clauses. Texas now falls in line with the majority of states.
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