Members' Edge - December 19, 2019

Education/Training

To all of our members who volunteered their time in 2019 to teach classes and lead workshops, a heartfelt THANK YOU!

AGC Houston is privileged to have such dedicated members whose efforts to lead and elevate our Chapter makes it one of the strongest in the nation!

Thank you for sharing your skills and knowledge, we're so grateful for your help!

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595092&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595093&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

AGC News

AGC Houston Scholarship Applications Now Available

Attention AGC Houston members! Applications for the Patrick J. Kiley Excellence in Leadership Scholarship are now open! The AGC Houston scholarship program has awarded over 168 scholarships totaling $512,000 to students pursuing construction-related careers.

Whether you or one of your family members is taking construction-related courses, apply today! Deadline is Jan. 31.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595099&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

AGC and Sage Release Annual Outlook Survey Results, Including Texas

Each year around this time, AGC asks its members across the country to predict what next year will be like for their businesses. The newly-released 2020 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Report shows strong demand for work and even stronger demand for workers.

Read the full survey results.

Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2019/12/18/2020-sage-construction-hiring-and-business-outlook-survey?fbclid=IwAR0CpgXm1C6APR5KuTTHiENGnV4E8SdygpUbtkvIM45dAxjo6jamLG7NN7k to view the full article online.

New Podcast Episode: Natural Disaster Impacts On Construction Projects – PART 1

AGC of America kicked-off this two-part series discussing how natural disasters affect construction; pre-loss planning; lessons learned in mitigating losses – including insurance considerations before the event; and challenges in restoration and resumption of business operations, immediately post-impact.

Check out this podcast episode.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595101&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

Litany of Tax and Fiscal Priorities Included in Spending Agreement, Repeals 2 Obamacare Taxes, Extends Pro-Construction Tax Provisions & More

On Dec. 19, the Senate passed many non-funding AGC-backed measures as part of the agreement reached to fund the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2020.

Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2019/12/18/litany-tax-and-fiscal-priorities-included-spending-agreement-repeals-two-obamacare to view the full article online.

AGC Convention Heads To Las Vegas March 9-12

The AGC Annual Convention provides contractors of all sizes the opportunity to gain business-critical insights into the issues affecting their operations.

From risk management to safety on the jobsite to the latest in project management solutions, AGC brings together experts from across the industry to share their knowledge and help prepare contractors to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Visit https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ereg/index.php?eventid=427396& to view the full article online.

Member News

Cadence McShane Construction Co. Completes HISD High School for Careers

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595181&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Hires New Director for Heavy Civil Group

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has hired Christian Annexy as Project Director for the Heavy Civil group. In his position, Annexy will be focusing on client relationships, personnel development and market sector growth within Texas. Annexy possesses strong ties to the local market and brings a depth of award-winning experience most notably in the water and wastewater sectors. He will serve as an integral team member and key resource in helping the firm continue expand its presence.

Annexy brings 15 years of heavy civil, water and wastewater construction experience to McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from The University of Kansas and is completing a Master of Science in Construction Project Management from Northwestern University.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595186&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

Book Release Launch of "A Blueprint for Builder's Lean" Scheduled for Jan. 22

Keyan Zandy, COO for Skiles Group and Joe Donarumo, Senior Superintendent, Director Lean Application for Linbeck Group, LLC, authors of The Lean Builder: A Builder’s Guide to Applying Lean Tools in the Field, will be discussing their new book on Jan. 22 at Page, from 4 - 6 p.m.

A Blueprint for Builder’s Lean speaks directly to the “boots on the ground,” simplifying and clearly articulating the benefits of six primary Lean concepts, and delivering them in a highly-relatable, immediately-applicable, and field-friendly manner.

The event ($15 per person) will focuss on six principles that attendees can follow and implement to lead their team and dramatically improve their project delivery process.

For more information, contact Keyan Zandy at kzandy@skilesgroup.com or call, (214) 850-8555.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595198&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

Jacob White Challenges Men During "No Shave November" and Raises Funds for Needy Family

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595240&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

Roofing Industry Mourns Passing of Leticia Elias-Clougherty

AGC Houston was saddened to hear about the loss of Leticia Elias-Clougherty, President of Elias Commercial Roofing Systems. Leticia was former President of Aztec Roofing & Sheetmetal and served as president of the Roofing Contractors Association (RCAT) – Houston Chapter. She was a board member of RCAT’s Texas Chapter and was well regarded in the industry through extensive volunteer work in many organizations including: National Association of Minority Contractors, Hispanic Contractors de Tejas, National Association of Woman in Construction and American Subcontractor Association. She will be greatly missed.

Industry friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass on Dec. 23 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1505 Kane St. at 10 a.m.

Read the obituary here.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595242&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

News you can Use

How Employers Can Support Worker Mental Health

The Federal Communications Commission's designation of the 988 suicide prevention and mental health hotline highlights the need for employers to be engaged in the mental health of employees, Denise Brodey writes. Brodey outlines several ways companies can improve their workplace culture.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/denisebrodey/2019/12/17/how-the-fccs-988-suicide-and-mental-health-hotline-signals-to-employers-we-can-all-do-better/#641ffef322c2 to view the full article online.

Dodge: Construction Starts Up 37% In November

Big projects breaking ground propelled construction starts by 37% in November compared with October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $988.9 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Nonresidential building starts rose 61%, and nonbuilding starts climbed 82%.

Visit https://www.construction.com/news/construction-starts-surge-37-higher-november-2019 to view the full article online.

Contractor On Globe Life Field Anticipates No Delays in Opening After Fire

A fire in the subroof area on an upper floor of Globe Life Field should not delay the opening of the stadium in Arlington. Crews will remove, inspect and replace 2,000 square feet of the roof.

Visit https://www.smartbrief.com/branded/B379D30D-E813-4CE4-AA63-6A6F00ED7824/B5502038-5F6D-47C9-B103-CF4C99021BB8 to view the full article online.

How Diversity and Inclusion Can Improve Your Business

Creating a more equitable and diverse workforce results in business benefits such as: reduced turnover, innovation and growth. Download the whitepaper to learn about concrete steps that firms can take to improve diversity and inclusion.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=595109&issueID=65351 to view the full article online.

How Robots are Changing the Construction Technology

Investors injected $3.1 billion into technology startups last year as a way to solve construction industry problems, Jennifer Alsever writes. That investment in technology from scheduling software to robots leads to difficulty in getting construction crews from foremen to frontline workers on board, she notes.

Visit https://fortune.com/2019/11/23/construction-industry-robots-ai/ to view the full article online.