AGC Constructor
American Arbitration Association
Top News
  
Please join AGC of America, and its partners on the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, in planning to participate in the COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Week in Construction, April 19-23. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of the safety, effectiveness, and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination among construction workers. AGC encourages members to take time to share important information with their staff, trade contractors, subcontractors, and partners about the benefits of vaccination and encourage them to register to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
 
Click HERE to access resources to help you get started on planning your activities. In addition, please let us know if you are planning to participate by completing a brief survey HERE. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact AGC of America's Senior Director of Safety & Health Services, Kevin Cannon, at kevin.cannon@agc.org or 703-837-5410.
  
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season encouraging safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones. NWZAW will be held April 26-30 this year and be hosted by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Learn all about this year's events and what the theme "Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save Lives." means.
  
Please join with AGC of America in planning to participate in this year’s Construction Safety Week, May 3-7. The theme is Holistic Safety: Be Present. Be Focused. Be Safe. Our commitment to staying safe and focused on the job is a point of pride and strength that runs across our entire industry. In order to ensure holistic safety, we must strive to create both a physically and mentally safe environment and make every aspect of our wellbeing part of our safety culture and programs. We must prioritize both physical and psychological safety in the workplace, and how together, they play an important role in our relationships with our team members and with our ability to bring our safest, most productive, best selves to work every day.
 
We encourage member firms to get involved in and celebrate our shared commitment to safety. Click HERE to access and download all of the tools and resources to get started on planning your activities, including tips, best practices and all of the Safety Week branded materials you’ll need to support your events and communication. In addition, let us know if you are planning to participate by completing a brief survey HERE. You can also access AGC’s events and resources for safety week HERE. For more information or to find out how you can get involved in the 2021 Construction Safety Week, please contact AGC of America's Senior Director of Safety & Health Services, Kevin Cannon, at kevin.cannon@agc.org or 703-837-5410.
  
On this episode, President and CEO at Gilbane Building Company Mike McKelvy covers everything you need to know about Construction Safety Week 2021 – happening May 3rd through May 7th. Mike shares his excitement to be the chairman of this year’s event and his passion behind the “Holistic Safety” theme; walks through the wealth of planning resources and communication tools that firms can use to participate; and talks about lessons learned, future goals, and how he keeps him team engaged in safety initiatives. Also hear from some Construction Safety Week partners who are offering free training and resources. Kevin Cannon, head of AGC’s safety and health services, ties it all together with what you need to know about OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, which is happening the same week.
  
The eighth annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is scheduled for May 3-7, 2021. OSHA encourages construction employers and other stakeholders to join the event to promote awareness and training to address one of the industry’s most serious dangers. OSHA’s Fall Prevention Stand-Down webpage offers a wide range of compliance resources in many languages, including Spanish, Polish, Russian and Portuguese. OSHA encourages everyone to use #StandDown4Safety to promote the event on social media, and to share feedback after their events and obtain a personalized certificate of participation.
MetCreditUSA
Deltek, Inc.
Zero losses. Zero defects. Zero injuries.
MindForge®
In 2021, we're pursuing zero: zero losses, zero defects, zero injuries and zero lives lost. MindForge allows you to establish a communication network with your field team and put just-in-time information and education in the palm of their hand. Connect with us to learn how to keep your team engaged, productive and safe this year.
Learn More
Advertisement
Advocacy
On April 5, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that the administration is planning to propose that money from its infrastructure package be paid out through a "competitive bidding process," and that states and other entities would "have to apply for funding for rebuilding the infrastructure in their states or local communities.
Construction Economic News
An unprecedented leap in the price of goods used in construction and supply-chain disruptions are wreaking hardships on contractors and slowing projects, according to an analysis by AGC of America of government data released recently. The association posted a Construction Inflation Alert  to update contractors and their clients about the latest developments. Association officials urged the Biden administration to end a variety of tariffs and quotas on imported construction inputs and to help ease domestic supply-chain problems.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
  
We are proud to report that we have had a strong year in 2020 as the contents of our Annual Report - The Power of Engagement - make clear. In our catalogue of some of the association’s most significant accomplishments, you will see how we work to support the entire construction industry as The Construction Association. As you will see, we continued to successfully advocate on behalf of the industry and keep construction essential; provide high-quality virtual programs and connect members with the officials and resources they need to be successful. As important, our two philanthropic organizations continue to make significant investments in the future of our industry and improving local communities, thanks to generous contributions from our members.
  
Every week brings new reports of materials costs hitting record highs, while lead times lengthen or become ever more uncertain. AGC of America recently released a Construction Inflation Alert. This document is intended to help chapters and members explain to owners, government officials, and others, what is happening and what all parties can do to minimize the damage.
  
Breathing new life into old buildings
Among the countless things COVID-19 is forcing people to rethink is how to best use existing buildings once they have outlived their original purpose.
BY MICHAEL GIUSTI
  
Getting creative with colorized concrete
Enrique Esplain enjoys a challenge. He is a project manager for Sundt Construction, one of the largest contractors in the Southwestern United States. Sundt, a member of multiple AGC chapters, builds everything from commercial and industrial buildings to large-scale transportation infrastructure and renewable energy solutions everywhere from Dallas to San Diego. As the primary point of contact on the jobsite, Esplain manages a project’s overall performance with respect to scheduling and financial control in conjunction with a superintendent who leads field execution.
BY SEAN O’KEEFE
  
How 1,000 pounds of spinning metal changed the Missouri ditch liner industry
Near the Kansas City International Airport lies a well-traveled stretch of road that connects NE Cookingham Drive to I-435. A 20-mile jaunt separates the airport from downtown Kansas City, and while some drivers might make their way via the direct I-29 route, others choose the I-435 route that might take a little longer but sees less traffic.
Business Tips
NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BEST PRACTICE SERIES
The ability to establish and then nurture connections is a valuable skill that makes for a happy and well-rounded life — and a happy and secure company! And all the market research in the world – while quite valuable — can’t match the power of genuine human chemistry. As a managing director of business development at Columbia, I focus every day on our relationships with prospective and existing clients. But helping to identify and develop new ones and strengthening those that already exist isn’t something a successful business development manager does alone: in fact, business development and retainment is much more successful when your entire team is empowered to contribute.
BY MATT CHARDAVOYNE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, COLUMBIA CONSTRUCTION
Now that the country is on course to see all adult Americans eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in a matter of days, and an increasing number of employees are returning to the workplace, vaccination status is likely to be an increasingly common topic over the coming weeks and months.
THE CONSTRUCTION ERP BUILT FOR GROWTH & PROFITABILITY
CMiC
CMiC delivers the most comprehensive and advanced enterprise and field operations solutions for construction and capital projects companies. Manage all project communications and subcontractor activity and gain access complete jobsite transparency. No matter how often the status of your project changes, make better-informed business decisions backed by accurate and timely data—all from a Single Database PlatformTM.
Learn More
Advertisement
Beat Specific Challenges Faced as a Small Contruction Company
Trimble Construction Logistics®
Learn how to solve everyday challenges you face as a small or medium sized contractor, such as gaining access and competitively bidding on projects, hiring and retaining labor, and more. Get instant access, no form required!
GET FREE GUIDE
Advertisement
Industry Events

Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccines and Construction: Key Things to Know
Wed., April 21, 2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (EDT)

 

WebEd: The $1.9 Trillion COVID-Relief Law: What Construction Firms Need to Know
Wed., April 21, 2021 | 2 to 3 p.m.

 

WebEd: Non-invasive Excavation Alternatives to Reduce Project Budget
Sponsored by AQUALIS
Thurs., April 22, 2021 | 2 to 3 p.m.

 

WebEd: Student Chapter Virtual Summit
Sponsored by HCSS
Fri., April 23, 2021 | 4 to 6 p.m.

 

WebEd: Fall Protection Compliance
Mon., May 3, 2021 | 2 to 3 p.m.

 

WebEd: The PRO Act: The Greatest Threat to Union & Open-Shop Construction
Tues., May 4, 2021 | 2 to 3 p.m.

 

WebEd: OSHA/AGC National Falls Stand-Down Event
Wed., May 5, 2021 | 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

 

WebEd: Total Worker Health - Real-World Culture Building to Improve Worker Safety and Health
Thurs., May 6, 2021 | 2 to 3 p.m.

 

WebEd: 2021 HR & Safety Update: OSHA Employer Responsibilities
Sponsored by ARCORO
Thurs., May 13, 2021 | 2 to 3 p.m.

 

Workshop: A Subcontractors' Guide to Lean Construction
Wed., May 12, 2021 to Thurs., May 14, 2021 | 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

 

WebEd: Holy Smokes We Had an Incident, What Do I Do Now
Sponsored by Construction Risk Partners
Tues., May 18, 2021 | 2 to 3 p.m.

 

WebEd: Laying the Right Foundation for Profitability
Sponsored by Sikich
Thurs., May 20, 2021 | 2 to 3 p.m.

For details on any event, please visit the Hiring Our Heroes Calendar.

April 20, 2021
Entrepreneurship Webinar: US Small Business Administration’s Office of Veteran Business Development
4 – 5 p.m. ET
Join us for an incredible resource sharing session with the SBA’s OVBD which is the liaison with veteran and military spouse business community. It provides policy analysis and reporting and acts as an Ombudsman for veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs..

April 22, 2021
Virtual Hiring Fair: Remote & Part-Time Work
1 – 3 p.m. ET

April 23, 2021
Military Spouse Fellowship Program Information Session
1 – 2 p.m.

April 27 and 28, 2021
AMPLIFY Hawaii
All Day
AMPLIFY is an exclusive two-day in person event that leads a cadre of 45 military spouses through intensive career preparation, professional development, and networking. Applications are required as cadre size is limited.

 

April 27, 2021
Corporate Fellowship Information Session
7 – 8 p.m. 

April 29, 2021
Hurlburt Field Career Summit
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET
The Soundside Club

May 6, 2021
Virtual Hiring Fair: Healthcare
1 – 3 p.m.

May 11, 2021
Corporate Fellowship Information Session
7 – 8 p.m. ET

May 12, 2021
5th Annual Military Spouse Employment Summit
12 – 1:30 p.m. ET
Hiring Our Heroes is pleased to present the fifth annual Military Spouse Employment Summit. During this virtual event, we will celebrate the progress that community and corporate leaders have made in elevating the conversation around military spouse employment and keeping it in the forefront. 
 May 18, 2021
Entrepreneurship Webinar: How to Prepare for and Earn Money Through Pitch Contests
4 – 5 p.m. ET
Pitch Contests are a great way for entrepreneurs and small businesses to raise capital for their venture. It is a way to get your ideas and business plan in front of venture capitalists, investors and other financial leaders. This course will go into details on how to successfully find and navigate these opportunities.

May 20, 2021
Virtual Hiring Fair: Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, and Security
1 – 3 p.m. ET

May 25-26, 2021
Virtual AMPLIFY
All Day
AMPLIFY is an exclusive two-day virtual event that leads a cadre of 45 military spouses through intensive career preparation, professional development, and networking. Applications are required as cadre size is limited.

 May 25, 2021
Corporate Fellowship Information Session
7 – 8 p.m. ET
May 28, 2021
Military Spouse Fellowship Program Information Session
1 – 2 p.m. ET