AGC Constructor

Late Saturday evening the Senate voted 56-40 in favor of the $1.1 trillion cromnibus bill that had the House in turmoil earlier in the week. Dubbed cromnibus because it's part omnibus and part continuing resolution, the nine-month spending bill now awaits the president's signature. It funds federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security which is funded only through Feb. 27, 2015. A series of association-backed multi-employer pension reforms, designed to allow employers and employees the opportunity to protect and improve retirement programs, is included in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Act of 2015. Steve Sandherr, AGC of America's chief executive officer, released the following statement after the House passed the omnibus bill last week. "The most important aspect of these new reform measures is that they finally provide employers and employees with the flexibility to voluntarily act to shore up multi-employer retirement plans. Without these new measures, thousands of retirees would likely have been forced to accept the savage cuts to their retirement benefits that come when the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation is forced to step in. This is the culmination of three years of joint labor and management cooperation to shore up troubled plans."

 

Steve Sanderr, AGC's chief executive officer, urges swift enactment of measures to protect retirees and allow employers to remain competitive and ensure economy benefits from billions in pension investments.

Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/news_media/press_room/press_release?pressrelease.id=1677 to view the full article online.

 

AGC is still asking you – our members – to predict what next year will be like for your business. The answers to the 2015 AGC Business Outlook survey will help us craft a full analysis and outlook for the construction industry in the New Year.  Questions focus on expectations for market performance, hiring, labor market conditions, plans to acquire equipment, etc.  Please take a moment to complete the survey here at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2015AGCBusinessOutlook. After we receive a sufficient amount of survey responses, we will work with AGC’s chief economist Ken Simonson to analyze the results, which will be released in early January to the media and members. As in the past, we will also prepare state-specific outlooks for every state where we have a sufficiently robust response.  Thanks in advance for all your help and support, and please contact Brian Turmail at turmailb@agc.org with any questions.

 

The Grand Rapids metro area added construction jobs during the past year at a faster rate than most other metro areas as employment in the local industry hit a four-year high, according to an analysis released by AGC of America on Dec. 2, 2014. As local construction firms expand their payrolls, the national association and its local building chapter, AGC of Michigan, are taking steps to prepare the next generation of construction workers, amid growing reports of construction worker shortages.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-constructor/articles/index.asp?aid=299674&issueID=35578 to view the full article online.

 

Construction industry employment hit a new five-year high in November as the sector added 20,000 jobs and its unemployment rate fell to 7.5 percent, the lowest rate for November in seven years, according to an analysis by AGC. Association officials cautioned, however, that the latest figures include signs that demand for public-sector and non-residential construction may be weakening.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-constructor/articles/index.asp?aid=299669&issueID=35578 to view the full article online.

 

The wildfires across the West earlier in the year should be a reality check for businesses all over America. They underscore the need for appropriate insurance coverage and limits, and for having a basic disaster recovery plan.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-constructor/articles/index.asp?aid=299675&issueID=35578 to view the full article online.

 

BOND, a leading 107-year-old construction management firm and an AGC of Connecticut and AGC of Massachusetts member, recently got back into the giving spirit this holiday season by hosting the firm’s 3rd annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, which included the participation of BOND’s entire Boston-based office, to benefit the Everett Food Pantry in Everett, Massachusetts.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-constructor/articles/index.asp?aid=299676&issueID=35578 to view the full article online.

 

A long-standing tradition of giving back to the community played out within the office walls of one downtown San Diego-based company last week. For the 15th year in a row, the employees of Cavignac & Associates, a San Diego chapter member, pooled their funds to help those less fortunate, donating a combined $16,500 to 17 San Diego nonprofit organizations as part of the company’s annual "Charity Fund" employee gift-giving program.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-constructor/articles/index.asp?aid=299681&issueID=35578 to view the full article online.

 

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, PC Construction was honored with a Best Builders Award by the Associated General Contractors of Vermont for the construction of the $31.3 million Vermont Public Health Laboratory.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-constructor/articles/index.asp?aid=299678&issueID=35578 to view the full article online.

 

Tarlton Corp., a St. Louis-based general contracting and construction management firm and a member of multiple AGC chapters,hired Mitch Snyder as project engineer.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-constructor/articles/index.asp?aid=299687&issueID=35578 to view the full article online.

 

Tocci Building Companies, a Boston-area construction manager and an AGC of Masschusetts member, announced recently that it has broken ground on Station Landing Apartments, an upscale residential development located at 431 River Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. With a project cost totaling $8,500,000, the 60,850 sq-ft community will feature 34 two-bedroom apartment homes on floors two through five and will be situated atop 9,000 square feet of ground-level retail and restaurant space. The development is owned by Charles River Place, LLC and the project team includes Costa Architects and Cowen Associates.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/ngc-constructor/articles/index.asp?aid=299677&issueID=35578 to view the full article online.

 

Join us in San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 18-20, 2015, and gain a comprehensive view of where you are, where you are going and where you need to be to strengthen the educated decisions construction professionals have to make everyday.

Visit http://meetings.agc.org/convention/ to view the full article online.

 

 

Hiring Fairs