Spring is a time of new beginnings, growth, and hope for the future. Our Board of Directors embraced these sentiments by having the spring Board of Directors meeting alongside the SkillsUSA Virginia State Leadership Conference. We met overlooking the competition floor, creating a wonderful scene of current industry leaders working to improve the world of construction with a backdrop of the students that will be the backbone of construction’s future. Excitement was in the air, and we had a wonderful time meeting the contestants and their advisors. Their passion was both inspiring and infectious. AGCVA members should be proud of our continuing partnership with SkillsUSA Virginia.

Please join us in celebrating the membership anniversaries of these longtime AGCVA members! We are recognizing those celebrating 50 or more years, 25 years, 10 years, and 5 years of membership.

This month, we recognize those with milestone membership anniversaries in the months of January, February, March, and April.

We applaud each of you for your commitment to AGCVA. By virtue of your membership, you have made the AGCVA community stronger and shown tremendous leadership and dedication to the industry. We are proud to serve each of you and we thank you for your membership in AGCVA. 

Woolpert, an Ohio-based firm that provides architectural, engineering, geospatial and consulting services to an international client base from 60 offices across the world, is merging its two Hampton Roads offices into a single, sleekly redesigned space. The Chesapeake office on Independence Parkway — which has an emphasis on engineering and field surveys — and the Virginia Beach design-focused office on Cypress Avenue are moving to shared space at Corporation Lane in Virginia Beach’s Central Business District this summer.

A Virginia Beach-based real estate development firm is pledging to take action and be held accountable for advancing women and diversity, equity and inclusion in the commercial real estate industry. Breeden Co. President and CEO Tim Faulkner signed on to join Commercial Real Estate Women Network’s CRE Pledge for Action, a leadership-driven effort.

Two of Virginia’s most highly respected law firms, Woods Rogers and Vandeventer Black, have entered into a formal agreement to merge, creating a regional powerhouse to be known as Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black. With the intent of operating as a combined firm as quickly as possible, firm leaders are moving forward to finalize the organizational structure and execute integration plans. The new Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black will be one of Virginia’s largest law firms with more than 130 attorneys and a total workforce of more than 250 people.

The Great Resignation calls for a shift in the way leaders see their employees, and nowhere is that more evident than in construction. The construction industry is grappling with a large amount of resignation, as well as a lack of interest in the industry by younger generations.

Equipment World reached out to Ben Johnston, chief operating officer of Kapitus, for some insight on how small to mid-sized contractors might want to approach 2022 and beyond. Click below for some of his responses.

The Port of Virginia's CEO said they came out on top when it came to supply chain issues in 2021. He credits their modern, technologically-advanced ports.

"This period is unique in how broad-based price increases are," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, in an interview. "Previously, we've seen just a limited number of items soaring in price. This time, it's much more extensive in the number and magnitude, long lead times, unexpected shortages and things not showing up in the quantities or times expected."

Are you a federal prime contractor or subcontractor?

If so, the federal government could be handing down a new regulation very soon that could impact your business. In a matter of days, a new regulation is expected to implement President Biden’s requirement for government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) for federal construction projects over $35 million.  

If you think this requirement will affect you, AGC of America wants your feedback with a quick 5-minute survey. Your input will reinforce AGC of America’s advocacy efforts and help to promote efforts to maintain free and open competition within the industry. 

The requirement, which was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, means all manufacturing processes for the metals, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, must occur in the U.S. starting May 14.  

Despite the industry’s reputation, some construction companies embrace technology and utilize modern solutions for daily reports, time tracking, payroll, communications and other crucial operations. The companies that use technology in this way are far more likely to attract and retain qualified young workers.  

Women make up only about 3% of the construction laborer workforce, according to the Department of Labor. The worker shortage is an ongoing issue in construction, and contractors are seeking ways to bulk up the pipeline and bring in more women and people of color, who have historically been underrepresented in the industry.

Year after year, onsite accidents result in expensive medical bills, increased insurance premiums, salaries, retraining expenses and lawsuits. Slips, falls and struck-by incidents, as well as hearing loss from noise exposure are contributing factors.

Wearables have become a very fashionable topic in the construction industry, but it’s not all window dressing. Every day, wearables are promoting health, safety, connectivity, productivity and accuracy on construction sites.