The holiday season is upon us; a time of celebration and reflection of everything we hold dear. We are all blessed by this industry, its opportunities, and even its challenges. I would like to take the opportunity as AGCVA’s Chair to thank you for your membership. It’s you, our members, that make AGCVA strong. This is recognized in our mission – “Members advocating, growing, and connecting Virginia’s construction industry.” While our industry is facing many challenges, we see tremendous opportunity.

Please join us in celebrating the membership anniversaries of these longtime AGCVA members! 

Each month, we recognize those celebrating 50 or more years, 40 years, 25 years, 10 years, and 5 years of membership.

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. 

Trumbo Electric was excited to have the opportunity to meet with Electricity, HVAC, and Welding students at Massanutten Technical Center at part of their Career Kick Start Program on Halloween. Trumbo Electric has been a proud apprenticeship sponsor since 1953. 

DroneUp, LLC, a leading autonomous drone delivery platform and drone services provider, today announced that it has been named to Fast Company's second annual Next Big Things in Tech list, honoring technology breakthroughs that promise to shape the future of industries – from agriculture and environment to productivity and artificial intelligence.

Anthony Smith of Service Contracting of Virginia was presented with the Pulaski Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 Business Executive Award on Nov. 17. Presented during the Annual Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce Meeting and Awards Banquet, he was one of three nominees for this award which recognizes an individual that demonstrates quality, leadership, business expertise, community involvement, professionalism and business success.

The question Tom Barkin is asked the most these days is when the economy will return to normal. The president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has a caution for those who may be wishing for the perceived stability of the pre-pandemic economy.

“After two-and-a-half years of instability, we’re all ready to get back to normal,” Barkin said Wednesday. “But what’s normal? I’d say normal is not going back to where we were.”

Construction employment climbed in 27 states from September to October, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. Association officials said, however, that many more contractors would have added employees if qualified applicants were available citing data showing a surge in construction job openings. They urged federal officials to take steps – like immigration reform and boosting investments in training and education – to get more people into the construction workforce.

Brick by brick, LEGO is building a global business empire centered on the meaning of its original name in Danish – “Play well.” Now it’s about to add about a billion dollars of bricks and mortar to that quest with the establishment of a 1.7-million-sq.-ft. factory in Chesterfield County in the capital region of Richmond, Virginia.

How this 90-year-old company went about the process of selecting Greater Richmond is a lesson for anyone who wants to be a “master builder” of a best-in-class organization.

Plan for market conditions to get worse before they get better.

Despite battling supply chain issues since late 2020, the construction industry will see continued material price escalation over the next couple of years, according to industry sources.

The construction industry is a risky field to work in. The hazardous construction materials, sharp objects, steep drops and heavy equipment make it difficult for contractors to work hassle-free. Besides, failure to perform safety risk assessment can lead to the most expensive errors.

Statistics show that construction is one of the most accident-prone industries. While accidents are inevitable, insurance allows contractors to help affected workers and safeguard their businesses from lawsuits and financial losses. 

Acute labor shortages across the construction industry are impacting everything from quality control to worker safety, keeping busy risk engineers and others involved with construction risk management. The labor crunch can lead to work being done by less qualified or inadequately trained workers, causing mistakes that require expensive rework, often at the expense of the contractor.

As the voice of Virginia's construction industry, we want to make sure that it is easy for you to stay up to date on the latest in legislative and regulatory issues. Each quarter, we send out advocacy updates and we invite you to view our most recent edition, published in early November.

Through military service, veterans gain in-demand skills for workplace success in the private sector, including mental fortitude, flexibility, leadership and management experience, teamwork and collaboration, professionalism and discipline. Private employers need those skills and realize the value of military service in sharpening those vital capabilities.

*Note: one of AGCVA's workforce partners, Virginia Values Veterans (V3) is a great resource to help you get started. 

The industry faces a gap of roughly half a million workers, a shortage that will only worsen with increased demand for labor as a result of the billions of dollars set to flow from federal infrastructure funding.

But the fact of the matter is a career in construction can offer a clear pathway to the middle class and prosperity. Learn more about the dangers of assuming people don’t want to work, and how to proactively think about recruiting Generation Z and Millennials to the trades.

Authored by Ken Pracht,
Safety Director for Perry Engineering Co, Inc. 

Many contractors struggle to manage project safety. It takes significant time, effort and expertise in many cases to provide a safe working environment for employees, subcontractors and others on site. It’s tempting to let other priorities get pushed above safety, yet we all know how incredibly dangerous a construction site can be. How do we create a culture where safety takes precedence and is part of every decision and work plan?

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is having an active year, perhaps emboldened by an administration increasingly engaged in its long-term institutional goals. Much of the discussion this past year has focused on the agency’s efforts to address the hazards of heat injury and illness on the job.

However, contractors are well advised that the agency continues to focus on a broad array of matters that should be of continuing concern in the construction industry. Notably, OSHA continues to point to the construction industry as accounting for more than half of all OSHA citations.

Join us Jan. 19-22 at The Greenbrier Resort. We'll address these problems head-on, bringing some of the top industry thought leaders to you. By attending, you will expand your thinking, learn from experts, lean on the experience of others, and bolster your business. 

Rather than fearing the future, we'll help you find the opportunities to innovate, fortify your organization, and take back control. We'll help you design a future where you and your business grow and thrive.