Author: agcnews

On Feb. 19, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced the award of $520 million in airport infrastructure grants to 287 airports as part of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The AIP grant program awards billions of dollars each year for the planning and development of public-use airports across the country. As part of the AGC-supported fiscal year 2020 funding bill, the program received $3.75 billion in federal funding, $400M more than is authorized by the FAA Reauthorization Act. AGC applauds the Secretary’s announcement and will continue to support investment in our nation’s airport infrastructure. For more information, contact Brian…

Union representation across occupations in the construction industry modestly declined in 2019, from 13.8 percent to 13.6 percent of workers employed, according to an annual release recently issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”). Union membership in the industry also modestly declined, from 12.8 percent to 12.6 percent, but remains considerably higher than the all-industry average in the private sector, which declined from 6.4 percent to 6.2 percent over the year. Construction union representation and membership decreased by a larger margin in 2018 but increased slightly in both 2017 and 2016. The total number of workers in construction (regardless of union affiliation) rose in each of…

Because AGC understands that Business Development is a crucial topic in the construction industry that interests and affects all of our members, we will be offering several BD-related educational sessions and networking opportunities. Educational Sessions: Networking Happy Hour:The BD Forum will host a networking happy hour in conjunction with the AGC’s Specialty Contractors Council on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 from 5:30-6:30 pm on the Grand Patio. All attendees are welcome to attend!

Mauricio Henderson, 37, is the President of Perseverance in Denver, Colorado. Mauricio joined AGC’s Business Development Forum for access to a peer network to get other peoples perspectives on industry challenges and share information that can add value to other organizations. Mauricio states that the “BD Forum is beneficial because we all have blind spots and it gives us a platform to help member organizations grow and become more effective.” Mauricio is a tremendous advocate for the construction industry by engaging the youth in the construction workforce and helping the construction business community.“I have been given a unique talent to…

AGC of America’s Business Development Forum, is partnering with The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), to offer free one-on-one BD “Check-Ups” for AGC Convention attendees to review and offer guidance on their BD and marketing related efforts. Subject matter experts from across the nation will be paired with attendees to answer questions and challenges relating to BD planning, sales, proposals, client presentations, branding, brochures, websites, social media, and more. The BD Check-Ups will be held in-person from 9:30 am to 11:30 am Monday and Wednesday March 10 & 11, 2020. Are you attending Convention and interested in signing up? Contact paige.packard@agc.org for more information!

The Rochester metro area was the nation’s third fastest growing construction job market during the past 12 months, according to an analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. As local construction firms expand their payrolls, the national association and its local chapter, however, are taking steps to prepare the next generation of construction workers amid significant construction worker shortages. “As demand for construction grows here and in many other parts of the country, more firms are having a difficult time finding enough qualified workers,” said Brian Turmail, the national spokesman for the Associated General Contractors of America. “That is…

On Feb. 10, the Trump administration released its fiscal year (FY) 2021 budget request that includes an outline for a $1 trillion infrastructure proposal. The proposal is centered around two main components: 1) an $810 billion, 10-year reauthorization of surface transportation programs and 2) a new $190 billion investment across a variety of infrastructure categories, including water, broadband, and additional transportation programs such as bridge and transit repair. Surface Transportation Reauthorization The budget proposed a 10-year surface transportation reauthorization with the following top-line spending figures: The Administration did not include specifics for a legislative proposal on reauthorization of these programs…

Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas and Kansas City Have Largest Gains; New York City and Fairbanks, Alaska Lag the Most as Labor Shortages Likely Kept Firms in Many Areas from Adding Even More Workers Construction employment grew in 211, or 59 percent, out of 358 metro areas between December 2018 and December 2019, declined in 73 and was unchanged in 74, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that many firms report they are having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to hire, which likely undermined employment gains in some parts of the country. “There are not enough qualified workers in many parts of the country for firms to be able to keep pace with strong demand for work,” said Ken Simonson,…

On Jan. 31, the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OSD) released the final version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). The Department of Defense (DOD) will begin including the final CMMC model as “go/no go” in all new solicitations starting in late summer/early fall of 2020. On the same day, defense officials held a news conference discussing the final version of CMMC. For further information on this, click “learn more.” The purpose of CMMC is to become the “unified cybersecurity standard” for all DOD contractors, including subcontractors. Under this model, all defense contractors will be required to be certified…

On Jan. 31, AGC, along with AGC of Western Kentucky and Ray Black & Son, led U.S. Representative James Comer of Kentucky on a tour of the $26.2 million construction of the Paducah Innovation Hub. The facility will house several traditional technical center classes including carpentry, welding, and electricity as well as classes in computer-aided design, engineering, and robotics. During the tour, the group spoke about the workforce shortages facing the construction industry and how facilities like the Paducah Innovation Hub will help address these concerns. Specifically, the group noted a 2019 AGC of America survey that found 85 percent…