Author: agcnews
In 2011, Joe Tiernan was 22 and starting his career as a producer with Holmes Murphy, an independent risk management and insurance brokerage firm, at their headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. He and his wife Victoria were newly engaged, and the thought of enhancing the presence of one of their satellite offices within the construction community appealed to his adventurous side. He took a leap of faith and moved to their growing office in Kansas City. “I didn’t know a single person in town, but the CLC proved to be a great way to make friends, business contacts, and learn…
The General Building Contractors Association (GBCA) Construction Leadership Council (CLC) made a huge effort to give back to Philadelphians in need during the 2019 holiday season. On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, the CLC Steering Committee and the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EAS Carpenters) visited the Campout for Hunger, a local radio station’s week-long event that collects food for Philabundance, a hunger relief charity serving the Philadelphia Region. Philabundance serves over 90,000 low-income Philadelphians. In addition to helping unload canned good donations in the GBCA-sponsored “GBCA Demolish Hunger Donation Tent,” the CLC and EAS Carpenters were interviewed live…
The Leadership Development Council wrapped up 2019 with a donation of $1,200 and several toys (pictured below) to the Violence Prevention Center Southwestern Illinois. The Violence Prevention Center’s mission is empowering over 1,600 individuals each year to recover from the trauma of domestic abuse and find their way to a life free of violence. Their programs offer the promise of safety and anonymity and they pledge to protect and support all those seeking refuge from abuse the highest quality services. This donation was made possible through the generosity of those that attended the SIBA Fall Industry Reception and Annual Meeting,…
Texas and Maine Have Biggest Number and Percent of Annual Job Gains, Ohio and Wyoming Have Largest Annual Losses; Texas and Iowa Have Largest Monthly Gains While Nevada and West Virginia Have Largest Monthly Declines Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between December 2018 and December 2019, while construction employment increased in 29 states from November to December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials added that most contractors expect to continue adding to their payrolls in 2020, according to the results of the…
Texas and Maine Have Biggest Number and Percent of Annual Job Gains, Ohio and Wyoming Have Largest Annual Losses; Texas and Iowa Have Largest Monthly Gains While Nevada and West Virginia Have Largest Monthly Declines Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between December 2018 and December 2019, while construction employment increased in 29 states from November to December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials added that most contractors expect to continue adding to their payrolls in 2020, according to the results of the…
Major General Scott A. Spellmon has been nominated to be the next Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). If confirmed by the Senate, Maj. Gen. Spellmon will replace the current commander, Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, whose term expires on May 19, 2020. In his current role as Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, he has been pivotal in overseeing the implementation of billions of dollars in natural disaster related construction recovery efforts. Confirmation hearings on this nomination are expected in the coming month. If confirmed, AGC looks forward to continuing to work closely with…
On Jan. 16, Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) introduced bipartisan, AGC-backed legislation to prohibit federal agencies from using reverse auctions on federal construction contracts. On Dec. 19, the Senate unanimously passed a companion bill to this measure. Reverse auctions in federal contracts typically require contractors to bid against each other in real time with ever increasing lower prices in order to win a particular contract. Several federal agencies have advised against this practice due to the administrative burden it requires, as well as acknowledging that the guaranteed low price at time of bidding often does not mean the project will be…
On Jan. 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized an AGC-supported rule to define “waters of the United States” – providing clarity when a federal permit is needed for work in or near federal waters. The new Navigable Waters Protection Rule better identifies federal waters, respects states’ primary role in land use and pollution prevention, and balances major case law from the last couple of decades. In brief, the rule extends federal protection to territorial seas and traditional navigable waters (TNWs); tributaries to TNWs; lakes, ponds, and impoundments of jurisdictional waters; and wetlands adjacent to…
ADMINISTRATION’S NEW WATERS RULE WILL PROTECT VITAL WATERWAYS WHILE ELIMINATING CONFUSION THAT THREATENED TO STIFLE MANY PROJECTS Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule Will Provide Permitting Clarity For Needed Infrastructure and Development Projects, Top Construction Official Notes The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the release today of the Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule: “This new clean water rule employs sound administrative policy to protect our vital waterways while providing permitting clarity for infrastructure and development projects to proceed in a timely manner. One reason our…
AGC of America’s Business Development Forum, with support from The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), will offer free one-on-one Business Development (BD) “Check-Ups” to 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 Free Business Development and Marketing Check-Up booths will be open Tuesday and Wednesday March 10 & 11 from 9:30-11:30 am PST. To learn more and sign up ahead…