Author: Jeanie Clapp

BY KEN GARCIA Strong relationships are a valued currency in the construction industry – both between company/clients and company/employees. Achieving these strong and healthy relationships requires a high level of emotional intelligence (EI). In her presentation, “Emotional Intelligence: Your Business Development Superpower!,” host Lisa Frisbie, Vice President of Member Services for AGC Massachusetts, said EI is the ability to recognize, under- stand and manage emotions in our- selves and others. “You have to know how to acknowledge and value feelings in yourself and in others, and how to respond to them appropriately,” she said. EI, also known as emotional quotient,…

AGC members share their stories in a series of newly released videos BY KEN GARCIA Construction, like all industries, is not immune to mental health issues and suicide. Construction has one of the highest rates of suicide at 53.2 per 100,000 U.S. workers, according to federal data. That’s about four times the national average and roughly five times greater than all other construction fatalities combined. AGC of America is committed to this cause and launched a new campaign highlighting the importance of addressing these issues plaguing the construction workforce. In the U.S., mental illnesses are among the most common health…

MBA teams with local community to provide much-needed support for veterans By BOB MCCALLDirector of Safety, Master Builders’ Association of Western Pennsylvania Board Member, Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh When the Master Builders’ Association of Western Pennsylvania (MBA) decided to do more to help the Pittsburgh community, they instinctively turned to their friends at Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh (RTP), an organization committed to ensuring everybody has a safe and healthy home. Nearly 30 years ago, MBA was the driving force behind bringing the organization, which would eventually become RTP, to the region. Over the years, MBA has consistently supported RTP’s vision and mission.…

BY KEN GARCIA For Leon Araiza, helping others succeed in life and the construction industry has become part of his mission. Through his company, Advanced Tribal, LLC, in Salem, Oregon, he recruits and trains the next generation of construction professionals. “I don’t look at it as giving them a job,” he said. “I look at it as helping create a career.” Araiza, who is Native American, has more than 30 years of experience in construction as a carpenter, concrete/mason and equipment operator. He said he started Advanced Tribal in 2015 to use his expertise to help those in disadvantaged communities. …

Pandemic Challenges Remain but Infrastructure Funding Brings New Opportunities for Construction AGC of America Chief Economist Ken Simonson recently sat down with Constructor publisher Jill Andreu to provide a preview of AGC’s Annual Construction Outlook Report. Constructor: Construction employment is on the rise for the residential sector, but for non-residential, employment is down 1.8% as of November. How much of this shift can be attributed to COVID-19, and how much of it is a continued construction workforce challenge? Simonson: COVID certainly set the construction industry back on its heels, as it did the whole economy. Construction rebounded more quickly than…

Unearthing the Secrets to Hiring, Labor and Retention in the Construction Industry BY GREG BELPOMMEDirector At Heron WolfA Delaware Contractors Association member The ever-evolving landscape of hiring, labor and retention in the United States for construction businesses continues to be a challenging terrain to navigate. The breaking news for employers: The power dynamic has shifted, and it’s time to face the music — job seekers are calling the shots. Gone are the days when employers could just post a job listing and expect a flood of applications. Candidates have become savvy adventurers, seeking a thorough and captivating journey that comes…

THEY’RE NOT JUST FOR PHOTO SHARING ANYMORE BY DEBRA WOOD As increasing numbers of contractors try unmanned aerial vehicles, they are finding more and more ways drones can help them avoid delays, rework, safety issues and increased costs. “Drone technology has proven time and time again to be valuable assets for project teams,” says Erik Gronneberg, an assistant project manager and drone pilot with Columbia in North Reading, Massachusetts, an AGC of Massachusetts member. “It’s able to identify issues early before they become big problems, saving both time and money.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, Columbia used its drone photos to…

TOUCHPLAN SOFTWARE OFFERS TRANSPARENCY ACROSS THE TEAM, FROM BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO C-SUITE EXECS BY DEBRA WOOD When looking to save time and money on projects, several AGC member firms see several benefits in utilizing Touchplan. “Touchplan helps us plan work as well as track commitments: percent promised and complete,” says Aaron Geiger, chief technology officer at Alberici, a member of multiple AGC chapters. Alberici is a North American construction company serving the civil, energy, institutional, commercial, heavy industrial, manufacturing, water/wastewater and automotive industries. Alberici piloted Touchplan one year ago and then expanded its use company-wide in late 2021.…

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS STREAMLINE HR PROCESSES FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES BY NICK FORTUNA When you’ve got 165 employees, including 100 skilled crafts- men out in the field, handling human resources through paper processes is an inexact science. Between vacation requests, benefit enrollment forms, performance reviews, paystubs, training materials and more, the task of data entry never ends, and it’s easy for paperwork to get lost, creating more work for HR professionals and frustrating employees. In response to those challenges, McAlvain Cos. Inc., a Boise-based general contracting and construction management firm and Idaho AGC member, digitized its HR processes in 2018 by implementing…

DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL SAFETY PROGRAM REQUIRES BOTH APTITUDE AND ATTITUDE BY KATIE KUEHNER-HEBERT Earlier this year, AGC of America held its prestigious WTW Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA) at its annual convention in Grapevine, Texas. In addition to being awarded first place in the Construction Management Division for firms with more than 700,000 work hours, Choate Construction, an Atlanta-based commercial general contracting firm, took home the Grand Prize and was named the nation’s safest construction firm. Constructor sat down with Choate’s Corporate Safety Director Chad Hart, who shared details of the company’s safety program and the factors that helped them…