Author: Jeanie Clapp
For Joey Flowers, safety isn’t a checklist – it’s a commitment to people. BY NICOLE NEEDLES That mindset, shaped by more than two decades in construction safety and a career rooted in service and leadership, has earned Flowers the AGC Construction Safety Professional of the Year (CSPY) award for 2026. Known for building strong teams and fostering accountability in the field, Flowers views safety as a daily responsibility, not a box to be checked. Presented annually by AGC of America and Milwaukee Tool, the CSPY award recognizes outstanding construction safety professionals from member companies who demonstrate excellence in leadership, innovation,…
From maritime engineering to construction safety champion, Jaeger is reshaping culture through compassion, consistency, and collaboration. BY JENNIFER KLING Grace Industries / Haugland Group Health and Safety Manager John Jaeger didn’t start his career in construction (aside from working for a roofing contractor in his youth), but he has excelled in the industry in a very short period of time to become AGC’s 2026 Construction Safety Champion of the Year (CSCY). Presented by AGC of America and Milwaukee Tool, this recognition is awarded to honor construction professionals with an exceptional dedication to creating injury-free jobsites, advancing safety with innovative ideas,…
Incoming President Rick Andritsch has spent his entire life in construction, and before he’s finished, he wants the worth of this association to be self-evident, from the titans of the industry to the smallest, local members. BY A.D. THOMPSON “Construction is all I’ve known my entire life,” said Rick Andritsch, who plans to carry every bit of his experience, a resume he’s been cultivating since high school, to the AGC “presidential suite” in 2026. Rick started out much the same as many: at the bottom of the totem pole, pushing a broom and learning from the ground up. From School…
By Keyan Zandy, CEO, Skiles Group If you’ve led a project or a team for any length of time, you’ve felt it: the slow drift that starts quietly and grows if no one catches it. A schedule slips. Priorities blur. Meetings expand. People stay busy, yet progress falls out of sync with the effort being spent. Most leaders assume these problems start with individuals. But more often, they start with patterns, predictable forces that operate beneath the surface of day-to-day work. These forces are subtle and constant, and unless leaders stay intentional, they push teams off course long before anyone…
A shared responsibility across every project phase BY ADAM JELEN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GILBANE BUILDING ANDCONSTRUCTION SAFETY WEEK CHAIR 2026 Construction Safety Week has long been a powerful show of force — a catalyst for bringing the industry together and focusing on the critical importance of health and safety. Over the last decade, we’ve made meaningful strides: advancing best practices, transitioning from hard hats to helmets, shedding light on vital issues such as mental health, fostering a culture of care and accountability, and creating partnerships and initiatives that improve jobsite safety. Building on the progress we’ve made, we’ve launched a…
Cold-weather concreting strategies for commercial contractors BY JENNIFER MIZER, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING SERVICES, EUCLID CHEMICAL, AN INLAND NORTHWEST CHAPTER-AGC MEMBER When winter grips a jobsite, concrete often takes the blame for slowing progress. But concrete itself isn’t the problem — it’s how we manage it as temperatures drop, hydration slows, set times stretch, and finishing windows shrink. These are not deal-breakers, just variables. The real difference between success and failure in cold-weather concreting comes down to understanding the science and then applying it with the same precision you’d give any other aspect of construction. For commercial contractors who are balancing…
ALICE Technologies is taking builders through the looking glass and into a future where artificial intelligence, via its new Insights Agent tool, can help them master their schedules and maximize their productivity. Suffolk Construction is among the large national construction firms aiding in its evolution. BY A.D. THOMPSON The schedule, said Aleksey Chuprov, is the heart of the project. “It’s everything — what is happening, the approach, the procurement, the installation. All the work of building, it ties to the schedule.” The schedule, in fact, said Chuprov, senior vice president, data & IT at Suffolk Construction, a member of multiple…
Charity art auction blends imagination with industry to inspire Detroit’s next wave of skilled workers BY JEANIE J. CLAPP Across the country, AGC members have long stepped up when their communities need them most — whether rebuilding after natural disasters, funding scholarships for construction students, or volunteering time and expertise to repair schools, shelters, and community centers. That spirit of generosity runs deep in the AGC community. It’s that spirit that’s at the heart of Hard Hats for Detroit, the annual charity art auction launched in 2023 by Sachse Construction, an AGC of Michigan member, as a creative way to…
Volatility and momentum collide as contractors chart their course through 2026. BY AMY KING The construction industry is expected to enter 2026 facing uneven demand, rapid technological change, and persistent workforce shortages. From economic uncertainty to accelerating AI adoption and evolving federal policy, contractors must navigate a year of both challenges and opportunities. Economic Outlook When it comes to the economy, 2026 is expected to be highly uneven for the construction industry, according to Ken Simonson, AGC of America’s chief economist. Markets tied to data centers and electric power are expected to remain exceptionally strong, with spending potentially surpassing 2025…
How AI is reshaping construction from the ground up By now, much ink has been spilled over the workforce shortage in the construction industry. But not only is there a lack of skilled workers, there’s also been a consistent loss of productivity. In fact, an August 2024 report from McKinsey Global Institute noted that there is a total of nearly $1 trillion in lost productivity each year. One way several major construction firms are addressing this is by incorporating AI to streamline their operations and catch expensive mistakes. But there’s often a hesitation within the construction industry to adopt new…