Author: Jeanie Clapp

Fourth graders in South Dakota tell motorists to slow down Each April, National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) brings attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones. To collaborate with this event the AGC of South Dakota (AGC of SD) conducts a statewide billboard coloring contest, featuring the artwork and work zone safety messages created by South Dakota fourth grade students. “We have been partnering with schools across the state for the past 11 years and have found students are very creative and have great ideas for safety messages,” said Lindsay Willits, deputy executive vice president…

Understanding and Reversing the Trend BY KEYAN ZANDYChief Executive OfficerSkiles Group, a TEXO Member The construction industry is making great strides by evolving the delivery of work and incorporating new technologies, but there is still much room for improvement. It’s no secret that one of our biggest challenges is the labor shortage. Our entire industry needs more people — and we especially need more craftspeople in the trades. The impact of this one issue has a ripple effect across all projects. It means longer construction timelines and overtime for many projects. It’s not ideal for owners, firms or workers —…

Contractor publishes illustrated children’s book to spur interest in construction BY NICK FORTUNA Something happens between the toddler years, when kids push dump trucks and stack building blocks on the living-room floor, and the teenage years, when ambitious high-school students worry about their class rank, convinced that an expensive college degree is their only path to success. Whether it’s through parents, teachers, media or other influencers, kids get the message that construction is an “alternative path,” a backup option in case they can’t hack it in college, said Chris Eccleston, owner of Salisbury, Md.-based Delmarva Veteran Builders. Over time, that…

San Antonio AGC is celebrating its centennial year, and the chapter is excited to introduce its all- woman team: President Lauren Mandel, Education and Membership Manager Jennifer Munoz and Events and Marketing Communications Coordinator Alexandria Ballew. According to AGC of America, women make up only 11% of the overall construction workforce, with only 4% in professional craft positions, so the chapter is incredibly proud to be boosting those numbers! As an all-female staff, San Antonio AGC hopes to offer a platform for women in construction and honor their contributions, additionally, with an incoming chair. Despite Lauren and Alexandria both joining…

It’s got a long name that belies its intent to streamline the process of getting things done. Constructor sat down with one of its architects to get some details on its content and the AGC collaboration that’s helping move its ideas forward. BY A.D. THOMPSON Limited delays. Efficient reviews. Reforms that the members of AGC of America have long recommended. They’re the core principles of The Building U.S. Infrastructure through Limited Delays & Efficient Reviews (BUILDER) Act, legislation championed by Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA). The bill was included as part of H.R. 1 – the Lower Energy Costs Act –…

BY A/E/C STRATEGIESA Carolinas AGC Member The competition is fierce.  More specifically, the competition for talent in the construction industry is getting ever fiercer.  The talent arms race is no longer a problem for just small- and mid-size firms.  All companies, from the largest general contractor to the smallest specialty sub, are battling for the elusive talent that will allow them to meet current contract obligations, future projects and support growth.  Employees are the lifeblood of any organization.  A central question might be: Why are companies going to battle for talent in the 21st century with 20th century approaches? At…

BY SHANNEN TALBOTMarketing & Communications Director, Inland Northwest AGC It’s no secret that workforce development is a hot topic in the construction industry. Workforce challenges are regularly discussed in meetings and media, and the subject seems to hover at the edges of all other conversations. Therefore, it’s important that workforce success strategies, like the ones driven by the Inland Northwest AGC (NWAGC) in its multi-faceted workforce development initiative, Trade Up 2 Construction, are shared. After listening to member feedback and analyzing their workforce needs, NWAGC asked the question: How could disparate solutions be joined together to resolve multiple challenges at…

Collectively employers are asking questions throughout the state in an effort to fill workforce gaps. These questions include, “How can I fill positions?” and “How do we access workers?” On April 20, however, different questions were being asked. “Did you bring your resumes? Did you practice your interview questions?” In the Champlain Valley Expo Center’s Bissonette Room, Reid Wobby, a volunteer with the Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC-VT), asked these two questions to his audience of high school and college students, there to meet prospective employers at the Vermont Career Fair’s second annual event. While it’s not new news…

ACG and Procore Technologies have partnered to create a program to help inspiring students at historically Black colleges and universities. They’ve raised lots of money – and lots of hope – as they help the next generation of constructors bloom, grow and achieve. BY A.D. THOMPSON Deyana Thomas didn’t come from the best neighborhood, but the Philadelphia native’s drive and dedication — not to mention her interest in carpentry — came from her dad. Thomas spent a lot of time helping her father on jobsites when she was a kid. Like most single-digit apprentices, her first tool was a broom,…

Maintaining Singular Focus Contributes to Mid-Coast Corridor Project Securing the 2023 Build America Grand Award BY NICOLE NEEDLES The Mid-Coast Corridor Project was actually eight projects in one. Not only did it involve facets completely different from one another – an interstate expansion, light rail construction, bridge improvement, parking garages and more – this project took place during a global pandemic. Despite these extraordinary conditions, it was completed on time and within budget, securing the 2023 Construction Risk Partners Build America Grand Award for the joint venture team of Mid-Coast Transit Constructors. Multiple projects rolled into one created a unique…