Author: Jeanie Clapp
BY IAN WARNER, DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATIONSTRIMBLE, AN AGC OF AMERICAN CAPSTONE SUPPORTER Construction is experiencing a technology renaissance — an era of transformation that is redefining not only how we build, but who chooses to build. Gone are the days when advanced systems seemed out of reach. Today, solutions such as reality capture through mobile devices, GNSS-guided automated equipment and project management powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly becoming everyday tools. But technology is more than a productivity enhancement; these solutions are a calling card to a new generation. With nearly half a million new…
Or step aside and let the process accelerate. Buildcheck is gaining international traction, with contractors reporting fewer RFIs and faster project delivery — leaving time for a well-earned fist bump. BY A.D. THOMPSON No matter how careful a review process or how detail oriented a person may be, human error still happens. On a jobsite, mistakes and/or omissions cause design and coordination issues. They cost big time. And big money. “Historically, as an industry, we’ve had issues with incomplete and uncoordinated drawing sets,” said Haig Seferian, senior manager of design support for AvalonBay, an AGC of Massachusetts member and a…
Under pressure, some teams tighten up and perform. Others fall apart and fold. BY KEYAN ZANDYCEO, SKILES GROUP The difference isn’t always the plan, the people, or the tools. It’s how leadership responds when uncertainty shows up. In those moments, calm — or the lack of it — spreads quickly and shapes what happens next. This idea isn’t new. In Special Operations training, there’s a lesson that’s been passed down for generations: Calm is contagious. Teams mirror their leaders. Not just their decisions, but their tone, urgency, and presence. Lose composure, and the team amplifies it. Stay steady, and they…
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 selfevident, 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…