Emerging changes in construction activity indicate 2011 may be the year of the specialty contractor more than the general. While overall construction spending remains flat, several niches look promising. Other categories will soon shrink, however. Here’s a tip sheet for which segments to seek or avoid.

Specialty Contractors Council vice chair Rick Pate (Pate Landscape Co. Inc., Montgomery, Ala.) was featured in the March/April Constructor magazine in a feature article, Going Public With It. 

Specialty contractors from AGC Chapters across the country comprise the AGC of America Specialty Contractors Council (SCC).  Each Chapter has the ability to nominate one individual to the SCC and an additional individual for every one hundred of the Chapter’s specialty contractor member firms.  More than 80 AGC members began new one-year terms on the SCC following the AGC Annual Convention in March. 

The AGC of America Specialty Contractors Council Executive Committee (SCC EC) welcomed two new members at its meeting held during the AGC Annual Convention in Las Vegas in March.

The Sixth Annual Airport Project Delivery Systems Summit will build upon the previous year’s program by offering first-hand experiences in delivering airport projects.  Airports Council International-NA, Airport Consultants Council and the Associated General Contractors of America continue to promote this initiative together with the goal of improved airport project delivery. 

Join large project owners, leaders from top building construction firms, design professionals and other stakeholders at the AGC IPD and Lean Construction Building Conference in San Antonio, Texas, September 21-24, 2011 at the Westin La Cantera Resort.

By Thomas J. Kelleher, Jr., Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP In 2006 Congress added Section 3402(t) to the IRS Code (26 CFR Part 31).  That section provides that the Government of the United States, every State, every political subdivision thereof, and every instrumentality of the foregoing (including multi-State agencies) making any payment to any person providing any property or services on a public project (including any payment made in connection with a public program) shall withhold 3% from all payments as a guard against possible business tax evasion. 

President Obama signed H.R. 4 into law, a bill supported by AGC that repeals the 1099 reporting requirement that would have required all businesses to submit Form 1099s to the IRS and to any business with which it purchased $600 or more in goods or services in a year, creating a tremendous paperwork and compliance burden for businesses of all sizes. 

AGC's Specialty News is focused on informing AGC specialty contractor members of Specialty Contractors Council activities, important industry issues that affect your business, and market trends. 

Specialty contractors from across the country attended the AGC of America 92nd Annual Convention this week in Las Vegas.  The Specialty Contractors Council (SCC) Executive Committee met to discuss future initiatives and the SCC sponsored a session and reception on March 22.