[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"3937","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-full wp-image-295 alignright","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"94","height":"120","alt":""}}]]AGC Specialty Contractor Council (SCC) member Tim Sinclair of Pal's Glass/Sinclair Masonry in Wichita, Kansas has been appointed to the SCC Executive Committee.  Prior to his current role as owner and President of Sinclair Masonry and Pal's Glass for the last eight years, Tim served as a general contractor at Key Construction and served as vice president of operations.  Tim began as an estimator and project manager for Key Construction after five years of experience as an estimator-project manager with Conco, Inc.Tim received his MBA from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas and his bachelor's degree in Construction Engineering Technology while attending Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas.

The AGC Specialty Contractors Council (SCC) held a roundtable discussion at AGC's 91st Annual Convention and Pavilion held in March in Orlando, Fla.  SCC Chair Jim Slack, Jr. provided an update on AGC and SCC activities and attendees participated in a roundtable discussion focused on "AGC's Value to You."  Attendees shared what is important to them and their company from a specialty contractor's perspective.  Please click here to review a summary of some of the major AGC of America activities of the past year on behalf of Specialty Contractors.The SCC also held a Specialty Contractors Reception, which was attended by more than 50 members and guests.   A special thank you to the reception sponsors: Slack & Co. Contracting Inc.; Gabriel Fuentes Jr. Construction Co.; Concrete Frame Associates Inc.; MarCon Inc.; Current Electrical Construction Co.; Pal's Glass Service Inc.; and McGraw-Hill.Along with professional development sessions and other programs, the Convention proved to be a worthwhile experience for those who made the trip to Orlando.  Mark your calendar for AGC's 92nd Annual Convention that will be held March 21-25, 2011 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev.

Unit 2: BIM Technology, the second course in the AGC Building Information Modeling (BIM) Education Program, is now available. BIM Technology covers the common characteristics and differences of BIM applications in use today and specific processes for planning, organizing and deploying BIM tools throughout the life of a project.Developing a solid understanding of the available BIM solutions, their functionality and how they relate to the various construction phases before purchasing software will significantly aide contractors with overall BIM implementation efforts and increase return on investment.AGC BIM Education Program courses are offered by AGC Chapters around the country. Interested individuals can visit the AGC national course calendar for information on upcoming BIM Technology course offerings at www.agc.org/BIMEP or contact Amy Fields at (703) 837-5360 or curriculum@agc.org.

An updated version of the popular Contactor's Guide to BIM. This new edition includes up-to-date information on the process of incorporating BIM into your company, collaborating with other stakeholders as well as a detailed matrix of the varied types of software tools that comprise building information modeling.Topics Include:Intro to BIM conceptsManaging the BIM processContracts and legal issuesSelecting and implementing BIM tools and resourcesCriteria for selecting BIM consultantsItem No. 2928 Retail Price: $75.00 Member Price: $50.00To order go to www.agc.org/bookstore or call 1-800-244-1767.

A recent Engineering News-Record article examines how firms have reacted to the recession, and what steps they are taking to adjust and survive.  The current economic recession is offering firms numerous challenges to re-think their strategies to keep their heads above water and to continue to do so in the post-recession economy. While the stimulus has greatly benefitted some firms, other have not been affected by it at all.  Firms are recognizing the importance of creating new ways to keep employees, maintain morale, and remain flexible towards the current market challenges. For the complete article from Engineering News-Record, please click here (ENR subscription required).

April 26-29, 2010 | The Mayflower Hotel | Washington, DC The 2010 AGC Federal Contractors Conference will be held April 26-29, 2010, at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. This meeting is the only national event where contractors and federal agency personnel can meet in a collaborative forum to review federal construction contracting issues and trends from around the United States. These insightful and highly productive exchanges have solidified the need for both federal construction contractors and the federal construction agencies to share information on a wide variety of issues, foster better communication, and create real solutions.This year, the AGC Federal Contractors Conference will boost its content with a special new conference format. The inclusion of separate concurrent tracks will highlight each of the unique federal and federally-assisted markets. The first track highlights water infrastructure, and includes meetings with agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers - Civil Works Directorate. The second track focuses on federal facilities construction, which includes meetings with the General Services Administration and the Military Construction agencies of the Department of Defense. Highway and transportation rounds out the final track, which includes meetings with the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and the transit and rail agencies.To learn more about the conference, download the conference brochure and register, visit www.agc.org/fedcon.

Despite the fact that construction starts consistenly risen over the past six months, the building recession seems to be deepening still.  Market indicators used to measure monthly nonresidential construction are negative, and many projects are being delayed or cancelled, according to a Reed Construction Data report. Some projects are being halted due to lower than expected building operating income, and the inability to obtain financing is still causing cutbacks as well.  Over the next year, the federal stimulus will help to couterbalance the weakness in the commercial market, as most of these funds have not yet been spent.For the entire article, please click here.

Unveiled at the recent Building Contractors Conference, the AGC Lean Construction Forum is an inclusive and collaborative community that is open to anyone with an interest in lean construction processes.  The Forum is focused on facilitating dialogue and information sharing through its Web site (www.agcleanforum.org) and developing a curriculum and learning opportunities on the use of Lean principles in the construction industry.  Anyone with an interest in Lean Construction can "join" the Forum at www.agcleanforum.org.  AGC members with a Username and Password for www.agc.org can use that same information to log-in to the Forum Web site.  If you do not have that information you can simply create a profile and join the Forum.  This is a brand new Web site and improvements are still being made.  Please share any comments or questions about the Forum and/or the Web site at starkm@agc.org.The Forum will meet at the AGC Building Contractors Conference in Midway, Utah, on June 10, 2010.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released an updated version of its Employment Law Guide, an online publication for workers and employers that describes the major employment laws administered by the department.According to a press release issued by DOL on November 30, 2009, the Guide is said to be "especially helpful for employers without dedicated legal or human resources staff" and "helps small businesses develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies."The updated version addresses recent and important changes in employment laws, including:the increase in the federal minimum wage;expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act;child labor regulations in the agriculture industry; andchanges to the Defense Base Act, which provides workers' compensation benefits to civilian employees working outside the United States on U.S. military bases or under certain contracts with the U.S.Designed to be used along with DOL's FirstStep overview advisor, an online system that allows employers to determine which federal employment laws apply to them by answering a few simple questions about relevant variables, each chapter in the Guide "addresses each of the laws in the FirstStep advisor, outlines coverage under the law, its basic requirements, employee rights, recordkeeping, reporting, notice and poster requirements, penalties and sanctions for non-compliance, relation to state, local and other federal laws, and contact information for further assistance."  Both the Employment Law Guide and FirstStep overview advisor are available at www.dol.gov/elaws.

Public agencies have been reporting for more than a year that they are paying less for school buildings and other facilities than they had been. But few governments seem to have stepped up their construction programs to take advantage of the price breaks.