January 28, 2010 3:00p.m. ET Gain insight into the future of construction as expert economists provide an in-depth look at residential and nonresidential construction activity including the institutional, industrial and heavy engineering sectors. Tune in for the first webcast in the 2010 Market Insights series, Economic Recovery: Under Construction as Jim Haughey, Ken Simonson and Kermit Baker discuss:What to Watch in 2010 - key market indicators to help guide you through the year.Construction Hotspots - segments and geographic areas with the most promising signs of recovery.Construction Employment - when will confidence return and hiring begin?Analysis - why is the recovery in construction lagging behind?Click here to register!
The past year has been full of challenges and opportunities for the construction industry. Each day, AGC of America has been working hard to represent Specialty Contractors. Whether through the AGC Specialty Contractors Council (SCC), advocacy, safety and health, environment, labor and workforce, education and training or contract documents...AGC is focused on protecting your interests, helping your business and improving our industry.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. For more information, please contact Mike Stark, Senior Director, Building Division at starkm@agc.org.
The Specialty Contractor's Subforum of the AGC BIMForum has created the MEP Spatial Coordination Team Requirements for Building Information Modeling. This document provides guidance to companies and individuals involved in 3D MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection) spatial coordination. Its aim is to help the MEP spatial coordination process using 3D and BIM technology and to assist in developing team structures, definition of roles and responsibilities, recommendations for technical and IT considerations, social structure and accountability. The document can be accessed here: MEP Spatial Coordination Requirements for BIM.
In his article "Can You Afford the Lowest Bid?," Specialty Contractor Council Chairman Jim Slack examines how accepting the lowest bid for a job can be quite costly. He explains how both general contractors and subcontractors should take responsibility to ensure that the scope of work is compared when bids are examined, and that mutual trust of both parties is essential.To read the full article, please click here.
Join us January 20-22, 2010 in San Juan, Puerto Rico The AGC Building Contractors Conference will offer a chance to learn more about Lean Construction with the debut of the Lean Construction Forum, which was established to create a community where anyone within the AEC industry can come together to engage in a dialog on Lean Construction. The Forum will be unveiling a website soon and is currently developing educational resources and learning opportunities on the use of Lean principles in the construction industry. More than seven hours of Lean Construction content will be presented on January 21 in San Juan.The AGC Building Contractors Conference consistently offers forward-thinking, practical guidance that is crucial and necessary, now more than ever. In addition to the Lean Construction Forum, presentations include: Business of Safety, Green Construction Risks, Federal Legislative & Regulatory Update, and Contractor Surety Issues.Be sure to take a look at the free AGC Travel Assistance Guide for discounts on airfare and car rental, as well as non-stop and direct flight information from many major U.S. airports to San Juan. For more information about the January 2010 Building Contractors Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, visit www.agc.org/bcc. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Join the SCC to hear of upcoming council business and participate in the roundtable discussion of the hottest construction-related business issues that affect specialty contractors today and in the future.Register by December 31, 2009 to receive the early-bird discount on Platinum or Standard Registration - a $200 savings! Go to http://convention.agc.org/ to learn more.For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
The AGC Political Action Committee (AGC PAC) is an essential part of AGC's legislative influence on Capitol Hill. The purpose of the PAC is to help elect federal candidates to office - all of whom are pro-construction. A pro-construction Congress has the ability to make several important issues a reality in expanded infrastructure investment, reduced federal regulatory burdens, and increased federal investment in drinking and wastewater, just to name a few.Unfortunately, our opponents are powerful and spend big money to elect candidates who do not share our values and concerns. With a well-funded PAC, AGC is able to support and retain incumbents who support our issues as well as elect new candidates who will become our champions.AGC PAC is completely member-driven. When the PAC contributes to legislators, the party affiliation of the candidate is irrelevant. Instead, the PAC focuses on the candidate's AGC vote-record and their issues strategy. We frequently conduct in-person candidate interviews and request candidates to fill out a questionnaire to help determine where they stand on the issues that matter to us. When we are ready to consider getting involved in a race, we ask for the recommendations of PAC contributors. Member and Chapter input is key - these are your potential representatives, so we need to know how well they work with you directly. In 2009, AGC PAC has contributed to 85 different federal candidates in 40 different states. The majority of the checks were delivered directly to the candidate by members of the local AGC Chapter, allowing constituents to sit down and speak with the representative. We encourage our Chapters set up these meetings and frequently send checks back to the district for delivery.Remember - federal laws and regulations have a direct impact on you and your business. It is not legal for corporations to make political contributions directly to federal candidates or political parties. AGC PAC allows you to have your voice heard by a multitude of candidates who agree with your principles and want to help the construction industry. If you have questions about AGC PAC, please contact Julie Hodgson, AGC PAC Director at 202-547-5013 or hodgsonj@agc.org or visit our website at www.agc.org/pac.
Written by John Lynch from the State of Washington and published as a joint effort of AGC and the National Association of State Facilities Administrators (NASFA), this eight-page article is targeted toward public owners who construct capital projects and those contractors who are engaged in this type of work. It is particularly useful in this challenging economy. Click here to access the article. For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
AGC of America, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) and the Associated Specialty Contractors (ASC) held their annual joint meeting November 13-14, 2009, at the AGC Headquarters in Arlington, Va. The theme was "Construction Owners' Financing and Ability to Pay." AGC, ASA and ASC have a formal liaison and meet annually to discuss topics of mutual interest, work together on joint initiatives, and continually develop the Guidelines for a Successful Construction Project.For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
Originally written in 1999, a task force of AGC members updated and recently completed the AGC Guide to Construction Financing-Second Edition. This 26-page publication clearly explains the construction financing process and points out some of the opportunities and pitfalls for the contractor. It is intended to serve a reference to get contractors thinking about the risks associated with project financing. Click here to access this resource. For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.