The application deadline for the Corporate Citizenship Award is fast approaching. The Corporate Citizenship Award is conferred at BuildersConnect each year and serves as a great way to gain recognition for your company's philanthropic commitment to the Chicagoland area. Contact that Builders Association at (773) 444-0465 if you have any questions on the application or award.

Builders Association Lean Construction Education Program participants Mitchell Erickson and Todd Jabaay successfully passed the CM-Lean credentialing exam this September.

The AGC Certificate of Management-Lean Construction (CM-Lean) is an assessment-based certificate credential that denotes knowledge and understanding of concepts related to lean adoption, practice and process transformation outlined in AGC’s Lean Construction Education Program. Successful candidates will carry the CM-Lean designation. Builders Association is one of just twenty-nine approved testing centers in the nation.

The Builders Association will be hosting the seven-unit Lean Construction Education program in early 2017. Individuals interested in taking the program can email Stacey Kelly for more information.

This $4,000 per year scholarship is a significant award to help our industry's future leaders complete their education. The 2016-17 application for the Builders Foundation's scholarship program is now available; submissions are due on or before October 31. Applicants will be notified of status by the end of the year; interviews will be conducted in early 2017.

As AGC of America approaches its Centennial Year in 2018, we are taking steps now to make sure the Association continues to meet the present and future needs of the industry. As part of that effort, we are asking members to help us gain a better understanding of how the construction industry is and will continue to evolve and the steps we need to make to ensure we continue to help member firms thrive. Kindly take a few moments to participate in this survey.

The Builders Association Government Relations Committee looks forward to hosting a reception honoring Legislators of the Year and supporting the Builders Association PAC fund on October 6th at Ridgemoor Country Club in Harwood Heights. The Builders Association will be honoring Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R), State Representative Carol Sente (D), and State Representative Kelly M. Burke (D).

Join us for an evening of networking with fellow Association members and the honored Illinois legislators who are working to promote your business and the Chicago area construction industry as a whole. View the official invitation and register online today.

Many thanks to the member companies supporting the PAC Fundraiser:

CRANE LEVEL
Pepper Construction Co.
Wight & Company

BULLDOZER LEVEL
Bulley & Andrews, LLC
Clark Construction Group
George Sollitt Construction Co.
James McHugh Construction Co.
The Hill Group
W.B. Olson, Inc.
W.E. O'Neil Construction Co.

BACKHOE LEVEL
All-Tech Decorating Co.
Brown & Momen, Inc.
Denk & Roche Builders
Joseph J. Duffy Co.
McShane Construction Co.
Michuda Construction

The Builders Association will host a free seminar, Communicating In A Crisis, for Association members on October 12th.

An array of crises can happen at any time, all of which can put the image and reputation of your company at stake. It's critical to have crisis management procedures in place when 65% of the public takes "no comment" as guilt. Anthony Huey‘s seminar will help members prepare for how best to handle situations when disaster strikes.

Join us on October 12th at Maggiano’s Oak Brook (240 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523) from 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM for this complimentary seminar. Builders Association members can RSVP directly to info@bldrs.org or register online.

Many thanks to Presentation Sponsor The Horton Group. Please contact Builders Association staff at 773-444-0465 or info@bldrs.org if you are interested in being Refreshment Sponsor for this seminar

The Builders Education & Training Foundation is excited to host another round of the Project Management Series instructed by Brad Benhart of Purdue University. "Personal Success for Project Managers" and "Top 10 ‘Risky’ Items Every PM or Superintendent Should Know", back by popular demand, will be held at 8430 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., First Floor Conference Center, Chicago, on November 11 and December 2, respectively. Both of these courses will begin at 8AM and end at 11AM.

The PM Series has received rave reviews over the years. One participant from the most recent series described the program as a "concise presentation that keyed in on very important concepts that make everyone more efficient." Another attendee reported that it "hit the important concepts with usable items to effectively implement immediately which will have the greatest impact on improving both professional and personal life."

We look forward to this year's Builders Connect luncheon on December 14th at the Drake Hotel. In addition to catching up with your industry colleagues, program highlights include a keynote speaker from the Cubs Organization, celebration of milestone awards, conferring the Corporate Citizenship Award to a deserving member company, and honoring the accomplishments of this year's Community Builder Award recipient.

A fundamental tenet of arbitration is that arbitration awards are subject to very limited review and are rarely vacated due to an error in contract interpretation. The Illinois Uniform Arbitration Act sets forth just five limited grounds under which a court can vacate an arbitration award, including fraud; evident partiality; where the arbitrators exceeded their powers; where the arbitrators refused to permit material evidence; or where no arbitration agreement existed.

AGC of America is proud to re-launch ConstructionVotes.com in preparation for Election Day on November 8.

This website is designed to give AGC members and their employees the necessary resources for them to make it to the polls and cast an informed vote. It includes information about voter registration, absentee ballots, and early voting. Also included are tools to help them locate and contact their elected officials. Our belief is that when the employees of our member companies vote, the voices of the business community and construction industry are heard, both loudly and clearly.

How To Lose Your Top Candidate:

For decades, business owners have been told to be "quick to fire" and "slow to hire." But with today’s shortage of talent, it’s important to strike a balance between thoroughly vetting the candidate, and getting them on board.

Slow hiring does not mean a better hire! In fact, it’s one of the top reasons companies lose great candidates. Research shows the top 10% of active candidates are gone from the market within 10 days, and over 75% of active candidates are interviewing with at least three companies.

The Leadership Development Course will test and stretch your soft skills to a new level of awareness and proficiency in these important areas: Remembering Names, Listening, Addressing Groups, Leadership Techniques, Increasing Meeting Efficiency and Buy-In, Making Small Talk, Increasing Confidence. Builders Association members may nominate their 20-50-something managers for this program and the BETF will then select 20 individuals to participate in the Course. Fliers including the nomination form and more information on the Leadership Development Course were recently mailed to the main contact of each member company. Please contact Association staff at 773-444-0465 for further information.

ARDEX Americas is a global leader in the development and manufacture of high-performance building products recognized by industry-leading experts including:

• Architecture & Engineering Professionals
• Flooring Installation Professionals
• General Contractors and Building Professionals
• Tile & Stone Installation Professionals
• Professional Flooring and Sundry Distributors

ARDEX Americas delivers industry-leading innovation and time-tested consistent solutions to the most complex installation problems for concrete repair and resurfacing, substrate preparation, flooring installation or for setting natural stone, ceramic tile and any other type of flooring materials.

Headquartered in Westmont, Illinois, Employco USA, Inc. provides employer management and human resource outsourcing, as well as a number of other administrative and progressive employment techniques. Employco works to lower costs while improving the performance and productivity of clients in every industry; from construction and manufacturing to retail and technology.

Employco USA acts as a scalable human resource infrastructure for businesses of any size. Employco handles a wide range of responsibility, from basic solutions to ease the administrative obligations of a business (i.e., payroll and onboarding) to HR department build-outs and overhauls for larger organizations looking to leverage the benefits of a progressive HR department.

Providing employees with Fortune 500 health plans and benefit packages is key to attracting and retaining top talent. Employco allows employers the flexibility to choose from a complete suite of HR solutions that best fit the company's needs.

McShane Construction has moved its Corporate Headquarters to 9500 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Suite 200, Rosemont, IL 60018. Their phone number is still 847-292-4300.