Builders Association appreciates the support of each and every member company. Whether it is through our various committees, annual Safety Stand Down, Lean Education program, labor relations guidance, professional development through the CLC, or other construction-related matters, we hope to make each new year more valuable for your firm. We wish you a healthy and prosperous 2017!

Over 200 individuals attended Builders Connect, hosted by the Association on December 14th at The Drake Hotel. We were honored to celebrate membership anniversaries, our own 110th anniversary, and present Community Builder Awards to Mayor Rahm Emanuel as well as Tom Ricketts and the Chicago Cubs organization.

The National AGC Safety Awards (NASA) program has been an ongoing effort since 1991 to offer AGC members an opportunity to evaluate their safety record. Participating contractors receive a confidential printout to compare their company’s safety statistics with similar size and type AGC contractor members both locally and nationally. NASA provides a great opportunity for contractor members with excellent safety records to compete for nationally recognized awards. Additionally, this information can be used to assist in determining if additional accident prevention and loss-control measures are necessary.

Listen to the latest ConstructorCast for an in-depth look at Trump's surprise victory and what it could mean for the construction industry. For this episode, we sit down with Steve Sandherr, AGC's Chief Executive Officer, for the full story on what we might expect from Trump's leadership, how his presidency could affect regulations, and what surprises might still be forthcoming.

Stream or download the full episode here.

The Associated General Contractors of America and Sage will explain their national and state* construction hiring and business forecasts for 2017. The forecasts, which are based on a comprehensive survey of construction firms nationwide, will include predictions of the scope of construction hiring, layoffs and possible worker shortages during the year.

During the WebEd, the association’s chief economist Kenneth Simonson will release the forecasts and explain their significance for broader economic and employment growth for this year. Sage General Manager Jon Witty will discuss the information technology-related findings. They will also outline steps the new Congress and Administration should take to help support continued construction growth in 2017.

Forecasts to also include Predictions for Construction Industry Hiring, Layoffs, Workforce Shortages and Business Activity for 2017.

The Fall/Winter 2016-2017 semester of the Construction Education Institute is here and there are free, excellent education opportunities available in January, including Project Control for Field Supervisors & Project Managers on the 12th and OSHA Record Keeping & Electronic Filing Workshop on the 13th. Access to these courses is one of many benefits of Builders Association membership.

Construction is one of the highest rated industries affected by suicide. CFMA has established the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention with the goal of providing and disseminating information and resources for suicide prevention and mental health promotion in construction. Through the information and resources CFMA has compiled, the Alliance looks to help those in the construction industry create awareness of the problem, cultivate a culture of caring, and start the conversation in the workplace.

Members of CFMA Chicago Chapter in partnership with the Builders Association have organized the Suicide Prevention Summit. This collaboration between construction and mental health professionals will explore suicide prevention for the construction industry. By targeting construction industry CEOs, CFOs, Human Resource professionals, and Safety and Risk managers, this event will provide a wealth of knowledge to professionals in the industry.

CREATE, INNOVATE, ACCELERATE

Make your plans to attend the 98th Annual AGC Convention, March 7-9, 2017 in Las Vegas, NV and seize your opportunity to cultivate new ideas and partners, see and hear about the latest in construction innovation, and leave with the tools to accelerate your business to the next level.

The 2017 Convention features a packed program focused on sharing solutions from experienced contractors and industry experts on key construction issues, networking events structured so you can make valuable new connections, and opportunities to shape the future of the construction industry and the association.

The AGC Annual Convention is your best opportunity to enhance your business and advance your career. Register at Convention.AGC.org today!

Which do you think is more critical to business success...great clients, or great employees? You may feel it’s impossible to value one more highly than the other. In fact, the symbiotic relationship between the two breeds success. Yet, if you compare how most companies handle a prospective candidate, during the interview process, to how they handle a prospective client, during the proposal process, you’ll find a big difference!

The FMI Nonresidential Construction Index slipped just 0.4 points in the fourth quarter to 56.9. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the Index stood at 59.5. While the trend indicates a slower outlook for nonresidential construction, the Index is still solidly in positive territory as it has been since the first quarter of 2012. While most of the economic components of the NRCI slipped lower this quarter, backlogs increased from 10 months to 12 months with expectations that backlog growth will continue in the near term. Looking at markets, the outlook continues to be positive for all markets through the next year, but the three-year outlook is less rosy.

In a two-part question, Nonresidential Construction Index (NRCI) panelists ranked a range of items and areas that might affect the economic picture in the next year. Then, those who said they examine the impact of external issues were asked which items usually make it into the planning cycle.

OSHA inspections dropped to the lowest level in two decades during the final full fiscal year of the Obama administration, a Bloomberg BNA analysis of agency enforcement numbers found.

In fiscal year 2016, ending Sept. 30, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted 31,948 inspections. That's down 11 percent from the previous year, OSHA numbers show. The last time OSHA conducted fewer inspections was fiscal 1996 during the Clinton administration when the agency made 24,024 inspections.

Construction employment (6,704,000) increased by 19,000 from October and by 155,000 (2.4%) over 12 months to the highest level since November 2008. Nonresidential building employment rose by 300 employees in November and 6,600 (0.9%) over the year. Nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 800 workers during the month and 32,400 (1.4%) over 12 months. But heavy and civil engineering construction firms shed 2,100 jobs for the month and 4,400 (-0.5%) since November 2015. The number of unemployed jobseekers who last worked in construction edged down from 536,000 in November 2015 to 517,000, and the unemployment rate for such workers dropped from 6.2% to 5.7%, the lowest November figures for these series since 2006. (Industry unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted and should only be compared y/y, not across months.)

Marcum LLP is one of the largest independent public accounting and advisory services firms in the nation, with offices in major business markets throughout the U.S., as well as Grand Cayman, China and Ireland. Marcum provides a full spectrum of traditional tax, accounting and assurance services; advisory, valuation and litigation support; and an extensive range of specialty and niche industry practices. Welcome to the Association!

Builders Association welcomes Omega Demolition Corporation to its membership. With over $500 million in work performed, Omega Demolition Corporation specializes in diverse and complex projects with critical time and accessibility restraints. Valuing partnership, Omega is committed to communication and strong working relationships. Omega approaches each project with a cooperative mindset, working with owners, developers, agents, architects, general contractors, and subcontractors.

After 40 years in "the law", longtime management-side labor counsel, Bob Casey of Ogletree Deakins, has announced his retirement effective at the end of 2016. Bob has been counsel to MARBA and its member-associations, including the Builders, for many years, representing the interests of and providing advice to the associations and their members in the construction industry in matters under the NLRA, arbitrations, collective bargaining negotiations, multi-employer trust fund audits/litigation, and jurisdictional disputes. Bob’s colleague, Rick Samson, has assumed responsibility for continuing the great service we have become accustomed to going forward. While we appreciate Bob’s years of service and friendship, and wish him well in retirement, Bob wanted to make sure that the Builders transmitted his thanks to the Association and its members for the opportunity to work with and get to know them. As Bob put it:

"I have been both blessed and lucky to have worked with some of the most selfless persons in the construction industry at Builders and the other MARBA associations. From the Executives to the Boards to the Staff they have one common goal, and that is to make this industry the best it can be, providing opportunities and a level playing field so that all members, big and small, can succeed and have access to expertise, including legal expertise, to help them achieve their goals and grow their business. I am humbled and pleased to have been just a small part of that process, and I want to thank Builders and the many friends I have made along the way for those opportunities and for those friendships. Best wishes to you all."

James "Jim" McShane, CEO, The McShane Companies, was honored on December 1, 2016 at the Twenty-Second Annual ULI Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award Dinner. The Urban Land Institute’s Chicago District Council (ULI Chicago) annually recognizes an industry leader who has had significant influence in the growth and development of Chicago’s real estate community, as well as pursues positive civic, charitable, and philanthropic endeavors.