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Education/Training
AGC News
 AGC Houston is pleased to announce that applications for the Patrick J. Kiley Excellence In Leadership Scholarship are now being accepted through January 31, 2018. We're excited to announce that a new streamlined scholarship application process is being implemented this year. For specific information related to the application process, please click here.  Celebrating 100 Years of Construction!February 26-28, 2018 | New Orleans, LA
Celebrate the 100th anniversary at the Boogie Woogie Bugle Bash, benefiting the Education & Research Foundation. February 25, 2018, 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. at the National WWII Museum. Click here for all the conference and gala details. On December 20, 2017, AGC of America released the following statement regarding the new tax bill: The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, , released the following statement regarding final passage of federal tax reform:
"Today, Congress passed comprehensive tax reform legislation that will lower rates, spur economic growth and impact construction businesses for years to come. However, this process did not start as well as it ended for the construction industry, " stated Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC of America CEO.
"Initially, the tax reform bill provided little relief for many construction firms organized as pass-throughs, such as S-corps, limited liability corporations and partnerships; eliminated Private Activity Bonds, essential to the financing of transportation infrastructure, low-income housing and other public construction and public-private partnership projects; and repealed the Historic Tax Credit, critical to the private construction market for the rehabilitation and renovation of historic buildings.
For this month’s episode of the ConstructorCast, AGC of America sat down with Leah Pilconis, AGC’s Senior Counsel of Environmental Law, to talk about the complex world of environmental permitting and what AGC is doing to try to make it easier for construction companies. The discussion examines the breadth of requirements, the opportunities to streamline regulations and make environmental protection more efficient, and where environmental regulations might be headed in the coming years.
Search for the ConstructorCast in your podcasts app to subscribe.
Have you explored the Construction Industry Compliance Assistance (CICA) Center yet? The AGC-supported CICA Center is a free online resource on environmental compliance and sustainability that is open to the entire U.S. construction industry. The Center is an online clearinghouse of resources on the top rules you will need to keep track of during your construction projects.
   
Events
February 1 - Annual Chapter Meeting February 13 - AGC Advocacy Sporting Clays Tournament February 15 - Membership Orientation March 1 - Membership Mixer March 23-24 - Annual BBQ Cook-Off April 9 - AGC/AIA Annual Golf tournament Message from the President/CEO
As we are winding down the year, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for participating in and supporting AGC Houston in 2017. Thanks to your support and involvement, our organization continues to be one of the premier chapters of the nation!
If you are not involved, we need you to be successful. Besides serving as an advocate for our industry, this chapter offers a number of opportunities to do so. As our past chairmen have said previously, the heart of our success comes from your engagement to advocate, promote and protect our commercial construction industry.
The AGC Houston staff joins me in wishing you a joyous holiday season and a New Year filled with peace and happiness!
Jerry Nevlud, AGC Houston
News you can Use
 Looking to enhance your workforce?
NextOp is hosting a luncheon on February 8, 2018 to showcase how companies can get connected with prescreened, qualified veterans who are looking to enter the workforce in construction.
OSHA will continue accepting 2016 OSHA Form 300A data through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) until midnight on December 31, 2017. OSHA will not take enforcement action against those employers who submit their reports after the December 15, 2017, deadline but before December 31, 2017, final entry date. Starting January 1, 2018, the ITA will no longer accept the 2016 data.
AGC Of America released the following metrics in the construction industry employment and unemployment rates: Construction employment increased by 24,000 jobs in November to the highest level since November 2008, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC of America. Association officials said that tight margins are keeping firms from paying even more to attract hard-to-find workers, noting that efforts to cut tax rates should help lead to higher average hourly earnings for the sector. "Employment and pay in construction have risen more rapidly over the past year than in the economy overall, as the supply of unemployed, experienced workers continues to shrink," said Ken Simonson, AGC's chief economist. "With unemployment so low overall and in construction, contractors are likely to have increasing trouble filling many types of hourly craft and salaried openings." Construction employment totaled 6,955,000 in November, a gain of 24,000 for the month and 184,000, or 2.7 percent, over 12 months.
Stephen E. Sandherr, CEO of AGC of America released a statement December 1, 2017 in connection with the proposed Senate Tax Reform measure: "The association has long advocated for comprehensive tax reform, especially considering that construction employers pay the highest effective rate of any industry at 30.3 percent. The Senate tax reform bill has been substantially improved over the course of the past few days and we support its passage.
"It is important to note that most construction firms are organized as pass-through entities, such as S corporations and partnerships that are taxed at personal rather than corporate tax rates. While the Senate proposal has wisely increased the pass-through deduction from 17.4 percent to 23 percent, the fact that the cut is temporary is concerning. We also remain disappointed that infrastructure was largely overlooked in the tax reform process. This is a missed opportunity."
Over the next 10 years, most baby boomers will have retired, and that means it's imperative to recruit new blood into the industry. With the younger generation more concerned with making a difference in an organization than in salary, mentor programs may be a key recruiting tool, because mentorships are more customized to the individual. 
Membership Benefits
 AGC members are eligible to participate in more than 20 discount programs specially designed to meet the needs of contractors. Whether you are looking to purchase a new vehicle for your fleet or for ways to cut costs on fuel and shipping, AGC programs can save you money. Enroll and maximize the value of your membership. Discover more. From Brian Perlberg, Executive Director, ConsensusDocs
As 2017 comes to a close, ConsensusDocs marks a decade of bringing the AEC industry together to create standard construction contracts that create a better contractual foundation to build successfully. A few highlights from the last year include:
Along with these accomplishments we continued to bring the latest and hottest legal issues impacting the construction industry. On behalf of the entire ConsensusDocs team we wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season, and prosperous 2018! Here's Looking at You
 Safety Professionals representing every aspect of the commercial construction industry headed to Cedar Creek on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 for the third annual AGC Houston Safety Professionals Happy Hour. The festivities were livened by "DJ" Eddie Escamilla, Safety Director for Karsten Interior Services, LP and by dance-offs by a few brave volunteers to win some great door prizes. Besides networking, the attendees heard from the Safety Committee Board Liaison Tony Mansoorian, W. S. Bellows Construction Corp., Tommy Lee, W. S. Bellows Construction Corp., and from AGC Houston's Jerry Nevlud and Kim Mason about the committee's achievements, and impact at the local, state and national levels. View more photos here. New Members
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