Members' Edge
In this issue...

Everyone welcome; No wood-chopping experience necessary.

Hold an axe double-handed overhead or throw with one arm – it doesn't matter because you'll be having fun!

Experience the country's fastest-growing pass time with your peers! 

Thursday, Oct. 3 — Houston Axe  4 - 6:30 p.m.

Check out the details here.

 

News you can Use

Skilled craft professionals continue to earn high wages, according to the newly-released 2019 Houston Construction Industry Wage Survey. Sponsored and underwritten by AGC Houston since 2013,
more than 150 companies, representing 6,872 employees in 45 job categories participated in the survey. 
 
The results  include average hourly rate, average health & welfare, average pension, average vacation, and average package. According to a report by AGC of America more than 80 percent of contractors have difficulty filling key craft jobs as demand for construction increase. 
 
Other commerical construction trade associationd and councils that collaborated include Associated General Contractors of America; Associated Builders and Contractors, Greater Houston Chapter; National Electrical Contractors Association, Southeast Texas Chapter; American Subcontractors Association, Houston Chapter; and the Mechanical Contractors Association of Houston.

The organizations that take part in the survey do so voluntarily, and all specific company information remains confidential. See the full report here.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is requesting information and comment on Table 1 of the agency’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction. OSHA seeks information on additional engineering and work practice control methods to effectively limit exposure to silica for the equipment and tasks currently listed on Table 1.
Comments must be submitted by November 13, 2019. Read the full press release here.
New tools have made it possible for parties to more easily evaluate contractors' and subcontractors' bids, but some bidders claim that these tools are time consuming to use, lead to higher costs and can be unfair. Chris Black, director of operations at Appruv, denies that prequalification platforms are "made up entirely of algorithms," as human evaluation and flexibility have become a larger part of such systems.
Education/Training

An AGC Construction Learning Tool for the Emerging Project Manager

Taught by seasoned professionals, this program covers the essentials of project management for emerging project managers and provides a solid foundation for long-term career development.

Courses can be taken individually.

Module 3: PROJECT ADMINISTRATION | Tuesday & Wednesday, Oct. 22-23

Module 4: RISK MANAGEMENT | Tuesday & Wednesday, Nov. 5-6

Module 5: LEADERSHIP | Tuesday & Wednesday, Dec. 10-11

Contact Charlene Anthony for more information!

 

Thursday, Sept. 26 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at AGC Houston

Lunch provided; $40/member

While construction technology alone can't solve every productivity challenge that contractors face, properly integrated technology can improve the design and construction processes.

Hear George Sturrock and Greg Bounds, IronEdge Group, discuss the Interpretation and Visualization of technology devoted to saving time and gathering data.

Value Statement for Analytics in Construction
Building a Construction Analytics Solution

Data Visualization Best Practices
Case Study – Construction Project Management Analytics

Registration details here

Slack & Co. Contracting, Inc.
Andrews Myers, PC
AGC News

Have you captured a great training program on video for your firm?

AGC Houston is on the hunt for the best-of-the-best in construction video footage. From training and
professional development to drones, BIM, and Lean, we want to see it all!

Enter it today in our first Videos In Construction Awards! 

Check out the entry form here

The ConstructorCast is AGC of America's monthly podcast covering all the news, views and interviews relevant to your construction business.
Next WebEd: AGC’s Three-Part Webinar Series on Navigating the Complexities of Marijuana, CBD and Opioid Use in Construction - Oct. 1-15
Register Here
 
Last Minute EEO-1 Component 2 WebEd Rescheduled for Sept. 24
Now free for AGC members! With the Sept. 30 deadline rapidly approaching, don’t miss out!  For those of you who have put it off and/or are still working on compiling and submitting your Component 2 pay data portion of the EEO-1 report, AGC is offering a last minute WebEd to specifically assist contractors and subs comply with the new requirement. 
Tell Congress to reform federal education policy to help the industry meet its present and future workforce needs. Congress can take corrective action by passing the JOBS Act. This legislation will expand needs-based financial aid Pell Grant eligibility to short-term training courses and programs - an important step towards bridging the skills gap and helping individuals receive necessary training for job development.

Taking action is easy. Submit the pre-written message as is to your Representative and Senators or customize them with personal information on how this issue impacts you and your company.
 
Dallas, Austin and San Antonio are among cities that have enacted government-mandated paid sick leave laws in cities across Texas after similar efforts failed in the state Legislature this spring. Each of the local ordinances requires private employers to offer their employees paid sick leave or face penalties. 
AGC Texas Building Branch along with several Texas business groups have joined the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce in its court filing opposing the city's paid sick leave ordinance.
Knight Security
Cadence McShane Construction Company LLC
Events

Lights. Camera. Action!
Presenting AGC Houston's inaugural Videos in Construction (VIC) Awards  

AGC Houston is on the hunt for the best-of-the-best in construction video footage. From training and professional development to drones, BIM and Lean, we want to see it all!

Enter the Videos in Construction Awards and be prepared to see your name in lights!

  • All entries are due Oct. 31
  • Read about the requirements here
  • No Entry Fees!

Winning videos will be featured on AGC Houston's YouTube channel and recognized at our Annual Business Meeting, Jan. 2020. 

 
Member News

Aggregate Technologies was contracted to provide underwater demolition services for the Port of Corpus Christi, the fourth largest in the country in total tonnage. To allow this growth to continue without interruption, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving forward with a massive dredging project to deepen and widen the primary channel into the harbor.
 
The Aggregate Technologies team was called upon to assist with the removal of an existing dock structure within the footprint of the proposed dredging in the waterway. The firm used diamond wire sawing to remove the underwater piles and h-beams.

Read more

  
Vaughn Construction announced the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new  Harris County, Ben Taub Surgical Care Center. Vaughn served as the construction manager at risk for the $60 million project designed by Johnston Architects.
Dr. Kenneth L. Mattox, distinguished service professor at Baylor College of Medicine, chief of staff, and surgeon-in-chief at Ben Taub Hospital, said the new surgical care environment can accommodate nearly 6,600 procedures annually, including the most complex trauma, vascular, neurological, thoracic and orthopedic surgeries
 
Mustang Cat
Membership Benefits
  


Join us to learn more about our Health Benefit Program and discover how your company and employees can save on healthcare costs.

Thursday, Sept. 26, 9 – 10 a.m.

See how AGC Houston members are circumventing some of the most expensive requirements of health care reform and benefiting from being part of a large group.

RSVP to Michelle Allison or call (281) 752-9314 ASAP to reserve your spot.

The program anniversary date, Nov. 1, is approaching and rates are guaranteed for over a year! 

 

Safety

7 - 9 a.m. at AGC HoustonOpen to all interested AGC Houston members, this committee of safety professionals meets monthly to discuss issues and regulations that affect the commercial construction industry. RSVP to Kim Mason. Breakfast sponsored by Peterson Beckner Industries, Inc.

 
View the full list of OSHA courses here.

Sept. 23-26: OSHA 500: Trainer Course in OSHA Standards for Construction

Sept. 24-26: OSHA 2264: Permit-Required Confined Space Entry

Sept. 25-27:  Air 201: Fundamentals Of The Clean Air Act

Sept 30-Oct. 3: OSHA 502: Update For Construction Industry Outreach Trainers

Sept 30-Oct. 3: OSHA 511: OSHA Standards For General Industry

Oct. 1-3: OSHA 3115: Fall Protection

Oct. 1-4: OSHA 521: OSHA Guide To Industrial Hygiene

Oct 2-4: OSHA 503: Update For General Industry Outreach Trainers

Oct: 7-10: OSHA 510: OSHA Standards For Construction

Oct. 8-10: RM 203: Risk Informed Decision Making

Oct. 8-10: Principles Of Scaffolding

Oct. 14-17: OSHA 501: Trainer Course In OSHA Standards General Industry

 
Resources
  
OSHA's Emergency Preparedness and Response webpage provides information to protect workers responding to hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters.It also gives information on creating evacuation plans  and reducing hazards for hurricane response and recovery work.
 
The AGC Houston Safety Committee has prepared the "Guidelines for Creation of Emergency Preparedness Plan," a highly useful, free document. Check out  the document and other resources.
 
Here's Looking at You

This week, as I Build America launched its second Construction Appreciation Week, AGC Houston members Kyle Holland, Gilbane Building Company, and Ashley Rhodes, McCarthy Building Companies, faced the CW 39 camera to support the initiative and promote the construction industry as a career.

News reporter Maggie Bledsoe, host of "Houston's Morning Dose," donned a hardhart and safety vest to  interview Holland and Rhodes. She focused her questions on the demand for constrution jobs, the career opportunities, safety and job resources available in the industry.

"It's a great industry to be part of, because of the impact it has on the community and knowing how many people you put to work and how many jobs are created," Holland said. "AGC of America did a study nationwide about the need for construction workers. We have the work but we need people to fill in this industry. A skilled workforce is what we are lacking. Organizations such as AGC, the Construction Career Initiative and UpSkill Houston are helping to create awareness of the construction industry as a career of choice." 

Rhodes also highlighted the need to grow the construction industry's labor and workforce.

"It's an exciting time to be a woman in this industry; to wake up everyday and be able to make my mark in the community and work alongside my peers is exciting," Rhodes said. "More women are entering construction management as a major and the trades as well. I'm an assistant superintendent and it's exciting for me trades women working on a jobsite."

Click here to view the full interview!

Photo 1: Pictured in front are Charlene Anthony and Shannon Davis. Standing are Calvin Silva and David Maniha

Photo 2: David Maniha, Charlene Anthony, Shannon Davis and Calvin Silva in front of Independence Hall.

Photo 3: At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Calvin Silva, Shannon Davis and David Maniha stand in front of a statue dedicated to Rockie Balboa who famously ran up the steps of the museum in the film, "Rocky."

Construction Leadership Council officers, representing our chapter, along with Charlene Anthony, Senior Director - Construction Futures & education, headed to Philadelphia for the annual CLC Leadership Development Conference Sept. 11-13.

Joining Charlene were Allston Marble, Linbeck Group, LLC – AGC of America CLC Steering Committee; Shannon Davis, Marek Brothers Systems, Inc.; David Maniha, Hoar Construction; Calvin Silva, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. who also took part in on-site panel discussions.

 AGC of America’s CLC Leadership Development Conference brings together emerging construction leaders from across the country in various construction sectors to network, learn and share. Mid-level professionals will have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and gain information on CLC best practices and how to grow local CLC groups.

More than 150 AGC Houston members enjoyed networking at our third Member Mixer of the year on Sept. 5. The largest Member Mixer to date — made up of a cross-section of the commercial construction industry – also welcomed AGC Student chapter representatives from the University of Houston and Sam Houston State. Congratulations to Mel Ventura of Kris-Con Supply who won the drawing for a Char-Broil Classic barbecue. Thanks to everyone who came to Crisp in The Heights! Mark your calendars for our next Membership Mixer on Nov. 7.

Check out the event photos here and tag yourself!

 

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