AGC Houston is accepting entries for TBB's Outstanding Construction Awards, which honor projects completed in 2014. Categories include commercial buildings, residential multi-family, residential single family, design build, healthcare, industrial/warehouse, interior finish-out, specialty construction and historical renovation.

4:30-6:00 p.m.

It's time to start planning for the 24th annual AGC Houston Barbecue Cook-off March 27 and 28 at the Sam Houston Race Park. Thousands of people are expected to converge on the Sam Houston Race Park  as cook teams will man their barbecue pits around the clock for two days. Don't miss out on the Houston commercial construction industry's most popular event.There are plenty of ways to get your company name in front of industry professionals through sponsorships!

Register today for the AGC of America Convention on March 18-20, 2015, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. AGC Houston is proud that Chuck Greco, Chairman, Linbeck Group, LLC., will become President of AGC of America. This prestigious honor marks only the second time an AGC Houston Leader has led the organization to such a level since Warren S. Bellows in 1946. At the same time that Chuck will take his new position, Jerry Nevlud, President/CEO of AGC Houston will become Chairman of the Executive Leadership Council with the AGC of America’s organization of CEOs.

Get all the information you need electronically! The 2015 AGC Houston Resource & Membership Directory is available in digital format. Need extra copies? Come by the AGC Houston office.

Completion of this course meets the requirements of OSHA Paragraph 1926.50, and participants will receive an American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid and CPR/AED wallet card valid for two years upon course completion.

For AEC professionals, the AGC Certificate of Management - Building Information Modeling (CM-BIM) is an assessment-based certificate credential that denotes knowledge and understanding of concepts related to BIM adoption, practice and process transformation outlined in the AGC BIM Education Program. Successful candidates will carry the CM-BIM designation.

This class develops professional estimating skills, including: an understanding of the different types of estimates; the importance of documentation and formatting; and the link between design, estimating and project costs.

BIM Technology explores the major applications and classes of BIM tools across all project phases; how BIM processes for QTO, shop drawing and fabrication, and construction scheduling can improve projects; and the impact models have for improving estimating, scheduling, and coordinating.

This course covers OSHA Electrical Standards and the hazards associated with electrical installations and equipment. Course topics include single- and three-phase systems, cord- and plug-connected and fixed equipment, grounding, ground fault circuit interrupters, and safety-related work practices.

This trainer course will provide participants with the skills and knowledge to educate employers and employees on the hazards associated with H2S (hydrogen sulfide).

Eighty percent of construction firms plan to expand their payrolls in 2015 while only seven percent expect to reduce headcounts according to survey results released today by the Associated General Contractors of America indicates that most contractors are optimistic about the year ahead and ready to expand but will have to cope with challenges including worker shortages and regulatory burdens.

The AGC Texas Building Branch has launched their new weekly newsletter, Capitol Roundup, designed to keep you informed of  the latest advocacy efforts in Austin. This tool will be used to keep you up to date on the progress of relevant legislation and to help you become more involved with our process.

Benefit from financial strength and a superior loss-control program. It is managed by a board composed of CompGroup AGC members—general contractors and subcontractors from all parts of Texas are represented. Learn more about membership benefits in the CompGroup AGC, Inc. today or click here for more information! Contact your insurance agent or call Program Administrator Roberts & Crow at 800-406-9614 — ask for Julie Schatz.

The AGC Alternative is a private insurance exchange that operates like an online store, making it easy for your employees to shop for health insurance and other benefits on their own or through the help of our dedicated employee hotline.

Did you know one of the many benefits of being an AGC Member is access to our résumé service?  As a service to our members, we compile résumés of job-seeking professionals in the construction industry. To access this service, simply log in to the Members' Only section at agchouston.org to view the most current list.

AGC Houston and other AGC Texas chapters have joined forces to help promote careers in the commercial construction industry by launching Texasconstructioncareers.com. More than just a website that allows employers to post jobs and job seekers their résumés, the site offers a plethora of information on craft training and professional education resources and job fairs throughout Texas. Click here for more information.

The Brookstone team celebrated with The Woodlands United Methodist Church as they dedicated the new Harvest Worship Center on Sunday, January 4, 2015. The new 40,000 sf, 1,000-seat worship center also includes a large lobby and renovation to the café, bookstore, and gathering hall. The Harvest Worship project was the third and final phase of the church’s Imagine Campaign. A Family Life Center and expanded The Loft Worship Center that were also constructed on their campus. 

Cadence McShane Construction Company was recently chosen as the general contractor by Houston Independent School District to provide the comprehensive construction of its new High School for the Performing and Visual Arts campus in downtown Houston, Texas. Scheduled to be open for access in 2017, the new educational institution will occupy an entire city block at 790 Austin Street providing direct access to Houston’s Light Rail system and other nearby arts and theatrical venue. The five-story, 259,000-square-foot high school will be constructed to support 750 students within six departments. AGC wishes you the best of luck on this exciting project!

Contact Catherine Bezman or Jaclyn Lee with your information and photos.

Close to 300 AGC Houston members heard a positive outlook for the construction industry at the chapter meeting on January 22 at the Omni Houston Hotel.The annual event featured Ken Simonson, Chief Economist, AGC of America  and Jeffrey Robinson, PAS, Inc. who spoke about  construction spending forecast, construction employment changes, how the national economy has affected the construction industry and much more. 

AGC new and current members gathered at the AGC Houston office on Thursday, January 29, 2015, for a New Member Orientation. The quarterly orientations are a great way to learn how to fully use your AGC membership benefits and how to become more engaged. Participants heard from AGC staff, various committee members and representatives from AGC affinity programs including the AGC Alternative, AGC CompGroup, and the AGC Southwest Chapter Multiple Employer 401(k) Plan.

The first Construction Leadership Council member mixer of 2015 took place on Thursday, January 29, 2015, at the Warehouse Bar and Chill in The Heights. Young industry professionals spent a great evening enjoying food, beverages and networking. In addition to the quarterly happy hours, Construction Leadership Council members network, exchange ideas, and gain continuing education and leadership skills. Interested in joining the CLC? Contact Charlene Anthony for more details.

For many trades, the complexity of the workforce shortage issue is the challenge (lack of craft and safety training, misclassification of craft workers as subcontractors thereby avoiding payment of overtime and payroll taxes such as social security, and not providing employee benefits or workers’ compensation insurance coverage, all in the pursuit of low bid and covered up by a seeming limitless supply of undocumented workers who labor in the shadows, which depresses wages).

Texas once again dominates Forbes' list of America's Fastest-Growing Cities, as the Lone Star State capitalized on low taxes and cheap real estate to draw in jobs from the rest of the country. Houston was ranked #1 with a population growth rate at 1.81% and a projected job growth rate at 4.5%. Even with falling oil prices, Houston's unemployment rate fell below 5% compared to the rest of the country.

The Houston Airport System wants to train more construction workers to help with the numerous projects planned for the city's airports in coming years. The Houston City Council is poised to vote Wednesday on a proposal that would cost about $7.1 million to create a training center at Bush Intercontinental to "enhance the skill set" of employees working on airport construction projects. There are multiple projects on tap at Bush Intercontinental, Hobby and Ellington airports, including a new international terminal at Bush.

The ACE Mentor Program is currently recruiting for new committee members for 2015! The ACE Program has recently increased by over 100 students and has moved to a bigger, better location. ACE needs help in the following committee areas: communications, fundraising, accounting, grant writing, and event judging, If you're interested in becoming a part of ACE, please contact Angela Cotie, Gilbane Building Company, Chairman of the Board, for more information.