Congratulations to the following AGC Houston member companies that won a 2014 Outstanding Construction Award and will be recognized at the convention:

4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

$20 - Early Bird Ends July 31

$25 - Regular Pricing Ends August 5

$30 - At The Door

Get your company name in front of Houston commercial construction industry's movers and shakers! Sponsor this popular, quarterly members-only mixer! This networking event draws a large crowd of commercial construction industry professionals. Contact Amy Collins for sponsorship details. Click here to register. Early bird pricing ends July 31. Free for general contractor members!

The AGC Southwest Chapters plan is the largest AGC Association plan in the nation, with more than 70 companies already participating. All AGC Houston members who want to find out more about the 401(k) plan are welcome to attend this special event.

Truluck’s – 5350 Westheimer Rd. Houston, TX 77056

"This  program gave me an opportunity to broaden my exposure to the community, meet other industry peers and learn specific leadership and management skills. What makes this leadership program stand out is that it is about an experience through leadership among the major industries in Houston." 

Application deadline is August 12, 2015. Nominate your company's up-and-coming young professional today!

To develop the tools needed to build lean, AGC has developed the Lean Construction Education Program (units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7). Construction professionals at all experience levels learn the building blocks necessary to transform their projects and companies into a lean operating system.

July 23: Unit 4 - The Last Planner System is a half-day course that delves in creating six-week look-ahead schedules and weekly work plans.

 

August 4: Unit 5 - Lean Supply Chain And Assembly. The four-session course challenges class participants to map the supply chain―looking to minimize waste and maximize value―in a collaborative fashion with all project team members, including suppliers and vendors.

This five-course program covers the essentials of project management for emerging project managers. 

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.

This course is the update required every four years for all OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainers for General Industry. It provides timely information on OSHA General Industry standards, policies and regulations.

This course is the update required every four years for all OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainers for the construction industry. It provides timely information on OSHA construction industry standards, policies and regulations.

• International discounts - including Canada

Through Reliant Energy's agreement with the Texas Building Branch AGC (www.reliant.com/agc), association members receive the following benefits:

• One-stop-shop service to install temporary meters. Reliant requests your temporary meter from the TDSP and can manage the transition from temporary to permanent power

• No hassle temporary service enrollment

• Discounted prices

• Incentives for referring future tenants, friends and family

• $200 bill credit when you activate a smartphone device on a plan of $34.99 or higher. 

For more information, please call NPP at 800.810.3909 or email customerservice@mynpp.com.

AGC Member Companies & Employees Save $ Through Purchase of Buick, Chevrolet Or GMC

Purchase or lease an eligible 2014 or 2015 Buick, Chevrolet, or GMC passenger car, light-duty truck, van, or SUV.

Available during the program period October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015.

 

Redeeming this private offer is simple:

1. Provide proof of AGC membership, print your company list from the AGC Membership Directory, or call the local chapter to verify.

2. Visit your GM dealer and mention this private offer.

3. Choose an eligible vehicle or vehicles to purchase or lease and present your AGC Proof of Membership Form to your dealer.

Because of the accelerated use of personal portable mobile devices being used in the workplace, many companies have adopted policies regarding employee usage for business. As employees access the company network and use their personal devices for company business, many risks can ensue. Read Employment Practices Committee member Anthony Stergio's article on the benefits of implementing a policy related to personal mobile devices and the risks they incur.

The Legal 500 recently announced that Coats Rose was ranked among the leading construction law firms in the U.S in their 2015 directory of law firms. Coats Rose Director Patrick E. Gaas was recognized for his work in the area of industrial construction.

For 27 years, The Legal 500 has been analyzing the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research program revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in 106 jurisdictions.

Gaas is recognized in the State of Texas as a leader in the field of construction law.

The Lone Star College System selected Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc., to build additional learning spaces at the LSC-Cy-Fair campus to address campus-growth needs and the area’s shortage of skilled workers. Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc. will provide construction manager at risk services as part of phase I of the 2015 General Obligation Bond program.

The flurry of downtown real estate activity has been fueled by young professionals and empty nesters, who want to live in high-density, urban neighborhoods where they can walk to work, eat and play.

The city of Houston's Downtown Living Initiative has further sparked downtown development. The initiative offers $15,000 per unit in tax breaks to developers building multifamily projects downtown.

Sixteen of the 18 projects currently under construction or planned downtown were approved for the Downtown Living Initiative, which is nearing its 5,000-unit cap. Last year, Atlanta-based Novare Group's SkyHouse Houston apartment tower, located at 1625 Main, became the first Downtown Living Initiative project to be finished.

Willis Group Holdings Plc, the third-largest insurance broker, agreed to merge with Towers Watson & Co. to add consulting operations and help take on larger U.S. rivals.

Shareholders of the broker will own 50.1 percent of the combined company, which will be domiciled in Ireland, lowering taxes for U.S.-based Towers Watson.

The Great Houston Partnership held its quarterly Economic Development Council on July 6 in the Partnership board room. Council Host Dawn Landry, Vice President of Business Acquisition, Balfour Beatty Construction, moderated a lively panel discussion that featured an update on Houston’s economy and a recap of the Partnership’s top priorities during the 84th Legislative Session.

The Katy EDC and CEO Lance LaCour have been working for nine years to get a new University of Houston campus. That’s finally going to be a reality, thanks to $47 million allocated in capital construction bonds by the Texas Legislature, according to a news story reported in Bisnow. UH will be looking for a new site to develop a state-of-the-art academic building that will be at least 60,000 square feet. (More buildings or larger size may depend on the cost of the land.) UH currently has a 37,000-square-foot facility in Cinco Ranch, but it’s landlocked by development and cannot grow.