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|   An overwhelming majority of construction firms report trouble finding qualified craft workers to fill key spots as demand for construction continues to rebound in many parts of the country, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released last week by AGC of America. Association officials called for new career and technical school programs, as well as other workforce measures to offset the labor shortages that are forcing firms to change how they operate and pose risks to workplace safety. 
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 In today's competitive world, contractors must streamline operations and come up with innovative solutions to a variety of construction challenges. Many firms have embraced Lean methodology as a way to deliver projects more efficiently. The September/October  issue of Constructor  looks at how Lean can minimize costs and maximize value on your construction projects in our cover story , "Lean in and Learn ."  Other highlights of the September/October issue include "Getting Ready for the Big Ships ," a story on how the New Panamax ships and the business they carry have inspired renovation projects at ports around the world; "Old, New, Tried & True ," an article filled with strategies to keep up your marketing sleeve; and "The Picture of Health ," a piece aimed to help members weave their way through the Affordable Care Act maze.   | 
 
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Get the recognition you deserve for all the outstanding community work you do. Apply for the AGC in the Community Award today! AGC Charities is looking for members who are giving back to the community. AGC member companies and chapters in good standing who meet the competition requirements are encouraged to apply online for some much-deserved recognition. Apply by Friday, October 30, 2015,  for full consideration. Learn more about AGC of America’s awards programs at www.agc.org/awards .   | 
 
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We strongly encourage AGC member companies in good standing who meet the competition requirements to submit an online application  for the Alliant Build America Awards for some much-deserved recognition for their outstanding projects. As an added bonus, all entry fees are donated to the AGC Education and Research Foundation’s Alliant Build America Scholarship Fund  and matched by Alliant to double the impact for young constructors across the country. (Not that you needed another reason to apply, of course!) Apply by Friday, Oct. 30, 2015,  for full consideration. Learn more about AGC of America's awards programs at www.agc.org/awards .   | 
 
|  AGC of America will continue to provide highway work zone safety training classes next year thanks to a new federal safety grant the association earned.  The association will use the $120,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to offer the safety training classes designed to prevent injuries among highway, street and bridge construction workers, officials said. "No amount of safety gear will protect a worker if they get hit by a speeding vehicle," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer.  "The best defense from crashes is teaching crews how to set up and operate safer work zones." 
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|  The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee could meet as early as this week to mark up their version of a multiyear highway & transit bill.  However, they have yet to make any formal announcement or release the bill. Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said this week that the committee is working to finalize the bill and determine a markup date.  
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|  The industry is moving in the right direction. Workplace fatalities are down 35 percent since 2006, but there still is room for improvement. Here are five ideas to help general contractors coordinate subcontractors and make sure that their sites are as safe and efficient as possible. 
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|   Allensworth & Porter, an Austin-based construction law firm and Austin Chapter member, recently announced the selection of Joe R. Basham as managing partner for the firm. Basham has been with the firm since 2002 and was elected to the position in a unanimous decision. In his new role, Basham will provide strategic leadership and direction for the firm. 
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|   A groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, marked the start of construction on a new Renaissance® hotel in Plano, Texas. Part of the new 250-acre Legacy West master development, the 15-story, 304-guestroom hotel will feature a modern, upscale design. The luxury hotel will also include more than 100,000 square feet of conference and meeting space, feature lobby, restaurants, outdoor bar terrace and a third-floor amenity deck with a swimming pool, bar, spa and fitness center. An attached parking garage will provide 470 parking spaces for hotel guests.  
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|   Will Hodges, president of Cadence McShane Construction Company, a TEXO and Houston Chapter member, recently announced that the firm has been selected by Port Logistics Realty (PLR) for Phase 1 of Southport Logistics Park, a new 531-acre master-planned industrial development.  The project is a joint venture between PLR and Diamond Realty Investments (DRI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation.  Five buildings total will be built during Phase 1 of this prestigious nine million-sq-ft development. The first two buildings will be speculative industrial facilities totaling nearly 1.5 million square feet scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2016. 
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|  In a milestone for Downtown Miami’s resurgent residential market, the first condo planned for Brickell Avenue since the recession has topped off construction at 44 stories. The Bond on Brickell, a 328-unit luxury tower under development by Rilea Group and MDR Toledo, is located at 1080 Brickell Avenue in the heart of Miami’s Brickell Financial District. The project, slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2016, is already nearly sold out, with 97 percent of the building’s condo units under contract. This marks the latest collaboration between Rilea Group, Coastal Construction, a South Florida Chapter-AGC member, and leading Miami architecture firm Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates (NBWW).  
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|  Commodore Builders, a Newton-based commercial construction management firm and an AGC of Massachusetts member, announced recently that Mark D’Alleva and Chris Sharkey have joined the firm as project executives. In their new roles, D’Alleva will focus on the execution of law firm and financial projects, while Sharkey will utilize his extensive healthcare background to lead developments in this respective division. 
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|   On Aug. 18, 2015, Knutson Construction, an AGC of Minnesota member, participated in a ground-breaking event for the Career Technical Education Center at Heintz (CTECH). Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) and Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) selected Knutson to provide construction management services for the 22,350-sq-ft, $6.5 million CTECH and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) facility addition at the University Center Rochester campus. 
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|   The Phoenix office of Skanska, a member of multiple AGC chapters, has completed work for Seven Canyons Golf Clubhouse located at 755 Golf Club Way in Sedona, Arizona. This is Skanska’s first hospitality project in Arizona. 
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|   Sundt Construction, Inc., a member of multiple AGC chapters, completed construction of the new Interdisciplinary Complex at Coast Community College District’s Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. 
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|   Pulitzer Arts Foundation’s lower-level interior gallery expansion, completed by St. Louis-based general contractor and construction manager Tarlton Corp., a member of multiple AGC chapters, is a finalist for a Keystone Award from the Associated General Contractors of Missouri.   
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|   Tocci Building Companies, a Boston-area construction management company and AGC of Massachusetts member, announced that Lindsay Oleson, accounting manager, recently received the Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS®) designation. Developed by the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), this insurance designation recognizes specialized expertise in construction insurance and risk management.  
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	September 17, 2015  
		WEBINAR: Differing Site
				 Conditions: Who Pays for Undisclosed & Unforeseen Risk 
			2 - 3:30 p.m.
			
			September 17-19, 2015 
			CLC Leadership Development Conference 
			Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 
			
			
			 2 - 3 p.m. 
 2 - 3 p.m.September 23-24, 2015 
			Offsite Construction Expo 
			Washington, D.C.
			
			 September 24, 2015 WEBINAR: What Owners Really Want (from your Model) 
			2 - 3 p.m. 
			
			
			 2 - 3:30 p.m.September 2
				9 - October 1, 2015 
			Utility Infrastructure Conference 
			Louisville, Kentucky
			
			
			 3 - 4:30 p.m.
 
 2 - 3 p.m. St. Louis, Missouri
 
 St. Louis, Missouri San Diego, CA
 
 2 - 3 p.m.
 
 Orlando,Florida 2 - 3 p.m.   | 
 
|  Events 
September 30, 2015 Hiring Fairs 
 September 16, 2015  
	
		
			8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pittsburgh Expo with Pittsburgh Pirates 
				Pittsburgh, PA 
				
				September 16-17, 2015 
				5:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. 
				Camp Pendleton Transition Summit 
				Camp Pendleton, CA 
				
				September 17, 2015 
				8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
				Philadelphia Hiring Fair 
				Philadelphia, PA
				
				September 17, 2015 
				8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
				Las Vegas Hiring Fair 
				Las Vegas, NV 
				
				September 22-24, 2015 
				9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
				Washington State Service Member for Life Transition Summit 
				Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA 
				
				September 23, 2015 
				7 to 9 p.m. 
				San Antonio Military Spouse Networking Reception 
				San Antonio, TX 
				
				September 24, 2015 
				10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
				San Antonio Military Spouse Hiring Fair 
				JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, TX 
				
				September 24, 2015 
				4 to 6 p.m. 
				Transitioning Senior Military Leadership Networking Reception 
				Arlington, VA 
				
				October 1, 2015 
				8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 
				San Diego Hiring Fair 
				San Diego, CA
				
				October 6, 2015 
				8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
				Los Angeles Hiring Fair 
				Los Angeles, CA 
				
				October 6, 2015 
				11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
				Virtual Hiring Fair 
				
				October 7, 2015 
				8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
				Knoxville Hiring Fair 
				Knoxville, TN
				
				October 7-8, 2015 
				12 p.m. (10/7) to 3 p.m. (10/8)
				Camp Lejeune Transition Summit 
				Camp Lejeune, NC 
				
				October 14, 2015 
				1:30 to 3 p.m. 
				Tampa Military Spouse Networking Reception 
				Tampa, FL 
				
				October 15, 2015 
				10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
				Tampa Military Spouse Hiring Fair 
				Tampa, FL
				
				October 20, 2015 
				8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
				Warwick Hiring Fair 
				Warwick, RI
				
				October 21-22, 2015 
				9:30 a.m. (10/21) to 4 p.m. (10/22) 
				Fort Carson Transition Summit 
				Fort Carson, CA 
				
				October 21-22, 2015 
				3 (10/21) to 4 p.m. (10/22)
				Fort Campbell Transition Summit 
				Fort Campbell, KY 
				
				October 21, 2015 
				7 - 9 p.m. 
				MCAS Miramar Military Spouse Networking Reception 
				San Diego, CA 
				
				October 22, 2015 
				10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
				MCAS Miramar Military Spouse Hiring Fair 
				San Diego, CA 
				
				October 27, 2015 
				8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
				Ft. Worth  Hiring Fair 
				Ft. Worth, TX 
				
				October 28, 2015 
				7 - 9 p.m. 
				Quantico Military Spouse Networking Reception 
				Quantico, VA 
				
				October 29, 2015 
				10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
				Quantico Military Spouse Hiring Fair 
				Quantico, VA 
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