I’ve just returned from the cold snowy mountains surrounding The Greenbrier Resort and am warmed by the residual glow of having been able to spend the weekend with some of my dear friends and most respected colleagues. Finally, we were back in person for the 2022 AGCVA Annual Convention and what a wonderful time we had together! Our 2021 Chairman, Trip Smith, along with the members of his 2021 Convention Committee knocked it out of the park in planning this year’s event. AGCVA CEO, Brandon Robinson and the amazing AGCVA staff worked hard to deliver this plan and once again showed us how lucky we are as members to have a group of such dedicated and talented individuals - they are the best in the business.
VSC Fire & Security, Inc. (VSC) announced Jan. 3 the retirement of President and CEO Michael Meehan. Effective immediately, Meehan will transition to serve as CEO of VSC through the remainder of the year, retiring in December 2022. As part of this transition, VSC also announces that current Chief Operating Officer Tommy Clements will lead the company as the new president. As part of this transition, VSC also announces that current Chief Operating Officer Tommy Clements will lead the company as the new president. As the company’s fifth president in its 63-year long history, Clements will head company operations to bolster its growth and further its mission to deliver integrated, cutting-edge fire protection, life safety and security services to its customers across the southeast region of the U.S.
The Breeden Company, the nationally recognized Virginia Beach-based real estate development firm, announced the transition of President and Chief Executive Officer from Mr. Ramon W. Breeden, Jr., the company's founder, to Mr. Timothy A. Faulkner, current Chief Operating Officer. The company has experienced consistent growth over the last 10 years, in part due to Timothy’s expertise. The year 2021 was not only the 60th anniversary of the company but a year of growth for The Breeden Company, with the upcoming construction of a new headquarters in Richmond, Va. The organizational change ensures the continuation of the current company culture and industry leadership in the construction, multifamily and commercial real estate fields.
Shane Edgell, 31 / Founder & CEO, EdgellBIM
Floyd native Shane Edgell graduated Floyd High School in 2009, earning his Associates Degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Design with a Specialization in Architecture, New River Community College in 2011. In December 2015, at the age of 25, he founded EdgellBIM, a BIM+VDC firm, specializing in creating 3D virtual models of buildings, and all of their interior mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems. He has grown the firm to eight employees in the last five years, expanded into several other markets and has worked on high-level projects across the country, including the NASA laboratory and the Miami International Airport.
 This week, the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) revoked its COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) applicable to private businesses with 100 or more employees in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. In addition, it is AGC’s understanding that the agency will no longer pursue a permanent infectious disease standard broadly applicable to private businesses, ending the threat of such a mandate enduring forever. The agency will, however, pursue a more tailored permanent standard applicable to healthcare.
This is a clear and complete legal victory for AGC of America and its Construction Advocacy Fund-financed lawsuit challenging the ETS. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with AGC’s argument, among others, that OSHA overreached and exceeded its authority under the law. The ETS represented a general public health measure—which Congress never authorized it to issue—instead of a narrower occupational safety or health standard based on risks limited to the workplace.
Although this lawsuit against OSHA is over, AGC of America continues to press forward in another Construction Advocacy Fund-financed lawsuit against the federal contractor vaccine mandate, currently under nationwide stay.
And the association’s broader efforts to support the construction industry’s voluntary encouragement for the use of COVID-19 vaccines remain. AGC of America has put forth a host of construction industry-specific resources on its COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit webpage. The resources include a series of Construction Advocacy Fund-financed public service ads AGC of America created specifically targeting construction workers.
AGC members should continue to follow OSHA’s COVID-19 guidance, as the agency plans general enforcement of COVID-19 protocols via the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s General Duty Clause.
According to Wells Fargo’s 2022 construction industry forecast, there is renewed optimism among nonresidential contractors and distributors for increasing profits and new equipment sales in the year ahead. The report’s benchmark U.S. national Optimism Quotient (OQ) registered 112, a 44% increase from its mark of 78 a year ago, showing leaders ended 2021 feeling cautiously optimistic.
Covering the spread between bids and costs requires doing more with less through efficiency gains and cost cuts. There is much to contemplate at this point (inflation, deflation, interest rates, job costs, labor, financing and supply chain issues). Just how do you incorporate all of these unknowns into your planning and still wind up with a profit, assuming you can get the work to begin with?
 
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The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was among the government’s first legislative responses to the pandemic. The main goal of the legislation was to reduce the economic impact of COVID-19 on people and businesses across the country. One key focus of the law was helping companies stay in business and keep workers on the payroll. Two methods for achieving this was the Paycheck Protection Program and the Employee Retention Credit.
There are a lot of strategies that contractors can use to reduce their income tax liability. One option is to take a net operating loss (NOL) carryback or carryforward. The decision to take a carryback or carryforward depends on profits, tax rates and timing. If profits and tax rates are expected to be higher in future years, it might be better to use the deduction later.
The past two years have had an enormous impact on the construction sector. It’s no secret that the industry has been facing a growing skills shortage for years. However, the ongoing pandemic has greatly amplified and accelerated the impact of this shortage. Contractors must increase their focus on hiring the best available candidates and integrate these efforts with their health and safety strategy.
A new study by Dodge Construction Network and Versatile, a construction technology pioneer using artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) to optimize construction processes, found that unexpected overtime is predictable and controllable through regular job site activity measurement. According to the study, overtime is predictable at an 88% confidence level, if proper measurement is utilized.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and a group of elevator industry stakeholders known as the “Elevator Industry Safety Partners” collectively have signed a five-year alliance agreement to renew their commitment to protect nearly 75,000 workers who construct, install, repair and maintain elevator industry conveyances. OSHA’s 10 regions nationwide will participate in the alliance.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has released a new standard for protecting buildings from tornado damage. The standard is the first of its kind in the world. It offers guidance designed to protect infrastructure from tornadoes ranking from 0 to 2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which translates to winds ranging from 40 mph at the bottom of EF0 to 157 mph at the top of EF2. In the U.S., approximately 80% of tornadoes are EF0 to EF1 strength. The standards aren't meant for residential construction, but rather for critical infrastructure such as hospitals and fire stations.
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Feb 2022
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Deadline to register: February 3 at 12:00 p.m.
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Feb 2022
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Deadline to register: January 31
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Feb 2022
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Missed the first three units? Don't worry. STP can be completed in any order, and at your own pace. Each unit is taught over the span of two days, both of which are included when you register for the unit.
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Feb 2022
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Missed the first three units? Don't worry. STP can be completed in any order, and at your own pace. Each unit is taught over the span of two days, both of which are included when you register for the unit.
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Feb 2022
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Location: AGCVA Training & Development Center
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Feb 2022
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SAVE THE DATE to join us as we begin to wrap up the Williamsburg House construction. We need volunteers to help clean up the yard and inside of the house. No construction experience necessary but come prepared to get your hands dirty.
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Feb 2022
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In addition to a fun evening of fellowship, strengthening business connections, and catching up with friends, Spencer Wiegard of Gentry Locke will provide an overview of the 2022 General Assembly session, as well as an update on the status of OSHA and government contracts.
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Feb 2022
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Tour of Gropen's design and sign facility with happy hour sponsored by Gropen and Fortiline. Includes light hors d'oeuvres and beer/wine.
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