Author: admin

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) congratulates Justin Baker, executive vice president of Gaylor Electric in Mooresville, N.C., for being named ABC’s Young Professional of the Year. Baker accepted the award Nov. 8 during ABC’s Leadership Week Conference in Orlando, Fla. 

Justin Baker (center) accepts ABC’s Young Professional of the Year Award at the Future Leaders Awards Luncheon on Nov. 8.

 
Baker was among three finalists chosen based on their career achievement, leadership and vision for the future of the construction industry.

A member of the ABC Carolinas Chapter, Baker took over Gaylor Electric’s Carolinas branch five years ago, building it into one of the top-performing locations in the company. Baker believes the construction industry needs to harness technology and innovation to attract younger generations into the profession and make creativity as much a part of the trade as manual labor and teamwork.

“Justin is exactly the kind of young leader and thinker the construction industry needs as it searches for the next generation of skilled workers, designers and innovators,” said ABC Vice President of Environment, Health, Safety & Workforce Development Greg Sizemore. “Justin is an industry leader who values safety and quality and promotes those values to everyone he comes in contact with. We look forward to seeing the ideas and leadership Justin will bring to our industry for decades to come.”

Outside of work, Baker is active in his church, his community and with his family. When he’s not coaching his four kids’ multiple football, basketball and baseball teams, he helps those less fortunate. For instance, Baker and his family make and serve meals for the homeless with a group at their church, and he has traveled to Panama on mission trips to help impoverished communities by building schools and other community buildings.

Along with a trophy, Baker received a $1,000 check. ABC’s Young Professionals program was founded in 2014 and aims to shape the future of the construction industry by supporting the growth of professionals under the age of 40 who are employed by ABC member companies. 

Powered by WPeMatico

The ABC student chapter at the University of Cincinnati was named the 2017 Student Chapter of the Year for its accomplishments in programming, community service, communications and public relations and interaction with its sponsor, the ABC Ohio Valley Chapter, during the academic year. The student chapter received a $2,000 cash prize; complimentary registration, hotel accommodations and airfare for two members to attend ABC’s 2018 Legislative Week in Washington, D.C., June 24-29; and coverage in ABC National publications.

Colorado State University, sponsored by the ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter, was named the Construction Management Competition (CMC) overall winner of 2017. The 2017 CMC, sponsored by Autodesk, On Center, and RS Means, focused on the construction of the Universal Aventura Hotel, a 17-story structure with 600 guestrooms, lobby and public and support spaces. Each team was required to provide a price and a technical proposal before competing in a spontaneous exercise led by the Competition Committee. Colorado State University was selected based on their success in estimating, project management and scheduling, safety and quality control. 

Powered by WPeMatico

Be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming ABC webinars on federal regulations and policies that impact the construction industry.

On Nov. 28, ABC will offer the webinar “DOL Training on Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors” at 2 p.m. EDT. The webinar will cover the Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors final rule issued by the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), which implements President Obama’s Executive Order 13706. Two representatives from the WHD will lead the webinar and provide training on the final rule’s requirements to assist federal contractors with compliance. ABC members can register here. 
 
Dec. 6, ABC will be hosting its “2017 Regulatory Roundup” webinar, which will detail the rollback and reforms of numerous regulations that affect ABC members. These regulations include the DOL’s persuader and overtime final rules, the blacklisting final rule and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s rules on electronic injury reporting and respirable crystalline silica. Maury Baskin, ABC’s general counsel, will lead the webinar. ABC members can register here.   

Powered by WPeMatico

On Nov. 7, ABC joined Associated General Contractors, the Leading Builders of America and the National Association of Home Builders in a letter to Congressional leaders expressing the construction industry’s concerns regarding the upcoming decisions related to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras. The letter urged Congress to take legislative action to ensure that TPS holders can remain and continue to work legally in this country. 

Local businesses and economies need these legally authorized workers from these countries and would be adversely impacted by a failure to extend their status.

Newsline will continue to update readers on any congressional action regarding TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras.

Powered by WPeMatico

Robert Clarke, an architect with Gensler, is an alumnus of the ACE Mentor Program who serves as a mentor with the chapter in Austin, Texas.  

Operating in 37 states and annually engaging 9,000 high school students, ACE Mentor Program relies on construction managers, architects, engineers and even accountants and marketing experts to inspire students to pursue careers in design and construction.
 
“This is a great organization with a powerful, hands-on approach to introducing students to careers in construction,” said ABC President and CEO Mike Bellaman, who serves on the ACE board of directors. “It’s really rewarding to be an ambassador of our industry to promising young people who want to learn about the amazing opportunities in our field.”

Surprisingly, ACE is actually turning away interested kids due to a lack of mentors. Guest speakers are also needed. Learn more about why to become an ACE mentor or contact your local ACE affiliate to get started.

Powered by WPeMatico

On Nov. 9, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final rule, Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Certification Extension, which delays its deadline for employers to ensure that crane operators are certified by one year, from Nov. 10, 2017, to Nov. 10, 2018. OSHA is also delaying its employer duty to ensure that crane operators are competent to operate a crane safely for the same one-year period. 

Background

On Aug. 9, 2010, OSHA issued a final rule for cranes and derricks in construction through a negotiated rulemaking process. The final rule required employers to ensure that their crane operators were certified by Nov. 10, 2014. After the final rule was published, several entities informed OSHA that the crane operator certification was insufficient for determining whether an operator could safely operate their equipment on a construction site. In response, OSHA held a number of public meetings to discuss the issue. 

Due to the concerns raised at the meetings, OSHA proposed to extend the deadline for crane operator certification by three years, to Nov. 10, 2017, and to extend the existing employer duties for that same period. In advance of the publication of the proposed rule, OSHA presented the proposal to the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH), which recommended instead that OSHA postpone certification indefinitely pending further rulemaking and continue the existing employer duties for that same period. 

On Sept. 26, 2014, OSHA issued a final rule extending from Nov. 10, 2014, to Nov. 10, 2017, the enforcement date for crane operator certification as well as the employer duty to ensure crane operator competency for construction work.

On Aug. 30, 2017, OSHA proposed a second delay in order to address stakeholder concerns about the operator certification requirements. The proposal would delay the deadline for operator certification and extend the existing employer duties for one year, to Nov. 10, 2018. 

ABC filed comments on OSHA’s proposal to extend the operator certification in Cranes and Derricks in Construction on Sept. 27. In its comments, ABC reiterated its position that while it appreciated OSHA’s proposed one-year delay, ABC strongly encouraged the agency to consider an indefinite extension. Extending the certification deadline indefinitely would alleviate any confusion regarding the current compliance deadline and allow OSHA to craft the safest possible solution to the type and capacity issue.

Powered by WPeMatico

ABC praised the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Save Local Business Act (H.R. 3441) this week with bipartisan support. ABC joined forces with a wide range of business advocacy groups, including the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and the Coalition to Save Local Businesses, to build support for the ultimate passage of H.R. 3441. 

The bill clarifies many of the confusing labor regulations caused by the National Labor Relations Board’s expansion of the joint employer rule. Under H.R. 3441, an employer may be considered a joint employer of a worker only if it “directly, actually and immediately” exercises significant control over the primary elements of employment. 

“The NLRB’s decision to expand the joint employer definition will disrupt hundreds of thousands of business operations throughout the country and threaten the ability of hardworking Americans to achieve the American dream of owning their own business,” said ABC Vice President of Legislative & Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen. “H.R. 3441 will restore the joint employer standard that has been in place for more than 30 years and bring stability back into the economy for contractors and subcontractors across the country.”

ABC and its partners on this issue urge the Senate to take action soon and pass this important legislation for Main Street America.

Powered by WPeMatico

During its Nov. 7 meeting in Orlando, the ABC Board of Directors elected George Nash to serve as the association’s 2018 national chair. Tony Rader was elected to serve as the association’s 2018 chair-elect.  Ray Zamora was elected to serve as the association’s secretary.

New members joining the board include:
Milton Graugnard, Cajun Industries, South Central Region Vice Chair
Doug Carlson, Carolinas Chapter President, Chapter Presidents Liaison
  
ABC’s 2018 Executive Committee takes office on Jan. 1, 2018:

George Nash, Branch & Associates
Chair

Tony Rader, Schwob Building Co. Ltd.
Chair-elect

Ray Zamora, AnchorBuilt Inc.
Secretary and Mountain West Region Vice Chair

Ken Hedlund, Somerset CPAs, P.C.
Treasurer
 
Chuck Goodrich, Gaylor Electric Inc.
Immediate Past Chair

Tim Keating, R.C. Stevens Construction Co.
Southeast Region Vice Chair
 
Steve Klessig, Keller Inc.
Midwest Region Vice Chair

Paul Lemley, BC Construction Group, LLC
Mid-America Region Vice Chair

Milton Graugnard, Cajun Industries, LLC
South Central Region Vice Chair

Diane Byron, I.E. Pacific
Vice Chair, Pacific Region

Jay Baldwin, Reliable Contracting Co.
Vice Chair, Mid-Atlantic Region

Stephanie Schmidt, Poole Anderson Construction
Vice Chair, Northeast Region

Doug Carlson, Carolinas Chapter President
Chapter Presidents Liaison

Michael Bellaman
ABC President and CEO
 

Powered by WPeMatico

Any additional dollar that can stay in a construction company’s cash flow can be invested in hiring and retaining talented workers. That was one of the messages ABC President and CEO Mike Bellaman conveyed this week during two live Fox Business Network appearances, as the House Ways and Means Committee unveiled a bill that reforms the tax code. 

In voicing his support for tax reform legislation hours before the bill became public, Bellaman told “FBN:am” viewers on Nov. 2 that he hoped the bill addresses the small business tax, as 99 percent of construction companies employ less than 100 people. The following day, after reading the bill, Bellaman told “Varney & Co.” he supports the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for its positive impact on the construction industry. “The workforce is going to get a good break. They’re getting another dollar in their paycheck,” Bellaman said. 

Powered by WPeMatico

Any additional dollar that can stay in a construction company’s cash flow can be invested in hiring and retaining talented workers. That was one of the messages ABC President and CEO Mike Bellaman conveyed this week during two live Fox Business Network appearances, as the House Ways and Means Committee unveiled a bill that reforms the tax code. 

In voicing his support for tax reform legislation hours before the bill became public, Bellaman told “FBN:am” viewers on Nov. 2 that he hoped the bill addresses the small business tax, as 99 percent of construction companies employ less than 100 people. The following day, after reading the bill, Bellaman told “Varney & Co.” he supports the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for its positive impact on the construction industry. “The workforce is going to get a good break. They’re getting another dollar in their paycheck,” Bellaman said. 

Powered by WPeMatico