Join the SCC to hear of upcoming council business and participate in the roundtable discussion of the hottest construction-related business issues that affect specialty contractors today and in the future.Register by December 31, 2009 to receive the early-bird discount on Platinum or Standard Registration - a $200 savings! Go to http://convention.agc.org/ to learn more.For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
The AGC Political Action Committee (AGC PAC) is an essential part of AGC's legislative influence on Capitol Hill. The purpose of the PAC is to help elect federal candidates to office - all of whom are pro-construction. A pro-construction Congress has the ability to make several important issues a reality in expanded infrastructure investment, reduced federal regulatory burdens, and increased federal investment in drinking and wastewater, just to name a few.Unfortunately, our opponents are powerful and spend big money to elect candidates who do not share our values and concerns. With a well-funded PAC, AGC is able to support and retain incumbents who support our issues as well as elect new candidates who will become our champions.AGC PAC is completely member-driven. When the PAC contributes to legislators, the party affiliation of the candidate is irrelevant. Instead, the PAC focuses on the candidate's AGC vote-record and their issues strategy. We frequently conduct in-person candidate interviews and request candidates to fill out a questionnaire to help determine where they stand on the issues that matter to us. When we are ready to consider getting involved in a race, we ask for the recommendations of PAC contributors. Member and Chapter input is key - these are your potential representatives, so we need to know how well they work with you directly. In 2009, AGC PAC has contributed to 85 different federal candidates in 40 different states. The majority of the checks were delivered directly to the candidate by members of the local AGC Chapter, allowing constituents to sit down and speak with the representative. We encourage our Chapters set up these meetings and frequently send checks back to the district for delivery.Remember - federal laws and regulations have a direct impact on you and your business. It is not legal for corporations to make political contributions directly to federal candidates or political parties. AGC PAC allows you to have your voice heard by a multitude of candidates who agree with your principles and want to help the construction industry. If you have questions about AGC PAC, please contact Julie Hodgson, AGC PAC Director at 202-547-5013 or hodgsonj@agc.org or visit our website at www.agc.org/pac.
Written by John Lynch from the State of Washington and published as a joint effort of AGC and the National Association of State Facilities Administrators (NASFA), this eight-page article is targeted toward public owners who construct capital projects and those contractors who are engaged in this type of work. It is particularly useful in this challenging economy. Click here to access the article. For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
AGC of America, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) and the Associated Specialty Contractors (ASC) held their annual joint meeting November 13-14, 2009, at the AGC Headquarters in Arlington, Va. The theme was "Construction Owners' Financing and Ability to Pay." AGC, ASA and ASC have a formal liaison and meet annually to discuss topics of mutual interest, work together on joint initiatives, and continually develop the Guidelines for a Successful Construction Project.For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
Originally written in 1999, a task force of AGC members updated and recently completed the AGC Guide to Construction Financing-Second Edition. This 26-page publication clearly explains the construction financing process and points out some of the opportunities and pitfalls for the contractor. It is intended to serve a reference to get contractors thinking about the risks associated with project financing. Click here to access this resource. For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
AGC of America Specialty Contractor Council (SCC) Member Jason Hickey of Premier Fire Protection Inc., has been appointed to the SCC Executive Committee. Jason is President of Premier Fire Protection Inc., which is in its second generation of leadership and is located in Paducah, Ky. Jason has been on the Board of Directors of AGC of Western Kentucky since 2002 and also served as President in 2008.For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
The AGC of America Specialty Contractors Council (SCC) has released a two-page "Best Practices Guidance for Retainage" document. Developed by the SCC Executive Committee with input from the more than 1,000 AGC specialty contractor members who responded to an AGC retainage survey in late 2008, this resource is intended to provide guidance to specialty contractors who face cash-flow issues related to retainage.The guidance document is available here. Additional resources include a summary of the AGC retention survey results and the AGC-ASA-ASC Guideline on Retainage from the Guidelines for a Successful Construction Project. The Guidelines for a Successful Construction Project is a joint effort of AGC of America, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) and the Associated Specialty Contractors (ASC). For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
ConsensusDOCS recently released the first and only Federal Subcontract Agreement designed specifically for federal government construction projects. The release is especially timely in light of increased federal government construction activity, as well as implementation of new rules including E-Verify. The ConsensusDOCS 752 - Subcontract for Federal Government Construction Projects - is designed to help contractors and subcontractors comply with complex federal laws and regulations. The ConsensusDOCS Federal Subcontract is the only standard agreement that addresses new terms and conditions essential to comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulation ("FAR"). Even seasoned federal government contractors, but especially those new to the federal market, should consider using ConsensusDOCS when subcontracting federal work. The 752 addresses E-Verify, Ethics Compliance, the Federal Prompt Pay Act, and much more. ConsensusDOCS even provides users a sample exhibit regarding required FAR flow-down provisions.Order Today! To download an excerpted sample document, please visit the AGC Bookstore.
It's not too early to start planning for 2010! AGC's 2010 Annual Convention will be held March 17-20, 2010, in Orlando, Fla.In addition to the SCC Executive Committee meeting on March 18, a Specialty Contractors Council Reception, open to all specialty contractors (additional fee required), will be held from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm that evening. The Specialty Contractors Council Session will be held on Friday March 19, from 9:30 am to 11:00 am. You won't want to miss joining in this discussion of the important issues that impact your business. For more information about AGC's 91st Annual Convention, visit convention.agc.org.
The Specialty Contractor’s Subforum of the AGC BIMForum has created the MEP Spatial Coordination Team Requirements for Building Information Modeling. This document provides guidance to companies and individuals involved in 3D MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection) spatial coordination. Its aim is to help the MEP spatial coordination process using 3D and BIM technology and to assist in developing team structures, definition of roles and responsibilities, recommendations for technical and IT considerations, social structure, and accountability.The document will later be available at www.bimforum.org.