At the Specialty Contractors Council meeting Wednesday, March 4, Chair Doug Isaacs welcomed the SCC to San Diego and introduced Jim Slack as the incoming chair of the SCC. Isaacs reviewed the activities of the SCC over the past year, including its research regarding retention, the upcoming retention panel at Convention, and resources for AGC Chapters interested in forming Chapter SCCs.
SCC members then participated in dynamic roundtable discussions regarding "hot topics" of interest to specialty contractors today. Prior to the Convention, the SCC had been surveyed regarding which topics members wished to see addressed in this format, and the topics were consolidated into three groups; one table discussed card check (EFCA) and its related implications, another lien rights and payment & performance bonds, and the other immigration, E-Verify, workforce, and licensing. Each table reviewed information about the topics, spoke about the issues from their perspectives and specific regional markets, and then reported their discussions back to the broader group.
The SCC also presented "The Cash Flow Implications of Retention" on Friday, March 6. Doug Isaacs began the session with a presentation of the results of a retainage survey completed by over 1,000 AGC specialty contractors in late 2008 that highlights the cash flow challenges retention poses. Incoming Chair Jim Slack then introduced the document currently being drafted by the SCC to provide guidance to specialty contractors regarding retainage.
Four panelists spoke regarding retention from their respective perspectives: Eric Hedlund, general contractor; Dan O'Brien, specialty contractor; Mike Anderson, surety; and Phil Beck, legal. The panelists then answered questions, and attendees shared their own experiences with retention within their local markets. With this input and the information gathered from the survey, the SCC anticipates completing the retainage guidance document later this year.
Don't miss next year's AGC Annual Convention to be held March 17-20, 2009 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, FL.
- Log in to post comments