Last week, Jim Gray (chief executive of Gray Construction) flew to New York for a round of meetings. As reported in the New York Times, it was Gray’s newly acquired title as Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky that prompted his visit to New York to chat with Mayor Bloomberg. Contractors and politics … what
AGC
Tennessee Builders’ Ball: An Investment in Future Leaders
There’s a time in every blogger’s life where you simply have to grab your login information by the boot straps, step up to the blogosphere plate, and give a shout-out to another organization’s event, such as:
The Tennessee Builders’ Ball brings together industry organizations to solidify support of the designs, Real Estate and Construction Industries…
New Report: Half of Construction Industry Now Using BIM
Just a few days ago I wrote about how, like the World Cup soccer games, BIM presented a lot of excitement for many proponents. Turning to another competitive analogy, there continues to be many in the construction industry who simply refuse to go "all-in" with their poker chips. According to a recent McGraw-Hill Construction …
New Rule Allows Federal Agencies to Require Use of Public Labor Agreements
The Obama administration is scheduled to issue a final rule today that allows federal agencies to require public contractors to use public labor agreements (PLA) on large public construction projects. PLAs are collective bargaining agreements that establish the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project. They have been used on private jobs, as well as state…
Reading Between the Lines: Construction Industry Targeted in Congressional Health Care Reform Package
On December 24, 2009, the United States Senate voted to pass its own version of the health care package. You have probably heard cries about the length of the bill (1,990 pages). You have probably heard the cries about the costs. But have you heard about an amendment that may significantly affect the construction industry?
According…
Powerhouse Task Force Releases Updated Construction Financing Guide
Two months ago I reported about a new "just holding hands" partnership between Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) in Tennessee. Although not a partnership, AGC established a task force in early 1999 with members from AGC, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) and the Associated Specialty Contractors (ASC). Last week, the powerhouse group released its…
Scary and (Potentially) Viral: AGC Takes to YouTube
I received an email this morning with the following warning: "The following message is intended for construction audiences only. Do NOT watch this clip alone or in the dark. Please wait 30-minutes after eating before watching this clip. DO forward this video on to a friend or colleague."
https://youtube.com/watch?v=MFZI7N_AEBE%26hl%3Den%26fs%3D1%26color1%3D0x2b405b%26color2%3D0x6b8ab6
A couple of…
Just Holding Hands: The Courtship Between AGC and ABC in Tennessee
As a father of five children, I have fully prepared myself for "the" talk. Already, I have discussed the various scenarios with my daughter about dating, courtship and marriage. According to this eleven-year-old Princess, the line in the sand of appropriateness … is … "just holding hands." (Whew!)
Last week, the two primary construction industry groups in Tennessee—the…
Green Building is a Matter of Perspective
In this day and age of Biggest Loser, South Beach Diet, and the latest fitness craze highlighted by Oprah, I find myself more and more conscious about my eating habits. In fact, if you promise not to tell anyone, we have a little fitness competition within our own law firm starring four…