ASAMW Awarded at National Convention
I was honored to receive the ASA Advocacy Award at SubExcel in New Orleans last week. This is a testament to the work our members do to ensure that we have the laws needed to protect our industry.
Additionally, since last week was Women in Construction week, Mary Whitlow, Kim Driggs, Rebecca Price, Patti Coen, Patty Peterson, Heather Asbury, and Karen Barbour were photographed with the women at the ASA SubExcel Convention to honor Women in Construction. See the photo here.
Aging Workforce – PMs Especially
A Forbes article reported the labor shortage in our industry could have serious implications for the economy. Nearly half of tradespeople are approaching retirement age and more than 40% of workers in construction are over the age of 45. Equally concerning is the replacement of Project Managers as they leave the industry.
Project Managers' Workshop Wraps Up
Congratulations to the 26 outstanding project managers who graduated from the final session of our 2024 Project Managers' Workshop yesterday! They tackled a comprehensive final exam covering crucial topics like contracts, scheduling, team management, communication, and more.
Project managers have one of the most demanding jobs, and we commend their dedication to continuous learning and improvement. Stay tuned for information about the 2025 Workshop!
Beige Book
The Federal Reserve Beige Book reports that economic activity for the Richmond region, which includes the DMV, is little changed in recent weeks. There seems to be less demand for loans in the commercial real estate market which indicates a slow-down in construction. “The lack of available financing and rising building costs continued to constrain new construction, especially for office and multifamily projects."
Project Stress Index (PSI)
Let us know if your projects are being delayed or abandoned. PSI is at its highest level since the COVID pandemic according to ConstructConnect. This Construction Dive article further explains what is happening nationwide.
Risk and Pre-quals
I have been struggling to find how subs can better address risk. Here is what I learned from Compass in a meeting with their President in New Orleans. “While we all understand the growing need for risk management, prequalification has traditionally been one sided. We struggle to keep up with the multiple unique general contractor requests, understand how the data is used, and why each general contractor has a different set of requirements and a different platform to fulfill said requirements. COMPASS by Bespoke Metrics is risk management software built for Subcontractors aimed to alleviate form fatigue, enhance data privacy, and foster better feedback and transparency. COMPASS offers subcontractors:
- Standardization of data updated once a year through the 1Form (universal form)
- Full control over which general contractors, down to the user, can access your data
- Secure transfer of data to your general contractors, owners, banks, surety, etc
- Data-driven independent third-party scoring to support quality-based selection and grow your network”
What do you think about this option?
Project Schedule – Prebid
Knowledgeable subcontractors carefully analyze and evaluate a proposed project schedule prior to signing a subcontract. They delete contract provisions authorizing directives to work out of sequence. Are you aware of language granting “sole discretion” power to the prime contractor to implement schedule changes with or without time extension or compensation? Thanks to Walter Breakell, Legal Counsel to the Northeastern Subcontractors Association in Albany, NY for contribution to this article.
Spring Golf Tournament At Whiskey Creek
It seems we get the same members and GC Partners to support the golf tournament each year. This April 11th tournament is now sold out, but sponsorship at the Tournament is still available. This event is important to our annual finances and we appreciate your support. Click here for more information or contact Patti at [email protected]. And keep a look out for information on our Fall Golf Tournament!
MEMBER UPDATES
New Members –Welcome Southland Concrete and SkillSmart to ASAMW Membership!
- Southland Concrete in Manassas, VA will be a welcome member of our association. Thanks to Tara Minner, Eric Gannon, Chris Oplak, and Doug Kaspar for stepping up.
- SkillSmart–We welcome Michael Knapp with this company that provides compliance reporting and tracking software.
Give Back
Join ASAMW member BION for their 1st Annual Charity Golf Tournament supporting CASA, an organization that advocates for abused and neglected children. The tournament will be held on April 29th at Westfields. It's a great way to enjoy a day of golf while making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children. Click here to learn more and sign up!
File your Beneficial Ownership Information
According to Lanigan Ryan Partner Brian Pollack, CPA, many businesses are required to file beneficial ownership information (BOI) reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as of January 1, 2024. There are some exemptions, but for the most part all members will be required to file. Click here for a helpful article.
Mike Ritter Jr., who was ASAMW President from 2020-2021, has been promoted to President of Long Fence.
Women In Construction
From Ryan Hogan with Preferred Insurance – Here is an excellent paper on the health and safety needs specific to women that every company needs to be aware of.
ADVOCACY
DC - Dept of Buildings to stop illegal construction. Board member Andy Steele with Steele Foundation is meeting with DC’s new Department of Buildings to stop illegal construction in the district. This video tells the story.
Maryland – SB 436 passed the Senate and will raise the penalties for worker misclassification to $10,000 per employee for the first offense and $30,000 per employee for the next offense. It also requires the Dept of Labor to work with taxing agencies to consider other penalties.
HB 994 / S 921 are bills that require retainage on Public Work to be paid in 90 days. Maryland (Code 9-304) now requires payment of Retainage within 90 days after Substantial Completion of all private work.
Virginia – No report
