As we enter into a new year at Carolinas AGC, I am reminded of a song by the late, great Tom Petty about heading “into the great wide open, under the skies of blue.”
As Marty McKee, our Immediate Past Chair, said in his farewell address in last week’s NewsBreak, it has been a “long and winding road” in 2017 with CAGC having many major successes. And now, as we begin 2018, the economy is hitting on all cylinders, CAGC has a budget in the black which we haven’t seen in a decade—and you haven’t seen anything yet.
We have over 80 meetings scheduled for this year with real substance—as well as fun—with quarterly meetings and events in ALL major cities in the Carolinas, a new office opening in April in a more convenient and practical location, and a leaner staff that is focused and poised for a great year. We have set some lofty goals for this year as well—and an excellent Board of Directors which brings to the table talent, diversity and loyalty for CAGC as we approach our 100
th anniversary in 2020.
With the addition of our new Membership Committee and two new and very energized membership sales executives, we hope to add 100 new members in 2018 – and we need your teamwork and help here. As everyone knows, one of the biggest issues we face in our industry right now is the skilled workforce shortage. With the hard work CAGC has put into our Build Your Career workforce initiative, we are focusing on promoting construction careers for high school as well as middle school students. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster early this year set aside, with CAGC’s strong encouragement, a budget of nearly $1 million for the “Be Pro - Be Proud” program to help improve the image of the construction industry in the Carolinas as a career choice. In North Carolina, our lobbying team also has hit home runs in helping secure hundreds of thousands of dollars for the community college system to promote solid careers now available in the construction industry.
Our Young Leaders program is skyrocketing in popularity. We have safety, education and training programs to suit your business needs. Finally, we are planning to add more value to your membership by offering new affinity programs to protect and help your business as well as a new 401K Multiple Employer Plan.
I am excited about 2018 and look forward to serving the Carolinas AGC and working with our great staff and membership across the Carolinas. I look forward to seeing everyone under blue skies in Boca Raton at our Annual Convention, Jan. 31
st to Feb. 4th, as well as at our Summer Summit & Expo in Jekyll Island this summer. And, like we have been saying, please make sure you register early for our meetings as they are selling out fast.