As we put quarter one of 2023 in the rear-view mirror and look ahead to the rest of 2023 and beyond, it’s important to size up what Carolinas AGC is doing for you these days:
Benefits on the National Level
- By being a member of Carolinas AGC, you also have the benefit of excellent work being done in Washington, D.C., by two of our parent organizations, AGC of America and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. The award-winning lobbying teams for both full-service organizations work tirelessly on Capitol Hill to protect your company’s business on issues ranging from opposing Project Labor Agreements, unrealistic navigable waters and hot weather proposed regulations, to helping secure billions of dollars for highway-heavy and civil work, commercial building and utility construction. AGCA and ARTBA also have annual meetings as well as numerous committee meetings centered around networking, safety, IT and other top construction issues. For example, in March 2023, the Annual AGCA Convention in Las Vegas drew 2,000 attendees, including a number of CAGC member companies that received top safety awards, as well as 130,000 attendees at the nearby ConExpo at the same time.
Infrastructure Funding
- CAGC has worked closely with SCDOT to grow its construction program from $1 billion in 2009 to $4 billion in 2022. With the letting of the third phase of the Carolina Crossroads project, the program will be as high as $5 billion in 2023. We also helped obtain all state and federal funding available for the construction of roads and bridges across the state, including $120 million a year in recurring funding for the next five years.
- With strong CAGC involvement, NCDOT anticipates letting more than $2.5 billion in construction contracts in 2023. The Turnpike Authority will let 2 projects worth around $600 million. CAGC was able to get $135 million to assist contractors with material price increases on active projects that will be paid out this year. Also, state lawmakers last year directed that a portion of the state sales tax be directed to transportation which, when fully implemented over 3 years, will provide over $600 million annually.
- New funding in North Carolina of more than $611 million for water/wastewater infrastructure projects for 90 projects across the state and another $223 million in additional federal grants. The total appropriated for water/wastewater infrastructure over the biennium is $2.5 billion.
- $1.8 billion in new funding to the State Capital Infrastructure fund that will pay for a new state government complex, as well as state agency, UNC System, community college, and hundreds of other projects across North Carolina, bringing the total for the biennium to $6 billion.
Workforce & Business Development
- Be Pro, Be Proud: We led South Carolina efforts to get additional state funding to sustain the Be Pro Be Proud skilled trades mobile workshop that was visited by over 20,000 students in 2022. In North Carolina we helped launch 2 new Be Pro Be Proud trucks that will result in annual visits of 40,000 students, with state lawmakers providing $6.5 million for the biennium and CAGC helping lead BPBP steering committees.
- In North Carolina, CAGC secured $3 million from lawmakers for our Construction Business Academy, a training program designed to strengthen minority, disadvantaged and women-owned businesses to ensure their sustainability and growth – and help with the workforce shortage in the Carolinas construction industry.
- Our CAGC Foundation was awarded an additional $2.5 million from state lawmakers for Construction Bootcamps to recruit and provide accelerated construction training so workers can be hired quickly into the industry.
- CAGC launched a robust Diversity and Inclusion program to support our members’ interests and needs and worked with the North Carolina Community College system to ensure course offerings align with industry recruitment needs.
- Staff in SC is spearheading the SC Coalition on Tort Reform to improve the legal climate throughout the state.
100+ Events, Young Leaders
- CAGC continues to offer 100+ ways annually to connect with industry peers to grow your business through Connect Events, our Convention, Summit, Committees, Training and more.
- Our CAGC Young Leader Program (which set a record of 232 YL members last year and drew nearly 200 attendees at our 2022 Annual Young Leader Conference in Charleston) offers ways to gain and develop leadership skills, build valuable relationships with other young leaders, and make a difference in our Association.
Awards
Carolinas AGC bestows on average 60 awards to members, including:
- Individual Awards
- Hall of Fame/Hall of Fame Legacy (average 6 per year to GCs, Subs, Suppliers)
- Top Young Leaders (average 3 per year to GCs, Subs, Suppliers)
- Build with the Best Pinnacle (1 per year – non Construction person)
- Outstanding Committee Chairs (average 3 per year – GCs, Subs, Suppliers)
- Company Awards
- Safety (average 25 per year – GCs, Subs)
- Project
- Pinnacles (average 6 per year - GCs)
- Construction Excellence (average 5 per year - GCs)
- Pinnacle Partners (average 10 per year - Subs and Suppliers)
Communications
- CAGC published Spring and Fall editions of the Carolinas AGC Magazine, hardcopy CAGC Roster & Buyers Guide, and a dozen press releases via PR Newswire to publicize the far-reaching work of CAGC regionally and nationally. These efforts continue to drive the media to CAGC as the leading construction association in our market. We also published 49 weeks of the Weekly NewsBreak that offers association and industry news.
- We partnered with AGC of America and SCDOT to host a press conference in Columbia, SC which generated both local, statewide, and national recognition for the need for safety in work zones.
- CAGC worked with local, regional, national and even international news sources to bring the work of our members and the issues they face (such as the workforce shortage) to the public’s attention. A small sample of these publications include WRAL, Triad Business Journal, SC business news outlets, GroundBreak Carolina, CONSTRUCTION magazine, and many more.
Big Hits for Our Members
- Our EZ Renew for You Autorenewal Program offers members a one-time 10% savings upon enrollment of membership dues autorenewal. For many years, members asked for an easier renewal process - and in July of 2022 Carolinas AGC was proud to launch EZ Renew. Once a firm has enrolled in this membership renewal program, CAGC will keep you informed, but minimize the administrative work your firm must deal with, all while making sure that you never have membership interruptions.
- Our extremely popular new event, Donuts with Contractors (which showcases upcoming work), will continue this year throughout the Carolinas.
- We are re-engaging with our student chapters now that Covid restrictions are lifted.
- We continue to host successful events partnering with other organizations including Women in Construction chapters, local construction organizations in Charleston and Wilmington and our members’ offices in both states.
- We have worked with SCDOT to implement an Escalation plan to address cost increases for our members.
- CAGC hosted a joint media event between CAGC/SCDOT/AGCA to publish the results of a work zone safety survey prior to the summer travel season urging travelers to keep all workers safe.
More Awards, Women in Construction Council & Other New CAGC Offerings in 2023
- Look for exciting new programs in 2023 with a new CAGC Council on Women in Construction, new health care benefits, new community awards and a new CAGC Construction Tech Forum. This new forum is coming together to provide a place for valuable information exchange, advice and discussion around construction tech and innovation. Those who participate in the forum will have access to quarterly discussions on challenges, successes, advice, and emerging technologies. Additionally, participants will help create the roadmap for future CAGC Construction Technology series content which keeps us all better informed and aware of new, beneficial technologies, processes, and material innovations. If you are the person, or part of a group of individuals within your firm that has taken on the challenge of researching and deploying new construction technologies, we’d love for you to join the forum.
- We’re offering dozens of non-residential continuing education courses throughout the year so qualifiers can get their required 8 hours of training needed to renew their license in North Carolina. CAGC is one of the few providers offering courses in non-residential construction.
- We continue to offer dozens of training opportunities in safety, supervision, technology, and other areas to support our members’ professional development.
- CAGC supports your HR professionals with numerous training, networking and peer-to-peer learning opportunities through our HR Committee.
- Finally, look for us to ramp up our efforts on Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention and bring more speakers to our events that can support your business and employees.
We’re here for you, as we have been since 1920, and are eager to be Partners in Our Members’ Success.