LONG BEACH, California, March 29—Twenty-one teams of undergraduate students from colleges and universities nationwide put their construction project leadership skills to the test during Associated Builders and Contractors’ annual Construction Management Competition at ABC Convention 2019 in Long Beach, California, March 24-28. The four-person teams, which were assigned to complete the same construction management project over two days, received awards in five categories at the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony at the convention’s conclusion. 

The team from Colorado State University won the overall competition, as well as first place in the project management and quality control categories. Florida International University won first place in estimating and the University of Wisconsin in safety. ABC Central Texas Chapter was named Student Chapter of the Year for outstanding accomplishments in programming, community service, communications/public relations and interaction with its sponsoring ABC chapter. 

“ABC is impressed by the outstanding work of these future construction industry leaders,” said 2019 ABC National Chair Tony Rader, telecom vice president of National Roofing Partners, Coppell, Texas. “The competition not only allows for real-world, hands-on construction management experience, but also fosters an environment that allows students to put classroom lessons to the test and collaborate with their peers. We look forward to the many contributions these students will make to our industry in the years to come.” 

This annual competition, designed to challenge knowledge, organization, time management and presentation skills, gives the nation’s top construction management students a glimpse into the real world of construction. All participants are active members of the ABC National Student Chapter Network, which connects local ABC chapters to colleges and universities with construction management programs to work toward the ultimate goal of building the talent pipeline and mentoring future leaders of the construction industry. 

The project for this year’s competition focused on the District Edgewood High School Event Center and Sports Complex, a new 14,202-square-foot, single-story event center building in West Covina, California. The project’s site improvements included the demolition of an existing 25x25 meter pool, decks and buildings, and the installation of a competition pool and aquatics facilities. 

Bergelectric was the presenting sponsor for this year’s event. A full list of the winners is available at abc.org.