ABC Baltimore: Working for the betterment of the communities in which they work

ABC, headquartered in Washington, DC., will forever be intrinsically linked to the city of Baltimore. In 1950, seven contractors gathered in Baltimore, to create an association based on the shared belief that construction projects should be awarded on merit to the most qualified and responsible low bidders. Now 65 years later, with 70 ABC chapters and nearly 21,000 chapter members nationwide, ABC of Greater Baltimore was faced with a challenge. 

Last spring, when unrest was tearing apart the city of Baltimore, President of ABC Baltimore, Mike Henderson decided to survey the 70 ABC chapters across the country. Asking them what they thought about Baltimore before the riots and what they thought afterward. Their perception of Baltimore prior to the events of April was very positive. Most had been there before and had good memories. Their perception after the unrest was equally negative. It was clear that Baltimore’s brand, as a city, had been severely damaged.
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Power Design and the Power of 1

Safety has been a top priority since Florida based national, full-service electrical contractor Power Design, Inc. was founded in 1989. Power Design’s commitment to safety includes its leadership role in Safety Week 2015 and OSHA’s National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction events earlier this year and has allowed the company to partner with top 100 general contractors as ranked by Engineering News-Record. A commitment to safety within the broader community has also led the company to launch a safety campaign that extends well beyond its 130 active projects. Read the rest of entry »

Building a Culture of Caring

Creating a culture that helps a company retain employees, win work and leave a positive impression on the community can be a difficult challenge. For The Beck Group, based in Dallas, success has come from a culture of caring that permeates all areas of the business. 
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Memorializing Texas Veterans

Last year, in the span of just 42 days, E.E. Reed Construction completed a brand new memorial recognizing and honoring veterans from the company’s hometown of Sugar Land, Texas. Even more remarkable than the cramped schedule and logistical challenges accompanying the project is the fact E.E. Reed donated the time and resources to build the memorial.
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Training Apprentices to Give Back

At the Northern California Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), training the workforce doesn’t just mean classroom learning and on-the-job instruction—it means diving into the community to teach apprentices the importance of giving back.
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A Fresh Start in 'Devon's Den'

In the wake of tragedy, it’s amazing to see what a community can accomplish. For Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC)New Orleans/Bayou Chapter, working together to help a paralyzed football player live more comfortably showed that contractors often invest in their communities on a highly personal level.
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Changing the Face of Men's Health

Over the course of 30 days, members of the Pennsylvania construction industry committed to giving back to their communities one moustache at a time by supporting the Movember Foundation. The organization has raised more than $550 million to date and funded more than 800 programs in 21 countries to help save and improve the lives of men affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health issues. 
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Putting Their Own Spin on Giving Back

Community service can come in many different forms: running a 5K, serving food to the homeless or collecting school supplies for kids in need. Members of two chapters of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) put their own spin on charity fundraising by hosting bowling tournaments.
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Across the Country, Contractors Give Back

Across the country, members of Associated Builders and Contractors embody the meaning of philanthropy by helping charitable organizations succeed and encouraging others to give back. 
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A New Meaning to Hands-On Training

Apprentices from Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) Hawaii Chapter get to put their skills to work outside the classroom, but it’s not on an average jobsite. Through a partnership with Honolulu Habitat for Humanity, craft trainees get real-life experience, and local families in need get new homes. 
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Thanking the Troops with a Veterans Day Surprise

For Veterans Day, the ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter was invited by Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) to be a part of a special surprise project for eight local military veterans. ABC, Jolly and more than 100 volunteers completed a makeover of the Martin Lott Residence, the home to veterans who are participating in the C.W. Bill Young’s Substance Use & PTSD Integrated Recovery (SPIR) Program.

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Leaving a Legacy

With 10 office locations, Manhattan Construction Company is leaving its mark across the country, but the firm’s legacy isn’t limited to the projects being built. It extends to the communities where Manhattan employees live, work and give back. 
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Connecting Contractors With a Family in Need

When Andy Anuzis, former executive director of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Michigan, heard his coworker’s husband had suffered a terrible accident—leaving him paralyzed from the neck down—he knew there had to be something the community could do.
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Putting Values Into Action

Integrity, accountability, teamwork, innovation and growth are the five values Power Design, Inc., St. Petersburg, Fla., instills in its more than 600 employees. In 2008, the electrical contractor established a company-wide initiative called Project V5 to help put those values into action in the community. 
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ABC Iowa Chapter Teams Up with Habitat for Humanity

This October, two Iowa residents needing full-time care will have a new place to call home thanks for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Iowa chapter and the Habitat for Humanity of Central Iowa. 
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Donohoe Construction Joins Nation in ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

More than 30 employees of Donohoe Construction Company, Washington, D.C., accepted the ice bucket challenge to raise awareness for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Company executives Bob Donohoe, CEO of The Donohoe Companies, Chris Bruch, President and COO of The Donohoe Companies, and Steve Donohoe, President of Donohoe Construction led their employees in the challenge as they all dumped hard hats filled with ice water on their heads for the cause.   
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Best in Show

In just three years, Clark Construction’s Tampa, Fla., office and members of the local community have raised more than $65,000 via a car show benefiting Everyday Blessings. The nonprofit organization allows siblings who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, abandonment or neglect to stay together in a safe and stable environment and provides them with the support they need.
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Learning Lifelong Skills Through the Trades

In the midst of learning technical skills that will help them succeed in the trades, the students in Cardozo High School’s Academy of Construction & Design (ACAD) are gleaning lifelong lessons that apply no matter what career path they choose to take. Read the rest of entry »

Networking Event Used to Support Habitat for Humanity

The ABC Baltimore Chapter teamed up with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake region to host one of their recent networking events which involved food trucks, raffles and giving back to the community. The event brought out more than 100 guests and raised $1,000 for the local Habitat for Humanity organization. Read the rest of entry »

Maximizing Employees’ Community Impact

When Cincinnati-based Messer Construction Co. was purchased by its employees in 1990, investing in the community became not only a vital piece of the corporate culture, but also a catalyst for revenue growth—increasing from $100 million to more than $830 million in the past 22 years. Read the rest of entry »

ABC Takes Part in D.C. Students Construction Trades Foundation

The D.C. Students Construction Trades Foundation, an organization that teaches high school students the trades and offers them access to internships, scholarships and post-secondary education, job placement and career opportunities, recently held its annual luncheon honoring the 2014 Academy of Construction and Design graduates. Read the rest of entry »

A Culture of Giving Back

For the past 15 years, Sundt Construction, Inc., a 100 percent employee-owned company headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., has been awarding grants and sponsoring volunteer events through the Sundt Foundation. There are more than 500 members of the foundation, whose grants exceeded $500,000 in 2013 alone—illustrating that helping others is not just a small piece of Sundt, but rather an integral part of its culture. Read the rest of entry »

Rallying the Troops

People from different walks of life, geographic regions and generations have their own way of supporting the troops. For Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) Utah Chapter, the best way to give back to the men and women who bravely protect America is by teaming up with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Read the rest of entry »

Golf Tournament Benefits Pediatric Cancer Patients in Alabama

When Lyle DuBois, assistant vice president of employee relations at M.J. Harris Construction Services, Birmingham, Ala., received the news that his son had been diagnosed with leukemia, the CEO of aTeam Ministries was one of the first people to visit his family in the hospital. The meeting was part of the organization’s commitment to offering spiritual, financial and emotional support to children and their families in Alabama’s pediatric cancer community. Since then, DuBois and his family have remained involved in aTeam Ministries, including sitting on the nonprofit’s board along with M.J. Harris CFO Robbie Egan and other members of the Alabama building industry.
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Passion for Supporting Indiana’s Veterans Leads to Service Project

Get to know the Indiana/Kentucky Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and it’s clear why the group chose the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation (HVAF) of Indiana for its annual ABC Cares project. Read the rest of entry »

Contractors Renovate Home of Boston Bombing Victim

Many lives were forever changed in April 2013 due to the tragic Boston Marathon bombing, including the Bauman family, whose son Jeff Bauman was severely injured on the day of the race. While Bauman focused on adjusting to life in a wheelchair, the community came together to make the transition a little
bit easier.
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Embracing the Holiday Spirit

This holiday season, ABC’s chapters spent their time finding ways to volunteer and give back to the communities in which they live, involving both chapter staff and their member companies. Below are just a few examples of the generous efforts led by ABC Chapters.
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A New Meaning to Healthcare

The newest addition to Madison Crossroads elementary school in Toney, Ala. is more than meets the eye. A trailer that now sits behind the school is being molded into a brand-new medical office where students from the surrounding area can go to for free dental and optometrist services. 
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ABC Member KADCON and Washington Wizards Give Back to District of Columbia Youth

Washington, D.C. based ABC member company, KADCON, teamed up with local organizations, Hoops for Youth Foundation,Horton’s Kids, and the Washington Wizards franchise to renovate an outdoor basketball court in Southeast D.C.
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Choate Construction Continues to Give Back

ABC member, Choate Construction, is back at it again proving that community service is a top priority for the company with offices in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In August, Choate Construction’s dedication to the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation was covered in Construction Executive’s Community Spotlight article when they raised nearly $138,000 with just two events.
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Military Family Welcomed ‘Home at Last’

Less than a month into his 2011 deployment with the U.S. Marines Corps, Marine Cpl. Ronald (CJ) Barnes stepped on an IED pressure plate or land mine, resulting in the loss of both legs and damage to his arms and face. Like many veterans, he faced the challenge of finding an accessible home for himself, his wife Katy and their young son. 
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ABC Delaware Earns Top Corporate Fundraiser Award

The ABC Delaware Chapter and its members took part in a Mud Run on Sept. 22 to benefit the Leukemia Research Foundation of Delaware, earning the title of top corporate fundraising team by raising $13,895 for the cause.
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Building from the Heart

From 1992 to 2011, Scott-Long Construction, Chantilly, Va., focused exclusively on building for not-for-profit clients. As the company’s portfolio expanded to include commercial and for-profit clients, the firm wanted to stay true to its roots of giving back to the community. 
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ABC Staff Participates in Homes for Our Troops Volunteer Day

Staff members from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) National and the ABC Virginia chapter spent last Saturday morning with nonprofit, Homes for Our Troops, cleaning up and landscaping with more than 95 volunteers to put the final touches on the brand-new home built for disabled Marine Veteran, LCpl Nick Thom and his wife.
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Golf Fundraiser Supports Programs for Abuse Victims

More than 200 construction industry professionals from Florida gathered for the seventh annual charity golf tournament run by Suffolk Construction, which raised $75,000 to support the nonprofit organization HomeSafe. 
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ABA Holds Annual Back-to-School Supply Drive

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Making Great Strides

In the 1950s, children diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) were not expected to live past elementary school. Today, with the help of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, many people with the disease live well into their 30s. Driven by the ultimate goal of finding a cure, Choate Construction has been committed to supporting the foundation’s research and outreach efforts for the past 24 years.
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Shapiro & Duncan in the Community

Shapiro & Duncan, Rockville, Md., believes that building the community they live in goes beyond the physical construction work they do and involves giving back to the people that surround them. Throughout the year, the company and its employees support a wide variety of organizations such as Junior Achievement, Food & Friends, Rebuilding Together, DC Students Construction Trades Foundation, and Operation Renewed Hope Foundation. 
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Patriotic Philanthropy

Since 2010, construction equipment rental company Volvo Rents has supported U.S. military troops through two prominent nonprofit organizations. Volvo Rents’ partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation, which began in 2011, features a line of patriotic-themed equipment. On average, 20 percent of the revenue Volvo Rents generates from these rentals, which include 50 different types of equipment, is donated to fund scholarships and provide assistance to the spouses and children of killed or disabled service members. To date, the equipment line has raised nearly $112,000 for educational scholarships. 
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ABC Gets Dirty for a Good Cause

The ABC Eastern Pennsylvania chapter joined more than 6,000 other runners in early June as they took part in the largest MuckFest for MS event of the year in Philadelphia, Pa.
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Building on Hope

Building on Hope, Concord, N.H., was founded in 2010 to improve the facilities of local nonprofits by partnering with builders, architects and designers, and to serve members of the surrounding community. Warrenstreet Architects, a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) New Hampshire/Vermont Chapter, was one of five companies that founded Building on Hope, which works with the local construction industry to provide physical improvements to the nonprofit chosen for the project. 
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Update: ABC Supports Oklahoma Tornado Victims

As of June 11, ABC chapter staff, members and ABC National staff have raised more than $10,000 to support the individuals and their families affected by the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma through the co-branded ABC-American Red Cross donation website. 

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Opportunity to Help Victims of Oklahoma Tornado

In the wake of the devastating tornado damage in Oklahoma, ABC members, chapters and staff can donate to disaster outreach efforts through a customized site established between ABC and the American Red Cross.
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Plaza Construction Supports the U.S. Armed Forces

Thanks to Plaza Construction, an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Florida East Coast Chapter member, The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund added more than $100,000 to its fund which supports wounded or injured United States military personnel and their families. 
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Charles Perry Partners Modifies Florida Home to Help Local Child

Charles Perry Partners, Inc. (CPPI), member of ABC Central Florida, Florida First Coast and Florida Gulf Coast chapters, worked with subcontractors and suppliers to complete renovations on a home in Gainesville, Fla., benefitting nine-year-old Gabriel “Gaby” Tellado and his family.
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A United Effort

For the past seven years, Faith Technologies, Menasha, Wis., has held events and fundraisers supporting the efforts of the United Way, which uses donations to help community members achieve success through education, income stability and health. In 2012 alone, employees raised more than $10,000 and the company donated nearly $5,000 to the organization. 
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Brasfield & Gorrie Reaches Out to the Community

Brasfield & Gorrie’s Raleigh office spent a Saturday in April to give back to their community by getting involved with the Brown Bag Ministry, an organization that provides food, water, clothing and shelter to the hungry or homeless in different areas of North Carolina. 
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Running for TLC

Created by mining a 270-million-year-old limestone deposit in the bluffs surrounding the Missouri River, SubTropolis is not your average underground business complex. Every winter for the past 31 years, the one-of-a-kind location is transformed into an open course by developer Hunt Midwest, Kansas City, Mo., for a charity race benefiting the Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC). 
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James Hardie Takes Part in Post-Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Process

James Hardie Building Products is taking an active role in helping rebuild a stronger United States Northeast Coast in wake of last fall’s Hurricane Sandy with its participation in The Shop ‘Til You Drop Rebuild-A-Room Project on Saturday, April 6. James Hardie will help get the rebuilding process off to a running start for homeowners and their residential contractors with two raffles of James Hardie products at the event, to be held at Breezy Point Lumber, 28 E. Market St, Breezy Point, N.Y. The event will be hosted by Family-to-Family, Inc., along with Breezy Point Lumber and Breezy Point Hardware, and will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. 
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Mentoring Program Changes Four Lives

Upon winning the contract to build a new affordable housing complex for the nonprofit Passage Home, North Carolina-based Monteith Construction Corp. was determined to find a way to support the organization’s mission of ending the cycle of poverty and homelessness by giving a hand up, not a handout. To incorporate the group’s emphasis on self-reliance and empowerment, Monteith Construction proposed a mentoring program in which the firm would hire local residents to help build the Passage Home—providing them with a skill set that would position them to find more work in the future. 
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