ABC member company S & B Engineers and Constructors Ltd. celebrated the grand opening this week of their new Craft Education and Skills Enhancement Center, a 12,500-square-foot education facility that includes three classrooms and five bays for hands-on craft education activities. Located in Baytown, Texas, the facility provides skill enhancement opportunities for S & B’s construction workforce across multiple disciplines, including welding, pipefitting, electrical, millwright, civil and rigging, carpentry, crane operating, ironworking, scaffolding and safety. 

In front of a nearly sold-out crowd of more than 41,000 people, 2018 National Craft Championships gold medalists and the Craft Professional of the Year stood on the Washington Nationals baseball field July 3 and were honored for their hard work as trained craftsmen. The crowd cheered them on while the ABC logo spread across the stadium, showcasing the theme of the night—free enterprise.

More than 500 ABC members gathered in Washington, D.C., during ABC Legislative Week 2018 for meetings with top administration and congressional leaders on the issues that impact the merit shop construction industry at both the federal and state levels. Members attended the ABC Diversity & Inclusion Summit, Young Professionals Symposium, Free Enterprise Alliance Reception, Legislative Day and Legal Conference.

More than 100 industry leaders and key stakeholders came together for the fourth annual Diversity & Inclusion Summit to discuss the value of diversity in construction and promote the association's mission within diverse groups during ABC Legislative Week 2018. They engaged in thought-provoking discussions and learned from solution-based recommendations to help ABC members build diverse workplaces and supplier networks.

During its third annual Build Your Future Scholarship program, NCCER awarded scholarships of $2,000 each to 10 students who are pursuing craft professional education in the construction industry. NCCER and ABC’s Trimmer Construction Education Fund partner annually to present the scholarships to the top students attending an NCCER-accredited program or a state or federally-approved apprenticeship program in a merit shop training facility. 

The U.S. Department of Labor will recognize employer efforts to recruit, employ and retain veterans through the HIRE Vets Medallion Award Program in 2019. Under the program, established under the HIRE Vets Act of 2017, the DOL will begin accepting award applications from small, medium and large employers in January. Check out the hirevets.gov website for information on the timeline, and application fees and criteria for eligibility.

ABC members have set the standard for safety, performance and integrity in the construction industry since 1950. After topping 21,000 members in 2017, ABC has a goal of adding 1,000 new like-minded companies committed to excellence and delivering high-value, to join in 2018. Now it’s easy to recommend a colleague at onekmoresway.org, and chapter staff will follow up to close the deal.

ABC signed on to President Trump’s “Pledge to America’s Workers” at an event at the White House last week, committing to educating and developing at least 500,000 construction workers over the next five years. The pledge, which was signed by more than a dozen leading companies and industry trade associations, stressed the need to expand apprenticeship programs to educate current and future generations of America’s workforce.

ABC has added Massachusetts Chapter member Michael Moran of M.J. Moran, Inc. to the Beam Club Presidential level. The Beam Club was established in 1966 to recognize ABC’s top membership recruiters for their commitment to growing the association. By recruiting five new members, ABC members are automatically enrolled in the Beam Club by their chapter.

In front of a nearly sold-out crowd of more than 41,000 people, 2018 National Craft Championships gold medalists and the Craft Professional of the Year stood on the Washington Nationals baseball field July 3 and were honored for their hard work as trained craftsmen. The crowd cheered them on while the ABC logo spread across the stadium, showcasing the theme of the night—free enterprise.