In recent years, your new Carolinas AGC Board of Directors Chair picks a favorite song to lay out the theme for the coming year. But if it’s okay with you, let’s break a little tradition. While not being a big music fan, I am a big fan of Carolinas AGC and AGC of America. Having had the opportunity to serve on both Carolinas AGC and AGCA Board of Directors, I have met some amazing folks in our industry and always look forward to forging new relationships that will benefit our industry’s growth as well as my own personal growth.
As we head into 2025, both North and South Carolina are experiencing an unprecedented construction market. Opportunities abound and this industry is capitalizing. It is a great time to be constructors. We all made a choice to work in the construction industry. I firmly believe there is no other field that provides the great challenges we face each day while providing the great reward that this calling has afforded us. The projects we build are what I would describe as quality-of-life projects and are essential. We have made another choice to be a part of the Carolinas AGC. Our association is truly extraordinary; the staff is highly motivated and exceptionally well-equipped to take care of any task we may encounter to support and supplement our businesses.
The Carolinas AGC and AGCA are both gathering places for like-minded individuals who want to work together to better this industry. This is indeed a community where we build meaningful relationships and enduring connections. A place where we can come together and greatly influence our industry.
Our chapter is one of 88 chapters that make up AGCA. Our chapter is one of the largest chapters in the country and is unique in that we represent 2 states while representing multiple occupational divisions. It is also worth noting that of the chapters across the nation, CAGC continues to win national awards and recognition and is a proven leader among AGC Chapters across the country.
In addition to what we bring to the Carolinas, Dave Simpson, our Carolinas AGC President and CEO, currently serves on the AGCA Board of Directors and extends a strong voice for CAGC at the national level. AGCA provides a wealth of expertise in all areas of construction and provides a voice for our industry at the national level. AGCA continues to have a commanding presence in Washington. Very well respected on Capitol Hill, they go to battle on a national scale, advocating against poor policies such as the proposed new Heat Standards that are bad for business and the pro-union PLA Project Labor Agreements, Forever Chemicals/PFAS and Climate legislation just to name a few. AGCA is working for you on many fronts, earning its reputation in the industry as The Construction Association.
If you ever attend a CAGC staff meeting or sit in on one of our Board of Directors meetings, you will quickly see our great staff in action. This association has a subject matter expert for anything you may encounter. Please check out our quarterly “What Have We Done for you Lately” to see just some of the latest endeavors they are undertaking. Some areas they are working on include the Health Plan, Work Zone Safety Initiatives, Marketing Be Pro Be Proud, Project Funding, and Labor Initiatives. The bottom line is it’s apparent that our association is working diligently to assist each of us on multiple fronts.
Another bright spot is the work of the CAGC Foundation. We have been fortunate and have received large grants to fund several key initiatives. You can’t help but get emotional if you attend a graduation ceremony of one of our Construction Business Academies (CBA) or our Construction Bootcamps (CB). To date we have had over 100 CBA graduates and some 250 CB graduates. These programs are designed to help minority, small businesses and entry-level folks excel in the construction industry. Upon graduation, the graduates are welcomed into the CAGC family, ensuring access to continued support. These programs are tangible and are impacting people in a great way. We will need to determine the long-term financial sustainability of these critical programs.
The CAGC Young Leaders program is undeniably the face of tomorrow’s leaders in the industry. This program is booming with over 350 participants and growing every day. This program engages our younger generation through networking, professional development, and outreach programs to not only build them individually but also to aid in the success of our businesses. This program is truly amazing and provides a great opportunity to begin to understand what this industry means and how this association can provide support. A primary focus is to build out the “What’s Next” campaign to provide a clear path for future involvement of an individual in CAGC.
The future success of CACC is dependent on your involvement in the association. We can provide opportunities, offer benefits, and advocate for our industry but without your participation and support, we are lacking. We need YOU to make this organization the best it can be!
If you recall, I started off this article with a comment about breaking tradition. I also think it’s time to bring back some tradition. At AGCA, the first order of business at the beginning of each meeting is to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. On that note, we look forward to seeing you later this month at our CAGC Winter Convention in Charleston, SC, where we are expecting over 500 attendees, and at our Summer Summit & Expo in Hilton Head, SC, in July where we are expecting over 900 attendees. The Summer Summit has become one of the premiere construction events of the year. Our first order of business at both meetings, as well as all our CAGC BOD meetings, will be reciting together our Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America.
Finally, I am honored and excited about the opportunity to serve Carolinas AGC and you for what should be another terrific year with our 815+ CAGC member companies. You will see me at numerous meetings in both North and South Carolina and I look forward to hearing from you on how we can better serve you as a member of our CAGC family.
Please feel free to contact me (tedmondson@taloving.com) or Dave Simpson (dsimpson@carolinasagc.org) on what is on your mind as well as how to improve our CAGC services offered to you. We always want to hear from you and remember: It’s a Great Day to be in Construction!