CT ABC Newsletter February 2014.pub

February 2014
CT ABC Monthly
Inside this issue
12th Annual Excellence in
Construction Award Ceremony
Highlights Top Construction
Contractors
1
CT ABC Membership Director
Promoted
2
Code Update
2
3
Legislative Update
Prevailing Wage
Smart Start Breakfast
3
Are you in STEP? Final Call for
Applications!
3
Construction Materials More
Volatile in January
6
Construction Pro Rodeo and
Construction Career Days
12th Annual Excellence in
Construction Award Ceremony
Highlights Top Construction
Contractors
CT ABC hosted its 12th annual Excellence in
Construction awards ceremony on January 30,
2014 at the Aquaturf in Southington, CT with
over 600 professionals from the industry in
attendance. The event honored construction
companies and subcontractors who performed
work on outstanding construction projects
completed as of October 2013. Also honored
ABC National President Michael Bellaman, Sandra
Lugo and Rene Carrasquillo, Jr.
Small Specialty Contractor: Notch Mechanical
Constructors
Large Specialty Contractor: EMCOR Services
New England Mechanical
CT ABC honored three firms for outstanding
service to the industry:
6
Associate Member of the Year
Mahoney Sabol & Co., LLP
CT ABC President Lelah Campo, Allen V. Herring,
Carol Bockstael and Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner Bruce Bockstael
was Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
Bruce Bockstael, the recently retired Chief
Architect with the CT Dept. of Construction
Services. The Excellence in Construction
award ceremony was held in conjunction with
the association’s annual dinner where the 2014
Board of Directors & Officers were sworn in
with James LaRosa of LaRosa Building Group,
LLC as Chair, Tim O’Brien of KBE Building
Corporation as Vice Chair, Michael Sabol of
Mahoney Sabol & Co., LLP as Treasurer and
Jeff Clement of Modern Mechanical Systems,
Inc. as Secretary.
Specialty Contractor of the Year
Modern Mechanical Systems, Inc.
Contractor of the Year (Merit Cup Winner)
KBE Building Corporation
Voting area for People’s Choice Award
Of the 35 STEP safety program participants, 18 CT ABC’s nod to “American Idol”, their
contractors entered to win one of four “Best of People’s Choice award, allows on-line and inthe Best” safety awards, and the winners were: person voting! With 564 of the 1,347 votes
received, the winner was the Saint Francis
Small GC/CM: PDS Engineering & Hospital Innovation and Learning Center
Construction
project submitted by S/L/A/M Construction
Large GC/CM: KBE Building Corp.
(Continued on page 4) EIC
2014 Board of Directors
Page 2
Bryan Addy
Kronenberger & Sons Restoration, Inc.
Alexander Babbidge
Welcome New Members
Babbidge Facilities Construction Co., Inc.
Linda Baronowskus
Anchor Insulation
David Toth
34 Industrial Park Road
Niantic, CT 06357
Phone: (860) 739-3111
Fax: (860) 739-2090
The Middlesex Corporation
Dave Skerrett
One Spectacle Pond Road
Littleton, MA 01460
Phone: (978) 742-4400
Fax: (978) 742-4423
F&F Concrete Corporation
Lauren Forgione
110 W. Main Street
Plantsville, CT 06479
Phone: (860) 628-9674
Fax: (860) 621-8466
Sandler Training
Edward Schultek
574 Heritage Road, Suite 200
Southbury, CT 06488
Phone: (203) 264-1197
Fax: (203) 262-1409
Tradeco Construction
Dwight Burgess
35 Cold Spring Road
Suite 514
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Phone: (860) 288-4699
Fax: (860) 372-4667
Hanover Insurance
Bill Eschert
440 Lincoln St.
Mail Stop N478
Worcester, MA 01653
Phone: (508) 855-2914
Smith Brothers Insurance, Inc.
Rene Carrasquillo
Castle Concrete Corporation
Jeff Clement, Secretary
Modern Mechanical Systems, Inc.
Keith Corneau
United Steel, Inc.
Thomas Giardini
Associated Construction Co.
James LaRosa, Chair
LaRosa Building Group, LLC
Stanley Mierzejewski
Mizzy Construction, Inc.
Tim O’Brien, Vice Chair
KBE Building Corporation
Travis Ramsdell
Maffe Financial
Michael Sabol, Treasurer
Mahoney Sabol & Co., LLP
Deb Sarazin
Sarazin General Contractors, Inc.
David Thompson
Allstate Fire Systems
Jeffrey Towle
Cianbro Corporation
Norman J. Yester, CPA
CT ABC Membership Director Promoted
Chris Syrek started at CT ABC in 2012 as Member Services Director. At
the Annual Meeting in January he was promoted to Vice President. His
current responsibilities include: leading the opposition against PLAs and
RCOs, coordinating lobbying efforts at the State Capitol, and handling the
Chapter's Membership efforts. Since joining the staff, he has been a tireless
advocate in defending the Merit Shop philosophy and working for our
members, while also helping the chapter obtain one of the highest
membership retention rates in the country. Prior to joining CT ABC, Chris
worked on a number of political campaigns including a Gubernatorial and
US Senate race, and also mananged a Congressional Campaign. He uses
his experience to help CT ABC and our members navigate through tough
issues and the challenging Connecticut political landscape.
Nicola, Yester & Company, P.C.
Breaking News!
Code Update
The State of Connecticut has adopted the 2009
International Residential Code and the 2011
National Electrical Code in the 2005 State Building
Code, with Connecticut specific changes. The
effective date of the Amendment will be February
28, 2014.
CT ABC Staff
President
Lelah Campo .................... [email protected] ................ 860.838.6220
Vice President
Chris Syrek ....................... [email protected] ................ 860.838.6226
Education Director
Jennifer Philips ................. [email protected] ........... 860.838.6233
Member Services Manager
Suzanne O’Brien .............. [email protected] ........... 860.838.6231
Education Coordinator
Maureen Petrucelli............ [email protected] .......... 860.838.6221
Events Coordinator
Audra Antrum................... [email protected] ............... 860.883.9016
Pictured left to right: Suzanne O’Brien, Carol Maloney, Chris
Syrek, Lelah Campo, Audra Antrum, Maureen Petrucelli, Jennifer
Philips
Bookkeeper
Carol Maloney .................. [email protected] ................ 860.838.6224
Page 3
Legislative Update
Delayed by yet another winter snow storm, the 2014
Legislative Session kicked off a day late, with the speaker
dropping the gavel on the morning of Thursday, February 6,
2014. Legislators from a host of committees got right down
to business with their first meetings, knowing that they only
have three months to get everything done in this
abbreviated, election year Legislative Session.
Even though the session is short, there are still plenty of
bills that CT ABC will be working on. Here is a brief
update from the Capitol:
Governor’s Budget Address: Governor Malloy began the
2014 session with his annual State of the State Address.
Much of the speech focused on what the administration
views as the Governor’s accomplishments during the first
three years of his term: working to close the $3.5 billion
budget deficit, reducing unemployment, and offering state
funded financial assistance to help Connecticut employers.
Malloy also laid out his priorities for the coming year which
included all day kindergarten, various education initiatives,
and raising the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.
There was no mention of any issues that directly affect the
construction industry.
Nullum Tempus/Statute of Limitations: In November of
2012, the Connecticut Supreme Court released its decision
in the State of CT v. Lombardo Brothers Mason
Contractors, Inc. case, stating that the state is not subject to
any statute of limitations or repose when making a claim
against a contractor or design professional who worked on a
state funded project. This leaves contractors responsible for
any damage to the project for the duration of their business
and their lives. This would obviously affect a contractor’s
ability to do business with the state, leave them liable for
already completed projects, and also impact the bonding/
surety side of the industry. CT ABC has been an active
member of a coalition of industry professionals that is
working to correct some of the problems the law has
created. The Judiciary Committee raised a concept bill, and
will host a public hearing sometime in early March to
discuss the issue. Although there are many hurdles to
passing such a complex bill in a short session, the coalition
is optimistic about the progress we have made.
Retirement Security Bill: It still remains a priority of the
Majority Leaders in both chambers to pass a bill that will
set up a state administered retirement fund that would
require employee contributions from each paycheck. The
percentage deducted would likely be 2.5 – 3% each pay
period, and would be mandatory unless the employee
signed a form to opt out of the program. CT ABC has
joined a coalition with the Connecticut Business and
(Continued on page 5) Update
Prevailing Wage
Smart Start Breakfast
The Smart Start Breakfast Series continues on
Thursday, March 13, 2014 at CT ABC with
an update on Prevailing Wage Compliance. Speakers will be
Sandra Barrachina of CT DOL and Bud O’Donnell, Esq. of
Siegel, O'Connor, O'Donnell & Beck, P.C.
This will be a complete review and update of Prevailing Wage
regulation and compliance. Topics include:
Approved DOL forms
Employee classification (Stop work orders)
Recent updates
Maximize benefit portion
Utilizing prevailing wage law to train your workforce
The event is being sponsored by Maffe Financial.
Are you in STEP? Final Call for
Applications!
ABC’s Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP)
provides a guide for contractors large and small to better their
safety performance and show off their safety successes. The
STEP tool enables contractors to objectively assess their safety
practices and demonstrates what steps to take to reach a higher
level of safety. The STEP program was developed and written
by contractors, for contractors. There is no charge for this
service (unless you are applying for STEP Diamond or
Platinum), and your responses are strictly confidential.
By participating in STEP, here’s what the STEP program will
do:
Organized approach for analyzing and developing safety
and loss prevention programs
The Key Component system forms a 20-point guide to
starting, updating or auditing a company-wide safety
program
Incorporates lagging indicator safety performance data
with leading indicator use and self-assessment
requirements to give a full, wide ranging report on the
entire nature of a company's Safety Program
Designed to benefit both large and small contractors alike
Recognition for ABC members at both National and
Chapter level, with various recognition events held
throughout the year
Gateway to Accredited Quality Contractor recognition
STEP Diamond and Platinum recipients eligible for ABC
National Safety Excellence Award and Construction Users
Roundtable (CURT) - CISE award
2013 STEP data shows STEP participants beat BLS
national averages in all lagging indicator performance
metrics, leading to participant benefits in the pre-bid/bid
process and when negotiating insurance rate.
(Continued on page 5) STEP
Page 4
EIC (Continued from page 1)
Services.
The Excellence in Construction and Merit Award winners are
projects submitted to this annual competition and judged by an
independent panel of judges which include architects, engineers
and university professionals. Project submittals must adhere to
rigorous application requirements for consideration of the
year’s top honors. Contractors must not only demonstrate
outstanding quality in construction and references from the
project owner, but also rigorous safety performance!
CT ABC 2014 Board of Directors: Norman J. Yester, CPA of Nicola, Yester
& Company, P.C., Stanley Mierzejewski of Mizzy Construction, Inc., Keith
Corneau of United Steel, Inc., Jeff Clement of Modern Mechanical
Systems, Inc., Thomas Giardini of Associated Construction Co., Michael
Sabol of Mahoney Sabol & Co., LLP, Debra Sarazin of Sarazin General
Contractors, Inc., David Thompson of Allstate Fire Systems, Rene
Carrasquillo, Sr. of Castle Concrete Corporation, Alex Babbidge of
Babbidge Facilities Construction Co., Inc., James LaRosa of LaRosa
Building Group, LLC, Tim O'Brien of KBE Building Corporation and Bryan
Addy of Kronenberger & Sons Restoration, Inc.
CT ABC President Lelah Campo introducing former Gov. John Rowland
who was the Mater of Ceremonies for the evening
The year’s Best in Show was awarded to Cianbro Corporation
for the Niantic River Bascule Railroad Bridge Replacement
Project. This top designation was chosen by the panel of judges
as the year’s best of the best. This heavy infrastructure project
required in-depth and extensive safety and environmental
planning as the entire project was constructed in an
environmentally sensitive area surrounded by three freshwater
wetlands and two shellfish fishing areas.
This year CT ABC recognized the following companies as
Excellence in Construction Award recipients:
Mechanical: Orafol Americas, Inc. - EMCOR Services New
England Mechanical
Renovation: The Learning Lab at Connecticut Public
Broadcasting Network - KBE Building Corporation
Institutional (tie): Carrington Elementary School - KBE
Building Corporation
Institutional (tie): Fairfield Woods Middle School Additions &
Renovations - ESRT Construction
Healthcare Under $5M: St. Francis Hospital Innovation and
(Continued on page 5) EIC
A special thank you to our 2013 Excellence in Construction Award Judges
(L.-R.): Thomas A. DiBlasi, Allen V. Herring, Susan H. Labas, Sally Katz,
and Bruce Bockstael, and Jacob Kovel (And not shown: David Brownell,
Michael Crosbie, PhD., Lenell Kittlitz, and Ray Perreault)
Page 5
Update (Continued from page 3)
STEP (Continued from page 3)
Industry Association (CBIA) to oppose this legislation.
Crane Licensing: CT ABC continues to work on a bill that
would extend the deadline for Licensed Crane operators to
take their re-certification test from October 2014 to the
federally set deadline of October 2017. The Committee on
Public Safety and Security raised SB 291 – An Act
Concerning Crane Operations, which will be the vehicle to
extend the deadline. There will be a public hearing on
March 4 in which CT ABC will testify in support of the bill.
Enforcement of Professional and Occupational
Licensing: CT ABC and a number of Industry experts have
been working on a bill that would provide stricter
enforcement and penalties to those who perform work
without the proper license or apprentice permit. A draft bill
has been submitted to the General Law Committee that
would give DOL or DCP the authority to issue a “Stop
Work Order” within 48 hours of the local or state inspector
finding that contractor is operating without the proper
documentation. There will also be an effort by DOL to hire
6 new inspectors with the goal of providing stricter
enforcement of the law. A concept bill was raised in the
General Law Committee at their February 18 meeting.
In addition to giving your company national recognition for safety
efforts, the STEP program also helps the ABC National Safety
Committee better identify the safety needs of our members. By
targeting those needs, we can more effectively develop safetyrelated materials and programs that will directly benefit your
company.
There are several awards levels and STEP Award certificates for
all levels are mailed to the chapters for public presentation at our
annual Safety BBQ at the Durham Fairgrounds on May 15th.
At its core, STEP remains a way for contractors to improve their
safety performance. Whether you are starting a program from
scratch, or are looking to make the jump from a great safety
program to one that is truly world-class, STEP is a proven road
map to success. Please call Suzanne at (860) 838-6231 or email
[email protected] for more information.
Chemical Treatment of Roads: Due to increased concern
from various business associations, as well as the general
public, a bill was raised that would commission a study of
the corrosive effects of chemical road treatments on
vehicles, roads, and infrastructure. There was a public
hearing before the Transportation Committee on HB 5288
that CT ABC gave public testimony in support of the bill.
Apprenticeship Ratio: HB 5454, An Act Concerning
Apprentice Ratios, was raised by the General Law
Committee. While this bill will not pass this session, it
presents an opportunity for CT ABC and other construction
associations to review the apprenticeship ratios with the
labor unions and work together to make sure they are in the
best interests of the industry.
Prevailing Wage: SB 318, An Act Concerning Electronic
Prevailing Wage Notices, was raised out of the Labor and
Public Employees Committee. CT ABC has advocated for
electronic reporting of prevailing wage records in the past,
and will likely support the bill, depending on what the final
language includes.
EIC (Continued from page 4)
Learning Center - S/L/A/M Construction Services
Healthcare Over $5M: Albion Street- Viking Construction,
Inc.
This year CT ABC recognized the following companies as
Merit Award recipients:
Mechanical: Covidien Chilled Water Plant - Crest Mechanical
Services, Inc.
Renovation: Long Wharf Theatre Main Stage Renovation - Petra
Construction Corporation
Page 6
Construction Materials More Volatile in January
Construction materials prices expanded 0.6% in January and are up 1.5% year over year, according to the Feb. 19 producer
price index released by the Department of Labor. More specifically, nonresidential construction materials prices are up 0.5%
for the month and are 1% higher than the same time one year ago.
"After a period of unusual stability, materials prices expanded more briskly in January," said Associated Builders and
Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. "While the year-over-year increase in nonresidential construction prices is benign,
January raises the question of whether that period of stability is coming to an end.
"While economists work to determine if short-term atmospheric phenomenon or longer-term economic factors were the
driving factors behind the volatility, it appears that weather played a dominate role in shaping price patterns in January," Basu
said. "Although it is true that the global economy has been accelerating recently and the nonresidential construction sector is
becoming more active in the United States, increased demand for materials likely played a relatively minor role in January's
price behavior."
"Another factor behind January's aggregate price
increase could be the impact of the weather on
energy—natural gas prices surged in January and
crude energy rose more than 1% during the last
month," Basu said.
Overall, the nation's wholesale goods prices
expanded 0.4% in January and are up 0.9% year
over year.
The following materials prices increased in
January.
• Natural gas prices expanded 14.5% in
January and are 27.7% higher than one year
ago.
• Iron and steel prices expanded 1.9% in January and are up 3.9% from the same time last year.
• Nonferrous wire and cable prices gained 1.7% on a monthly basis but are down 3.6% from January 2013.
• Steel mill products prices expanded 1.2% for the month and are 0.5% higher than one year ago.
• Crude energy prices grew 1.1% in January and are 3.8% higher year over year.
• Concrete products prices grew 0.6% in January and are up 2.8% on a yearly basis.
A number of key construction inputs did not experience price increases for the month.
• Crude petroleum prices fell 7.6% in January and are down 4% from January 2013.
• Softwood lumber prices fell 0.6% but are 2.8% higher than one year ago.
• Prices for prepared asphalt, tar roofing, and siding declined 0.4% for the month and are down 0.8% on a yearly basis.
• Fabricated structural metal product prices are down 0.4% but have risen 0.1% on a year-over-year basis.
• Prices for plumbing fixtures remained flat for the month and are up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis.
Construction Pro Rodeo and
Construction Career Days
sponsored by Porter & Chester Institute
Join us at the Durham Fairgrounds on May 14 & 15,
2014 for an extreme hands-on, innovative and newsworthy
construction industry event- the Construction Pro Rodeo!
Featuring a career day for high school students each
morning, skill competitions for pros, amateurs and a few
celebrities, as well as a Thursday night graduation
ceremony and BBQ with exhibits!
Page 7
3 Starr Ridge Road, Suite 100
Brewster, NY 10509
2138 Silas Deane Highway
Suite 101
Rocky Hill, CT 06067
Building a Better Connecticut...Together
Visit us on the web!
Visit:
www.ctabc.org
or
www.thinkconstruction.org
Upcoming Events
March 2014
Project Open
Shop Salute
13
Smart Start: Prevailing Wage Compliance
April 2014
16
Board Meeting
24
Merit Shop Day at the Capitol
May 2014
Needs your help….
14 & 15
Construction Career Days & CEC Safety BBQ
21
Board Meeting
Donations can be made in many forms: man hours,
building supplies, disposal services or even simply a
monetary donation. Contact [email protected]