Champion Electric Inc. of Riverside, Calif., member of ABC’s Southern California Chapter, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC. The AQC program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, employee benefits, training and community relations.  

Jerry Daniels of Joe Daniels Construction has reached the Chairman’s Level of the Beam Club for recruiting more than 100 new members, and Gerry Krebsbach of K-W Electric Inc., Jay Zahn of R & R Insurance and Tom Altmann of Altmann Construction Co. Inc. have reached the Presidential Level of the Beam Club for recruiting more than 50 new members.

More than a dozen ABC members took advantage of the inaugural ABC at AU program in Las Vegas Nov.14-16. Autodesk University (AU) draws hundreds of construction professionals from all size businesses to see, touch, and try the latest industry technology and attend any of the 180 construction related classes.

On Nov. 18, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems) final rule. This is an update for general industry and does not change the construction standard. This update could impact maintenance activities being completed on a facility. OSHA indicated that under the final rule they have worked to align the general industry standard with the construction standard. 

On Dec. 1, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a document entitled recommended practices for safety and health programs in construction.  This document is meant to help small and medium contractors who may not have safety and health specialists on staff to create proactive programs to keep their workplace safe. The recommendations do not change any existing obligations from OSHA standards or create new legal obligations, rather is meant only as advisory. 

The new site allows members and staff to search for ABC members across the country by name, chapter, location, sales volume or type of construction. Plus, you can search for members that participate in STEP, have signed the Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace Pledge and those who have federal designations. Members can also manage their membership information, including verifying company name, chapter, CSI and NAICS codes and designations.

The 2016 CFMA Financial Benchmarker Report presents a detailed analysis of key operating data from the construction industry. The report, based on confidential surveys completed by 869 companies in early 2016, showed an increase in return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), average days in accounts receivable, gross profits and net income and a decline in average days in accounts payable.

Section 179 of the U.S. tax code presents a welcome opportunity for small business owners to save money at tax time. An economic incentive designed to encourage the purchase of business-related equipment, Section 179 lets taxpayers deduct the full cost (within limits) of certain types of property from their federal taxes for the year the property was purchased and put into service.

On Nov. 14, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised I-9 Form. Employers can begin to use the newly revised I-9 Form or continue to use the current version, which is dated 3/8/2013. However, beginning Jan. 22, 2017, all employers must use the revised I-9 Form (edition date 11/14/2016 noted at the bottom of the form) for all new hires to verify their employment eligibility, including U.S. citizens and non-citizens. Employers who fail to use the new form on or after Jan. 22 may be subject to penalties. 

ABC announced new resources made available to its members through its membership in the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. ABC joined the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)-led alliance in October 2016 to help provide resources and disseminate information on suicide prevention and mental health awareness in the construction industry, with a goal of building a zero-suicide industry.