October 27 - 29, in Atlanta, GA

Participate in cutting-edge sessions to develop innovative approaches and solutions to managing training and human capital at AGC's HR Professionals Conference and Training & Development Conference, Oct. 27-29 in Atlanta. Register and learn more at www.agc.org/hr_td.

Register for this year's combined conferences by October 1 for only $495 (AGC members and Chapter staff only). Attendees are allowed to attend any of the HR or T&D focused tracks and joint sessions to customize their experience.

Few industries rely on effective leadership for success more than the construction industry. With the overwhelming number of activities on any given jobsite, it takes astute leadership to pull them all together. Without it, project safety, profitability and company reputation are at risk. Attending AGC's Leadership in Construction Workshop will help you enhance your individual skills and teach you how to become the most effective leader possible.

COURSE DATE & LOCATION                                          

November 11-13, 2009 | Cincinnati, OH                          

APPLICATION DEADLINE

October 23, 2009

Learn more at www.agc.org/leadershipworkshop.

Save the date for the next AGC Building Contractors Conference January 20-23, 2010 in San Juan, Puerto Rico!  Registration and more information about the meeting will be posted to www.agc.org/BCC as it becomes available.

San Diego, California - September 29-30 - Manchester Grand Hyatt
 
Many negotiators fail to realize that successful negotiating is a talent - a talent that can be improved by learning the right skills. Negotiating doesn't mean tricks and intimidation. The ability to successfully negotiate is a skill that can be learned. In this two-day course, participants will gain valuable working knowledge of negotiating and listening and how it will benefit their relationships, both personally and professionally. Learn more!

Join us for three BIM-filled days in Philadelphia for the Fall BIMForum and the breakout courses of AGC's Building Information Modeling Education Program October 7-9

The BIMForum has quickly become the can't-miss event for those interested in the application of virtual design and construction for the AEC industry, tripling in size in the last two years and hailed as wild success by ENR.

Join fellow design, engineering and construction professionals and owners October 8-9 to discuss the latest in BIM technology, implementation and collaboration. The Fall meeting's theme is BIM as the Evolving Standard of Care: Driving process transformation for designers, contractors and owners.

BIMForum registration is open to anyone interested in discussing how Building Information Modeling is being implemented in the construction industry. Learn more about the BIM Forum here.

BIM Education Program Courses - October 7
● Course 1-BIM 101: An Introduction to Building Information Modeling
● Course 2-BIM Technology

Presented by AGC of America and the General Building Contractors Association, join us October 7, the day before the BIMForum, for one of two AGC BIM Education Program courses (programs will run concurrently). Learn more about the BIM Education Program here.

BIM 101 provides participants with a comprehensive overview of BIM, supported by case studies to help participants learn what BIM is, how it can be used, what the advanced uses are and how to get started. Participants in this program will be eligible to receive 8 AIA Learning Units and 0.8 IACET CEUs when participating in this program.

BIM Technology will delve into the capabilities of BIM tools specific to different phases and types of work, delve into benefits of BIM and how they can be realized and detail different approaches to using BIM.

Learn more and register here!

Jointly sponsored by AGC and CFMA, the 13th Annual AGC/CFMA Conference was developed in response to a need for programs and workshops designed specifically for financial professionals in the construction industry.

The two-day conference is filled with more than 30 interactive sessions, covering the latest industry issues and their financial implications. Get the latest information on:

• Strategies for Economic Downturns
• Construction Tax Update
• Ownership Transfer Techniques
• Investing in Today's Volatile Markets
• Risk Management

Learn more here!

Section 1512 of the Recovery Act requires information about the project and the jobs it creates, and salary disclosure for certain federal contractors to be reported to the central federal Web site, www.federalreporting.gov.

At 12:01 A.M. on August 17, 2009, that website was scheduled to go live and recipients of Recovery funds will be able to register as the first step in the reporting process mandated by the Recovery Act.  To register, recipients must already have a DUNS number and CCR number.

Registration will continue through September 30, 2009, with reporting officially beginning on October 1, 2009 through October 10, 2009.  For more information on the reporting requirements contained in the Recovery Act, click here (for federal contractors), here (for federally-assisted work), and here (for more information about the reporting process).  For OMB's guidance and forms associated with reporting, see recipient reporting information.

For more information, contact Marco Giamberardino at (703) 837-5325 or giamberm@agc.org.

AGC has identified 61 separate programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and broken down various building sector-related opportunities, totaling $26.9 billion, here.  AGC's chief economist Ken Simonson contributes to an in-depth discussion of the breakdown of building-related stimulus funding here. 

Examples of stimulus funding being distributed in the building sector include:

•  General Services Administration has now awarded $1 billion of its $5.5-billion total allotment from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Read the full ENR article here.
• The Baltimore Sun reports that the Baltimore Development Corporation has solicited proposals for projects including office buildings, business parks and hotels for the city's more than $30 million in stimulus money.
• In Tulsa, Okla., the Associated Press reports that education-designated stimulus funds combined with a public private partnership will be responsible for the construction of three early childhood centers.
• The Capitol Times reports that Wisconsin has received $170.7 million in bonding authority from the ARRA-funded Qualified School Construction Program "for new construction, rehabilitation or repair of school facilities as well as acquiring new land or equipment."

The National Institute of Building Sciences' National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities has broken down the programs involved with school funding here and posts information related to ARRA-related school facility modernization here as it becomes available.

On July 15, Deutsche Bank's CMBS Research team published a follow-up to their previous report "The Future Refinancing Crisis in Commercial Real Estate," originally published April 23, 2009.  The analysis explores the magnitude of potential refinancing problems faced by the commercial real estate debt markets over the coming decade.  Read the full report here.

AGC recently released the results of a survey that measured the impact of stimulus funds on construction companies' ability to expand payrolls.  The survey found that stimulus construction funds have had little impact to date on companies' ability to hire new employees, but have helped companies save existing jobs.

On August 3, AGC CEO Steve Sandherr appeared on Fox Business to discuss the results of the stimulus survey.  Watch the video here.   Sandherr has also contacted 27 federal agency heads concerning the pace that Recovery Act dollars are flowing through the agencies and into contracts available for bid.

Read AGC's press release here and the survey results here.  You can also view AGC's analysis and listen to the conference call during which the results were announced.  The survey results news has been widely covered by outlets such as Reuters, Commercial Building Products Magazine, Christian Science Monitor and The Washington Post. 

More than one million construction workers lost their jobs over the last twelve months, according to employment numbers released August 7 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Currently, 18.2 percent of construction workers are unemployed, nearly double the 9.7 percent overall unemployment rate, or 9.4 percent seasonally adjusted.  Sandherr stressed that the economic stimulus has helped prevent greater job losses, but that it is apparent that the construction industry is suffering from a low demand for commercial facilities, dwindling orders for new office buildings, declining state and local revenue and the current economic conditions as a whole, including tight credit markets.

Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to an analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released in late July by AGC.  The analysis, which ranks the 12-month construction employment change reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 352 metro areas, shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.  Read AGC's press release here and view the city-by-city data here.  Sandherr has noted that the job figures clearly point towards the need for continued investment in the construction industry. 

Various news outlets have picked up AGC's analysis, including the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Atlanta Business Chronicle and Denver Business Journal.

A recording of the July 23 Market Insights Series webinar, which offered the most up-to-date information on current and forecasted construction activity, is available here.  Presented by AGC of America, Reed Construction Data and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the webinar attracted more than 5,000 registrants and focused on the key factors affecting the recovery of the construction industry.  The free webcast was sponsored by GPDens.com and delivered by AGC's chief economist Ken Simonson, Jim Haughey of Reed Construction Data and Kermit Baker of AIA.

For the most current construction industry economic analysis, subscribe to Ken Simonson's weekly newsletter, Data DIGest.  Visit www.agc.org/stimulus for the latest information on the policy changes, new rules and regulations associated with the stimulus, programs receiving funding, tax incentives and the impact of job creation as a direct result of stimulus project awards.