News

ABC Greater TN Names Rep. Pat Marsh as 2022 Legislator of the Year

We had a very successful state legislative year in 2022, marking an almost 100% sucessful pass rate of the legislation important to our industry. This success is largely due to the relationships with our members, advocates and legislators. While we do this work for our members, nonmembers of ABC also are greatly impacted by the work our team does in every General Assembly session.  This year, one members of our General Assembly stood out in protecting and helping our industry thrive in this state through his workforce development work. Because of this individuals work, we wanted to honor Rep. Pat Marsh for his workforce development work, as well as his continued support of the merit shop and free enterprise in Tennessee. The “Legislator of the Year” award is given by ABC of Tennessee to those legislators who go above and beyond on behalf of the Association and the industry at-large.  More than simply getting our bills across the finish line, these individuals have demonstrat ... Read the rest of entry »

$950K Grant signed by Governor Lee for ABC Greater Tennessee Construction Trade Academies

Nashville, June 1st - Today, Governor Lee signed the 2022-2023 Appropriations bill, which covers state funding for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 and running through July 1, 2023. Included within that bill was a grant of $950K awarded to the Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Tennessee's Construction Trades Academies in Nashville and Knoxville.

The use of the appropriated $950K is awarded to be used to establish a pilot project that ensures the continued growth and enhancement of ABC Greater Tennessee's Construction Trades Academy for the training of skilled trades personnel.

We are excited to put this money to good use in Middle and East Tennessee and help spur new engagement of young people in the trades and build a bigger and better trained workforce in the State of Tennessee.

ABC: Tennessee ranks 12th in nation for construction business climate

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21— Tennessee ranks 12th in state rankings for construction business climate, according to the 2021 Associated Builders and Contractors Merit Shop Scorecard. Tennessee returned to the top tier of the rankings this year based on the state’s continued encouragement of fair and open competition. Rounding out the top five, South Carolina ranked third, Georgia ranked fourth and Wisconsin ranked fifth. Other states to receive an A ranking in 2021 include Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Iowa, and West Virginia. “The resiliency of our outstanding industry has been on full display throughout the year,” said Ben Brubeck, ABC’s vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs. “From economic and regulatory headwinds to talent shortages, supply chain bottlenecks, high inflation rates and a lingering pandemic, ABC member companies continue to invest in their people and deliver work safely, ethically and profitably. The top states in this year&rsq ... Read the rest of entry »

ABC Greater Tennessee and Knox County announce Construction Trades Academy

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs is one step closer to finalizing a major initiative – creating the Skilled Trades Academy and Regional Training Center (START), a training school designed to attract, train, and retain a quality workforce in the construction industry. The Knox County Commission will vote next week on a 5-year lease agreement with John H. Daniel to secure the company’s 16,200-square foot warehouse at 1801 N. Central Ave. Associated Builders and Contractors – Greater Tennessee (ABC – Greater Tennessee), which has a similar and successful academy in Nashville, will run the school. The association, founded in 1971, is a part of 69 state chapters across the country representing 21,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms. “Knox County is committed to creating opportunities for everyone to thrive,” Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said. “This academy does that by adva ... Read the rest of entry »

Associated Builders & Contractors Announces Excellence in Construction Award Winners

Nashville, Tennessee -  Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Greater Tennessee Chapter yesterday announced the winners of 37 Excellence in Construction Awards during the annual Excellence in Construction Awards celebration held on November 4 in Nashville, TN. Governor Bill Lee, former 1999 ABC Chairman of the Board, was the keynote speaker for the event, and congratulated the hard work of merit shop contractors in Tennessee while emphasizing his dedication towards workforce development in the state. Hensel Phelps received the grand prize of General Contractor Award, Pavement Restorations recieved Subcontractor of the Year, with ECS Limited recieving the Associate Member of the Year Award. John Stallworth, former Chairman, recieved the coveted Rodgers-Bell award for this lifetime of service to the chapter. Hensel Phelps' Brandt Frye took home the 2021 Volunteer of the Year award for his commitment to the chapter in 2021 of growing the Emerging Leaders group, devotion to our Politi ... Read the rest of entry »

ABC Greater Tennessee Announces 2021 Excellence in Construction Awards

Associated Builders and Contractors Greater Tennessee Chapter is pleased to announce our 2021 Excellence in Construction® Awards Winners. 37 projects were awarded, as well as 5 individual awards. 

Annually, the Excellence in Construction® award program honors innovative, top quality construction projects and safety programs. Entries are judged by an independent panel of industry experts who score each project in areas such as complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges overcome, completion time, workmanship, innovation, and safety. Excellence in Construction® awards recognize project contractors, primary architects and engineers, and owners.

We are proud to continue the ABC legacy of leadership, professionalism, safety, and excellence through this competition and beyond. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients!

Project Winners

Pictures of the Night

Individual Awards

   

 

ABC Responds to Senate Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10—Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed the U.S. Senate today by a vote of 69 to 30. The bill would provide $550 billion in new infrastructure investments. “This infrastructure package contains the most significant investment in our nation’s infrastructure in a generation and could yield crucial wins for the American people and construction industry,” said Michael Bellaman, ABC president and CEO. “It is promising to see progress made toward modernizing our nation’s roads, bridges, water infrastructure, transit, railways, ports and other critical infrastructure This bipartisan accomplishment is something that has eluded Congress for decades and is proof of the possibilities when lawmakers choose compromise over conflict. “Commonsense provisions in this bill will cut down on unnecessary delays in federal construction projects and help addres ... Read the rest of entry »

Tennessee construction industry celebrates passage of construction industry worker protections

NASHVILLE, TENN., April 8th. – The state’s construction industry today celebrated the passage of HB 1112/SB 1150 (Rep. Kevin Vaughan/Sen. Jack Johnson), which would protect local workers from overreaches by local governments in drastically changing construction industry standards.  “Too often, local governments get it wrong when it comes to modernizing construction industry standards,” said Associated Builders and Contractors Greater Tennessee President/CEO, Clay Crownover. “This legislation will ultimately protect local workers and businesses by preventing local governments from overreaching beyond state and federal law when it comes to construction industry standards.” This legislation would protect worker’s privacy by making it illegal for local governments to ask for the personnel information of employees, bars the requirement of contractors to abide by safety laws in excess of what is required under federal occup ... Read the rest of entry »

Tennessee construction industry expresses opposition to changes in Metro Construction Industry Standards

NASHVILLE, TENN., March 17th. – The state’s construction industry today expressed opposition to Metro legislation, 2021-676, that would radically change Metro Nashville’s procurement code and construction industry standards, saying the measure is based on non-objective and unsubstantiated data that do not accurately reflect the state of the industry or its record in Nashville and could tilt the balance of the Procurement Board, which plays a major role in awarding Metro contracts, against merit shop contractors and workers.  “This legislation hurts the very people it is intended to help, the workers of Nashville. The legislation invades the privacy of local workers and requires compliance with extreme safety standards that are undefined, do not currently exist, and for which Metro is without authority to promulgate. It will increase construction costs for the city and kill local construction jobs. Safety and fairness in contracts are our members’ numbe ... Read the rest of entry »

Legislative Update: Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Tennessee Adds to Legislative Advocacy Team

March 4, 2021 - The Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Tennessee is proud to announce the hiring of Nathan Ridley to assist and eventually lead our Tennessee General Assembly and local government advocacy team. "We are excited to announce the addition of Nathan to our already exceptional state and local lobbying team," said Clay Crownover, ABC Greater Tennessee President/CEO. "Nathan has the necessary experience and contacts to continue to assist us in protecting the rights and interests of merit shop contractors from Middle to East Tennessee for years to come." Nathan serves as Counsel for several trade associations and utility service and financial service providers before the Tennessee General Assembly and Executive Branch and various regulatory boards.  He practices law in the Nashville office of the firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP.  He also serves as Secretary for the law firm’s Tennessee political fund.  Before joining the la ... Read the rest of entry »