News

ABC Greater Tennessee Names East TN Regional Director

Knoxville, Tenn, May 17th, 2023- Associated Builders and Contractors Greater Tennessee (ABC GreaterTN) is pleased to announce the addition of Madison White as regional director for East Tennessee. Madison will remain in Knoxville, focusing on development of the entire East TN region. “As the East TN regional director, Madison will help expand the association’s reach and expertise to serve the state’s construction industry across all of East TN,” said Clay Crownover, president and CEO of ABC Greater TN. “With the opening of our new trades school and other opportunities ABC offers, Madison will be a great addition in working to expand our reach within Knoxville and beyond, further develop our Emerging Leaders program, develop and plan our networking events, and market the association’s services to members and nonmembers. Madison will also help advocate for the merit shop construction industry at the local level" Madison brings to this role almost 10 years of co ... Read the rest of entry »

4 Greater Tennessee Member Companies Earn National Construction Project Honors

NASHVILLE, TN, March 25, 2023- ABC Greater Tennesseeoday announced 4 member companies won 6 of 82 national Excellence in Construction® awards, presented during ABC Convention 2023 in Orlando, Florida, on March 16. The EIC awards are the construction industry’s leading national competition that honors general and specialty contractors for world-class, safe and innovative construction projects from across the country. The EIC awards honor every member of the construction team, including the contractor, owner, architect and engineer. The winning projects are judged on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges overcome, completion time, innovation and safety. “The Excellence in Construction Awards are the cornerstone competition in our industry, honoring the project teams that exemplify the best of the best in merit shop construction,” said 2023 National Chair of the ABC Board of Directors Milton Graugnard, executive vice president, Cajun Industries LLC, Bato ... Read the rest of entry »

20 Greater Tennessee Member(s) Named National, Top-Performing US Construction Contractors

Nashville, TN, March 23, 2023— ABC Greater Tennessee today announced 20 member companies were named to Associated Builders and Contractors’ fifth annual Top Performers publication, which lists its contractor members that build the country’s most enduring, innovative, high-quality construction projects, ranked by work hours. Members named include: B.L. Harbart International, Brasfield & Gorrie, Brindley Construction, The Carden Company, CNC Foundations, F.L. Crane & Sons, Faith Technologies, Gaylor Electric, Hensel Phelps, Hoar Construction, Impetus, Ivey Mechanical, Lithko Contracting, M.C. Dean, M.J. Harris Construction, Rio Grande Fence, Co., Robins & Morton, Skanska, Tiny's Construction, and W.G. Yates & Sons.  "Year after year, our Greater Tennessee chapter members exemplify the best in Tennessee," said ABC Greater Tennessee President/CEO, Clay Crownover. "Our members truly build Tennessee and we couldn't be more proud to represent ... Read the rest of entry »

ABC Greater Tennessee Board of Directors Elected for 2023

The ABC- Greater Tennessee Chapter is pleased to announce that Justin Marcus of Joseph Construction has been elected ABC Greater Tennessee's 2023 Chairman. In addition, ABC will be welcoming Roger White (Rackley Roofing) on to the board for 2023.

In the truest sense of the word, ABC - Greater Tennessee Chapter is a member-run association. Members identify issues critical to merit shop construction and work together to find solutions using the resources of one of the largest construction-related groups in the world. 

A full contact list of 2023 board members can be found here.

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