Contractor's association hosts first Spring Summit 2018
With a strong emphasis on safety education and discussions on the importance of a company culture, the Chicagoland Associated General Contractors held their first Spring Summit Luncheon on Wednesday, May 16, in Oak Brook, Illinois.
The event was attended by nearly 150 people included industry leaders and various companies and culminated in the announcement of this year's 2018 Safety Award Winners.
"Fifty-two percent of injuries happen within an employee's first year at work, regardless of their tenure," stated George Tuhowski III, president of the Chicagoland Associated General Contractors. "This statistic is startling which is why safety training is a priority."
The Safety & Health Committee organized the summit to get the membership to advocate for safer construction performance.
"The Chicagoland AGC operates the Safety Award program to recognize construction companies who excel at safety and health performance," explained Safety & Health Committee Chairman Dan Ruane of Pepper Construction. "This program closely examines each candidate's commitment to safety, occupational health management and risk control."
Winners of the safety awards were presented by co-chairman Vince Vacala of Tyler Lane Construction and Dan Ruane.
Nominees were selected by the association's Safety & Health Committee and were judged by a panel of three, third-party safety consultants. All nominees completed a thorough application and applied for awards in the categories of safety recognition, safety improvement, and safety excellence. Criteria such as the number of incidents and the most improved safety record were considered by the judging panel.
"Judges take a comprehensive look at each company, evaluating management, active employee participation, safety training, work site hazard identification and control procedures, and safety program innovation," added Stacey Kelly, CAGC program manager. "In all, 27 winners were chosen in the safety recognition category, two in safety improvement and three in safety excellence," announced Kelly. A complete list of winners is available on the CAGC website, www.chicagolandagc.org.
Attendees of the summit also heard from keynote speakers, Peggy Newquist and Michaelann Agoranos of Constructing Opportunity LLC, the industry's premier provider of leadership development and mentoring programs. Agoranos talked in depth about a company's culture and the reasons employees stay or leave their current positions.
"Hays Recruiting issued a report in 2017 based on data they collected from over 2,100 people across 16 different industries, including construction, multiple generations and workers at all levels within the organization," stated Agoranos. "Salary is the most important factor in accepting a job offer or staying in a current role.
While salary was found to the biggest factor in accepting a role, employees are looking for more of a total package of competitive compensation which includes clear career growth opportunities, a great culture, and benefits that support their goals," added Agoranos.
Overall, the summit offered CAGC members an opportunity to evaluate whether their own safety culture is effective or if additional accident prevention and loss-control measures are necessary. Those who chose to participate receive a confidential printout to compare their company's safety statistics with similar size and type AGC contractor members, both locally and nationally.
For more information about the Spring Summit or safety awards, please contact Stacey Kelly by email at skelly@chicagolandagc.org or by phone at (773) 444-0465.
About the Chicagoland Associated General Contractors
The Chicagoland Associated General Contractors is the leading trade association serving the Chicagoland commercial construction industry. In January 2018, it formed as the result of a merger between the former Builders Association and the Fox Valley Associated General Contractors.
The merged association serves as an even stronger voice for the industry. Chicagoland Associated General Contractors members include the leading contractors and suppliers in the Chicago area. General contractor members range from large, national firms to smaller, specialized companies and build private and public projects worth more than $11 billion annually.