Accounting
The Hidden Tax Strategy Every GC Should Know About When Building for Investors
If you’re a general contractor working with real estate investors, there’s a tax strategy that could quietly save your clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s called cost segregation, and while it’s handled by CPAs and tax engineers after the build is complete, the groundwork for maximizing its value often starts during construction. The more…
Marcum LLP Unveils Comprehensive 2023 Year-End Tax Guide
With the tax landscape continually evolving, Marcum LLP is proud to announce the release of its 2023 Year-End Tax Guide. Marcum’s 2023 Tax Guide features a detailed analysis of the current tax environment and spans more than 135 pages. Marcum’s tax team meticulously constructs its annual guides to help businesses and individuals navigate the latest changes…
Four Tips for Construction Firms to Reduce the Risk of a Tax Audit
With an ever-expanding web of tax regulations being applied to the construction industry, including construction specific provisions such as energy efficiency credits, tax season can be particularly stressful for construction companies. Construction projects often involve complex financial transactions among dozens of entities, making the specter of an audit particularly daunting. These four tips can help…
Diversity & Inclusion
Business Leaders Continue to Support DEI Initiatives Despite Year of Attacks and Criticism
In the second annual Inclusion Barometer, released today by executive search firm Bridge Partners, business leaders show a continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Despite a year filled with attacks and criticisms of DEI programs from some well-known business and civic leaders including Bill Ackman, Elon Musk, and Senator Tom Cotton, 72% of C-Suite and Human Resources leaders…
NAIOP DEI Strategic Pillars: New Committee on DEI
2023 NAIOP Chair Kim Snyder and the NAIOP Board of Directors are proud to announce the adoption of its Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policy statement by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. During the board meeting on October 17, held as part of NAIOP’s CRE.Converge conference in Seattle, the board unanimously approved the…
ICSC and Partner Associations Form the Commercial Real Estate Diverse Supplier Consortium
The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) announced their participation in an industry-wide alliance to foster supplier diversity in the real estate industry. The Commercial Real Estate Diverse Supplier (CREDS) Consortium, made up of seven real estate trade associations, aims to meet growing interest from companies in real estate to further diversify their supply chains while…
Finance, Bonding, & Insurance
New Report Reveals 51.4% of U.S. Residential Builders Are Operating Unprofitably
More than half of U.S. residential building companies are operating unprofitably once accounting accuracy is applied, according to the 2026 State of Residential Construction Industry (SORCI) Report released by the Association of Professional Builders (APB). While only 17.1% of U.S. builders reported making a loss, deeper financial analysis found that 51.4% were effectively unprofitable. Now in its sixth…
Marsh McLennan to Acquire McGriff Insurance Services
Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), a global leader in risk, strategy and people, today announced that it has reached an agreement through its Marsh McLennan Agency business to acquire McGriff Insurance Services, LLC, an affiliate of TIH. McGriff is a leading provider of insurance broking and risk management services in the United States, with $1.3 billion of…
Vantage Risk Introduces U.S. Large Property Insurance
Vantage Group Holdings Ltd. (Vantage) launched today its U.S. Large Property offering through its U.S. insurance subsidiaries, further extending the company’s insurance capabilities for its brokers and clients. Vantage’s new U.S. Large Property team builds on the group’s existing property expertise and sustained portfolio growth. Designed to serve a broad range of middle market and corporate…
Government Affairs
Midterm Wake-Up Call for Trump: Study Shows Nonunion Construction Workers Built the GOP Coalition
Associated Builders and Contractors today released the results of a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll in six battleground states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—which found that nonunion skilled trades workers—who make up nearly 90% of the construction workforce—are an influential voting bloc in elections and were the driving force behind Republicans’ success in 2024, including the election of…
A M King Awards Auburn University First Place in ASC’s 2025 Design-Build Competition
It was a dual dilemma at The Associated Schools of Construction’s (ASC) Region 2 Design-Build Competition on Nov. 11. For the third year in a row, the six-member team from Auburn University solved the intricate challenge posed by sponsor A M King. This marks the sixth time that A M King provided the project for…
ABC Celebrates the One Big Beautiful Bill Becoming Law
Associated Builders and Contractors today issued the following statement after President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, delivering historic tax relief to the U.S. construction industry and Main Street businesses nationwide. “On this July 4, ABC celebrates Congress and the White House working together to bring this pro-growth…
Human Resources
Dealing with the Skeptic
If you’ve been running an AEC firm for any length of time, you probably have one of these people: The high performer. The rainmaker. The technical wizard who can walk onto a jobsite or glance at a set of drawings, and instantly tell you what’s wrong. They are extremely valuable. They are also convinced that…
ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 63,000 Jobs in February; Annual Pay was Up 4.5%
Private sector employment increased by 63,000 jobs in February and pay was up 4.5 percent year-over-year according to the February ADP National Employment Report® produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab (“Stanford Lab”). The ADP National Employment Report is an independent measure of the labor market based on the anonymized weekly…
Demand for Career Technical Education (CTE) Teachers Growing Urgent
Chef Tom Shibley has had an interesting culinary career at upscale restaurants and catering jobs for high-profile events. But he found that the instability of the industry and lack of benefits like healthcare weren’t conducive to supporting a family. We want to let professionals know that when they’re ready for a career change, schools like…
Leadership
Strategic Curiosity: Asking the Right Questions Before Giving Answers
In construction, executives are often valued for their decisiveness, their ability to cut through noise, and provide clear direction when projects, clients, and teams demand answers. Yet in a world defined by accelerating change—whether in technology, labor dynamics, or global economics—the most valuable leaders are not those with the quickest answers, but those who ask…
Ryan Ware Launches Construction Leadership Podcast
Podcast examines how uncertainty, change fatigue, and leadership behaviors shape construction teams Grounded in the belief that resistance to change in construction is rarely about tools or technology, the podcast explores how curiosity-driven leadership behaviors can help leaders create clarity, strengthen trust, and improve decision-making when answers are not always clear. “Construction leaders are being…
Remembering Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry didn’t set out to build monuments. He set out to solve a riddle: why do so many buildings feel like they were designed to avoid blame instead of inspire awe? Why did architecture surrender its soul to the safe middle? Gehry wasn’t interested in the middle. He was interested in the edge, the…
Legal
AI Law Firm Targets Construction Industry’s Contract Challenges
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping construction, from estimating and scheduling to project controls and safety management. Now, legal services may be the next area poised for disruption. Superlegal recently launched what it describes as the first AI-powered law firm authorized to practice law in the United States, with a particular focus on serving the construction…
Poyner Spruill Ranks High for Construction Law and Litigation in 2026 Edition of Best Law Firms®
Best Law Firms® has recognized Poyner Spruill LLP with 48 rankings in its 2026 edition, reaffirming the firm’s reputation across a broad range of practice areas and jurisdictions. Each year, Best Law Firms® honors firms that demonstrate outstanding professional achievement, based on rigorous evaluations and consistently high praise from clients and peers. Poyner Spruill earned…
ABC Welcomes Trump Administration’s Proposal to Clarify ‘Waters of the United States’
Associated Builders and Contractors issued the following statement from its vice president of government affairs, Kristen Swearingen, on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers release of a proposed rule that will clarify the definition of “waters of the United States.” “ABC supports the Trump administration’s proposed rule to clarify the Clean Water…
Management
FMI Releases 2024 Study on Ownership Transfer and Management Succession
FMI Corporation, a leading provider of consulting and investment banking services to the built environment, released the 2024 Ownership Transfer and Management Succession Study focused on the engineering and construction industry. The report provides key insights and tactics to help owners and executives navigate their companies’ transitions. In early 2024, FMI partnered with the Construction…
American Management Association Releases New Research on the Importance of Management Styles
Effective management is always crucial to an organization’s success—but do managers use the “right” style at the right time, and does it get the desired results from their teams? American Management Association (AMA), a world leader in professional development, surveyed over 1,100 U.S. knowledge workers to better understand the role management styles play in performance…
Confidence Among Small and Midsize Business CEOs Dips in Q2 2024
Small and midsize business (SMB) CEO confidence decreased slightly to 83.3 in Q2 2024, according to the latest CEO Confidence Index released by CEO coaching and peer advisory organization Vistage. The dip in CEO confidence occurred after four consecutive quarters of gains, driven by a decrease in economic optimism. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of CEOs report higher…
Marketing & BD
Unanet Releases 2026 AEC Inspire Report Revealing AI Adoption Surge While Data Confidence Lags
Most resilient firms are embracing technology to improve win rates and make-up for lack of talent amid lagging optimism Unanet, a leader in AI-first ERP and growth software for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries, today released its 2026 AEC Inspire Report , “Winning at the Speed of Change: Mastering Strategy, Resilience, and Transformation.” The…
Avetta Announces Strategic Partnership to Revolutionize Transportation Safety Across Global Supply Chains
Avetta®, a leading provider of supply chain risk management (SCRM) software, today announced a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership with BG Road Safety, the leading specialized consultancy focused on reducing road transportation risks. The collaboration is the latest addition to Avetta’s global partner program and centers around a new road transportation module in the AI-powered Avetta One SCRM platform. This new…
Relentless Marketing
I was talking about marketing the other day with someone who had recently started their own design business when I realized I had come up with a new term for the kind of marketing I was telling them to do and that I know works every time: “relentless marketing.” When we speak of “relentless marketing,”…
Operations Management
Two Kinds of Firms
Is your firm one that commands top fees and thrives, or one that will struggle to compete and keep up? As I have stated many times before, I’ve spent my entire 45 year post-graduate school career working in and around AEC firms. Big ones, small ones, all disciplines, growing and declining, profitable and unprofitable –…
A M King Promotes Four to Vice President Positions, Recognizing their Outstanding Contributions
Integrated Design-Build firm A M King announced that JD Boone, Andre Harris, Carl H. Morse and David Sawicki have been promoted to Vice President, effective January 1, 2025. These four assume their new roles in recognition of their exceptional performance and outstanding contributions to the company’s continued growth. These latest company promotions follow last January’s…
Chemistry for a Successful Project Team
I recently had the opportunity to serve as a judge to evaluate entries for the 2022 ABC Carolinas Excellence in Construction (EIC) Awards competition. The mechanical contracting firm from which I recently retired had been successful in winning multiple awards from ABCC over the years; however, judging was a new experience for me. Being the “old…
Risk Management
Avetta Announces Strategic Partnership to Revolutionize Transportation Safety Across Global Supply Chains
Avetta®, a leading provider of supply chain risk management (SCRM) software, today announced a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership with BG Road Safety, the leading specialized consultancy focused on reducing road transportation risks. The collaboration is the latest addition to Avetta’s global partner program and centers around a new road transportation module in the AI-powered Avetta One SCRM platform. This new…
AI Takes Center Stage: illumend to Preview Lumie, Its Conversational AI Guide, and New Procore Integration at IRMI Construction Risk Conference
Backed by myCOI, illumend is setting a new standard for AI-powered risk management and third-party insurance compliance in construction At the IRMI Construction Risk Conference (CRC), illumend™, the next-generation, AI platform redefining how companies manage third-party risk and insurance compliance, will offer a sneak preview of two major technology advancements: By bringing insurance compliance into the flow of work,…
Mental Health & Wellness: Key Components of Safety for Construction Industry
A growing topic of discussion in the industries we serve is mental health. Although safety has long been a core value of the construction industry, wellness is now gaining traction as a much-needed area of focus. Its importance can’t be understated. Nearly 13 percent of workplace injuries are attributed to fatigue, and more than 40…
Strategy
The Wooten Company Opens New Winston-Salem Regional Office
The Wooten Company, an engineering consulting firm celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, announced on Monday that it has opened a new Regional Office in the Old Salem Historic District of downtown Winston-Salem, NC. Overseen by Regional Manager John Grey, PE, the office was previously located in Asheboro, NC, from where it served the towns,…
Integrated Delivery – Why Is It?
Integrated delivery is a delivery method that embraced 360 degree collaboration between all the stakeholders on a project; including designers, consultants, general contractor, subcontractor, vendors, and yes the owner. Design-build (DB) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) are two examples of integrated delivery. There are numerous differences between the various contract forms of both DB and…
Should You Get Out of the Contracting Business?
That may seem like a strange resolution for a contractor. However, it might be the best advice you ever receive. How many people do you think wake up in the morning and say to themselves, “I can’t wait to hire a contractor today?” If you do service work, it’s even worse. No one wakes up…
More Business
Thomas & Hutton’s Lisa Muzekari and Hillary Aton Named SC Women in Business Honorees
Thomas & Hutton (T&H), a privately held and employee-owned professional services firm known for its award-winning culture and 80 years of shaping communities across the Southeast, is pleased to announce that Lisa Muzekari, PE, and Hillary Aton, PE, have been named 2026 SC Women in Business Honorees. Presented by Integrated Media Publishing, the SC Women…
Dunean Capital Management Names Leah Tompkins Partner
Dunean Capital Management is pleased to announce that Leah Tompkins, Vice President of Investor Relations, has been named Partner, recognizing her leadership and significant contributions to the firm since its inception. Tompkins has been instrumental in building and strengthening relationships with more than 250 investors while elevating DCM’s brand through strategic communication and investor engagement….
CAGC Honors Community Impact Efforts of 28 Companies
Carolinas AGC is excited to announce the winners of the 2026 CAGC Community Impact Awards program. The CAGC Community Impact Awards honor member companies that are making significant contributions to their communities through their time, actions, talents, dedication, and resources. Honorees serve as role models for compassion and service, and they strive to make their…
ABC Carolinas Convention 2026: Why Contractors Can’t Afford to Miss This Year’s Event
For many construction leaders, attending a convention means stepping away from projects, clients, deadlines, and the daily demands of running a business. The question every general contractor asks is simple: Will it be worth my time? ABC Carolinas believes the answer should be measured in results—not attendance numbers. That philosophy is driving the 2026 ABC…
