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Join us as we honor the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Skill-Responsibility-Integrity (SRI) Award, DEI Awards, Jeff Jensen Memorial Construction Safety Excellence Awards, Legislator Awards, and the joint MnDOT/AGC Bridge Awards!
Scroll down to view the award recipients.
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THREE WEEKS to the premier event of the year for Minnesota construction professionals, February 19-20 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre! This two-day gathering offers a unique opportunity to engage with industry leaders, participate in industry-specific educational sessions, and expand your professional network. Register now to secure your spot! | | |
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Sporting Clays Fundraiser | |
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Funding Freeze Memo Rescinded
On Wednesday, January 29, President Trump rescinded the memo, dated January 27th, ordering the temporary “pause” of federal funds. In short, this “pause” would have impacted both direct federal and federal-aid programs that provide funding for construction projects across the country. The “pause” which was set to take effect at 5 p.m. on January 28th would have added uncertainty to schedules for all grant programs. While the memo has now been rescinded, the White House continues to state that the “pause” still applies to programs impacted by executive orders, like electric vehicle charging stations, which AGC of America reported on last week.
Read more
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Tariffs and Construction - What Federal and Federal-Aid Contractors
Need to Know
President Donald Trump said in an Oval Office signing ceremony January 20, 2025 that his administration will impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada on February 1. The President has mentioned he wants to impose other tariffs, notably on China. President Trump will likely again make use of trade laws, including possibly the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, 50 USC Ch. 35. Therefore whether implementation occurs later than February 1 based on these trade laws remains to be seen. What follows are a number of recommendations that AGC members may consider, depending upon the types of contracts they hold. Keep reading
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Minnesota Capitol Update
Written by Sarah Psick, AGC Consultant
Week three of the legislative session was a tale of two chambers.
Senate Work Moves Along
The Minnesota Senate continued working under its power-sharing agreement, with committee meetings co-chaired by both Republicans and Democrats. The one notable controversy occurred when Republicans moved to expel Senator Nicole Mitchell (D-Woodbury), who is set to stand trial on felony burglary charges after the legislative session adjourns. The motion failed on a 33-33 tie vote.
Tied No More
On Tuesday, voters in Senate District 60 (Minneapolis) overwhelmingly elected DFLer Doran Clark to the Minnesota Senate, filling the seat left vacant by the passing of Senator Kari Dziedzic. With 90.91% of the vote, Senator-elect Clark breaks the 33-33 tie and restores DFL Senate majority. It remains unclear whether any of the power-sharing agreements will continue after Senator-elect Clark is sworn in, though a few committee chairs have expressed interest in maintaining the model moving forward.
House Grinds to A Halt
Last Friday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on the question of what constitutes a quorum, siding with Secretary of State Steve Simon and House Democrats. The court determined that 68 members must be present for a quorum, effectively nullifying all actions taken by Republicans since January 14. This includes the election of a House Speaker, committee formations, bill introductions, and committee actions. Since the ruling, Secretary Simon has convened the House daily, taken roll call, and adjourned each session due to a lack of quorum, with only 67 Republicans present.
Earlier in the week, Democrat Leader Melissa Hortman and Republican Leader Lisa Demuth met for several hours to negotiate a resolution to the impasse and bring Democrats back to the House. While some progress was made, the biggest sticking point remains the Republican refusal to seat Representative Brad Tabke (D-54A). Yesterday afternoon, House Republicans filed a new lawsuit to force Secretary Simon to recognize members so they can make floor motions. House Republicans have been attempting to pass a motion to compel absent Democrats to attend the session. As of now, no further negotiations are scheduled.
Legislative Walkouts: A Historical Perspective
You may wonder whether the House Democratic walkout is unique to Minnesota. In fact, legislative walkouts have been used by both parties in several states since the 1800s. Some walkouts were over legislative control, others were aimed at killing legislation. In 1857, a Minnesota legislator even went so far as to hide in a hotel to prevent a vote on moving the state Capitol from St. Paul to St. Peter.
Looking Ahead
Next week, Senator-elect Doran Clark will take the oath of office, giving Senate Democrats a 34-33 majority. Senate committees will continue their work, with some expected to maintain co-chair arrangements. In the House, unless a breakthrough in negotiations occurs, Secretary Simon will continue convening sessions and adjourning them due to the lack of a quorum. Additionally, the Minnesota Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments on the latest petition for Thursday, February 6.
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION NEWS | |
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Ramsey County Inclusive Workforce Summit
This week, Ramsey County hosted the Inclusive Workforce Summit. This event, presented in partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota and the St. Paul Area Chamber, aimed to help employers learn about, connect to, and access workforce tools and resources that included insightful morning of sessions, exhibitors, and connections! Topics such as skills-based hiring, implementing innovative and effective hiring practices to increase inclusiveness in your organization, accommodating employees with disabilities, and more were led by workforce experts with the opening session being moderated by AGC's Yolanda McIntosh.
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MN Chamber of Commerce Workforce Summit
February 26 | Brooklyn Park
This year’s Workforce Summit will explore the important role of New Americans in the state’s workforce and the current federal landscape for immigration reform and border security. We’ll also look at the role of technology and how tools like generative AI are increasing productivity and upskilling workers in a variety of industries. Break out sessions will allow attendees the opportunity to dig in deeper on topics designed to improve their ability to attract and retain talent at all levels.
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Scholarship Application is Open!
The application form for 2025 AGC of Minnesota Foundation scholarships is now open. Please share with any person pursuing a degree in the construction industry!
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View 2024 Award Recipients
Are you registered for AGC Honors 2025? Join us on February 18 as we recognize the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Skill-Responsibility-Integrity (SRI) Award, DEI Awards, Jeff Jensen Memorial Construction Safety Excellence Awards, and the joint MnDOT/AGC Bridge Awards! This annual event brings together industry leaders and change-makers as we celebrate stellar work over the past year as well as over the past decades.
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Brian J. Mathiowetz
2024 Lifetime Achievement
Award Recipient
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John Hass
2024 Skill-Responsibility-Integrity (SRI) Award Recipient
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Lunda Construction
DEI Impact Champion
Highway-Heavy Contractor
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Valley Paving, Inc
DEI Impact Champion
Highway-Heavy Contractor
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Donlar Construction Co.
DEI Impact Champion
Building Contractor
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JE Dunn Construction
DEI Impact Champion
Building Contractor
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ArchKey Solutions / Parsons Electric
DEI Impact Champion
Specialty Contractor
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Goodwill-Easter Seals
DEI Impact Champion
Affiliate / Community Based Organization
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Moltron Builders Inc.
2024 Diverse Business of the Year
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Elizabeth Campbell
2024 Ally of the Year Award Recipient
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Jeff Jensen Memorial Construction Safety Excellence Awards
Honoring the legacy of commitment to safety exemplified by Jeff W. Jensen of JR Jensen Construction Company, this annual award is given to three contractors with stellar safety records. Awards are presented in three categories, based on work hours:
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Danny's Construction
Category I
(0-149,999 work hours)
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PCL Construction
Category II
(150k-299,999 work hours)
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Adolfson & Peterson
Category III
(300,000+ work hours)
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2024 AGC/MnDOT Joint Bridge Award Recipients
(for 2023 completion)
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Redstone Construction & MnDOT District 3
Low Cost Structure
(less than $1.5 M)
Bridge No. 05020 carrying 4th Street over T.H. 10 in
St. Cloud
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Lunda Construction &
The City of Shakopee
Medium Cost Structure
(between $1.5 and $5 M)
Bridge No. 70054, a pedestrian trail bridge over U.S. Hwy 196 in Shakopee
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Lunda Construction &
MnDOT District 6
High Cost Structure
(over $5 M)
Bridge No. 25042 over Hay Creek and Withers Harbor Drive in Red Wing
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February AGC Safety Committee Meeting
AGC members are invited to join us at the next Safety Committee Meeting on February 6 (8:00-10:00 am). This meeting will feature a presentation from GAIZE on impairment detection technology.
This meeting will be fully virtual - no in person meeting. A link will be sent out via calendar invite to all registered safety committee individuals.
Contact Stacy Arnold with any questions.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION NEWS | |
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Safety Leadership with OSHA 30 (5 Day | 40 Hour Course)
March 10-14, 2025
Safety is your responsibility—but what does that really mean? With tight schedules, budgets, and ever-changing regulations, how do you hold people accountable while ensuring your jobsite operates safely and efficiently? In Safety Leadership with OSHA 30, you won’t just check the box on compliance. This 5-day dual certification course combines OSHA regulations with real-world tools and leadership skills to transform you into a confident, capable Safety Leader.
Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of OSHA 30 (Construction) standards and learn how to build accountability, motivate teams, and implement safety programs that deliver results. Through interactive exercises, case studies, and actionable strategies, this course prepares you to go beyond compliance to drive a culture of safety excellence.
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Leadership Blueprint Graduation
Join the 2024-2025 Leadership Blueprint cohort on April 9 as they celebrate their graduation! Hear from graduates on how the program helped equip them as leaders, learn about AGC of MN’s other professional development opportunities, and network with alumni and employer members.
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STP Classes through April
Registration is open for STP classes beginning in March:
Contact Matthew Semerad with any questions.
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AGC Edge: Online Training & Development
AGC Edge is AGC of America's online training platform. AGC of Minnesota members get significant discounts on training programs in Lean Constrution, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Project Management Developer Program (PMDP) and more!
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It's Time to Make Mental Health an Industry Priority
Great progress has been made in a short time to increase awareness of the construction industry’s mental health crisis. More recently, the concept of worker wellbeing has emerged, transcending an individualized focus on helping those already in crisis, and instead proactively identifying and working to mitigate the stressors found in our unique industry business model with its inherent demands.
Spearheaded by AGC, the Worker Wellbeing Initiative Strategy Team has embarked on a comprehensive strategy approach that brings together all three industry partner segments (employers, workforce, and project owners) to foster a secure and healthy work environment for all construction industry workers. Engaged and productive dialogue is being focused to identify proactive measures that can reduce industry mental health stressors before they take hold and manifest in crisis outcomes. This holistic approach aims to tackle the mental health crisis that is hindering growth within our industry by prioritizing mental health on parallel with physical safety and wellbeing.
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Thank You to our 2025 Annual Partners! | |
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Don't Miss These Events!
Register now for these upcoming AGC events:
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Your Trusted Resource
Associated General Contractors of Minnesota
525 Park Street, Suite 110 | St. Paul, MN 55103
651-632-8929
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