We are extremely proud and excited this week to focus the spotlight on some outstanding individuals and to highlight the industry leading safety performance of many of our AGC of Minnesota member firms. In a year of challenges and often difficult and soul-crushing developments, we need to remember how much good remains to be celebrated both on a personal level and within our industry.

To wit, the annual AGC Awards Recognition event took a markedly different approach in this pandemic year. We pivoted to a virtual platform concept which helped amplify the visibility and awareness of our honorees’ accomplishments by leveraging the power of technology and social media. The stories of these outstanding individuals and the accomplishments of the firms recognized as Jensen Safety Award winners and CHASE Program participants are told in compelling videos punctuated with fun celebrity personality “drop-ins.” In case you missed it, I encourage you to spend a few moments viewing each of these incredible videos:

The week began celebrating our Lifetime Achievement Award honoree – Mark Ryan, President of Carl Bolander and Sons. Mark’s life’s work in the construction industry is a legacy gift of giving back and elevating others while building Bolander into a recognized industry powerhouse. The AGC Skill, Responsibility, and Integrity (SRI) Award honoree - Dale Forsberg, President of Watson-Forsberg - was celebrated mid-week with a tribute to the many ways Dale has embodied the characteristics of the namesake SRI Award.   

We continued our week of celebration by acknowledging the ever-present role safety and safe workplace practices play in the success of AGC members. The Jeff Jensen Memorial Construction Safety Excellence Awards honored the top performers in safe hours worked – Atlas Foundation, Park Construction, and Rachel Contracting. 

We ended the week on a high note by spotlighting the outstanding work of the AGC/MnDOT Bridge Award recipients Ames Construction, Eureka Construction, Redstone Construction, and ICON Constructors, and celebrating the future leaders of our industry – the graduates of our AGC Leadership Blueprint Program and Supervisory Training Program (STP).

Congratulations to all the 2020 top safety performers and award honorees. We stand united through the AGC brand and salute your service, commitment, and contributions in helping build a better Minnesota and Minnesota construction industry. 

Congratulations to Ames Construction on winning the AGC/MnDOT Bridge Award in the category of

AGC of Minnesota received communication from the MN Department of Labor and Industry regarding Executive Order 20-99 announced last night (Nov. 18). In addition to a four-week “pause” on some businesses such as gyms and restaurant dining outlined in the executive order, there are additional updates for industries that remain open, such as construction, in an attempt to quell the rate of the COVID-19 spread. The latest order is effective at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 20th and runs through Friday, December 18th. 

AGC of MN reviewed the updates to the COVID-19 Preparedness Plan requirements/guidance for the Construction sector. They reflect the requirements under the most recent Executive Order, as well as preceding Executive Orders 20-74 and 20-81 issued this summer. Pages one and two contain new language that applies to most sectors. The remainder of the document (pages 3-18) mirrors the exact Requirements Guidance issued earlier.

The AGC Legislative Committee will virtually meet two times in the next month to develop 2021 legislative policy recommendations to the AGC Board of Directors. Please contact Laura Ziegler for the Zoom information.

First week in December TBD

Thursday, December 17^th at 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

In preparation for the 2021 MN Legislative Session, the Utility Infrastructure Division will be meeting on Wednesday, December 9th from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom.

AGC members can click here to register for the online meeting. Discussion items include:

If you have agenda items or would like to talk to prior to the meeting, please contact AGC government affairs team members Laura Ziegler or Lisa Frenette.

Last week we posted that the trustees for the Carpenters’ pension fund for agreements that cover parts of Wisconsin, Northern Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota voted to adopt a Lifetime Income Benefit fund design. We are gathering further information and trying to set up a video conference with representative trustees to explain the changes. We are waiting on Carpenters for a date and time. Please contact Mike for more information.

The Laborers have created a great new tool to identify and solicit bids from qualified contractors in MN and ND markets, helping both general and specialty contractors. Click here if you need to update your company's information!

The December 2020 annual meeting of the voting members will be held virtually at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, for the following purposes:

Immediately following our brief annual business meeting, AGC members will hear from presenter Brent Darnell on the timely topic of managing stress.

The Minnesota Board of Electricity adopted the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) effective November 17, 2020. Significant changes include revised service disconnect rules, power over ethernet, and conducting load calculations.

Last week I moderated an online forum in which three recognized experts in various segments of the real estate industry shared their respective crystal balls as we close out 2020 and look ahead to 2021. Learn more

Gopher State One Call (GSOC) will be implementing a new start time policy for excavators and facility operators on web submitted e-tickets. The new policy starts on December 1, 2020. It is important that you review the new policy so that you and your company don't have delays in your projects.