AGC SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS COUNCIL Forging Links with General Contractors


By Claire Koenig, AGC Regional Manager, Bay Area Region


construction community and economy. According to recent statistics compiled by Wells Fargo Economists, specialty contractors account for two-thirds of total construction employment in California. Overall specialty employment


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increased nearly 9 percent in the past year, outpacing the general construction market. Specialty contractors range in size from mom-and-pop subcontractors operating in a tight geographic radius around a single office, to large, multi- state concerns performing major projects throughout the country and abroad. Concerns of specialty contractors


can be similar to those of general contractors, but they are also unique in a portion of the industry whose contractual agreements are often not with an owner or direct contracting authority. Te Specialty Contractors Council of AGC of California seeks to address the needs of our specialty members, large and small. Under the leadership of chair, John Gutierrez of Marina Landscape Inc., we will be tackling as many concerns as possible. Our January Council meeting,


held in conjunction with the Instal- lation and State Board Meetings at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, featured Anna Carno of the Carno Law Group, speaking on “Show Me Te Money: 4 Keys to Prompt Payment.” In addition, John Hakel of the Southern California Partnership for Jobs spoke about new efforts in the legislative arena to encourage funding for construction projects in Southern California. Connections with prime/general


contractors are critical to the success of our specialty contractors, and the Council is working to develop opportunities for interaction between


www.AGC-CA.org


pecialty contractors represent a significant and distinctly different segment of the overall


John Gutierrez of Marina Landscape Inc., Chair of the AGC of California Specialty Contractors Council, aided by AGC Regional Manager Claire Koenig, center, led the Council meeting on January 29 in Long Beach.


generals and subs. Te goal is to leverage regularly occurring general contractor events by creating opportu- nities to network in a structured and intentional format. Specialty contractors continue to


pursue efforts to elevate awareness with general contractors and will be investigating multiple efforts this year. Tey include establishing a small business subcommittee and creating a directory of certified disadvantaged contractors within AGC’s membership. Another pursuit is forming links with GC’s to begin an effort to standardize procedures for required items such as prequalification, submittals, progress billings, certified payroll reporting, and other seemingly routine paperwork items. Links to associate members with expertise in accounting, bonding, risk management, and other disciplines will also be pursued. Education about topics of interest


continues to bring positive responses; options under consideration for future meetings include lean construction for the subcontractor’s perspective, effective use of social media for business development, how to go about


finding bidding opportunities, and technology and applications for today’s contractors.


Tere is a Chinese Proverb that


goes like this: “When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people.” (Guanzi c. 645BC). While we are taking steps for this year and next, the Specialty Contractors Council is also looking to the future. In 2016 we will reach out and engage the younger specialty members to participate with AGC’s Construction Leadership Council (CLC) as we build the workforce of tomorrow. We invite all AGC specialty members, new or old, to join us in this journey through active participation and engagement. 


Claire Koenig is AGC of California


staff liaison to the Specialty Contractors Council and Bay Area Regional Manager. For questions about AGC’s Specialty Contractors Council, its agenda for 2016, or how to get involved, please contact Claire at (510) 773-8116 or KoenigC@ agc-ca.org.


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