In this issue
4 Construction Law:
Intellectual property for
the construction industry
6 Mason and machine:
North Carolina bricklayers
take center stage nationally
8 NCMCA takes financial
“leap of faith” in hiring
new Workforce Development
and Training Coordinator
10 ASAC reconstitutes Charlotte
chapter, creating competition
for NC subcontractor
association representation
12 14
PROJECTS AND
OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATION
NEWS Publisher’s
Viewpoint Mark Buckshon, publisher
As we prepare this issue of North Carolina Construc-
tion News for publication, I’m reminded of the wonder-
ful complexities, challenges and opportunities in this
state’s architectural, engineering and construction com-
munity. There’s growth, creativity, technology, innovation,
and solid crafts and trades skills and it doesn’t take long
to see the opportunities ahead in a growing economy.
There are challenges as well; a mixed bag of policies
and initiatives that can be seen either as wonderful or
woeful. The crackdown on illegal immigration, for exam-
ple, helps provide job security and improved wages for
properly qualified and legal U.S. residents. It also cre-
ates serious labor shortages and pushes many workers
to the edge of the economy.
The steel and aluminum tariffs will give a boost to
the U.S. steel manufacturing industry, but could have un-
intended negative consequences for component fabrica-
tors (who may find they are now woefully uncompetitive
with foreign producers shipping material into the U.S.
around the raw steel limits). General contractors and
suppliers with fixed-price contracts may be blindsided
by extra costs for which they cannot recover.
These issues remind me of the importance of indus-
try associations, which can effectively serve as advo-
cates for your business. You’ll see some of the initiatives
of the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association
(NCMCA) in this issue. There are several other associa-
tions reflecting general and specific industry groups as
well. If you aren’t already a member, consider joining the
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Caroli-
nas Associated General Contractors (CAGC). If you are
interested in a general subcontractor’s association, you
have a choice: the North Carolina Subcontractors Al-
liance (NCSA) or the American Subcontractors Associa-
tion of the Carolinas’ reconstituted Charlotte chapter.
NCCN editor Mark Buckshon can be reached by
email at buckshon@ncconstructionnews.com
or by phone at (888) 627-8717 ext. 224.
North Carolina Construction News (NCCN) is distributed
throughout the Carolinas construction industry.
For information contact:
Chase, Phone: 1-888-627-8717 ext 212
chase@ncconstructionnews.com www.ncconstructionnews.com. ISSN 1940-3682.
2 — March-April 2018 — The North Carolina Construction News
NCCN is circulated on a controlled circulation list to qualified
readers including members of most major construction asso-
ciations in the Carolinas. The magazine is supplemented
by a weekly e-letter which reaches more than 4,000 industry
leaders each week.