CAGC leads at first
statewide diversity
construction summit
Betsy Bailey, the
Carolinas Associated
General Contractors
(CAGC) government
relations and building
division director,
shared observations as the keynote
speaker for the first statewide diver-
sity construction opportunities
summit in Raleigh in early January.
The summit welcomed more
than 200 participants with the goal
of connecting diverse-owned con-
struction firms with billions of dol-
lars in construction contract
opportunities, CAGC reported in its
weekly news brief.
Bailey delivered the Construction
Spending, Labor and Materials Out-
look prepared by AGC of America’s
economist Ken Simonson, which
showed strong construction growth
for the nation and for the state.
NC’s growth, however, is ham-
pered by the state’s acute construc-
tion labor shortage which Bailey
highlighted throughout her presen-
tation. “NC is one of nine states that is
seeing construction employment
numbers decreasing,” Bailey said.
“But we are also one of the fastest
growing states in the country. This
presents a unique challenge for
NC’s construction industry.”
Bailey said that CAGC and its
members recognize the labor chal-
lenge and are aggressively working
with workforce development and
education partners to recruit work-
ers to the industry. A construction
industry branding campaign is one
of the significant recruitment proj-
ects that should be underway by
next month.
CAGC secured funding for this
project in the state budget last year
and is partnering with the NC Com-
munity College System and North
Carolina Department of Transporta-
tion (NCDOT) to conduct the cam-
paign. The rest of the day and a half
long summit featured networking
opportunities with representatives
from government agencies and pri-
vate contractors through a trade
show and focused workshops that
helped participants learn about
projects in the pipeline and how to
find and bid on these projects.
Workshops with NCDOT, State Con-
struction, universities and commu-
nity colleges, local government and
private developers and owners pro-
vided valuable one-on-one interac-
tion with construction buyers and
decision-makers. ABC of the Carolinas
announces 2018 Board of
Directors Associated Builders and Contrac-
tors (ABC) of the Carolinas has an-
nounced its 2018 Board of
Directors. Five board members are
based in South Carolina with the re-
mainder located in North Carolina.
Casie Sears Kerr of Raleigh-
based specialty contractor Sears
Contract, Inc., has been elected
2018 chairman, representing more
than 1,800 member firms in North
and South Carolina.
Sears-Kerr is excited to start im-
plementing the association’s newly
developed strategic plan.
“ABC is dedicated to being the
‘Construction Association of
Choice’ in the Carolinas by bringing
value to each of our members
through workforce development
training, health and safety offerings,
membership growth and engage-
ment, chapter development and po-
litical advocacy,” she said in a
statement. “Through all of the
aforementioned goals, ABC pro-
motes the merit shop construction
philosophy — encouraging open
competition and a free enterprise
approach.” Directors include:
• Casie Sears Kerr, Sears Contract.
Inc. – Raleigh, NC, chairman
• Dave Knudson, Choate Construc-
tion Company – Raleigh, NC,
vice-chairman • Tom Headlee, Watson Electrical
Construction – Wilson, NC, sec-
retary/treasurer • Brian Gallagher, O’Neal Inc. –
Greenville, SC, past chairman
• Scott Colter, Colter Electric Com-
pany – Winston Salem, NC,
CECA liaison
• Allen Amsler, McCrory Construc-
tion Company – Columbia, SC
• Rob Beale, W.M. Jordan Com-
pany – Wilmington, NC
• Kurt Eyring, Miller-Valentine
Group – Columbia, SC
• Harley Garrison, Starr Electric –
Greensboro, NC
• Sam Hayes, Landmark Construc-
tion Company Inc. – North
Charleston, SC
• Derek Lanning, Miles-McClellan
Construction – Charlotte, NC
• Chris Moore, Carolina Power –
Greenville, SC
• Art Odom, David Allen Company
– Raleigh, NC
• Eric Perkinson, Brasfield & Gorrie
– Raleigh, NC
• David Philyaw, T.A. Loving –
Goldsboro, NC
vSteve Smith, Smith Terry &
Johnson Construction Law– Char-
lotte, NC
• Ryan Wathen, Rodgers Builders
– Charlotte, NC
The North Carolina Construction News — Winter 2018 — 15