Drones, marketing and construction

Drones are becoming an increasingly popular way for construction companies to capture aerial footage of job sites for marketing and planning purposes, but what does it take to get started? Natalie (Braun) Gregerson, a marketing associate with Kraemer Brothers in Plain and a licensed drone pilot, discussed her experiences using drones for her company during a Marketing & Sales Shared Interest Group meeting on Oct. 11 at Friede & Associates in Reedsburg. Read the rest of entry »

2019 inflation adjustments announced for HDHPs and HSAs

The Internal Revenue Service announced the 2019 inflation adjustments for High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). These adjustments include maximum HSA contributions, minimum deductible amounts and maximum out-of-pocket limits. Read the rest of entry »

ABC VP talks workforce development on Rural Wisconsin Initiative podcast

ABC of Wisconsin Vice President Kelly Tourdot was featured on the inaugural edition of “RuralCast” – a podcast created by the Rural Wisconsin Initiative – to discuss apprenticeships and workforce development opportunities in rural areas of the state. The Rural Wisconsin Initiative was created in 2016 by rural legislators to explore bipartisan policy solutions related to the challenges rural areas face in education, health care, workforce development and technology. Read the rest of entry »

Indemnification – Big word, big risk

Almost all businesses enter into numerous contractual agreements each year. These agreements are often given the same cursory review as an iTunes Agreement. Failure to closely scrutinize the details of these agreements can adversely impact the business’s total cost of risk in the event of a problem. The provision within the contract that impacts the business’ cost of risk more so than any other, especially in construction, is the Indemnification Agreement. 

Contractual risk transfer is a critical component of effective risk management, but whether one is transferring the risk or assuming it, the exposure needs to be understood as not all indemnification clauses are covered under your insurance contract.  Read the rest of entry »

How small and disadvantaged contractors can be part of the Foxconn project

A number of public and private groups in Wisconsin are looking to assist small and disadvantaged businesses become involved in the development of Foxconn. This comes on the heels of a recent survey that indicated small and disadvantaged contractors were not bidding on Foxconn projects. 

“We need you all at the table and we need you all working on this project,” said Chris Hagerup, Deputy Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development ... Read the rest of entry »

ABC of WI goes 4-4 in last week's primaries

Last week Tuesday’s primary elections included some surprises (including two long-time incumbent Milwaukee-area state representatives losing). ABC of Wisconsin and its members were pleasantly surprised when all four of its primary preferences prevailed and will be on the ballot in November. All four of these pro-merit, pro-free enterprise candidates need your help to be elected in November. Read the rest of entry »

Emerging Leader – Working on the business

A common theme in the ABC of Wisconsin Construction U Emerging Leader program is the transition from employee to decision maker. Several of our participants describe it as moving from working in the business to working on the business. The difference between the words in and on is significant. Read the rest of entry »

Construction contractors should consider Fast Forward Grants for skills gap

Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF) training grants have provided training for more than 20,000 Wisconsin workers since 2013. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) would like more construction contractors to take advantage of the program ... Read the rest of entry »

‘I should just do it myself’

Most ABC of Wisconsin contractors are turning to apprenticeship to fill the skills gap at the entry-level, but what is available at the supervisory level? Employers have been promoting their best journeymen to supervisory-level positions. Often, this is a good solution because it recognizes loyal employees and allows them to move up. There can be a problem with this approach, however. A talented skilled trades person does not necessarily make a good supervisor. Enter ABC of Wisconsin’s Construction U Management Education programs. Over the past three years, your association has been developing high-quality, proven programs to address the educational needs of construction supervisory and management teams.  Read the rest of entry »

Developing your talent pipeline through youth apprenticeship

Labor shortage stories seem to cover the front page of newspapers daily. Employers across diverse industries, including construction, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing and transportation report increasing difficulty attracting and retaining enough skilled workers to meet the demand for their products and services. For example, Wisconsin's short-term projections for construction laborers indicate that nearly 2,200 openings will occur annually through 2019, including new openings and replacements. Long-term projections show a similar picture with 540 construction laborer openings created annually through 2024.

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has been working with many public and private sector partners to devise and deploy strategies to help employers meet their needs for skilled workers. The Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program is one of the rapidly growing strategies that is gaining popularity among ABC members. Read the rest of entry »