A YEAR IN REVIEW | December 2023
As we approach the end of 2023, I want to reflect on the accomplishments of the Keystone Chapter over the past 12 months. For the third year in a row, membership retention was over 90%, ending the year at 90.4%. As of November 27th, we were only three members shy of growth-plus-one in membership.
In addition, 90.75% of all member companies have participated in some event or training at ABC this year. ABC Keystone staff and volunteers continue to make this organization one of the Nation’s best merit shop construction organizations, as shown in our membership stats. Though lower than expected, STEP (Safety Training Evaluation Process) participation realized 10% growth over 2022 numbers. Currently, 83 member contractors are STEP participants. As we strive to keep our employees and fellow contractors safe, STEP has proven to be a system that works, challenging participants to analyze their safety programs and protocols annually and continue to raise the bar.
In the area of workforce development, the Chapter continues to make headway. This year, we hosted our third Girls Camp and hosted over 400 middle school students for Construction Wars. In fact, the demand for Construction Wars is more significant than what we can accommodate, so we have been forced to limit the attendees allowed by each school district. We have 44 articulation agreements with various educational institutions, ranging from high schools to Career and Technical Centers, allowing these students to articulate into our apprenticeship program. Lastly, we graduated 98 apprentices from our 2022-2023 class. Growing the future workforce is crucial to the success of our industry, and the staff at ABC Keystone continue to raise the bar year after year.
Last year, ABC Keystone developed an IDU (Inclusion, Diversity, and Unity) committee focused on providing access to lucrative construction careers for everyone in our geographic region. The committee started with a discovery phase to identify the barriers. I am happy that the committee has moved beyond that phase and is now working on breaking down these barriers for persons with criminal justice backgrounds and refugees/immigrants.
We all know that we live in a state that does not always favor free enterprise and merit shop philosophies. Our government affairs office has made some significant headway this year. We helped move Clean Slate Legislation out of the Senate Committee. We wrote a statewide RCO bill ready to introduce to the Senate Committee. We were instrumental in adopting a House Resolution and received a Governor’s Proclamation to recognize October as Careers in Construction month in PA. And we have exceeded our annual goal for contributions to the Free Enterprise Alliance and the National PAC. Our voices are being heard, and ABC continues to fight on behalf of its members.
Numerous other accomplishments warrant recognition, but they are too numerous to list. In a nutshell, ABC Keystone continues to be a leader for Merit Shop construction and one of the top chapters in the Nation.
It was a pleasure serving as your 2023 Board Chair. I want to thank the staff and all who volunteered to make this Chapter what it is.
Lastly, I wish my good friend John Lehmann the best of luck as he takes the gavel for 2024. You’re in good hands with John as the incoming leader.
