There is an important election in Pennsylvania coming in May. On May 16, Pennsylvania will have its Primary Elections for municipal offices throughout the Commonwealth, leading to an important General Election in the fall. While this may not get as much hot attention as electing a president or a potential special election for a state House of Representatives seat that could tip the widely known narrow majority in that chamber, it’s crucial.
Get Into Politics or Get Out of Business…
This phrase was coined by an early ABC Freedom Fighter to help members understand the value of being engaged in order to protect your business. As ABC’s history has evolved, at times we believe we are making progress. As a result, we tend to let off the gas and become complacent. If you are not aware you and your businesses are under attack.
On Thursday, May 25, 98 apprentices will graduate from the ABC Keystone Apprenticeship program, marking a milestone in each one of their careers. Graduates will be representing 42 different companies across seven various trade programs (carpentry, construction craft laborer, electrical, heavy equipment operator, HVAC, plumbing, and sheet metal). What an extraordinary achievement for each of these individuals! Reaching this milestone doesn’t happen without hard work, dedication, drive, and commitment to their trade.
Meet Mike Mullen
East Coast Sales Consultant
BENECO: Part of Futureplan by Ascensus
I am a Sales Consultant helping clients save money and grow their business through education about Prevailing Wage and the Davis-Bacon Act.
As construction is truly a team sport, a contractor’s success hinges on the contributions of all team members—the laborers and tradesman, the project managers and office personnel, c-suite executives, and, yes, the company’s lawyer. Too often, however, construction companies turn to counsel as a necessary expense, not an investment. A contractor’s lawyer, however, can improve a project’s bottom line in three key ways: contract review, project advising, and dispute resolution.
I have been in the construction industry since 2005. Recruiting Caddies was founded to provide the best construction industry recruitment services, as other options are needed to produce desired results.
In the last couple of years, almost every company has experienced or is currently struggling to attain and retain talent. Right now, across the United States, there is a labor shortage in which there are about two jobs available for every person looking. Even if you find talent, employees jump from company to company for better pay and benefits. Offering higher wages is a clear first step to finding and keeping talent, but it has limitations to maintaining profit margins attractive and bids competitive. Another solution to this problem is utilizing or starting your company’s retirement plan, especially with the passing of the SECURE Act 2.0.
Welcome to our Newest Members and Congratulations to our members celebrating milestone anniversaries!
On March 7, Governor Shapiro delivered his first budget address before the General Assembly. What was most notable about it was it being widely seen as having something for everyone without major tax increase proposals. As such, it even included minor tax cuts for consumer cell phones, maintaining scheduled business tax reductions, and did not propose new Marcellus taxes as his predecessor did. As trade-offs for those, there is a loud call for increasing the minimum wage and multiple affirmations that Pennsylvania will never be a Right to Work state.
Welcome to our Newest Members and Congratulations to our members celebrating milestone anniversaries!
Electronic (ACH) payments are a convenient and often necessary means of conducting business with vendors. Unfortunately, while ACH transfers offer greater efficiency and liquidity as compared to traditional checks, they also bear increased vulnerability to fraud attempts (the proverbial double-edged sword). In our public accounting practice, we have seen small businesses targeted for ACH fraud with growing frequency and sophistication in recent months. As ACH fraud attempts intensify, so must our vigilance for detection and prevention.
I’ve been with Questmont Bank for five years. As a kid, I was intrigued with finance and knew I wanted to own run a business at an early age. I worked in a painting business during my high school and college summers and made great money, especially for a teenage boy. After graduating in my senior year, I was advised to send as much money as possible to my college to help reduce my student loans. I began questioning this as I realized I had sent a large sum of money to my now alma mater over the years but didn’t have much to fall back on. I struggled after graduating because I didn’t find a job immediately. Had I thought more broadly, I likely would have done things differently. Instead, this experience drove me to be that outlet for others to provide broad and unbiased guidance on maximizing the resources they’ve been given.
The PA Prevailing Wage Act has been in existence for over sixty years. Since the law’s inception, an employee who believes they are being paid incorrectly on their work task classifications or on the fringe benefits is able to file a complaint with the Department of Labor & Industry.
With one decision, the above-described process has been totally upended. For the first time ever, an employee complaint on a Pennsylvania prevailing wage job has led to the filing of criminal charges and an employer being found guilty and sentenced to jail time. Put very simply, a couple of employees decided to go to the local District Attorney and claim wages were being stolen from them due to erroneous job classifications. The case was then taken on by the State Attorney General’s office. For the last four plus years, ABC Keystone has been supporting Scott Good in the case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs. Goodco Mechanical.
Construction workplace safety is arguably the most critical part of our businesses. By its nature, construction is inherently a dangerous occupation. Day in and day out, our construction workforce is installing the infrastructure of tomorrow. These job sites are fraught with potential risks to the well-being of our workforce. Our industry has transformed immensely since the turn of the 20th century, most notably in 1970 when the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law to ensure safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards and providing training. Since the inception of OSHA, workplace fatalities have been reduced by more than 65%. But having OSHA standards isn’t enough to ensure your workforce and trade partners go home safe and healthy at the end of the workday. As leaders in this industry, we must be committed to developing and nurturing a safety culture in our organizations.
(Manheim, PA) March 17, 2023 — Today, ABC Keystone announced four member companies won 4 of 82 National Excellence in Construction® awards, presented during the ABC Convention 2023 in Orlando, Florida, on March 16. The EIC awards are the construction industry’s leading national competition that honors general and specialty contractors for world-class, safe, and innovative construction projects from across the country.
