New Members & Member Anniversaries
Welcome to our Newest Members and Congratulations to our members celebrating milestone anniversaries!
April 4, 2023
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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.
(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.
This week we celebrate and recognize the women in construction at ABC Keystone. Cindy has been with ABC Keystone for 30 years, and is dedicated to increasing partnerships and articulation agreements with schools and organizations to work together to help build future leaders.
This week we celebrate and recognize the women in construction at ABC Keystone. First, meet Stephanie Larkin, VP of Education. Stephanie started her career at Keystone in 2018. She supervises and coordinates the day-to-day management of the Chapter’s Education Department. Stephanie is passionate about the ABC Keystone education initiative and the success of our students.
M&T Bank was formed in 1856 and has continued as a retail and commercial bank in communities throughout the mid-Atlantic and New England regions. M&T’s commitment and presence within Pennsylvania has been consistent for decades as we continue to support the needs of the businesses and families throughout the communities served.
If you attended this year’s ABC Keystone Economic Breakfast, keynote speaker Anirban Basu spoke of the shortage of available workforce across the US in general and its direct impact on the construction industry. Workforce shortages aren’t new to the industry, and I believe many of us recognize we will continue to face this barrier for the foreseeable future.
Last month I shared several affinity programs that would possibly improve your bottom line. I mentioned a new program on the horizon, a multi-employer 401K program. Well, it is here and available.
Although 2023 has just begun, governments at all levels, Local, State, and Federal, have made it clear that it will be a challenging year for merit shop contractors. We’ll discuss just a few of the specific challenges.
Meet Dan Allegar
Business Development Manager
Team Lewis Landscaping
I am the Business Development Manager at Team Lewis Landscaping, based in Grantville, PA. My primary focus is connecting and building partnerships with building contractors and construction firms in our area to provide commercial landscaping services, such as plant installations, hydroseeding, snow removal, and ongoing maintenance. I also work in the field routinely, as part of our Tree Care Division.
Welcome to our Newest Members and Congratulations to our members celebrating milestone anniversaries!
