Mid-Year Update on ABC Keystone

By: Steve Conway, Pyramid Construction Services, LLC, A Quandel Company, ABC Keystone 2023 Chair of the Board

With 7 months officially in the books, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on ABC Keystone’s accomplishments in 2023. As I wrote in my first message of the year, ABC Keystone sets annual goals around our strategic plan and the staff and board track the progress monthly to ensure the goals are met to the best of our ability.

Retention of membership is a bellwether for the health and well-being of the organization. Engaged members that feel they are receiving value tend to remain committed. I am happy to report that this year, our retention is 90.3%, the 3rd year in a row that we have been able to stay over the 90% mark.

Coupled with retention, we are always striving to add new members to the organization. As of the end of June, new membership was at 28, on track for another growth year. The summer months are generally slow for growth, but membership continues to grow at a reasonable pace. Board members and members at large continue to sponsor peers in the industry, allowing for growth and new opportunities.

Educating and influencing the youth in our region about the abundance of opportunity in our field of work is imperative to the success of all our businesses. ABC continues to grow our articulation agreements and pre-apprenticeship programs in the surrounding school districts. Currently we have 42 partner agreements in place, surpassing our goal of 40 for the year. In conjunction with garnering interest in the industry, ABC Keystone celebrated its 50th Anniversary Apprenticeship Graduation, graduating 98 journeymen to the industry.

STEP participation is at a recent high, with 23.3% of our contractor members enrolled in STEP, which is 70% of our 30% contractor participation goal. As I’ve mentioned in the past, safety is arguably the most important element of our industry. Though it is disappointing to see that we are likely not going to hit our goal, it’s encouraging to see that more members are starting to see the value in the program and taking advantage of the opportunity to enhance their culture of safety.

Event attendance and member involvement in educational classes is up from 2022, with 3,659 participants to date. This is a key indicator that our members are engaged, and the organization is offering the right mix of opportunities. Heading into late summer and early fall, we have some great events such as the Clay Shoots, Summer Mixer, and Tailgate Party to mention a few. If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to register for these events.

Lastly, we have hosted over 25 State legislators at ABC events to date. Remaining connected to our legislators in Harrisburg is key to ensuring that our voice is heard. We continue to garner support from our friends in the legislature as well as local county commissioners and representatives alike. With issues such as PLAs, RCOs, licensing bills, and anything else construction related, it is imperative that we continue to foster these relationships.

As you can see, ABC Keystone is having once again another very successful year. I want to thank all our members and industry partners for their support and willingness to engage on a united front.