2009ANNUAL REPORT

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From The Desk Of Al...

Association President Sounds Off On Recession, What We Can Do To Help

The Builders Association has served Chicagoland’s construction industry for over 100 years, but that history wouldn’t be worth much if the services provided by the BA didn’t adapt with the times. Strong, experienced leadership has aided the association in doing just that.

Al Leitschuh has seen a number of economic downturns come and go. As a chief executive offi cer for associations since 1977 and the Builders Association’s President since 1997, he’s been able to help businesses in a number of different industries through those times and see that they prosper when the fi nancial picture gets brighter.

In a recent question-and-answer session, Al reviewed how the Association’s services can help members save money and spoke on a host of other relevant topics...in addition to a couple of irrelevant ones.

Q: As the downturn for construction continues, what can the Association do to help its members persevere?

A: The Association strives to improve its value to members every day. Through our labor contracts, industry relations activities, industry knowledge events and safety activities, we can help members confront the issues that face them, saving them time and money. In that way, we’re not an expense for our members but a tremendous resource. It makes fi nancial sense to belong to our Association, never more so than when the fi nancial climate is bad.

Q: What do the coming labor negotiations mean to members fi nancially?

A: Agreements with the Carpenters, Laborers, Operating Engineers and a number of other major Unions expire in May. With active participation from a number of Association members on committees involving the trades, we’ve been able to get a jump on the game and have been getting ready for these negotiations for close to a year.

Preparation is the key when dealing with this many contracts

expiring at once. Our labor team has worked tirelessly to be in a position to negotiate contracts that can provide fi nancial relief to our members in the long term.

Q: There’s been a lot of talk about OSHA cutting back on its safety partnerships with businesses and increasing enforcement in the wake of a Democratic White House and Congress. How will these developments affect the Builders Association’s Partnership with OSHA and contractors working to build the city every day?

A: We’ve heard from Seyfarth Shaw, our local OSHA offi ce and a number of other sources that all employers should expect an increased amount of enforcement from OSHA. Contractors should expect a more aggressive application of the standards.

This news makes things like our Partnership with OSHA even more important. That Partnership isn’t going away. In fact, it was just renewed through 2012 and is at an all-time high for number of companies participating. Members can fi x non-serious violations immediately on inspection, saving them the cost and trouble of OSHA fi nes and reports.

We understand the need for aggressive enforcement of safety standards, as exhibited through our comprehensive safety partnership and our safety awards program. Some of the strongest safety programs in Chicagoland and in the nation are at our member companies, and we’re committed to helping those fi rms maintain and improve those already strong safety and health initiatives.

Q: One of the Builders Association’s goals has been strengthening industry relationships. How does that that benefi t our members and through them the industry?

A: Our industry relations activities bring us a signifi cant amount of infl uence with a variety of community, government and industry sectors. The relationships we’ve built benefi t our members with help on workforce issues, jobsite concerns and contractor relations. We’ve reached out to the communities our members serve through the Construction Career Opportunity Program and our involvement in Chicago’s bid for the Olympics was helpful in connecting us

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with the rest of the business community, just as two examples.

Q: Speaking of the Olympics, do you regret the funds or time the Association spent on the effort to win the 2016 games, given the result?

A: Absolutely not. We didn’t support the effort because we thought our members would benefi t fi nancially from winning the bid, we supported it because it would have been good for the industry as a whole and the community as a whole. I still believe it would have been.

I believe our involvement was another demonstration of good corporate citizenship on our part and we’re proud to have been a part of the Olympic effort.

The industry would have benefi tted fi nancially if the City had been selected, but it would not have happened right away and it certainly wouldn’t have brought a struggling industry back to levels it was at before the recession.

The same is true of the stimulus, although it did help a bit. Construction industry fi rms are having to make diffi cult fi nancial decisions, and I believe through informative programs and outstanding services in a number of areas, we can help them make those decisions.

Q: Will Brett Favre retire again, play for your beloved Vikings in 2010 or retire again, change his mind, come back and play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders?

A: No amount of schooling or experience would assist me in answering a question so complex.

Q: As things have slowed down on the commercial construction market, it’s gotten a lot more crowded on the Builders Association’s calendar of events. Is that an illusion or an accident?

A: It’s neither, actually. In the past we’ve been able to bring in experts from around the area and the country for Builders Association programs, which provided members with insights they need on critical industry issues. One thing we’re proud of is that – even for our regular Spring, Fall and Annual Meetings – we don’t just have meetings to have them. We have a history of building strong programs that prove to be valuable to our members.

Programs in 2009 focused on industry innovation, the economics of a strong safety program, Building Information Modeling, risk management, pension fund withdrawal liability and prospering

during a recession. We had an increase in the number of programs we presented to members for the fourth year in a row.

Networking is a component of what we do, but it’s hardly the focus. Our meetings aren’t just for networking and they’re not only for executives, either. We strive to create programs that can help project managers, safety professionals and everyone else on a jobsite. Through helping them get the information they need, we can help the industry.

Q: You mentioned bringing in national leaders. One example of that is a speech at the Annual Meeting by the AGC of America’s President or CEO in three of the last four years. As a member of the AGC of America’s Executive Board and someone who attends many events at the national level, why do you feel so strongly about what the AGC can do for contractors?

A: I don’t feel like a lot of contractors even scratch the surface when it comes to using AGC resources. It’s a one-stop shop for everything someone in the construction industry needs to know about. The AGC is the largest and most effective advocate for our industry nationally, which makes us proud as an Association to have been a charter member of the AGC in 1918.

The AGC of America gives the construction industry a voice on the national legislative stage, but that’s not all they are or all they do. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve reached into the Building Division’s online newsletter for some great pieces of information for our publications.

The AGC produces newsletters geared specifi cally toward environmental issues, specialty contractors, BIM, fi nancial issues and countless other issues and can also be on top of rapid developments in the industry immediately, whether it’s tracking what happens with stimulus money or the unemployment rate. They’ve got the manpower to, in a sense, be everywhere at once.

We want to know how we can help contractors achieve their goals and we want our members to use the services that we have available. Our doors have always been open to members who have questions or concerns and I’m happy to answer those at any time.

Q: You’ve played in countless golf outings over the years. Any interest in turning pro?

A: I’ve spent enough time in the weeds at those things that I could probably turn pro as a landscaper, but otherwise, no, not really.

“I believe our involvement was another demonstration of good corporate citizenship on our part and we’re proud to have been a part of the Olympic effort.”

Al Leitschuh, Builders Association President, on the Association’s involvement in Chicago 2016, which included sitting on two offi cial

committees and a donation of $100,000.

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After a year of bad economic tidings, a new national construction hiring and busi-ness outlook forecast doesn’t anticipate any immediate recovery for contractors in 2010. This outlook forecast is based in part on survey responses from nearly 700 con-struction fi rms, submitted in late December and early January. The report, released by the AGC of America, states that just about nine-in-ten contractors believe recovery is unlikely to occur in 2010. After facing near-record layoffs nation-wide in 2009, the latest fi nancial numbers may keep contractors from purchasing new equipment or hiring staff in 2010. “Unfortunately for the industry and for our economy, this year’s construction out-look is far from positive,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the AGC’s Chief Executive Of-fi cer. “As long as the construction indus-try remains mired in its own depression, broader economic and employment growth will continue to lag.” The outlook revealed that privately-fund-

ed construction activity, which normally accounts for the majority of annual con-struction activity, isn’t likely to improve. For example, 64 percent of contractors anticipate that demand for new manufac-turing facilities will drop and 71 percent say demand for new retail, warehouse and lodging facilities will decline. Hidden beneath the gloom, Sandherr says the Federal Stimulus stands as one of the few bright spots. Almost one-third of the survey’s respondents reported they were awarded stimulus-funded projects in 2009, while almost half of those say the stimu-lus helped them retain an average of 24 employees each. Another 15 percent of contractors say the stimulus made it pos-sible for them to add an average of 10 new employees. Sandherr added that the effect of the stim-ulus can be spotted in contractors’ expec-tations for 2010. He noted the following numbers from respondents regarding areas where stimulus funds are expected to be

Unemployment Rate[Not Seasonally Adjusted]

4.6%

8.2%

4.3%

6.9%4.8%

9.4%

7.1%

15.3%

9.7%

22.7%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Total Private Construction

Dec-05

Dec-06

Dec-07

Dec-08

Dec-09

This graph was created using data from the AGC and the United States Department of Labor

delivered in 2010:62 percent expect the highway mar-ket to improve or remain stable61 percent say water and sewer con-struction will improve or remain stable55 percent say work on public build-ings will also improve or remain stable in 2010

“The stimulus is fi nally beginning to have a measurable, but limited, impact on the construction industry,” Sandherr said. “The full impact of those investments has sadly been tempered by the inability of Congress to put a host of multi-year infrastructure funding plans in place.” Furthermore, contractors are relatively optimistic about power and hospital/higher education construction possibilities. Fifty-two percent expect demand for power fa-cilities to be at or above last year’s levels. Contractors in general also anticipate more construction for hospitals and universities than was available last year, on the strength of anticipated endowments. Despite the positive response to the stim-ulus, sour predictions seemed to dominate the outlook. Construction spending de-clined last year by $137 billion, and is now at its lowest level in six years. Eighty-one percent of fi rms already report having to cut profi t margins in their bids just to stay competitive. Another 10 percent state they are now submitting bids so low they will actually lose money on the projects. Staff woes may also continue this year. Sixty percent of fi rms say they are unsure whether they will be able to add new staff, or be forced to make further cuts. Overall, the outlook indicates that con-tractors will have to cope with another dif-fi cult year, Sandherr said. He did, however, add another piece of good news: construc-tion costs that remain at multi-year lows will provide good deals for anyone willing to begin a construction project.

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Ninety Percent of Contractors Say Industry Recovery Doubtful in 2010

Recession Recovery Time Frame Uncertain

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Board Of Directors

ChairmanR. Lynn Treat

Ryan Companies US, Inc.

Vice ChairmanHoward Strong

George Sollitt Construction Co.

TreasurerBen Johnston

James McHugh Construction

Immediate Past ChairmanJohn Russell

W.E. O’Neil Construction Co.

Jimmy AkintondeUjamaa Construction,

Inc.

Ken EgidiPepper Construction

Company

Leon LaJeunesseCustom Contracting,

Ltd.

Michael MozalJoseph J. Duffy

Company

Jeff RadayMcShane Construction

Company

Greg ScurtoScurto Cement Construction

Mark RowlandISEC, Inc.

Ray WojkovichBulley & Andrews, LLC

The Levy Company’s Bob Smith was honored at the Builders Association’s Spring Meeting for his contributions during 10 years as Chair of the Association’s Safety Committee.

Smith helped to institute Contractor Safety Forums, which allow safety professionals to get together in a collaborative environment in which they were able to learn from their peers about how to handle jobsite problems. Smith, who refers to himself as “passionate about safety,” equates the relationship construction companies should have with OSHA to a friendship, in that they should both share the common goal of preventing workers within the industry from getting hurt.

Smith’s enthusiasm was one of the infl uences that led to the creation of the Builders Association’s Safety Partnership with OSHA, a program which allows member contractors to avoid fi nes for major OSHA violations found on a job site, so long as the violation is resolved immediately. Developed in 2003 through close to two years of cooperative research, the Partnership has since grown from nine companies to over 20. It is considered to be one of the most comprehensive partnerships in the country, fostering cooperative relationships between OSHA and construction companies.

Safety Partnership With OSHA ParticipantsAirtite Contractors, Inc.Bulley & Andrews, LLCCustom Contracting, Ltd.Frank H. Stowell & Sons

The George Sollitt Construction CompanyGlenn H. Johnson Constuction Company

Herlihy Mid-Continent CompanyInterior Alterations

Interior Construction Group (ICG)Joseph J. Duffy Company

The Levy CompanyMcShane Construction CompanyPepper Construction Company

Ryan Companies US, Inc.Sigalos & Associates, Ltd.

Temperature Service Company, Inc.Thorne Associates, Inc.Tyler Lane Construction

Ujamaa Construction, Inc.Valenti Builders, Inc.

W.B. Olson, Inc.W.E. O’Neil Construction CompanyWilliam J. Scown Building Company

There’s always room for more companies dedicated to safety. For more information on the OSHA Partnership, the benefi ts it provides and how you can take advantage, contact Kristin Garcia at 847-318-8585.

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For over a decade, the Builders Association has helped Chicagoland’s construction workers come home safe through an active and comprehensive safety program. During quarterly Contractor Safety Forums, safety and health professionals were able to participate in open discussions on how cooperation between management and Safety Directors could improve conditions, drug testing, electrical safety and a number of other topics.

Other safety activities in 2009 included an AGC presentation on how best to avoid catastrophic accidents and a discussion on the economics of a strong safety program at the Spring Meeting.

FOCUS FOURFor Jim Goss, Senior Vice President of Construction Safety

Management, Inc., the numbers of fatalities occurring in the construction are diffi cult to digest.

Goss was a presenter for the AGC of America’s Focus Four Safety Training, a free seminar designed to help construction companies avoid the four issues that most frequently cause death on a jobsite: falls, electrocutions, struck-bys and caught-betweens.

Among the facts presented were the fi nancial reasons behind doing the right thing concerning the safety of workers and the elimination of hazards, as well as the necessity for treating safety information as proprietary by closely guarding any facts surrounding a lost-time or fatal incident. Goss stressed the importance of companies sharing information from instances in which things have gone wrong.

SPRING MEETINGThe cost of implementing some safety measures may serve as a

deterrent to some companies implementing them. Spring Meeting presenter John Schumacher of the Assurance Agency was quick to point out how expensive not adopting those measures can turn out to be. Schumacher stressed that companies should treat their safety cost-benefi t analysis the same way they treat their fi nancials, pointing out that they would be stunned to see how quickly extra safety measures paid for themselves. Rather than focusing directly on compliance with OSHA, he suggested that companies instead focus on the goal of loss prevention.

SAFETY FORUMSPepper Construction Company Safety Director Paul Flentge

gratefully accepted what outgoing Chairman Bob Smith of The Levy Company called the “privilege” of being Chairman for the association’s Safety Committee. Flentge praised Smith for his part in creating the BA’s Safety Partnership with OSHA.

Safety Forums continued to be hosted by the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council in Hillside. Pepper Construction Vice President Dan Delcore gave the main presentation at the August Forum and focused on how to close the information gap between project managers or safety level staff and safety professionals. What Delcore refers to as “the invisible wall between project management and the fi eld” is what he believes to be responsible for mistrust and separation. A question and answer session that

was held after the presentation revealed concerns that contractors had in regards to keeping high safety standards in the face of a very tight bidding environment and building marketplace.

Electrical safety was discussed by Rich Cassetto of ComEd at February’s Safety Forum. Members were able to air their concerns about the diffi culty of getting inspectors to jobsites in a timely fashion.

Keeping Our Members Safe

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In preparation for a busy Spring of negotiations in 2010, the Builders Association continued dialogue with Union leaders on local and national levels in 2009, including United Brotherhood of Carpenters President Doug McCarron and Operating Engineers President Vince Giblin.

Representatives of the Association were able to discuss the rapidly rising cost of Union construction with McCarron and Giblin, including concerns that costs are rising higher than infl ation and could eventually cause Union contractors to cede their market share. Other items covered with the national Union heavyweights included:

Work rules, and how adjusting them could benefi t construction in ChicagoWages, and how contractors do not believe that seven percent wage increases aren’t realistic under current economic conditionsBenefi ts and withdrawal liability concerns – specifi cally how these concerns are an obstacle to new Union construction fi rms being formedJurisdictional disputes and how selective enforcement of them is costing good contractors time and money

“We knew 2010 was going to be an active year for labor, so our Labor Committee and labor resources had to take an active approach, as well,” said Denise Herdrich, the Builders Association’s Director of Labor. “In addition to assisting members with audits and jurisdictional disputes and a number of articles in The Builder Blast and The Builder to help contractors with labor issues, this meant identifying solid priorities for the coming negotiations.”

Herdrich and members of the Labor Committee worked in 2009 to identify what did and did not work well in previous negotiations, as well as build a matrix of labor issues that need to be addressed with certain trades. She stressed that advanced

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Negotiation Prep Kicks Into High Gear

Labor Relations Task Force

Jim Sikich (Committe Chair)W.E. O’Neil Construction Co.

William CallaghanHenry Bros. Co.

Phil DiekemperCeco Concrete Construction

Paul HellermannBulley & Andrews, LLC

Ben JohnstonJames McHugh Construction Co.

Steve LenzGeorge Sollitt Construction Co.

Robert LessmanSmithAmundsen, LLC

J. David PepperPepper Construction Company

Tim SullivanPepper Construction Company

R. Lynn Treat Ryan Companies US, Inc.

Pat WilharmMcShane Construction Company

organization, while always important, carries extra signifi cance this year with the following contracts set to expire on May 31:

Bricklayers District Council Local 1Chicago Regional Council of CarpentersCement Mason Locals 502, 803 & 11Laborers District CouncilOperating Engineers Local 150Technical Engineers Local 130

Through collectively bargained contracts for all of the above trades, the Builders Association saves its members money by presenting a unifi ed front in negotiations.

“We’re able to save members money every year when they seek our help with labor issues, and this past year was no different,” Herdrich stated. “Our services are there for members to take advantage of. The earlier we can get information on an issue, the quicker we can help. I can’t stress enough how important it is that companies work together when it comes to labor and that they take advantage of the services we can give them.”

Questions or comments on any labor issue? Contact Denise at 847-318-8585 to fi nd out what we can do to help your business save money when it most needs to.

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Builders Foundation: Paving The Way The Builders Foundation continues to promote success in the

lives of aspiring construction industry leaders. Since the program was created in 2003, more than $80,000 in scholarships has been granted to deserving students studying within the industry.

The Builders Foundation Board of Directors received a record number of applicants this year, leading to a record number of recipients (fi ve). Twenty three Chicagoland high school graduates majoring in construction management or construction engineering at accredited institutions in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan have been selected by the Builders Foundation Board of Directors to receive scholarships since 2002.

Winners are keeping themselves busy with projects throughout both the Chicagoland area and the country. Honorees have worked with or are working with Pepper Construction Company, Opus North Corporation, Ryan Companies, W.E. O’Neil Construction and a number of other fi rms.

The Builders Foundation Golf Outing provides the majority of the funding for the program. Makray Memorial Golf Club will host the event again this year on Thursday, July 29. Last year’s Golf Outing raised over $20,000 that will aid future leaders within the construction industry in achieving academic and future success.

BUILDING PLANS FOR SUCCESS

• Claims Litigation• Defect Litigation• Contract Preparation and Negotiation• Mechanics Liens• Arbitration/Mediation• Project Administration and Closeout• Labor and Employment Counseling

Our practice involves the representation of general contractors, subcontractors, construction managers and design-builders from project conception through project closeout.

Two First National Plaza, 25th Floor • Chicago, Illinois 60603 • 312.558.1220 • www.ogletreedeakins.com

CONSTRUCTION LAW ATTORNEYS

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The Builders Association launched its progressive Business Assistance Task Force in late 2009. Its mission is to implement programs, services, networking and partnering opportunities for emerging contractors and subcontractors to continue to develop their businesses.

The Task Force will concentrate its initial efforts on supplemental training and networking gatherings to facilitate greater opportunities for minority/women fi rms to establish relationships with other contractors and utilize the extensive resources of the Builders Association.

Task Force MEMBERS

Jimmy Akintonde, Ujamaa Construction Inc. Ernest Brown, Brown & Momen Inc. Anthony Kwateng, Oakley Construction Steve Lenz, The George Sollitt Construction Co.

Participation Targets

Association-created listing of all

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Chicagoland MBE/WBE fi rms “Start small” with familiar companies Membership referrals and input

Benefits

Cultivate successful relationships with other businesses Improve commercial construction industry as a whole Increased quality contractors/subcontractors Greater membership representation

Future Program Topics

Finance (Bonding, Insurance, Cash Flow, Credit, etc.) Bid Process Owner Relations Performance of Work Networking Sessions Business Development

Partnership Entities Chicago Urban League: Contractor Development Program – A 20-week

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Business Assistance Task Force

The Builders Association’s Business Assistance Task Force includes (from left): Steve Lenz of The George Sollitt Construction Company; Jimmy Akintonde of Ujamaa Construction, Inc.; and Ernest Brown of Brown & Momen, Inc.

program for developers, general contractors and other construction professionals that includes technical, managerial and entrepreneurship training and the NEXT ONE Program – A nine-month intensive business development program offered in conjunction with Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Dawson Technical Institute: a community oriented institute whose primary mission is to provide short-term intensive training in business, health, food service and industrial occupations.

The Builders Association looks forward to developing successful programs and services to benefi t emerging contractors. Look out for its fi rst event in Spring of 2010.

For more information on the Builders Association Task Force or if you work with a company you believe would benefi t, contact Project Manager Stacey Kelly at skelly@bldrs.org.

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With the work load lightening for many construction companies, the Builders Association took 2009 to step up its number of industry knowledge events, including bringing in Dr. Thomas Schleiffer to outline the best ways to survive a recession (upper left) and a program on the business side of Building Information Modeling (right).

Before chipping in as the 50th Chairman of the Builders Association, R. Lynn Treat of Ryan Companies took a shot at chipping onto the green (upper right) during the Builders Foundation’s Golf Outing in July at Makray Memorial Golf Club in Barrington. Recession be damned, Builders Association members teamed up to raise over $20,000 for college scholarships. At the Annual Meeting at The Drake in December, Treat (above) joined President Al Leitschuh, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Vice President Mike Schultze for a photo. Over the summer, the Governor signed the fi rst comprehensive capital improvement plan the state has seen in over a decade.

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It was another banner year for Builders Association members at awards ceremonies around Chicagoland. The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center (above) won an Award of Merit from Midwest Construction Magazine and was one of the many completed projects that helped Bulley & Andrews, LLC earn honors as General Contractor of the Year from both ASA Chicago and the Federation of Women Contractors. James McHugh Construction Company, Pepper Construction Company and Berglund Construction Company worked on buildings named Projects of the Year by Midwest Construction, while Clark Construction Company and The Lombard Company were also honored.

The George Sollitt Construction Company was part of the team that took home the APA-IL Implementation Award for the Plainfi eld, Illinois Lockport Streetscape project (at left). McShane Construction Company, which had CISCO Project of the Year award-winner The Residences At The Grove (left, below) among its 2009 completions, was named General Contractor of the Year by the Chicago Chapter of NAIOP.

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The economic downturn has made it even more important for a construction industry fi rm to fully use every resource at its disposal. Since 1906, the Builders Association has been proud to serve as a vehicle to help companies fi nd work, keep work, prepare for the future and make their business better.

Association programs in the past two years have helped contractors understand the challenges facing the industry today, as well as those it will face years from now.

Prospering In Cyclical Markets: How To Survive A Recession In The Construction Industry

Dr. Thomas Schleifer’s presentation reminded contractors that there’s no law that says you can’t maintain profi t margins or event make them better in a recession. Dr. Schleifer outlined basic strategies for keeping profi t margins at their current level and strongly cautioned contractors against taking jobs their company wouldn’t normally do just to pay the bills.

Many questions from members revolved around the stimulus package and Chicago’s Olympic bid. Schleiffer warned against considering work from either when creating a business plan for the near future, since it’s unlikely that even a substantial amount of work from either would raise a company’s workload to where it was before the recession.

Marketing Business Through Maintaining RelationshipsSenior Consultant Tim Treon of FMI helped Project Managers

hone the skills they need to create repeat business for their companies. Attendees learned Treon’s formula for recognizing unmet opportunities and developing positive client relationships.

The Business Side Of BIM And Integrated Project DeliveryThe presentation discussed the time and money-saving elements

of BIM in addition to the non-technical aspects companies implementing for the fi rst time can expect, including legal and liability issues and risk management.

The Builders Association followed the event up by starting the AGC of America’s BIM Education series in January, when David Webster of MasterGraphics presented BIM 101: An Introduction to Building Information Modeling, at the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters Training Center in Elk Grove.

The second course in the AGC series, BIM Technology, will be presented in March 2010 at the same venue.

The Builders Association has a long tradition of putting together programs that offer members a greater understanding of what the issues of the day will mean to their business. Members can expect to benefi t from programs like these in the future.

Facing Future Challenges

Dr. Thomas Schleiffer

2009 Annual Report

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Play A Role In Our Legislative ActivitiesNew Year’s 2009 was greeted by a fl urry

of political activity, with the ousting of one Illinois Governor and the elevation of another one. That activity, however, didn’t mean that the legislature was quick to move on legislation, as the construction industry was largely untouched by new laws at the state level.

The Builders Association’s lobbyist expects bills revolving around prevailing wage, licensing and environmental issues will be proposed at the state level in 2010, but does not expect it to be a busy year in terms of lawmaking. When laws are discussed, however, members will have a new mechanism to keep updated.

A new tool for watching legislation and contacting lawmakers debuted on the Builders Association’s website in 2010. Our online Legislative Action Center became fully operational in January. This online advocacy tool allows members to track both state and national legislation and provides suggestions and avenues for getting your opinion to elected offi cials.

Located on the Government page of bldrs.org under the Legislative Updates tab, it is designed to increase the expediency, ease and overall effectiveness of communicating legislative happenings with members.

State Senate President John Cullerton, Senator James Meeks and Senator Donne Trotter met with Builders Association members in early 2009 to discuss the

likelihood of a new Washburn Tech trade school. The lawmakers expressed an interest in the Association’s progress with the Construction Career Opportunity Program (CCOP) and wanted to encourage further initiatives. They also asked for input on what would make Capital Development Board projects more attractive to BA members and construction fi rms in general.

Governor Pat Quinn was one the headline speakers at the Annual Meeting in December. In the summer of 2009, the Governor signed Illinois Jobs Now!, a $31 billion dollar piece of legislation and the fi rst capital bill the state has seen in over a decade.

On the national stage, the AGC of

The 29 Companies that became Association members in the 2009 calendar year:

Advent Systems, Inc.Autodesk

Automatic Building Controls, Inc.Baxter & Woodman, Inc.

Berglund Construction CompanyBrown & Momen, Inc.

CAL Communications Inc.Chicago Bath Systems dba Bath Fitter

Code Red LLCCompass Environmental, Inc.

Deerfi eld Electric Co., Inc. Electrical Design Systems Corporation

Fettes, Love & Sieben

New MembersGlass Solutions, Inc.

Grainger Industrial SupplyImperium LLC

Kopon Airdo, LLCKroeschell, Inc.

Lakewood Carpentry Services, Inc. MasterGraphics, Inc.

Medina Builders Midwest Interstate Electrical Construction Company

Oakley Construction Company, Inc.Plante & Moran, PLLC

Ragnar Benson ConstructionRose Paving Company

Stanton Mechanical, Inc. Temperature Service Company

Thatcher Foundations, Inc.

America closely watched the status funds disbursed by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, reporting that $140 billion of the stimulus package had been earmarked for construction and highway projects. The AGC lobbied against the Employee Free Choice Act and monitored debates on health care and multi-employer pension fund relief legislation.

Through its lobbyist and the AGC, the Builders Association is looking out for the interests of the construction industry on the legislative front. Help us fi ght for your interests and protect your business by actively participating in our legislative activities. Contact Mike Schultze at 847-318-8585 to learn more about donating to our PAC Fund.

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2009 Annual Report

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Community Builder and Corporate Citizenship Awards

The Community Builder Award was instituted at the Builders Association’s 100th Anniversary Annual Meeting in 2006. Award winners are recognized for their vision and leadership in creating employment opportunities for disadvantaged citizens and for their dedication to making the Chicago area a better place to live and do business. Past honorees include:

2006: Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Eddie Read, United Services of Chicago 2007: Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. 2008: Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters President Martin Umlauf and City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Dr. Wayne Watson 2009: Chicagoland Construction Safety Council Executive Director Tom Broderick and ACE Technical Charter High School Executive Director Geri Harston

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• The Builders Association takes nominations for the award, which is conferred at the Annual Meeting. All nomination must be emailed to Kristin Garcia at kgarcia@bldrs.org.

The Builders Association instituted a Corporate Citizenship Award in 2008 with the purpose of recognizing a member company for its philanthropic contributions. Nominations for this award are accepted year-round, and the award if conferred during the Builders Association’s Annual Meeting. Past winners include:

2008: Seyfarth Shaw LLP 2009: Ujamaa Construction, Inc.

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(Above) 2008 Community Builder Award winner Dr. Wayne Watson (left), with Build-ers Association Chairman J. David Pepper of Pepper Construction Company

(Above) 2008 Community Builder Award winner Martin C. Umlauf

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Builders Association Honor RollMidwest Construction Magazine

Best of 2009 AwardsJames McHugh Construction CompanyProject of the Year, Retail- theWit HotelProject of the Year, Multifamily Residential- Trump International Hotel & Towers

Berglund Construction CompanyProject of the Year, Government-Montgomery Village Hall

Case Foundation CompanyProject of the Year, Multifamily Residential- Trump International Hotel & Towers

Pepper Construction CompanyProject of the Year, K-12 Education- Henry Ford Academy, Power House High

Bulley & Andrews, LLCAward of Merit- Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education CenterAward of Merit- Muchin College Prep

Clark Construction CompanyAward of Merit- 300 N. LaSalle

The Lombard CompanyAward of Merit- Fire Station No. 18

NAIOP General Contractor of the YearMcShane Construction CompanyAffi nity Healthcare Building, Buffalo GroveMori Seiki USA, Inc. headquarters, Hoffman EstatesCasa Morelos/Casa Maravilla affordable housing, Chicago

CISCO 2009 Pride In Construction AwardsMcShane Construction CompanyProject of the Year, Residential - The Residences at The Grove

National Association of Women In ConstructionConstruction Company of the Year

Pepper Construction Company

BrillStreet/GFK, Fifty Top Employers For Generation YAssurance Agency, Ltd.Warady & Davis LLP

The Benchmark of Craftsmanship

4619 North Ravenswood Ave Suite 201 Chicago, IL 60640 P. 773.275.0700 F. 773.275.0900 info@chicagoarchitecturalmetals.com

Architectural Metals Ornamental Iron Miscellaneous Metals Restoration Engineering Fabrication Installation

From the traditional styles of the past to the contemporary designs of today, Chicago Architectural Metals works hard

to carry on a reputation of quality craftsmanship. As a full service metal fabricator in both the commercial and public

sector, our projects range from monumental staircases to the restoration of Chicago city landmarks. Utilizing the newest

technologies in metal fabrication we are dedicated to achieving the highest standards.

www.chicagoarchitecturalmetals.com 773.275.0700

Barneys Chicago

Stacey Kelly, Project ManagerPatty Heier, Offi ce Coordinator

Melissa Jankiewicz, Communications InternSophia Venetos, Communications Intern

Cover Design: Leeann Maton

Al Leitschuh, PresidentMike Schultze, Vice President

Denise Herdrich, Director of Labor Kristin Garcia, Director of Client Services

Andy Cole, Communications Manager

9550 W. Higgins Road, Suite 380 Rosemont, IL 60018 Phone: 847.318.8585 Fax: 847.318.8586 info@bldrs.org