Catch up on our latest networking events from the previous month. Thank you to all who attended and all of our sponsors who make the events possible!

Floridians who need a driver, drill or a couple of the high-discharge batteries that power them would do well to hold off for a few months. From Sept. 3-9 the state will not collect sales tax on a bundle of items as part of a new sales tax holiday included in the Legislature’s tax-cut package (HB 7071). During the first-ever …

But contractors say the Sarasota-Bradenton metro area needs bigger labor force. Construction employment continued to grow at the end of 2019 in Southwest Florida, but payrolls still trail their peak levels. Contractors in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties hired 1,900 additional workers during the 12-month period ended in December, according to a new report from the Associated General Contractors of …

Florida leads the nation in unemployment rates in the construction industry, at 2.4-percent unemployment. This is down from a year ago and is Florida’s lowest December rate on record, based on the Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released Feb. 5. “The construction industry is booming, especially here on the Gulf Coast of Florida,” said …

On January 22, members of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Florida Gulf Coast Chapter will urge the Florida Legislature to tweak current laws governing retainage and continuing contracts to better reflect nationwide economic, legislative and industry trends.  Retainage is money withheld from a contractor until a project is completed. Currently, in Florida, the amount allowed is 10 percent of …

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9—Associated Builders and Contractors released its 2019 Merit Shop Scorecard today, an annual ranking based on state policies and programs that encourage workforce development, career and technical education, job growth, and promote fair and open competition for taxpayer-funded construction projects. Florida topped the list for the second year in a row based on the state’s continued commitment to pro free-enterprise policies …

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Florida Gulf Coast Chapter announced today that they have filed a lawsuit challenging the City of St. Petersburg’s Apprenticeship and Disadvantaged Worker Ordinances. The legal challenge was filed in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial District by Cotney Construction Law. The firm will represent ABC in the lawsuit.  In January 2019, ABC submitted a letter to …

With steady economic expansion and a more challenging political environment postelection, it’s more important than ever for ABC to help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities where we live and work. In 2019, ABC National will focus on four strategic goals to fulfill the promise we have …