The Blog

GCI is looking for more instructors to add to our team for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year! Do you or someone you know have a Journeyman or Master License in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? Contact the GCI office to find out more about this opportunity to make some extra cash while giving back to your trade! Teaching experience is an plus, but not necessary. We are looking for instructors to teach the following courses: Electrical -  Tues & Thurs from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. (Andover) Sheet Metal -  Tues & Thurs from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. (Andover) Mon & Wed from 5:30 - 8:30 pm (Franklin) Tues & Thurs from 6:00 - 9:00 pm (Plymouth) HVAC Contractor -  *Need to have a refrigeration tech license to teach and we will do an orientation to familiarize you with this new curriculum* Mon & Wed from 5:30 - 8:30 pm (Franklin) Mon & Wed from 6:00 - 9:00 pm (North Adams) Tues & Thurs from 6:00 - 9:00 pm (Plymouth) Tues & Thurs fr ...

JUNE 2019 NEI recently hosted a charity event at its headquarters in Randolph, Mass. for the Wonderfund to benefit foster children in the care of the Mass. Department of Children and Families (DCF). NEI donated $5,000 to host an Emergency Aid Hero event to benefit the Brockton office of the DCF. This donation was used to purchase clothing and age-appropriate comfort items, which were then sorted by size and gender by NEI employees to create kits for foster children transitioning into the system. Many of the 10,000 children who enter DCF foster care each year come into care with only the clothes on their backs. In this traumatic time, many children must leave their homes without necessary everyday items like winter coats, pajamas, underwear, shoes, or their favorite comforting teddy bear. Community support will help children in these difficult circumstances feel more comfortable and cared for as they enter their new surroundings. The Wonderfund is a private, nonprofit, 501(c)3 that serves children enga ...

DANVERS, MA (July 2, 2019) – North Shore Mechanical Contractors, Inc., (NSMC) announces it has been acquired by the PA-based company HB Global, LLC.  HB Global is the parent company of three other companies: HB McClure, IT Landes, and Nash Plumbing and Mechanical. Collectively, they offer a variety of mechanical services, including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical installation and service for both residential and commercial clients. NSMC will join these companies as a fourth division of HB Global. According to Brad Orsburn, NSMC vice president, the acquisition will mean more opportunities for NSMC employees and expanded resources for NSMC clients. “Becoming a division of HB Global will provide our staff with a greater number of career paths and the added benefit of employee ownership,” said Orsburn. “HB Global also aligns with NSMC’s core values, and we’re pleased to join a company that matches our culture.” Orsburn noted the company will retain the NSMC name ...

Connolly Brothers, a general contractor and construction management firm, and GraVoc Associates, a technology-consulting company, recently teamed up to sponsor a “Build A Bed” event on Saturday, June 15, 2019, at Connolly Brothers offices in Beverly, Mass. to support A Bed for Every Child.  “When we heard about A Bed for Every Child and the work they are doing to help local disadvantaged kids, we instantly thought it was a great cause,” said Thad Minshall, vice president of real estate and development for Connolly Brothers. “As a fifth-generation construction company, the Build-A-Bed program dovetails nicely with our expertise and we knew this would be a great way to give back to the community. We were excited to host this event with GraVoc and we were thrilled by the support from local businesses.”   Launched in 2012, A Bed for Every Child provides beds for children living in poverty. Since its inception, the program has delivered more than 7,0 ...

Many of our friends in other industries are able to enjoy a more relaxed pace during the summer, but those of us in construction industry don’t have that luxury.  As our workload ramps up even further, it’s more important than ever to ensure that each of our employees goes home safely to his or her family every night.  Like so many of us, safety doesn’t take a summer vacation. To help members hone their safety programs, ABC developed the Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) in 1989.  Since then, this benchmarking and improvement tool has evolved into a world-class safety management system that dramatically improves safety performance among participants regardless of company size or type of work. Participating ABC member firms measure their safety processes and policies on 24 key components through a detailed questionnaire with the goal of implementing or enhancing safety programs that reduce jobsite incidents. And it works. Companies that participate in STE ...

Employer Notice to Employees ​The deadline for employer notice to employees has been extended from May 31 to June 30, 2019. The notice, which may be provided electronically, must include the opportunity for an employee or self-employed individual to acknowledge receipt or decline to acknowledge receipt of the information. Exemption Deadline Extended for Quarter 1 The Department’s current guidance requires that exemptions for private plans must be approved in the quarter prior to the quarter in which they will go into effect. For Quarter 1 only, however, the deadline to file for a private plan exemption that will be in effect for first quarter contributions for paid family and medical leave has been moved from June 30 to September 20, 2019. This will allow employers additional time to contemplate private plan options. Going forward, the Department will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis but applications must be approved in the quarter prior to the quarter in which they go into ef ...

Leaders in the construction industry have spent decades working to identify, implement and fine-tune jobsite safety practices. Construction Safety Week, May 6-10, is a recognition of that progress, but also a national, industry-wide call to action to promote safety best practices and the importance of an uncompromising commitment to safety in the construction industry. At ABC Massachusetts, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure all construction workers go home in the same—or better—condition than when they arrived on the jobsite. Applying world-class safety processes dramatically improves safety performance, according to ABC’s 2019 Safety Performance Report, an annual assessment of STEP safety management system data. Based on information gathered from ABC member companies recording just under one billion hours of work in construction, heavy construction, civil engineering and specialty trades, companies that attained the highest level of STEP performance—Diamond—r ...

Karl Hudson, 2019 ABC MA Chairman We all remember times when just surviving seemed to be the number one goal in our industry.  Today the challenge is finding enough qualified employees to meet the demand for construction services. As important as all that is, it is absolutely essential that we send every one of our employees home safely to their families at the end of each day.  That will be the focus on Thursday, May 16, when the Gould Construction Institute (GCI), ABC’s fully licensed training affiliate, holds its annual Safety & Education Night at the Burlington Marriott. At the dinner, GCI will honor member companies who have achieved excellence through ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP), which is an organized approach for analyzing and developing safety loss prevention programs.  But that’s just the beginning: ​ We will honor Gould instructors and students receiving certificates of completion;  Representatives from the Electrica ...

On Thursday, May 16th, GCI and ABC will hold our annual Safety & Education Night at the Boston Burlington Marriott to honor member companies who have achieved excellence through ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP).  But did you know there are critical educational seminars before the celebration even begins? And this year, we are offering TWO different seminars to choose from, with both beginning at 4:00 PM, followed by an exciting night celebrating the STEP Award Winners, and more! Option 1: Annual OSHA Update - Regulatory Statistics, Worker Shortages, Opioids, Hot Work and more! ​ ​Kimlee Lindgren, Lead Instructor and Curriculum Developer for Construction & Maritime, OSHA Training Institute Educat ...

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Via ABC National) —According to the results of Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2019 Workforce Development Survey, ABC members invested $1.6 billion to educate their employees in 2018, up from $1.1 billion in 2013. The 45% increase in spending resulted in nearly twice as many course attendees—more than 980,000—receiving craft, leadership and safety education to advance their careers in commercial and industrial construction.  “The increase in spending on education demonstrates ABC member contractors’ commitment to developing employees, which is producing results in recruiting and retaining a skilled, safe and productive workforce,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC’s vice president of health, safety, education and workforce development. “With more than 90% of members reporting a worker shortage and construction spending at near-record highs, this is the time to invest in our people, expand career opportunities and secure ...