ABC Names 2026’s Top Craft Instructor, Craft Pro, Young Pro and Safety Pro

Associated Builders and Contractors announced the honorees for the 2026 Construction Workforce Awards: Craft Instructor of the Year, Craft Professional of the Year, Young Professional of the Year and Health and Safety Professional of the Year. The winners were announced at ABC Convention 2026 held in Salt Lake City, Utah. These four construction professionals are shaping the construction industry by highlighting lifelong career opportunities, emphasizing healthy and safe work practices and expanding skill-building education. Tatton Kilmer, preconstruction manager and plumbing instructor, ABC Southern California chapter, Anaheim, Calif., is the 2026 Craft Instructor of the Year Jason White, mechanical supervisor and … Read more

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator Rebounds in February, Contractor Confidence Grows

Associated Builders and Contractors reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.1 months in February, according to an ABC member survey conducted Feb. 20-March 6. The reading is up 0.1 months from January but down 0.2 months from February 2025. Backlog increased sharply during February in the Middle States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Notably, the Middle States is the only region with higher backlog than one year ago. ABC’s Construction Confidence Index readings for sales and staffing levels increased again in February, while the reading for profit margins … Read more

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ABC Names 2026 National Chair, Executive Committee

Thomas “Murph” Murphy, vice president of Power & Construction Group, Scottsville, New York, was elected 2026 chair of the Associated Builders and Contractors’ National Board of Directors. “I am blessed and honored to serve ABC and its members in the role of 2026 national chair,” said Murphy. “Starting my construction career in the field and learning the importance of every position on a jobsite makes me appreciate how the merit shop gives everyone the opportunity to rise from laborer to industry leader.” Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025, ABC is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with … Read more

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Associated Builders and Contractors Unveils Latest Tech Report

Associated Builders and Contractors recently released its fifth-annual construction technology report, the ABC Field Tech Report, which highlights the tools and innovations shaping project sites, showcasing the possibilities and opportunities when technology transforms construction in the field. “ABC’s fifth annual construction technology report turns the spotlight to the jobsite, where field technology is driving the next stage of progress,” said Matt Abeles, ABC vice president of construction technology and innovation. “The swift advancement of this particular technology represents a new era for our industry. These leading solutions and companies display a focus on empowering the people who build our infrastructure … Read more

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ABC Reports Nonunion Construction Workforce Tops 80% in 41 States

Associated Builders and Contractors released an analysis of 2024 state union membership data published by unionstats.com, which found that in 41 states at least 80% of workers in the private construction industry did not belong to a union. At least 90% of workers in the private construction industry did not belong to a union in 29 states in 2024 and 2023, up from 26 states in 2022 and 24 states in 2021. Nationwide, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nearly 8 million construction industry workers were not members of a union in 2024, a 12,000-person increase from 2023. … Read more

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