AGC provides voice for construction businesses

Associated General Contractors of Missouri Inc. (AGC) is the voice of the construction industry.

AGC is an organization of qualified construction contractors and industry related companies dedicated to skill, integrity and responsibility.

AGC is the leading organization representing heavy, highway and municipal utility contractors in Missouri. Founded in 1925, the AGC allows Missouri contractors to speak to the governor, state legislature and state agencies with a unified voice on matters of public policy affecting the industry. Small, medium and large firms all benefit from AGC's quality services.

In this day and age, it is important to inform and to provide services to help improve and excel in day-to-day operations.

Our organization can provide information and services related to new government rules and regulations, safety and health issues, labor trends, pending legislation, government relations, collective bargaining, tax and workers' comp issues and crime alerts.

These topics just skim the surface of all the areas covered in regular publications issued to our membership.

Our Construction Directory and Buyer's Guide contains a complete list of our membership roster, government lists, labor organizations and cross-reference sections.

Members are kept up to date through our monthly newsletter, the Missouri Construction Advisor, and our annual magazine, the Missouri AGC Voice.

In addition to the great volume of informative material provided to our membership, ample opportunity is provided for education and social interaction with one another, including an annual convention and annual safety seminar.

Our Young Executives Club is active and organizes several events throughout the year, including a Missouri Tigers football game outing and fall golf tournament.

AGC's Affiliate Affairs Committee sponsors monthly highway letting receptions, the annual barbecue, and coordinates the AGCMO PAC Auction.

Our organization is committed to promoting the construction industry as a career choice. Both AGC of Missouri and the Young Executives Club provide scholarship opportunities for college education.

AGC recently completed construction of and moved into our new headquarters building located at 1221 Jefferson St. in Jefferson City. Our state-of-the-art building will take us into the 21st century. AGC now has the capability to hold meetings and training sessions at our office.

In the past, AGC of Missouri played a leading role on some major issues and was successful in securing legislative approval in each case.

A brief review of history will demonstrate our impact:

?Proposition A Passed

?Clean Water Bond Issue Passed

?Missouri One Call Passed

?Local Use Tax Passed

?Six-Cent Fuel Tax Increase Passed

These issues have pumped millions of dollars into the state economy for the construction, repair or replacement of hundreds of miles of Missouri infrastructure.

The fact is that AGC has two things that state officials respect political clout and credibility.

The political clout comes from the fact that AGC is truly representative of the construction industry.

Our membership strength and our members' involvement in the political process provide our political muscle.

The credibility comes from the consistent delivery of accurate information on which officials in all three branches of government can rely.

Perhaps one of the largest benefits of membership in AGC of Missouri is the access to other state and national groups, the most important of which is AGC of America.

AGC of America is a full service association with more than 100 chapters and 33,000 firms, including 8,000 general contractors plus 25,000 industry associates, including subcontractors, specialty contractors, suppliers, equipment manufacturers and professional firms.

Finally we touch on technology. And with technology comes constant change. Our national organization has a presence on the World Wide Web at

www.agc.org

as does AGC of Missouri. You can reach us at

www.primelink.com/agcmo.

Both sites are continually changing and being updated. There is a vast amount of information available to you with just the click of a few buttons.

Whether it is on the state or national level, AGC is here to serve you. Log on to your computer or pick up the telephone. Let your fingers do the walking and the talking.

(The preceding article was produced by Associated General Contractors of Missouri and provided by Gary Yost, of Barker, Phillips, Jackson.)