Company News
Established in 1990, Shimmick Construction Company, Inc. became our 40th ACIG Member on February 28, 2010. Based in Oakland, California they are an Excavation and Heavy Contractor with operations in Southern and Northern California. Shimmick is currently ranked #311 on the ENR top 400 list. In the ENR Specialty Contractor rankings, they are listed as #4 in Dams and Reservoirs, #4 in Drinking Water Supply, #9 in Water Supply and #16 in Rail.
William Charles Construction Company was recently honored at the 29th annual IRMI CRC for their Gary E. Bird Award submission.
William Charles Construction Company - First Runner-up
Risk Management Department
Jim Van Briesen, Tim Jagielski, Loren Whitney, Julie Vernettie, Casey Long and Lynn Ulrich
The William Charles Construction Company has developed specific initiatives to identify and evaluate it's risk exposures in construction projects with the goal of ultimately reducing the company's cost of risk. These initiatives included the risk assessment process, avoidance techniques, claims management, surety programs, and owner and contractor prequalification programs. They have resulted in a significant reduction in the company's experience modification over the four years it has been in place.
Congratulations to the William Charles Team.
The Fall Safety/Claims Workshop was held September 16-18, 2009 at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida.
The meeting kicked off Thursday with a Keynote Address by Steve Halverson, President & CEO of The Haskell Company. Two member contractors co-presented on The Incident Investigation Process and Ronn Lehmann discussed Breaking the Code: Moving from Safety Compliance to Safety Commitment. Concurrent Sessions were filled with current hot-topics in the industry.
On Friday, the Steering Committee report was delivered by Rick Maursetter of Duininck Construction – MN, followed by an open forum featuring the always relevant Dr. Stephen Dawkins. David Miguel concluded with a hard-hitting presentation on “YTEFAS for Dummies”.
Our Spring Workshop will be held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, April 20-22, 2010. Hope to see you there!
SpawGlass became an ACIG member effective June 1, 2009. The company was formed in 1953 by Louis Spaw and Frank Glass and is now employee owned with over 500 employees. They currently perform the majority of their work in Texas and maintain four offices in the state located in Austin, Harlingen, Houston and San Antonio. In addition to being named one of the best places to work in Texas, SpawGlass is a consistent award winner for the completion of projects in an array of sectors including education, public, healthcare, hospitality, religious, retail and senior living.
The 2009 Spring Best Practices Session and Safety/Claims Workshop were held at the Grand Hyatt DFW in Dallas, TX, April 13-16, 2009. The Best Practices Session, a one-day session consisting of industry group and topic-specific breakouts, began Tuesday with an inspiring Keynote Address by Dr. Robert Conn. Dr. Conn, Founder of SMARTRISK, impressed over 200 attendees with his presentation “Helping to End an Invisible Epidemic”. The meeting also provided an opportunity for our members to share Best Practices currently being utilized in their Safety, Claims and Risk Management efforts, and consisted of the following topics: ACIG Cultural Survey Findings, Behavior Based Safety – Phase II, Establishing an NCCCO Crane Operator Facility, Pre-Hire Screening Utilizing Psychological Testing Methods (Tescor), Engaging the Superintendent in the Quality Process, and Weitz’s Safety Journey.
On Wednesday, Brian McGeorge, COO & Vice President of McGeorge Contracting Co., Inc./Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Co. opened the Safety/Claims Workshop with an entertaining video about being passionate about what you do, regardless of what it is! He then delivered an excellent Keynote Address on the McGeorge/Pine Bluff company. Some of the other well-received presentations on Wednesday included Review of Large Losses, Overview of New CPL/PL Coverage, Supervisory Training Program, Excavation and Trenching Safety, USACE Safety Program Requirements, Planning for Unusual Work Operations, and two informative crane sessions by Dave Ritchie.
Thursday was wrapped up with update reports from the Steering Committee. Ronn Lehmann asked the question, “Is Your Culture Shovel Ready?”, and the always-popular Dr. Stephen Dawkins addressed a number of common issues that have been requested by our members.
Thank you to all who attended and helped make the Dallas Best Practices Session and Workshop a great success. Our Fall Safety/Claims Workshop will be held at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, September 16-18, 2009. We hope to see you there!
ACIG recently completed their 3rd successful ACIG University Executive Track Program on January 27-28, 2009. Twenty-five (25) contractor members attended ACIG U this year. Fred Berglund – President of Berglund Construction Company conducted our kick off keynote address. Fred’s presentation included the key elements necessary to provide executive leadership in a contractors risk management program. His overview highlighted various high risk projects built by Berglund and other processes needed to ensure continuous improvement. The attendees enjoyed other key topics of interest including, corporate governance, model insurance programs, CCIP’s and safety and claims management among others. We look forward to another successful University program in 2010 for ACIG’s future leaders.
Forrester Construction Company became an ACIG member effective September 1, 2008. With offices in Maryland, DC and Virginia, Forrester is one of the Washington Metropolitan area's leading commercial general contractors, They have has earned an industry-wide reputation for consistently delivering exceptional construction services on projects ranging from small tenant interiors to national landmarks including the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery.
Goodfellow Bros., Inc. (GBI) became an ACIG member effective October 1, 2008. Established in 1921 in Wenatchee, WA, GBI still works in the Pacific Northwest. However, they currently perform the majority of their work on the major islands of Hawaii. Hawaiian regional offices are located on Maui, Kauai, Molokai Oahu and the big island of Hawaii. Pacific Northwest regional offices are in Wenatchee, Maple Valley, Washington and Portland, Oregon. GBI’s project resume includes airports, bridges, dams, golf course, harbors, highways, housing developments and wastewater treatment facilities
The Fall Safety/Claims Workshop was held September 17-19, 2008 at the Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD. Wednesday, Susie McGee opened the Claims 801 Session by updating everyone on the new Loss Analysis Form and how it directly relates to Root Cause Analysis. Rad Manning followed up with a very informative discussion regarding the Root Cause Analysis procedure.
Thursday kicked off with a Keynote Address by Jim White IV, President of JJ White, Inc. There were also presentations on Hiring Your Way to Higher Earnings, ACIG’s Medical-Only Requirement, and a very informative presentation on Effective Strategies for Using Good Video Surveillance Results. Concurrent Sessions were filled with current hot-topics in the industry and Roundtable Lunch Topics were back with rave reviews! Thursday evening we journeyed across the street to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner along with guided tours of the ballpark.
On Friday, the Steering Committee report was delivered by John Willwerth, followed by Dave PanCoast who educated us on Fleet Systems and Technology with the presentations concluding with Motivational Speaker, Garrison Wynn, who delivered an inspiring presentation on Turning Talent Into Performance. We then wrapped up the workshop with a golf tournament at the Beechtree Golf Club and a tour of the National Aquarium.
Our Spring Workshop and Best Practices Session will be held at the Grand Hyatt DFW, April 15-17, 2009. Hope to see you there!
The 2008 ACIG Broker Workshop was held in Dallas, Texas at the Marriott DFW Airport Hotel on July 9, 2008. There were twenty-one (21) people in attendance, including ACIG staff. Thanks goes out to the ACIG broker steering committee for volunteering their time in crafting the agenda and meeting details. The meeting opened with an overview of ACIG’s chronology of progress, relative to our history and corporate structure. Key topics included, false claims act, handling the independent trucker exposure, navigating merger and acquisition risks, OCIP DIC coverage, review of service agreements, an overview of expense allocation, and risk sharing in the excess layers. In addition, an update of ACIG’s group professional/pollution program, umbrella coverage issues, and an overview of indemnification and additional insured status. The meeting proved to be successful and we anticipate conducting this type of broker workshop every couple years. To learn more about ACIG’s meetings contact us at (972) 702-9004.
Recently, Hoar Construction was among 50 recipients of the "Society for Human Resource Management Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America" Read more here or here
The 2008 Spring Best Practices Session and Safety/Claims Workshop were held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago, IL. Wednesday started off with the Best Practices Session, a one-day session consisting of industry group and topic-specific breakouts. Not only did the Session have the highest attendance to date, but it was also considered to be the most successful one yet! The meeting provided an opportunity for our members to share Best Practices currently being utilized in their Safety, Claims and Risk Management efforts, and consisted of topics such as: Construction Defect Issues, Developing a High Performance Safety Culture, Introduction to Behavior Based Safety, Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), Post-Accident Response on Serious Claims, and The Fastest Way to a Fit Workforce.
On Thursday, Melvin Gray, Chairman/CEO of Graycor, Inc. delivered an excellent Keynote Address on the Graycor company. Some of the other presentations on Thursday included True Growth, Workplace Critical Incident Response, ANSI Standard A10.34.2001, Underground Utility Hit Avoidance, Crane Operator Certification, and Injury Trends. That evening was ACIG Game Night and Dinner where we enjoyed a few friendly games of electronic darts and pool, while we listened to some of our favorite karaoke tunes.
Friday began with update reports from the Steering Committee and Post-Accident Response Task Force. Dr. Dawkins followed with an Injury Trends discussion and the workshop wrapped up with a very magical program by Jim Snack.
Thank you to all who attended and helped make the Chicago Best Practices Session and Workshop a great success. Our Fall Safety/Claims Workshop will be held at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, September 17-19, 2008. Hope to see you there!
The Haskell Company recently signed a strategic partnership with USF SafetyFlorida and OSHA. The partnership seeks to increase employee safety and health training and employers with effective safety and health programs. The primary goal of this agreement is the effective reduction of serious injuries and fatalities in the construction industry. LINK
ACIG in conjunction with Ames & Gough, conducted their first Professional and Pollution liability forum on March 11, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago, IL. The meeting was well attended by enrolled members of the program as well as prospective members. Ames & Gough our intermediary, did an outstanding job in conducting the topical sessions. Key topics included, professional liability exposures for contractors, project-specific professional policies, pollution liabilities including Brownfield and infill projects and various claims studies were reviewed. In addition, hot topics were discussed including BIM, sustainable projects, E-Discovery and JV’s among others.
The August 2007 edition of Business Insurance ranked American Contractors Insurance Group as the 4th largest policyholder-owned alternative risk facility in the world. The ranking was based on gross premiums written in 2006.
On June 5, 2007, A.M. Best published ACIG’s new rating. We are rated as an A (Excellent), Financial Size Category VIII ($100 to $250 million in policyholders’ surplus). A.M. Best’s independent review and rating of ACIG validates our business plan and our successful operating results.
ACIG conducted its Annual General Membership meeting on February 23, 2008 at The Breakers Resort in Palm Bach, Florida. The meeting was well attended by our members and their agents/brokers. ACIG reported record revenues and economic benefits for its members. In addition, the Project Lifesaver results were presented and show a continued improvement from prior periods. Michael Rosen of Angeles Investments presented the investment report including the make-up of our portfolio and the actual results for the year. Ken Jacob and Brain McGeorge shared the Contractor Action Plans for 2008 and impressed upon the group the need for strong and visible executive involvement. The Weitz Company has been the General Contractor at The Breakers Resort for the last 15 years and Len Martling made a presentation on the various projects over that time span.
ACIG successfully completed their second ACIG University Executive Track Program on January 29 & 30, 2008. Thirty-one (31) ACIG members attended ACIG University. Steve Halverson – CEO of The Haskell Company and Ken Jacob – CEO of Cajun Industries, LLC conducted the keynote presentations regarding executive leadership roles in risk management. The balance of the two-day meetings entailed key topics such as, corporate governance, risk management, insurance programs, and safety and claims management. ACIG is looking forward to another successful ACIG University in 2009 for our future leaders.
"Designed by Burns, Wald-Hopkins Architects and built by Kitchell Construction, the ARD building cost $26 million to construct, however, "The price tag is only about 10 percent higher than non-environmentally friendly buildings; however the design principles developed and knowledge gained during the design and construction of ARD will allow NAU and others in the state to build high-performance buildings for much less in the future, and the energy-saving features will make up the cost difference in the long run," Bowen said."
ACIG conducted its 2nd annual In-house legal counsel forum on November 29, 2007. We are proud to announce that our second legal forum was a great success as ACIG assembled it’s contractor member in house attorney’s and risk management professionals to present and review emerging construction industry issues facing contractor’s today. Thirty-four participants attended the meeting including ACIG staff. Key topics included the Consensus DOCS, construction defects, the False Claims Act, risk transfer programs and lessons learned regarding mediations. The legal forum steering committee is made up of four in house attorneys representing the membership. The steering committee’s charge is to assist ACIG staff in structuring the forum and developing key topics applicable to all of the ACIG industry groups, including, general contracting, street & road and industrial/specialty.
We are looking forward to conducting another successful meeting in 2008.
The 2007 Autumn Risk Management Workshop was held on October 18-20 at The Cloisters Resort, Sea Island, GA. Total number of attendees this year was a record 225. Topics included Kitchell’s Enterprise Risk Management Program conducted by Mark Pendleton. Building Information Modeling (BIM), presented by Rick Kunnath of Pankow. Establishing a Safety Culture and Subguard Best Practices were also presented among other key agenda items. In addition, a Meeting of the Board of Directors which included overviews of the Chairman’s Report, Financial Reports, Committee Reports and Operations Reports was also presented. Thanks go out to all the attendees. We look forward to seeing everyone next year in Santa Barbara.
The Fall Safety/Claims Workshop was held at Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Wednesday started off with Claims 601, providing attendees with updates and information on subjects such as the aging workforce and crisis management best practices.
On Thursday, Rik Kunnath, CEO of The Pankow Companies, delivered an exemplary Keynote Address on the “Evolution of a Safety Culture”, and ended with a heart-touching story of the loss of one of Pankow’s finest young men. There were also presentations on Establishing a Culture of Safety and Crew-Based Safety. That evening we crashed “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding”, an Off-Broadway dinner/show at the Rio Hotel and Casino.
Friday began with the high energy of ergonomic and fitness designer, Alex Charish, followed by a very motivational program by David Okerlund. We concluded the workshop with a tour of the Hoover Dam.
Our Spring Workshop and Best Practices Session will be held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, April 22-25, 2008. Hope to see you there!
Weitz Company Receives Constructech Vision Award
Studio South Architects and Roy Anderson Corp. recently received an honor award for a project submitted to the 2007 Naval Facilities Engineering Command Design Awards Program. The bachelors' enlisted quarters at Naval Air Station Marietta, Ga., received one of only two honor awards given at this year's national competition.
The project team consisted of principal-in-charge Mark Lishen, AIA, project architect Douglas Roberts, AIA, interior designer Emily Roberts, ASID of Studio South Architects and Meng Chai, vice president of operations for Roy Anderson Corp.
A jury selected the $6.2 million, 34,456-square-foot design/build project from a field of 24 submissions.
The NAVFAC Design Awards Program seeks to recognize specific design achievements, promote design excellence in both the built and natural environment and demonstrate responsible stewardship of public resources.
ACIG conducted its first Quality Summit with much success. On August 21, 2007, ACIG sponsored a one day Quality Summit with twenty (20) member contractors attending with sixty-eight attendees including Zurich and ACIG staff.
A wide range of attention and resources from the member contractors are being applied to the area of quality assurance, control and program development. Sophisticated protocols and inspection techniques were reviewed along with education, integrating quality into the culture of the organization, and the impact of construction defect claims.
Key topics covered during the presentations included, lessons learned from CD claims, formal program development and recurring issues and best practices. The use of third party inspections services in support of a quality management system was also presented and discussed.
The quality steering committee is made up of Bill Vandrovec – Kitchell, Dennis Quick – Hoar, Bill Drinkward – Hoffman and Rich Laudisi of LeChase. We are looking forward to future quality meetings with the support and direction of the ACIG quality steering committee. More information will be forthcoming on our next quality summit.
Hoar Construction LLC of Birmingham, Alabama was selected as a general contractor of the year by the American Subcontractors Association of Alabama. LINK
Hoar Construction LLC has recently been named as a top
U.S. workplace, recognized for its focus on employee training, charitable giving
and families. LINK
"As with phase one, the expansion was completed by Roy Anderson Corp of
Gulfport and the interior was designed by the Friedmutter Group of Las
Vegas and Atlantic City." Read more of the story here
Liberty Mutual Insurance Group presented the Gold Medal award to Moss Anderson Construction Group (a partnership of Moss & Associates and Roy Anderson Corp.) for outstanding construction safety in completion of the Carillon Beach Inn and Condos in Panama City Beach. LINK
ACIG conducted their first successful ACIG University Executive Track curriculum on January 23 & 24, 2007. Thirty-one (31) ACIG members attended the first ACIG University to glean additional understanding of their corporate insurance programs. The curriculum was structured to teach the future leaders of our members the details of ACIG regarding leadership roles, risk, safety and claims management. Don Greenland the COO for Nabholz and Bill Goodrich COO for LeChase, conducted the keynote presentations regarding leadership roles in risk management. The balance of the two-day meetings entailed key topics such as, corporate governance, risk management, insurance programs, safety and claims management. ACIG is looking forward to another successful University Track in 2008 for our future leaders after receiving feedback from the first graduating class.
Pankow's San Mateo Public Library project recently received the environmental award by Sustainable San Mateo, the American Institute of Architects and the county.
The first ever ACIG In-House Legal Forum was held at the Hyatt Regency DFW on November 29-30, 2006. The in-house legal counsel for fifteen (15) ACIG members attended. The curriculum included topics such as owner contract risk matrix, builders risk, subcontract risk transfer, construction defects, professional liability and resources/references. Discussions are underway regarding the next meeting. The ACIG In-House Legal Forum steering committee consists of Doug Eckert of Hoar Construction (Chairman), Andrea Woods of Nabholz Construction, Kevin Kohart of BMW Constructors, Ed Farricker of Charles Pankow Builders and Mike O’ Neill of ACIG.
Hoar Construction, LLC was recently recognized for the Best Education Project from South Central Construction Magazine's Best of 2006 Awards in Construction and Design. They also receive the Award of Excellence-Education from the same publication.
Hoar Construction recently sponsored an essay contest that made a Mobile, Alabama fifth grader $10,000 richer. Story Here
The ACIG Quarterly Newsletter for 2006 Q3 is available online now. Click here to view it.
Roy Anderson Corp. was one of six federal contractors that won a national award on November 15th from the U.S. Department of Labor for its efforts to promote equal employment opportunity. Click here for the full article.
The Fall Safety/Claims Workshop was held at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland, Ohio. Wednesday started off with Claims 401, providing attendees with updates and information on subjects such as “Practical Management of Litigation” and the use of LAF information. We also took a tour of Lincoln Electric’s ® world headquarters, which included a safety presentation and live demonstrations of fume extraction equipment.
On Thursday, Bill Goodrich, President/COO of LeChase Construction Services, LLC, delivered an exemplary Keynote Address, recounting the experiences of his company and how the Safety and Claims management processes have added to their success. There were also presentations on Medicare Set Aside Law Changes, General Wellness Issues, A Best Practices Approach to Pre-Task Planning, and WorkSTEPS. That night we tempted Lady Luck celebrating Casino Night at The Silver Grille.
We started Friday with a presentation on how to engage Generation Y, the “entitlement” generation, and concluded the workshop with a tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
Our Spring Workshop will be held at the Grand Hyatt DFW, April 11-13, 2007. Hope to see you there!
The August 7, 2006 edition of Business Insurance ranked American Contractors Insurance Group as the 4th largest policyholder-owned alternative risk facility in the world. The ranking was based on gross premiums written in 2005.
Plans for the In-House Legal Council Forum are now underway. A Steering Committee has been formed and is working in conjunction with ACIG to help develop the agenda and logistics for our first meeting. More information for this upcoming meeting will be communicated as it is available.
ACIG will present its Risk Management Workshop at the Montage Resort in Laguna, California on October 26-27. The Workshop will feature several presentations including an ACIG CEO Presentation and "Developing People for the 21st Century," which will be presented by Gary Warner. Also, included in this Workshop will be the Annual Contractors Panel as well as the ACIG Board of Directors Meeting.
ACIG recently received an award from Quality Built, the recognized leader of quality assurance services, in recognition of our continued dedication to quality construction and risk management. James Shay, who has been instrumental in advancing our relationship with Quality Built, was on hand to receive the award at the Quality Built Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. ACIG is committed to working with its members to develop and implement best practices in the area of quality assurance and we believe our relationship with Quality Built will advance those efforts.
ENR recently published its list for the Top 400 Contractors in the country for 2006, in which several of ACIG's members are featured. To check out the list go to the link below.
ENR Top 400
American Contractors Insurance Group celebrated its 25th Anniversary on May 1, 2006. This achievement would not have been possible without the steadfast support of our shareholders and the professional service provided by ACIG management and staff.
The ACIG Quarterly Newsletter for 2006 Q1 is available online now. Click here to view it.
The Haskell Company recently became an ACIG shareholder and we began writing their workers compensation and general liability coverage on March 1, 2006. The Haskell corporate headquarters are in Jacksonville, Florida, and they have over 1,250 permanent employees nationwide. Haskell is recognized as one of the foremost design-build organizations in the U.S. Founded in 1965, Haskell’s projects include manufacturing plants, distribution centers, medical facilities, low-temperature structures, office buildings, hotels and resorts, parking structures and institutional facilities. For more detailed information, visit the Haskell website at www.thehaskellco.com.
The ACIG Quarterly Newsletter for 2005 Q3 is available online now. Click here to view it.
The ACIG membership conducted another successful Autumn Risk Management Workshop on October 19-21, 2005 at the Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. A record 192 participants attended this year’s workshop. Wayne Drinkward, President/CEO of Hoffman Corporation, made the CEO presentation. Hoffman recently celebrated their 20 year anniversary in the program. Wayne’s presentation focused on Hoffman’s tenure in the ACIG program and he highlighted Hoffman’s key initiatives and successes regarding risk management, safety and key high profile projects, including the Seattle Public Library. Other highlights of the workshop included the Project Lifesaver, (PLS) overview, industry group break-out sessions and a contractor-sponsored AZ Program review. On Friday, Jim Williams of BOR-SON Construction, Inc. presented a very informative session on employee hiring and retention. Also on Friday morning, three of our newest members, Sukut Construction, Inc., McGeorge Contracting Co., Inc. and Cajun Constructors, Inc gave company overviews of their organizations, including their key risk exposures as part of the contractor’s panel presentation. Joe Wagman facilitated the contractor’s panel for the eighth consecutive year. Spouses along for the trip were able to enjoy historic Charleston through lunches and outings.
Our next Autumn Workshop will be held on October 26-28, 2006 at the Montage Resort in lovely Laguna Beach, California.
We had a very successful meeting in Minneapolis on September 14-16, 2005, at the Sofitel Minneapolis. We held a CCIP Best Practices meeting, as well as an Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis training on Wednesday. Fred Berglund of Berglund Construction Company started off our meeting on Thursday with a very informative Keynote Presentation. There were also other exciting presentations such as, “Wellness in the Workplace” by Dr. Dawkins, “Lean Manufacturing” by Terry Madden, “Hiring Smart” panel by Jim Williams, Julie Vernetti, and Paul Renaud, as well as a very motivational program to close our meeting by Dr. Charles Petty. Our next workshop will be in Chicago, IL, on April 19-21, 2006, at the Westin O’Hare. We hope to see you there!
American Contractors Insurance Group
and Zurich Construction have teamed up with the top builders in the United
States to develop a comprehensive insurance program intended to overcome the
shortcomings of subcontractor liability policies and wrap-ups in today’s
marketplace. For more information on the AZ Program, click here.
LeChase Construction Services, LLC was recently awarded the 2005 General Building and Contractors Safety Excellence Award. The award will officially be presented at the GBC 50th Anniversary Celebration/Annual Meeting taking place on September 29 through October 2.
Rich Wagman, Chairman and CEO of G.A. & F.C. Wagman, Inc., joined President Bush at the signing of the new federal highway and transportation funding bill. The signing took place on August 10 at The Caterpillar Plant in Aurora, Illinois. Wagman played a critical role in pushing for the bill’s passage as Chairman of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, which exclusively represents the interests of all sectors of the U.S. transportation construction industry.
ACIG is proud to announce that Cajun Constructors, Inc. has joined ACIG effective July 1, 2005. Mr. Lane Grigsby, Founder and Chairman started Cajun in 1973 based on his extensive background in Industrial Construction. Cajun, based in Baton Rogue, Louisiana is a multi-faceted company, providing a broad range of services to various industries, including water quality, power, manufacturing and industrial. They operate in Louisiana, Texas and other southern states as a specialty contractor in heavy civil, mechanical and deep foundation construction. They currently hold three ASME stamps, and they have a cadre of highly skilled craftsman and project managers. For more detailed information please visit their web site at www.cajunusa.com
KS Industries, an ACIG member since July 1, 2003, is the subject of an editorial in the May 2005 edition of Occupational Hazards Magazine. The online version of the editorial can currently be viewed at here.
McGeorge Contracting Company, Inc. became an ACIG shareholder effective
June 1, 2005. McGeorge is an earthwork contractor performing
industrial, retail and commercial site development, highway
construction, asphalt/concrete paving and mining operations. Their
corporate offices are in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The Spring Workshop was located just south of Lake Pontchartrain, along the Mississippi River in New Orleans, LA. With each upcoming workshop we see so many new faces; this was our largest turnout yet!
Roy Anderson III, President/CEO of Roy Anderson Corp, kicked off Thursday morning with an outstanding keynote presentation. Dave Marxkors, President, McBride & Son Enterprises, Inc. followed this with an informative session on McBride’s “Career Blueprints.” The rest of the day followed with more great presentations including: ACIG Best Practices Review, Crane Safety, Hearing Loss, Silica: Hazard Identification, “Dr. Dawkins on Silica”, Subcontractor Management, and Bilingual/Bicultural Claims Handling. During this time, the spouses and guests enjoyed a full day touring Mardi Gras World and shopping in the New Orleans French Market. As they say in New Orleans, "Laissez les bons temps rouler!" (Let the good times roll!). We closed Thursday evening with a local’s night out at Pat O'Brien's on the River.
Friday morning began with the Steering Committee Overview followed by a Technology Update from Mike Kernan of ACIG. To conclude our workshop, Patti Holmes, our motivational speaker, covered “The Spirit of Leadership.”
Thank you to all who attended and helped make the New Orleans Workshop a great success. We look forward to seeing you in Minneapolis, MN – September 14-16, 2005.
On March 16th 2005, The Weitz Company
received the Associated General Contractors Overall Safety Award at the
AGC Convention in Las Vegas (Press Release). This is an outstanding achievement and the
competition was very intense for this prestigious award. Weitz is
celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and the award
marks another milestone in its remarkable safety program. Continuing
its efforts toward improvement and industry leadership in safety, Weitz
is pursuing Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) status for all of its
operations company-wide, through participation in the AGC - OSHA
Challenge Pilot..
Congratulations Weitz for your remarkable accomplishment and leadership in safety!
Click here for more information on Weitz and the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program.
The ACIG Board of Directors meeting was held in Boca Raton, Florida on February 18, 2005. The year-end 2004 financial report was presented, showing that ACIG had a very profitable year. We reviewed our diversified investment portfolio and the blended return for 2004 of 6.2%. Committee reports were presented by Brad Brock (Executive Committee), Mel Gray (Investment Committee), and Neal McDonald (Audit Committee). A Project Lifesaver Status Report was provided and we convened for industry specific Best Practices breakout groups. Howard Mock and Rick Marquardt with Jaynes made the CEO presentation. An ACIG Operations Report was presented, highlighting the key initiatives for 2005.
J.T. Vaughn became an ACIG shareholder effective March 7, 2005. Vaughn is a general building contractor based in Houston, TX with operations in Houston, Austin and San Antonio. They specialize in institutional general building construction. At this time we have thirty five active Premium Paying Class B shareholders.
Sukut Construction, Inc. became an ACIG shareholder effective January 1, 2005. Sukut is an excavation and grading contractor based in Santa Ana, CA. They have 30-40 major projects per year throughout California and have over 400 employees.
ACIG is profiled in December's Risk Management Magazine. Bill provides some basic principles on the captive market. Click here to read more.
We had a great workshop this fall with one of our highest turnouts yet! Doug Winn of the Hoffman Corporation did a terrific job as the keynote speaker to kick things off for the workshop. There were many educational presentations given during our Thursday sessions, including "Violence in the Workplace", "Hiring and Firing Smart", "Welding Fume Safety", "HIPPA", and "Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements".
There were also many opportunities to network and mix with fellow members of the ACIG program. While the attendees were in session on Thursday, the spouses/guests enjoyed an exciting Seattle day of shopping, along with lunch and a tour of the Space Needle. We all capped off the day with an evening you could only have in Seattle at the Experience Music Project, built by Hoffman, one of our very own members! Between the world-renowned building, the Beatle Mania Exhibit, the great food, and the atmosphere, you were bound to have a good time!
Friday morning we had numerous, informative updates given, including a TPA Status Review and a DBO2 Update. To conclude our workshop, our motivational speaker in Seattle was Bryan Dodge, speaking on ?How to Build a Better You?. He reminded us all of what is important in life, while keeping all the attendees energized! So many of the attendees walked away with vast information and many contacts to bring back to their individual companies. That is when you know you have had a successful workshop!
We had a great workshop this spring, with one of our highest turnouts
yet! Howard Mock of the Jaynes Companies did a wonderful job as the
keynote speaker to kick things off for the workshop. There were many
educational sessions given by some of our very own members, including
"New Member Presentations", "Fall Protection", "Return to Work: Union
vs. Non-Union", "Behavioral Safety Processes", and "TPA Status Review".
Barry Nelson of DBO2 did an impressive job presenting the ?Electronic
Data Collection for Field Audits? session as well.
There were also many opportunities to mingle and mix with fellow
members of the ACIG program. We had a great St. Patrick?s Day
Networking Dinner on Wednesday night. While attendees were in session
on Thursday, the spouses enjoyed an authentic Mexican meal at Joe
T.Garcia's, along with a tour of Bass Hall, and ended the afternoon
with visits to some of Ft. Worth's finest museums. We all capped off
the day with a Texas-sized evening at the Circle R Ranch for food, fun,
and dancing! Between the locally known Western band, the gun slingers,
the full BBQ buffet, and the outdoor games, you were bound to have a
good ol' time!
To conclude our workshop on Friday, our motivational speaker in Ft.
Worth was Sheriff J.B. Smith, with his ?Laughter is Lawful? motto. He
reminded us all of what?s important in life, while keeping all the
attendees in stitches! So many of the attendees walked away with vast
information and many contacts to bring back to their individual
companies. That's when you know you have had a successful workshop!
American Contractors Insurance Group ranked as the 3rd Largest Group Captive according to Business Insurance.
ACIG welcomes new member KS Industries, LP of California (www.kensmall.com)
The Spring Workshop was located in the beautiful Sonoran Desert area in Scottsdale, AZ. The largest workshop we have ever had started off great with a greeting/introduction from Rob Hunt. As keynote speaker, Wayne Drinkward, President of the Hoffman Corporation, kept everyone's attention with his wonderful presentation. The rest of the day followed with many great programs including: Understanding the ACIG SWAT, Environmental Construction Management Program, Medical Advisors, SWAT: Accident Investigation, and a Mold presentation. During this time, the spouses and guests enjoyed a spa day with a tasty, catered lunch at the Mist Spa. We closed Thursday evening with the same enthusiasm we started with at The Arroyo Western Town. You could definitely say we had a “boot-scootin’” good time!
Friday began with the Steering Committee Overview followed by a great networking session titled "Tribal Council." We definitely ended the day on a high-energy note with Carl Heinlein’s review of the ACIG Fleet Safety Task Force.
Thank you to all who attended and helped make the Scottsdale workshop a great success. We look forward to seeing you in Savannah,GA – September 10-12, 2003.
ACIG welcomes new member JJ White Incorporated of Pennsylvania (www.jjwhiteinc.com)
ACIG welcomes a new member
- Roy Anderson Corp. of Mississippi (www.rac.com)
The ACIG Risk Management Workshop was held on October 10-11, 2002 at the Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara, CA.
There were over 160 attendees for this years workshop. The following is a listing of key agenda items for this years workshop.
- Contractors Presentation -- Rich and Joe Wagman made a interesting and informative presentation about the Wagman Companies. They are celebrating their 100th year anniversary.
- CEO/COO Roundtable -- the roundtable discussed timely and topical, items related to construction risk management
- Education Sessions -- there were three educational topics presented at this years workshop, Mold, the Next Environmental Peril, Contractual Risk Transfer and the ACIG Public Website.
- Keynote Presentation -- Our keynote speaker was Ben Turner, President of Phillips and Jordan. Ben made a very moving presentation chronicling their participation in clean-up and disaster recovery effort emanating from the 9/11 terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center.
- Contractors Panel -- this years panel was comprised of three new ACIG shareholders, Jon Abrams of J.D. Abrams, Fred Berglund, of Fred Berglund and Sons and Bill Hannah, with Nabholz Construction Company. Each panel member made a presentation on the history and operations of the company and identified the key issue within their construction risk management program. A question and answer period concluded the Contractors Panel.
- Subcontractor Insurance Requirements Best Practice Panel -- the panel made a presentation to the ACIG Board of Directors outlining the key elements in an effective risk transfer program. Our panel members were Dean Bernal, J.D. Abrams and Scot Pepper, Pepper Construction Group.
The Fall Workshop was located in the shadow of the Gateway Arch at the historic Cupples Station in The Westin St. Louis. The workshop started off with a bang with the Contractors' Overview and Introduction. This gave contractors an opportunity to describe their best practices, location, and other information regarding their companies. As keynote speaker, Jim Murphy, President of the Murphy Company kept everyone's energy high with his wonderful presentation. The rest of the day followed with many great presentations including: Multi-Employer Worksites, Confidentiality and Privacy Issues, and Workzone Safety. During this time, the spouses and guests enjoyed a full day shopping and touring in the St. Louis area. We closed Thursday evening with the same amount of energy we started with at the Big Bang Piano Bar. Fun was definitely had by all!
Friday began with the Steering Committee Overview followed by a great networking session titled "Connect the Dots." Bryan Townsend helped close our workshop as our motivational speaker. His topic, "Hitchin' Up a Winning Team" helped things end on a great note.
Thank you to all those who attended and helped make the St. Louis workshop a great success. We look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale, Arizona, April 9-11, 2003.
Bill and Shirley McIntyre would like all members to be sure to read about the scholarship opportunities that they sponsor. Find all the details here.
Please check out our new presentation we've just posted in our RMS Articles and Presentations area dealing with Mold Coverage Issues
ACIG welcomes new members.
- Jaynes Corporation of New Mexico
- LeChase Companies of New York
We are pleased to announce that A.M. Best Company raised the financial strength rating of American Contractors Insurance Group to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent). This rating applies to American Risk Funding Insurance Company, American Contractors Insurance Company Risk Retention Group and American Contractors Insurance Group Ltd.
See News Release
ACIG welcomes new members.
- Dan's Excavating, Inc of Michigan,
- Hoar Construction LLC of Alabama,
- J.L. Davidson Co. of California,
- Nabholz Construction Corporation of Arkansas,
- Charles Pankow Builders Ltd. of California,
- J.D. Abrams, Inc. of Texas,
- Fred Berglund & Sons, Inc. of Chicago