Fall 2017 ASAM Newsletter
Dan Vos Construction Wins 2017-2018 MCOY Award
Dan Vos Construction captured the 2017-2018 Michigan Contractor of the Year (MCOY) award at this year’s American Subcontractors Association of Michigan (ASAM) annual event.
While there was only one winner, all eight nominees were recognized as displaying the qualities inherent to the MCOY award (bid ethics & practice, safety, job-site supervision, communication, schedule coordination, project relations, lien process, administrative procedures, payment terms and quality workmanship). Dan Vos rose to the top in this competition by demonstrating the strongest abilities to lead a team atmosphere on their projects as ranked by the current ASAM membership.
This year’s celebration was the association’s largest, with 500 trade and prime contractors, as well as partners, in attendance and 48 sponsors. This record number of attendees and sponsors demonstrates the value of this event and its continued growth.
Beyond that, the highlight of the night was Michigan State’s head basketball coach, Tom Izzo, who enthralled the crowd with a speech on teamwork and how you build and foster this culture within a business. The silent auction raised more than $3,500 for the ASAM Hard Hat scholarship, which will be matched dollar for dollar by Ferris State University. This year’s scholarship winner, Christopher Oja, a current FSU senior majoring in HVACR Engineering Technology, was in attendance and recognized.
I am grateful to a long list of sponsors and dedicated committee members who made this evening possible, including Matt Fennema, Chris Weaver, Ann Plummer, Mike Waalkes, Tim Burgess, Dan Hall, Mark Rysberg and Reagan Marketing + Design. With a team like this, success will always be the end result. As always, it was an honor to chair this prestigious event.
CWDA Rally Save the Date
As an extension of ASAM, the Construction Workforce Development Alliance (CWDA) is one of our strongest tools for educating our youth about construction, branding construction in the marketplace, and pointing people to our industry.
The tide is turning, the need for skilled trades and opportunities for them are finally taking root. Join us March 7, 2018, for the Construction Alliance Rally! Please help us fund our future by investing in this fun fundraising event! More info coming soon.
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
MIOSHA Alliance Partnership Goal: Worker Safety
Through ASAM, subcontractors are able to collaborate and share both their successes and their failures. This is one of the many reasons I believe so strongly in this organization. ASAM is dedicated to the success of all of its members, because as we improve our industry, we will all see greater success.
Safety, however, is one area of our industry where it is critical to succeed, and failure can result in injuries—or worse, loss of life. That is why last month, ASAM became a MIOSHA Alliance Partner. Our subcontractor members share a key goal with MIOSHA (Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration): to ensure that workers return home safely at the end of every day. This partnership will provide guidance to our members to ensure that they are able to build an effective safety program, regardless of company size.
Our monthly programming offers an opportunity for subcontractors of every size access to the same resources. If you’ve never attended one of these events, I encourage you to consider joining us. In our fast-paced, deadline-intense industry, I understand that it can be difficult to take time away from the office or job site. I’m confident, though, that if you invest this time in our industry, you’ll walk away with invaluable new ideas and opportunities that will keep your company on the path to success.
MIOSHA Alliance: Understanding Safety Requirements
ASAM understands the safety requirements on trade contractors today, and we want to help. Please take the time to read and understand what the new MIOSHA/ASAM Alliance Agreement has to offer you. The Alliance along with helpful safety information can now be found on the ASAM website at asamichigan.net/safety.
Signing of the official Alliance Agreement between MIOSHA (Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration) and ASAM took place on October 11, 2017.
We look forward to adding value to your membership with this Alliance. If you are interested in getting help with your safety program or have a concern for our tradesmen, contact Nate Steffen from HNI at nsteffen@hni.com.
December 13 GMM: Construction Skilled Labor Shortages
ASAM will be partnering with Construction Labor Contractors (CLC) at December’s GMM for an in depth discussion on construction labor resources available in Michigan, the importance of industry training, and how to find talent in an industry that is demanding more skilled labor. Join us at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville at 7:00 a.m. Dec. 13. Register at asamichigan.net.
