The Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts Inc. (AGC MA) has been representing commercial builders for a full century, serving as a convener and consensus builder for industry stakeholders from across the Commonwealth.

AGC MA is the only construction trade group that has membership from every area of the industry: general contractors and subcontractors, union and open shop, working in public and private markets. It was the first, and remains the only, construction trade association with dedicated safety staff providing guidance on safety and wellness issues for members.

In a recent interview, John Ferrante, AGC MA’s Chief Executive Officer, shared his knowledge and insights about the organization, its members, and their shared future.

Currently we have around 200 members. Over half are contractors, with about 60 percent of those being general contractors. Our membership has been steady for years despite market consolidation and other factors. Almost 75 percent of our members have been with AGC MA for over 20 years. In our 100th year, membership is a key focus as we would like to expand our reach and welcome those companies who haven’t yet experienced the benefits of belonging to a trade association. This includes actively recruiting diverse businesses that have traditionally been underrepresented in our membership. Over the last two years, we have doubled the number of diverse businesses that have joined as members.2023 was a banner year for AGC MA. We successfully hosted our four major annual industry events: Building Women in Construction Inspire Awards, AGC National Safety Awards, our Annual Membership Meeting and Social, and the AGC MA Diversity Summit. These events had upwards of 750 attendees combined and furthered the strategic objectives of the association. We also grew our industry partnerships, working with the Alliance for Building and Construction Diversity, YouthBuild Boston, Boston Partners in Education, Massachusetts Girls in the Trades, and many other industry groups.For years, the construction industry has been dealing with a shortage of qualified labor in both the trades and management. Years of discouraging vocational education and a common misperception about dead-end career paths have forced us to be proactive in trying to address these issues. AGC MA has a long history of partnering with workforce development organizations, including YouthBuild Boston, ACE Mentorship Program, Building Pathways, and Massachusetts Girls in the Trades. There are also five AGC student chapters at public and private colleges and universities across the Commonwealth.

In addition, the AGC MA Workforce Development Task Force has a multi-pronged approach to bringing along the next-generation workforce. It begins with career exploration, where we are attempting to elevate the understanding of what a career in commercial construction can be.

As some industries lose focus on the effort to further DEI, AGC MA has continued to lead. This issue, like workforce development, is one that requires a concerted effort to address. We are addressing DEI across three silos. First, diversity is at the heart of our workforce development efforts helping to recruit the next generation of talent into the field and management. Second, we are constantly striving to build up emerging diverse business partners by connecting them with critical resources and providing access to key industry connections. Finally, we are building consensus and sharing best practices among our members in ways to create a welcoming and inclusive experience for a more diverse workforce.The CARE Construction Safety Program is a major innovation in the industry’s efforts to take a holistic approach to safety and wellness. CARE stands for Consciousness, Alignment, Respect, and Empowerment. It provides a four-part framework that encompasses all aspects of a modern safety program. The core of the CARE program is a shared safety orientation.

The program has heralded a new chapter in worker wellness and safety in the construction industry. We believe that the four pillars of the program provide numerous opportunities to expand the understanding of worker safety, which has traditionally focused on physical threats but must now begin to also address mental health and substance use disorders.

In addition to expanding the overall understanding of health and safety, we have also been focused on improving communication around health and safety. This includes developing training on how to operationalize daily pre-shift safety meetings. These daily “huddles” are an on-the-ground opportunity to check in with tradespeople, ensure the work is safely organized, and address any unforeseen circumstances.

Substance use disorders continue to plague the industry. Construction workers are six times more likely to die as a result of a drug overdose. AGC MA has worked to reduce the stigma of those who are struggling with drugs and alcohol. We are proud to be the first construction trade association in the state to be recognized as a Community Naloxone Provider by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This status allows us to receive and distribute Narcan to our members, free of charge. We have assembled and distributed over 500 CARE Overdose Response Kits, including two doses of Narcan, face shield, and multi-lingual overdose response instructions.Sustainability and resiliency are the challenge of our time. In 2023, AGC MA launched our first-ever Sustainability Committee. It is comprised of experts from across our membership who specialize in green building, including LEED, Passive House, and more. They are looking to not only share ways of making the buildings we construct more efficient, but also how to make the construction process greener, whether it be electrification of tools and equipment or encouraging company-wide adoption of sustainability efforts.Interest rates are a continued headwind to new development in the private sector, and the lasting impacts of the pandemic and remote work have created major uncertainty for the downtown office market. Massachusetts is a state with key institutional clients and strong public investment in infrastructure, schools, and public buildings, so many AGC MA members are moderately optimistic about the future. However, we need assistance from policymakers to revitalize the struggling housing and private development sectors.Membership development, public awareness, and industry advancement are three of the AGC’s strategic focuses in the near term. We are always looking for ways to improve our value proposition to our membership by offering innovative professional development opportunities, making sure that the industry always has a seat at the table, and by tackling the macro-trends that no one company or person can impact alone. We look forward to building excellence in the industry over the next 100 years, as we have for the last century.