Associated Builders and Contractors Heart of America endorse candidates who champion fair and open competition, workforce flexibility, and policies that let merit shop contractors compete and grow. ABC backs candidates who understand that Missouri's construction industry needs a predictable regulatory environment, strong workforce development pathways, and procurement policies based on…
Talk to contractors right now, and you'll hear the same frustration. Positions stay open. Good candidates are scarce. It's tempting to chalk this up to some vague shift in the workforce, but a widely cited NBER analysis by Wharton economist Peter Cappelli dug into decades of employer data and found…
St. Louis, MO – July 9th, 2026 — ABC Heart of America, is excited to announce a new $90 million Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative to change how high school students prepare for and enter Registered Apprenticeships and high-wage, family-sustaining careers in the skilled trades. It is the first national program exclusively…
Federal contractors should be prepared for contract modification requests stemming from Executive Order 14398, signed March 26, 2026. The EO prohibits racially discriminatory DEI activities, defined as disparate treatment based on race or ethnicity in hiring, promotions, contracting, program participation, or resource allocation. Contractors working on federal projects can expect…
At the Kansas gubernatorial candidate panel, data centers were clearly a major priority issue. Candidates approached the topic from different political and economic perspectives, but labor, workforce, and regulatory questions were front and center. Democratic candidates largely framed the issue around labor, union commitments, and public accountability. Senator Ethan Carson…
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 9 — Meta Platforms Inc. and Associated Builders and Contractors have announced a partnership to educate and provide construction-ready career pathways for thousands of data center construction technicians, kicking off in Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas as a meaningful step toward meeting the growing demand for…
If there is one key takeaway from our latest data, it is this: Merit shop contractors are setting the gold standard for construction safety. In an industry that is by its nature hazardous, critics attempt to challenge the safety record of merit shops. The evidence, however, tells a completely different…
By: Rocky Lenzini, Holmes Murphy Property Casualty Client Executive The construction industry has always been built on people, but in 2026, the workforce challenge has become something more than a hiring issue. It’s now a business risk. Across the Kansas City construction market and beyond, contractors are facing persistent…
In the name of supporting workers' rights and craft training, last week the Building Trades took to the streets of City Hall and Port KC to demand increased mandates regarding construction wages and mandating apprenticeship programs. While we share their love for the industry, these requests simply miss the mark…
Last week, Jefferson County, Missouri adopted a new Responsible Bidder Ordinance that will change how certain county-funded construction projects are evaluated and awarded. While the ordinance is framed publicly as a step toward improved safety and workforce standards, it is important for merit shop contractors to understand the broader context…
