The American Subcontractors Association’s National Business Forum and Convention was held two weeks ago in Las Vegas and, by any measure, it was a resounding success.

Part of what made it so successful was a shift in how time at the convention was scheduled. Usually when you go to these events, you have to hit the ground running. You’re attending classes and panel discussions all day long, then you head for the very structured evening events. Those are great and they were still part of this convention, but the big difference was the amount of time that was built in to allow for what you might call “organic networking.” Read more » about A Meeting of Construction Minds

All That Hard Work Didn’t Go Down the Drain

In 2007 the American Subcontractors Association-Houston Chapter (ASA-HC) created a safety committee to meet the needs of the members requesting safety education and assistance.  In mid 2008 the chapter began developing a partnership program with OSHA.  After 18 months of work and just as the program was being finalized, OSHA informed the chapter it would no longer approve partnerships.  Instead of scrapping all of the work that had been done, the committee began revamping the program to make it an internal program to recognize members with high safety standards, help those who need assistance creating a safety program, promote a safe working environment on jobsites, and raise the image of the members among others in the industry (subs, GCs, architects and owners).  In the spring of 2011 the Commitment To Safety Program (CTS) was launched and by the spring of 2012, ten members had been granted the CTS designation.

ASA-HC Earns National Award for CTS Program   Read more » about Subcontractors’ Commitment To Safety

On Saturday, June 16, 2012, the American Subcontractors Association-Houston Chapter (ASA-HC), in partnership with the Hispanic Contractors Association of Texas (HCAT) hosted a one-day OSHA 10-hour construction safety training marathon.  791 individuals were successfully trained and left at the end of the day with an OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach Card.  The program, conducted in both English and Spanish, is designed for construction workers, foremen, job site superintendents, project managers, and anyone involved in the construction industry.   Read more » about 791 Workers Hit Houston Jobsites with OSHA 10-Hour Construction Training

I am quite certain that I let out an audible gasp when they first caught my eye.  Red plaid, patent leather, and high heeled: sophisticated and playful at the same time.  Definitely love at first sight . . . and on sale!  Then the practical side of me took over.  I don’t wear a lot of high heels, and the size of heel was a little intimidating.  Not only was the heel high, it had a bit of a platform to it.  Could I walk in them without looking like a 6-year-old trying on her mom’s shoes?  Would I be able to stand around for an hour or more at a reception without the balls of my feet screaming out in pain?  I took them for a test-walk around the store and found that not only could I walk in them, they were actually pretty comfortable.  I smiled for days after I purchased them.  Several times I took them out of the closet just to admire them.  When the day finally came for me to wear them, I was thrilled that they met Read more » about These Shoes Are Made for Walking

Another Excellence In Construction (EIC) awards event in the books!  For the past 15 years, the American Subcontractors Association – Houston Chapter (ASA-HC) has presented companies and individuals in the architectural, engineering, and construction industry awards for excellence.

Unlike many of the construction industry awards given, ASA-HC’s awards are based on the business practices and the working environment created by general contractors and architects on projects in the Houston area.  ASA-HC believes that this relationship-based type of awards program recognizes those in the construction industry who understand and embrace building as more than just a business; that construction is the daily lifeblood for tens of thousands of individuals in the Houston area employed by the construction industry and for the millions of Houstonians and visitors who work, play and worship in what the industry creates.   Read more » about Houston’s Top Architects and Contractors Celebrate