AvidXchange Deepens its Support of Construction Industry Professionals

AvidXchange today announced its new Silver-level sponsorship of the American Subcontractors

Association (ASA). This sponsorship announcement comes on the heels of a larger announcement made earlier this year by AvidXchange that its industry leading TimberScan Titanium and AvidPay solution now has API integrations available for Sage 300 CRE, Sage 100 Contractor, Sage Intacct and Acumatica users. All work together to maximize efficiency, minimize risk, and increase visibility.

These new, fully automated integrations offer construction industry professionals, like general

contractors, a purchase-to-pay solution which allows them to pay contractors and subcontracts more efficiently using e-payment solutions and can help them save on resources like time and costs by reducing the need to manually handle paper invoices and checks.

“Managing payables and payments can be a significant headache for many organizations, so having an automated solution like AvidXchange, can only create greater efficiencies as well as help save on costs,” said Richard Bright, Chief Executive Officer of ASA.

“Becoming an ASA sponsor shows our continued support of our construction customers by joining them in this extensive industry network,” Jim Campbell, Vice President of Construction. “On top of communicating with them virtually and at upcoming networking events, we look forward to meeting new potential customers at SUBExcel in March 2023 in hopes that we can help transform the way they manage, receive and pay their bills.”

For more information, visit www.Avidxchange.com/construction.

ConsensusDocs Hits 15-Year Milestone

ASA would like to congratulate ConsensusDocs on 15 years since they were launched and appeared on the cover and editorial of ENR News Magazine. ASA is proud to have been one of the first organizations that helped birth to ConsensusDocs, the first Coalition to bring together 20 diverse and leading design and construction organizations to write and publish standard contract documents. These organizations literally made the DOCS in ConsensusDocs, representing Designers, Owners, Constructors, Sureties, & Subcontractors. They have put over $60 billion of construction under contract and there have been ZERO reported court case decisions fighting over ConsensusDocs language. Writing best practices that focus on achieving better project results has led to these remarkable results.

DOE Announces $7 Billion for Hydrogen Hub Funding

On September 23, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) made $7 billion available to fund regional clean hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs) across the country, which will form a key power source in America’s future clean energy economy. DOE also released a draft of the National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap for public feedback. The H2Hubs will be a critical part of the Department’s efforts to help communities across the country realize the benefits of clean hydrogen and reach the goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. Hydrogen is a versatile fuel that can be produced from clean, diverse, and domestic energy resources, including wind, solar, and nuclear energy, or by using natural gas (while capturing resulting carbon to reduce emissions).  The DOE National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap provides a comprehensive overview of the potential for hydrogen production, transport, storage, and use in the United States.

NCS Credit celebrates 50 Years +2 with a building expansion, new name and new brand look

After a two-year delay due to the pandemic, NCS Credit is thrilled to announce the celebration of its 50^th anniversary (2020), the anxiously awaited grand opening of its new 3,200 ft building expansion, plus the launch of its updated corporate name, logo and website. 

“Over the five decades we’ve been in business, one constant remains: we’ve stayed true to our roots, always focused on helping businesses get paid for the work they do. And we could not have achieved our remarkable success without the dedication of the talented team here at NCS Credit. Their passion for the work – and putting the client first – shines through in everything they do. Every day, this team upholds our Core Values; we are determined, conscientious, inquisitive, and we have an amazing community.” said NCS Credit President Mary Cowan. 

Learn more about NCS Credit at NCScredit.com. 

ASA Monitors OSHA’s Proposed Rules

ASA, along with the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC), are monitoring the following proposed OSHA rules:

• OSHA Blood Lead Level Rulemaking – On June 28, OSHA issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public input on its standards for occupational exposure to lead for general industry and construction. In short, OSHA issued a series of 60+ questions asking the public input on such topics as the permissible exposure limit to lead and blood lead level triggers for medical removal, return to work requirements, the method and frequency for blood lead monitoring, current practices for PPE, hygiene and training, and more. Comments were originally due on August 28th, but the deadline has since been extended to October 28th. We will continue to monitor the rulemaking as it moves through the regulatory process and deliver feedback as a coalition as needed.
• Process Safety Management Stakeholder Meeting – OSHA announced the agency will hold an informal stakeholder meeting seeking feedback on its Process Safety Management (PSM) standard on Wednesday, October 12th, from 10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.  First published in 1992, the PSM standard requires employers to implement safety programs that identify, evaluate and control highly hazardous chemicals. The standard is performance-based and outlines 14 management system elements for controlling highly hazardous chemicals. Employers have the flexibility to tailor their PSM programs to the unique conditions at their facilities.
• Changes to OSHA Severe Violator Enforcement Program – In September, OSHA announced it is expanding the criteria for placement in the agency’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. Since 2010, the Severe Violator Enforcement Program has focused on enforcement and inspection resources on employers who either willfully or repeatedly violate federal health and safety laws or demonstrate a refusal to correct previous violations. In addition to being included on a public list of the nation’s severe violators, employers are subject to follow-up inspections. The new criteria include violations of all hazards and OSHA standards and will continue to focus on repeat offenders in all industries. Previously, an employer could be in the program for failing to meet a limited number of standards. The changes will broaden the program’s scope with the possibility that additional industries will fall within its parameters. The updated program instruction replaces the 2010 instruction, and remains in effect until canceled or superseded.
• PPE in Construction Proposal under OMB Review – On September 7th, the Office of Management and Budget began its review of OSHA’s proposed rule to clarify the requirements for the fit of personal protective equipment in construction. According to the Spring 2022 Regulatory Agenda, the proposal was expected to be issued in September. We will continue to monitor the status of the proposed rule.

ASA National Holds Staff Retreat 

Having a staff that is spread throughout the country has pros and cons. One of the cons is that the group is rarely, if ever, is in one place at the same time. Spending our time together on screen calls and the phone is not the same as some in-person bonding. A gathering in Frederick, Maryland in mid-October changed that, bringing the team together for discussions and team-building.