Dear Readers –

As we move further into the first quarter, this is the point in the year when disciplined planning begins to translate into real momentum—on jobsites, in our offices, and in our advocacy efforts. It is also an ideal time to take full advantage of the tools and resources available to help subcontractors remain competitive, protect margins, and keep their teams productive.

Registration is now open for our Washington, DC Fly-In on June 9-10. The registration deadline is May 1.  This annual event is one of our most important opportunities to ensure the subcontractor perspective is heard where key decisions are made. It is also one of the most energizing events on our calendar—bringing together members from across the industry around a shared mission and a unified message: subcontractors deserve fair treatment, clear rules, and a business environment that rewards those who do the work. If you have not attended in the past, I encourage you to consider making this your year. For those who have attended, you already understand the value of putting real faces and real stories behind the issues that impact our businesses every day.

I also wanted to draw your attention to an incredible webinar coming up in March. On March 10, we’re hosting a webinar on How to Motivate Workers’ Compensation Insurers to Compete for your Business – Especially During Renewal Time. This session will walk through a standard workers’ compensation insurance Supplemental Application – from beginning to end. Every month we have experts willing to share their knowledge and insights with our members. Take advantage of this. If you miss a webinar, you can listen to most of them on your own schedule. They’re all on our fasacares.org site in the on-demand webinars area.

And don’t forget to leverage ASAdvantage. Member savings add up quickly—especially on items your team already buys. This month we’re highlighting deals from Verizon and ODP, helping you stretch budgets on technology, office supplies, and everyday operational needs.

That leads directly to the focus of this issue: digital tools that improve productivity. Whether you are evaluating field reporting applications, project management platforms, estimating and takeoff software, document control systems, scheduling tools, or back-office automation, the objective remains the same—spend less time chasing information and more time building, billing, and growing. Technology is not about replacing experience; it is about enabling your best people to do their best work with fewer delays, fewer errors, and clearer communication from preconstruction through closeout.

Also – we’re changing the timing of The Contractor’s Compass publication. We’ll now be publishing at the beginning of the month rather than at the end. That means we’ll have one combined March/April issue at the end of March, with the May issue coming out on May 5. Subsequent issues will be published at the beginning of the month as well.

Thank you for all that you do to strengthen our industry and support the subcontractor community. I hope you will join us for the Fly-In, take advantage of this month’s educational opportunities, and explore the digital productivity insights featured in these pages. Let’s make February a month of smart decisions and strong results.

Respectfully,
Andrew Christ
President – ASA 2025-2026