Dear Readers,

Welcome to this month’s finance-focused issue of Contractor’s Compass. Highlights include tips on negotiating in the article “Using BATNA to Supercharge More Profitable Negotiations”, protecting your right to payment in the article “Protecting the Right to Payment”, and cash management advice in “5 Vital Tools for Cash Management in Your Construction Business”.

As promised in September, I’m pleased to announce that registration for SUBExcel 2024 is officially open! We’re excited about the upcoming event in New Orleans and very appreciative of the hard work being put in by the SUBExcel Working Group to create a first-class conference. The education program, speakers, networking activities, registration and more can be found at www.SUBEXCEL.com. Register by January 19th to get the Early Bird discount and join us for what’s sure to be our greatest conference yet!

Also in September, we held our semi-annual Think Tank in Grand Rapids, followed the next day by our board meeting. Think Tank participants covered a wide range of topics from the economy to workforce development and bank account fraud to safety. Some of the more interesting discussions focused on technology like biocement, impact absorbing hardhats, worker safety and health monitoring, drug testing, and AI. One item that I wanted to be sure to mention specifically is DoD SkillBridge (https://skillbridge.osd.mil/), a program operated by the Department of Defense to help service members learn new skills and gain experience in the civilian workforce during their last 180 days of service. Interested ASA members should take the opportunity to learn more about the program and how to become a Program Partner. The next Think Tank will be held during our Mini Committee Meeting Week in Greater Baton Rouge, January 17-20, 2024. Think Tank participation is open to all ASA members!

The following day at the board meeting, we welcomed two new national board members, Dick Roberts from Arizona, and Rico Rivera of Southwest Florida. In July 2024, we’ll also be welcoming Martin Press from the DC Metro chapter. Another outcome of the meeting was the reintroduction of the Board Liaison program. One of the most important things that National can do for the local chapters is opening more channels of communication. The Liaison program, along with our “National President to Local Chapter President” call, will do just that. With the program, national board members will be reaching out to local chapters as well as visiting on occasion to collaborate, brainstorm, or simply discuss how National can better support and partner with ASA chapters.  

Also at the board meeting, ASA staff announced the availability of the new ASA MemberPlus mobile app. The app was developed by GrowthZone, the same company that powers the ASA website and member portal. That means that the app not only carries some of the same popular features of the website, it also means that you can login to the app with the same username and password that you use to access your ASA member account. Find out how to download and login to the app on the ASA website (https://www.asaonline.com/memberplus-mobile-app/).

Finally, I want to acknowledge the stress the recent near-shutdown of the government has caused. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, a government shutdown would significantly impact construction by potentially interrupting contracts and funding. For our colleagues involved in government-funded projects, the impact on their companies and the workers they employ could be significant if our representatives can’t agree on a path forward come November 17th. ASA will continue to monitor the ongoing debate and report to the membership to keep you informed.

Thank you for being a part of this great organization. I look forward to connecting with you all in New Orleans next March.

Sincerely,

Brad Miller

President, American Subcontractors Association