August 2010
Addenda #35 American Society of Professional Estimators Great Plains Chapter #35
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3
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MEMBER COMPANIES
Ahern Fire Protection
Kiewit Building Group, Inc.
Bldg Cost Consultants, Inc.
L & L Builders Co.
Davis Erection Co., Inc.
MCM Services
Drake-Williams Steel Inc.
New Steel Inc.
Essex Corporation
Omaha Electric Service Inc.
Heartland Scenic Studio, Inc.
Sampson Construction Co., Inc.
Interstates Const. Srvcs. Inc.
Tempest Company
Kidwell Inc. UPCOMING EVENTS
Social Activities and Chapter Meeting:s Construction Ethics—The Owner’s Perspective—August 25, 2010 Building Technology into Estimates—James Benham—September 8, 2010 Regional and National:
Member Benefits
Central Region Fall Meeting—October 14 & 15, 2010, in Grand Rapids, MI HOW THE BEST PROPOSAL IS NOT ALWAYS THE LOWEST DOLLAR PROPOSAL Chapter 35 of the American Society of Professional Estimators is pleased to invite you to our August 2010 meeting. Date: August 25, 2010 Time: 11:30 am Location: Grisanti's Italian Restaurant Lunch Fee: $25 (10875 W Dodge Road, Omaha, NE) Meeting Topic: Ethics in Construction - The Owner's Point of View Panel Organizer: Don Short, Tempest Company The Panel: Frank Emsick - Alegent Health Del Reibold - TD Ameritrade Jeff Kirshenbaum - Noddle Companies Visit our website to submit discussion topics on Bidding Ethics along with your RSVP. Please RSVP by August 24, 2010 by email: ahrenholtz@gmail.com by website: sites.google.com/site/aspe35/ by phone or text: 402-522-6016
include Industry Recognition and Career Enhancement
Addenda #35 August 2010
American Society of Professional Estimators Great Plains Chapter #35 CONVENTION INFORMATION
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
F E AT U R E S
REVIEW OF LAST MEETING BOARD MEETING MINUTES & HIGHLIGHTS COMMITTEE REPORTS MEMBER BENEFITS MEMBER COMPANIES ASPE CANONS
CRITICAL CALENDAR ITEMS MEMBER COMPANIES SPONSORS
MEMBER BENEFITS UPCOMING MEETINGS NEW MEMBERS
The cover art is titled Douglas County Courthouse, Omaha, Nebraska The picture was posted to the internet at http://lepantlaw.com/courthousene/ courthouse.html
THE GREAT PLAINS ADDENDA #35
ASPE CHAPTER 35 OFFICERS
Chapter 35 of the American Society of Professional Estimators is pleased to invite you to our September 2010 meeting. Date: September 8, 2010 Time: 11:30 am Location: Grisanti's Italian Restaurant Lunch Fee: $25 (10875 W Dodge Road, Omaha, NE)
President Chris Ahrenholtz ahrenholtz@gmail.com First Vice President Mark Mentele markms@tempestcompany.co m Second Vice President David Hansen drh67gal@cox.net Third Vice President Jonathan Hatcher jhatcher@ahernfire.com Secretary Jerry Onik jonik@heartlandscenic.com Treasurer Steve Rice srice@omahaelectric.com Directors Isaac Davidson idavidson@omahaelectric.com Jason Prebyl Jason.prebyl@kiewit.com Justin Short justins@tempestcompany.co m
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TOPIC:
"Building Technology into Estimates: Tech Features That Keep You Competitive"
Successful construction companies must bring technology capabilities to the table – for every client project. Today’s new tech advancements allow more speed, accuracy, time savings, and ultimately, cost reductions. What can you do to improve your value to clients? How does your company stack up against the competition? Through interesting case studies and demonstrations, this presentation offers solutions for boosting your efficiency and bottom line. Topics Discussed: ITB and planroom headaches -- and solutions Case study of a multi-office construction firm Organization tools for speed and accuracy (including digital take-offs) Unique and useful websites, online tool
Please RSVP by September 7, 2010 by email: ahrenholtz@gmail.com by phone or text: 402-522-6016 by website: sites.google.com/site/aspe35/ BIOGRAPHY FOR JAMES BENHAM: James Benham is founder and president of JBKnowledge Technologies Inc., a creative services outsourcing company specializing in Web design and software development. James' company has become a premier provider for many construction, manufacturing, advertising and other businesses across the country. Their turnkey design work includes high-end renderings of golf course communities, high-rise residential buildings, office buildings, as well as a future skyline of Houston, Texas. JBKnowledge's user-friendly software products allow companies to streamline their bidding processes, mechanized applications and management practices. JBKnowledge’s headquarters are in College Station, Texas with offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Salta, Argentina. James has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from Texas A&M University, and was a member of the Corps of Cadets during his undergraduate years. As a speaker, James’ expert knowledge, keen insights and friendly manner consistently earn him kudos from audiences across North America. Hosting organizations range from advertising clubs to new media technology conferences, to college classrooms. When he is not traveling North and South America for business or with his wife, daughter and two dogs, he enjoys soccer and playing the piano. He currently plays soccer with a men’s soccer league at home – in order to maintain a competitive edge in games with his Argentinean employees. As for music, he began playing the piano competitively at age 8 and now specializes in lullabies that put his daughter to sleep.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3
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Heavy construction today is a highly competitive market, especially with the current global economic situation. The cost of projects has never mattered more than it does in today’s market. Many things are expected of a cost estimator in today’s construction world. In the high paced construction environment, the ethics of a cost estimator are as important as their ability to quantify items from a set of plans and specifications
Reprinted from Estimating Today , June 2009
Being a cost estimator does not only involve the ability to read and decipher plans and specifications. Cost estimators are business professionals, along with this comes a Code of Ethics that is important for all cost estimators to utilize and follow accordingly. These basic ethics help and estimator’s reputation and the company they work for. They are also very important for the construction industry as a whole.
FIND US ON:
SEARCH FOR ASPE CHAPTER 35 IN THE GROUPS SECTION
THE GREAT PLAINS ADDENDA #35
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Reprinted from Estimating Today , March 2009
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3
ASPE CANONS Canon #1
Canon #6
Professional estimator shall perform services in areas of their discipline and competence.
Professional estimator shall utilize their education, years of experience and acquired skills in the preparation of each estimate or assignment with full commitment to make each estimate or assignment as detailed and accurate as their talents and abilities allow.
Canon #2 Professional estimator shall continue to expand their professional capabilities through continuing education programs to better enable them to serve clients, employers and the industry.
Canon #3 Professional estimator shall conduct themselves in a manner which will promote cooperation and good relations among members of our profession and those directly related to our profession.
Canon #4 Professional estimator shall safeguard and keep in confidence all knowledge of the business affairs and technical procedures of an employer or client.
Canon #5 Professional estimator shall conduct themselves with integrity at all times and not knowingly or willingly enter into agreements that violate the laws of the United States of America or of the states in which they practice. They shall establish guidelines for setting forth prices and receiving quotations that are fair and equitable to all parties.
Canon #7 Professional estimator shall not engage in the practice of “bid peddling” as defined by this code. This is a breach of moral and ethical standards, and this practice shall not be entered into by a member of this society.
Canon #8 Professional estimator and those in training to be estimator shall not enter into any agreement that may be considered acts of collusion or conspiracy (bid rigging) with the implied or express purpose of defrauding clients. Acts of this type are in direct violation of the Code of Ethics of the American Society of Professional Estimators.
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REVIEW OF LAST MEETING The sporting clays event was postponed due to weather and will be rescheduled.
BOARD MEETING MINUTES & COMMITTEE REPORTS Meeting Date: August 4, 2010
Finance: Coordination
Time: 11:45 AM
between incoming and outgoing Treasurer is ongoing.
Location: Granite City Food and Brewery Board Members: Chris Ahrenholtz (present) Mark Mentele (present) David Hansen (absent) Jonathan Hatcher (present) Steve Rice (present) Jerry Onik (present) Isaac Davidson (present) Jason Prebyl (absent) Justin Short (present) Other members in attendance:
ship: Plans to award scholarship this year, as well as hold an education seminar in the spring. Awards: Continue with plans to submit next year. Newsletter: Continue to publish and distribute, with emphasis on upcoming meetings. Programs: Continue finalizing events for the upcoming year. Ethics: Focus of upcoming meeting Website: Research do-
Canon #9 Professional estimator and those in training to be estimator shall not participate in acts, such as the giving or receiving of gifts, that are intended to be or may be construed as being unlawful acts of bribery.
Education and Scholar-
main names and webhosting. Discussion topics: Certification: 2011 year starts in December. Currently four members are CPE’s and one is an FCPE Membership: Goals to maintain current members and recruit new members
Upcoming Meetings: Changes to meeting formats Chapter bylaws and incorporation requirements
MISSION STATEMENT
Www.sites.google.com/site/aspe35
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ESTIMATORS GREAT PLAINS CHAPTER 35
Upcoming Chapter Meetings August 25 - Ethics in Construction Part Two September 8 - Building Technology into Estimates October 13 - Omaha Chamber of Commerce November 10 - Andy Greenberg December 8 - Estimating Errors January 12, 2011 - Tom Becka February 9, 2011 - Legal Issues in Construction March 9, 2011 - Site Visit
The American Society of Professional Estimators serves construction Estimators by providing education, fellowship, and opportunity for professional development.
April 13, 2011 - Federal Issues in Construction May 11, 2011 - Educational Seminar, Elections, and Awards Upcoming Board Meeting: September 1 - September 29 - October 27 - November 24 January 5, 2011 - January 26, 2011 - February 23, 2011 March 23, 2011 - April 27, 2011 - May 18, 2011
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T H E
B E G I N N I N G T H E R E E S T I M A T E .
CRITICAL CALENDAR ITEMS August 31, 2010 Last day to have renewal to SBO for inclusion in Membership Directory
September 1, 2010 Chapters to submit Chapter Report to Regional Governor
October 29-30, 2010 Board of Trustees Meeting—Society Business Office
I S
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PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
There are many activities planned for the coming year. If you have program suggestions, newsletter topics, or other ideas to share, we would love to hear from you