May 2025_Spokesman by ABC Keystone

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY Just Ask My Action Figure!

BY: GUY KINGREE

As we approach Construction Safety Week 2025, it’s a fitting time to reflect not only on the progress we’ve made, but also on the work that still lies ahead. At ABC Keystone, we believe safety is not a one-week campaign, it’s a year-round commitment that requires daily attention and a mindset of continuous improvement. As Chair, I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand how our members have embraced a culture of safety, and I urge each of us to continue raising the bar—not just for compliance, but for the health and well-being of every worker who steps foot on a jobsite.

One of the core focuses of OSHA’s efforts is the "Focus Four"—the four leading causes of fatalities in construction: falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-in/between hazards. These are responsible for many injuries and deaths on construction sites, but they are also largely preventable with proper training, vigilance, and planning. Industry data continues to show that proper use of PPE and robust safety planning can drastically reduce these incidents. Whether it’s harnesses for working at height, hard hats, glove requirements, or eye protection, adherence to these basic requirements matters. So does having a plan—one that’s communicated, practiced, and reviewed regularly.

But safety doesn’t stop at the physical. As mentioned in the April Spokesman, our industry continues to grapple with mental health challenges, and it's time we confront this head-on. Construction workers are at higher risk of suicide than those in almost any other industry. At ABC Keystone, we are proud to be leading the way with initiatives like our Total Human Health Committee, which emphasizes not only physical safety but also mental wellness, addiction support, and suicide prevention. Because at the end of the day, ensuring a worker’s safety means supporting the whole person—not just the task they’re performing.

This is a team effort. From the job-site laborer to the project manager to the c-suite executive, safety must be everyone’s responsibility. A culture of safety takes root when every voice is heard, and every person feels empowered to speak up about unsafe conditions. That’s when safety stops being a checklist item and becomes a shared value—one that ensures all our workers go home safely to their families at the end of each day.

As we look for continuous improvement, I encourage all our members to participate in ABC’s STEP Safety Management System, which offers a proven framework for evaluating and improving your company’s safety practices. Companies that engage in the STEP program achieve incident rates much safer than the industry average. Additionally, ABC Keystone offers a wide range of safety training programs to help your team stay current with best practices, new regulations, and effective hazard prevention.

Finally, please mark your calendar for the ABC Keystone Safety Summit on May 21, 2025. This event will bring together industry leaders, safety professionals, and team members from all levels to share knowledge, celebrate successes, and continue driving our industry forward. Together, let’s commit to making construction safer—for every project, every day, and every person.

STUDENT CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT

PENN COLLEGE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT STUDENTS EXPLORE INDUSTRY PROJECTS IN BALTIMORE & NORTHERN VIRGINIA

On April 3rd, 29 Penn College Construction Management students and two faculty members embarked on a field trip to Baltimore and Northern Virginia, a journey months in the making, organized with the support of alumni and industry partners. The trip began with a three-hour drive to Baltimore, where the group toured a construction project at Johns Hopkins University, managed by Whiting-Turner. The tour offered a close-up view of deep foundations and shoring, providing valuable insights, and allowing students to network with professionals from Whiting-Turner.

Next, the group visited BWI Airport to observe the work Allen Myers is doing on the airfield, including upgrades to asphalt and concrete surfaces and a recently completed maintenance hangar. The following stop was the National Institutes of Health's Bethesda campus, where Hensel Phelps guided them through several active projects.

Later, a networking event at TopGolf in Ashburn, Virginia, provided an opportunity to connect with industry professionals. On Friday, the group toured two data center sites managed by EE Reed Construction, witnessing slabs being poured, nearly completed base builds, and ongoing interior construction. They also visited a highway expansion project on I-495 managed by Shirley Contracting. The final stop was at York WellSpan Hospital in Pennsylvania, a joint venture between Benchmark Construction and LF Driscoll.

Almost all the companies visited were offering internships or full-time opportunities for Penn College CM students this summer. Many of the companies are also active members of ABC. The team wrapped up the trip with some celebratory moments and a visit to the Grand Canyon on their way back to Phoenix for their return to Penn College and mid-term exams.

MEET THE NEW CMA EXECUTIVE BOARD FOR THE UPCOMING

SCHOOL YEAR!

On April 15th, CMA held elections for the Executive Board for the upcoming school year, and it was exciting to see so many students eager to contribute to CMA's growth and success. After a competitive selection process, the newly elected board members were announced:

• James Fretz, President (Senior)

• Emilio Stipe, Vice President (Junior)

• Aidan Lash, Assistant Vice President (Junior)

• Sheldan Price, Secretary (Senior)

• Brandon Vaughn, Treasurer (Senior)

• Germens Mathieu, Assistant Treasurer (Junior)

The grade levels listed reflect their status for the next academic year. CMA is also excited to have James and Emilio returning as board members, bringing their valuable experience and leadership from the previous year. Looking ahead, CMA is eager to collaborate with ABC Keystone and its members to organize events, field trips, and create opportunities for networking, collaboration, and professional development. A big thank you goes to the outgoing board members, with best wishes as they graduate!

If you have an interest in presenting to the group, or know of an opportunity that would help broaden the perspective or ready the next generation of our industry, or have any questions about CMA or the Construction Management program at Penn College, please get in touch with us:

Morgan Littlefield

Penn College CMA President mhl3@pct.edu

Wayne Sheppard

Penn College CMA Faculty Advisor wsheppar@pct.edu

Week 1: August 11-15, 2025

Week 2: October 6-10, 2025

The ABC Project Management Institute is 80 hours of instruction in two nonconcurrent, 40-hour sessions with an interim period between classes for applied assignments and reporting.

Who Should Attend?

Owners, project managers, estimators and any employee involved in managing projects.

Why Attend?

• Gain practical tools to enhance profitability, productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.

• Engage in real-world applications with interactive project management courses and contractor case studies.

• Acquire management strategies that will drive positive change in your company.

EMERGING LEADER SPOTLIGHT

IMPORTANCE OF SELF-LEADERSHIP FOR CAREER SUCCESS

BY: MELINDA HAAS, ACC | PROCESS CONSULTANT | LEADERSHIP COACH | FACILITATOR SHV PARTNERS

At SHV Partners, we collaborate with leaders at all levels of an organization to further develop essential leadership skills. When working with emerging leaders, we often hear – “I’m not a leader; I don’t have a team.” We find this the perfect opportunity for us to educate that everyone is a leader. In fact, selfleadership is a foundational leadership skill necessary to lead others well.

We like this definition of self-leadership by Maike Neuhause, Ph.D.:

"Self-leadership is the practice of understanding who you are, identifying your desired experiences, and intentionally guiding yourself toward them. It spans the determination of what we do, why we do it, and how we do it."

The SOAR model, from Getting It Right When It Matters Most: Self-Leadership for Work and Life by Tony Gambill and Scott Carbonara, provides an excellent framework for gauging your self-leadership:

• SELF: Understanding the unique you that has evolved based on your one-of-a-kind combination of personality, physical traits, intelligence, habits, beliefs, strengths, and weaknesses.

• OUTLOOK: An awareness of how we view the world and how our emotions impact our worldview.

• ACTION: The conversations that enable one to successfully advance their most important, complex, and relational situations.

• REFLECTION: The process of critically evaluating your behaviors, perspectives, habits, and communication from previous actions to gain insights to adapt to future challenges.

A core component of self-leadership is emotional intelligence (EQ), which is twice as important as IQ or technical ability in driving performance. At senior leadership levels, EQ accounts for 90% of the difference between top-performing leaders and the rest. Some indicators of high EQ are:

• Awareness of your strengths and weaknesses

• Calmly responding to stressful situations, rather than reacting emotionally

• Responding well to feedback

• Ability to build trust and rapport with others

• Having a growth mindset, or the belief that you can improve yourself through dedication and hard work.

As emerging leaders, developing self-leadership skills will help you navigate the complexities at work and stay competitive in your career. Having a mentor or coach is an excellent way to intentionally develop your self-leadership.

So, even if you do not have a team, you ARE a leader. You can lead today, starting with yourself—and you will be more equipped to lead others as you advance in your career.

For more information, contact: Melinda Haas, SHV Partners (267) 250-8959 melindahaas@shvpartners.com Would you like to be featured in the next Emerging Leaders Spotlight? Contact: Laura Chanoski at laura@abckeystone.org

Join us for the most up-to-date construction safety and health information and resources.

• Breakout Sessions

• Construction Safety

• Vendor Booths

• Networking Happy Hour

Get Expert Safety Insights at ABC Keystone’s Summit!

Join ABC Keystone’s Safety Summit to connect with construction professionals and gain the latest insights on safety and health. Learn from experts, discover new tools, and enhance your ability to create a safer work environment. Don’t miss out on the most current resources in construction safety!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Safety Professionals

• Human Resource Managers

• CEOs

• Operations Managers

• Field Employees

Break Out Sessions To Keep Your Employees Healthy & Safe

Changes Under the Trump Administration

Joe Sine

Partner, Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC

OSHA Lessons Learned and Most Interesting Cases

Kevin Chambers Director for the Harrisburg Area Office of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)

Active Shooter Contingency

Joe Hileman

Co-Founder and Training Specialist for Blue-U Defense

Non-CDL DOT Regulations

Andrew Blair, DOT Safety Checkups, LLC

Battery Recycling/Proper Disposal

Daniel Brown

Environmental Compliance Manager

Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority

Active Shooter Contingency

Joe Hileman

Co-Founder and Training Specialist for Blue-U Defense

VitalCog: Suicide in Construction Training - Part 1

Haley Moyers Director of Workforce Programs & Initiatives

ABC National

Non-CDL DOT Regulations

Andrew Blair, DOT Safety Checkups, LLC

Battery Recycling/Proper Disposal

Daniel Brown

Environmental Compliance Manager

Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority

VitalCog: Suicide in Construction Training - Part 2

Haley Moyers Director of Workforce Programs & Initiatives

ABC National

Changes Under the Trump Administration

Joe Sine

Partner, Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC

Fire Prevention and Protection in Construction

Eugene Schmitt, CSP, ARM, CHST, CFPS, Murray

ASK AN ACCOUNTANT

DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS:

Before the Agreements are Signed, Ensure HR and Finance are Aligned

BY: TIM SHOWERS, CPA, DIRECTOR, MCKONLY & ASBURY

Background

As the talent war within the engineering and construction industry rages on, strategically designed deferred compensation plans can be decisive weapons for attracting and retaining key employees. Plans that feature meaningful mid-term (i.e. 3-5 years) payouts, for example, incentivize top players to endure beyond simply the next annual raise or bonus. When designing these plans, firms understandably tend to focus on the future cash flow impact. However, it is equally important to consider the plan’s effect on the balance sheet and income statement, as well. Under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP), the structure of most deferred compensation plans will generate liabilities and expenses for the company long before any cash is distributed to the participants. The following guidance and example will provide a well-rounded perspective.

Guidance and Example

Under U.S. GAAP, deferred compensation costs are to be accrued at present value, in a systematic and rational manner, over the service period that entitles the employee to the compensation. The theory behind this accounting is that, while the compensation is not paid until a future date, the employee is earning the compensation in the meantime via the service they provide to the company. Given this guidance, the key drivers of deferred compensation financial statement implications include:

1. The inputs used in determining the future payout, as specified in the agreement; common examples of inputs include employee salary, company performance metrics, and performance evaluation scores.

2. The timing of the future payout.

3. The service period tied to the future payout.

4. The applicable discount rate: the company’s incremental borrowing rate is generally a reasonable figure to use when determining present value.

To illustrate these drivers via an example, let’s say that “Company A” executes a deferred compensation agreement in “Year 0” with key employee “Brett.” The agreement entitles Brett to a payout equal to 30% of Year 0’s salary on January 1st of “Year 4,” provided he is still employed with Company A on December 31st of “Year 3.” If Brett’s salary in Year 0 ends up being $100,000 in Year 0, this will drive a $30,000 payout on January 1st of Year 4. However, he must remain employed over the ensuing 3-year service period to earn this benefit. Assuming a discount rate of 6%, the following table illustrates how Company A would systematically and rationally recognize the deferred compensation costs associated with this agreement in Years 1, 2, and 3.

2025 Verified STEP Participants

As verified by ABC National as of April 2025

Allan Myers

Allied Mechanical & Electrical

Arthur Funk & Sons, Inc.

Assurance Media, LLC

Benchmark Construction Co., Inc.

Brubaker, Inc.

C Mechanical Services

C.M. High, Inc.

CB Construction Services, Inc.

Clark Contractors, Inc.

CLARK, Inc.

Commonwealth Fire Protection Co.

D.E. Gemmill, Inc.

Dolan Construction, Inc.

E.R. Stuebner, Inc.

EG Stoltzfus Construction, LLC

Flyway Excavating, Inc.

Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc.

Gorski Engineering, Inc.

Hursh Painting Co., Inc.

James Craft & Son, Inc.

John E. Fullerton, Inc.

Johnston Construction Company

Pincus Elevator Company, Inc.

Poole Anderson Construction, LLC

Smucker Company

Speedwell Construction, Inc.

Tabora Painting, LLC

The Tri-M Group, LLC

The Tuckey Companies

Wagman Construction, Inc.

Warfel Construction Company

White Rose Interiors, LLC

Wickersham Construction and Engineering, Inc.

Wohlsen Construction Company

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Jason R. Brown Electric, LLC

Jason Brown, Owner

1163 Pilgrims Pathway Peach Bottom, PA 17563

www.brownelectric.co (717) 940-7262 jason@brownelectric.co

Sponsored By: Robb Beiler Wohlsen Construction Company

Beinhower Consulting, LLC

Shawn Beinhower, Vice President / COO 476 Granite Quarry Road New Cumberland, PA 17070 (717) 576-3466

www.beinhowerconsulting.com sbeinhower@beinhowerconsulting.com

Sponsored By: Ken Beinhower, Sr. E.K. Services, Inc.

Mobile Modular Management

Eric Linka, Commercial Sales Representative 250 Centreport Pkwy Fredericksburg, VA 22406

www.mobilemodular.com (717) 387-0442

eric.linka@mobilemodular.com

CNS Companies

John Irwin, CEO 151 Koser Road Lititz, PA 17543

www.cnscompanies.com (717) 625-0280

john@cnsprotects.com

AR Consulting Partners, LLC

A.R. Smith, Chair/Executive Business Coach 1068 Sunwood Lane Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 847-6815

ar.smith@vistagechair.com

Sponsored By: Aimée Deraco, Brubaker, Inc.

Powerhouse Communications, LLC

Jeremy Houck, COO 110 3rd Street New Cumberland, PA 17070

www.powerhousecos.com (717) 516-8088

jeremyhouck@powerhousecos.com

Sponsored By: John H. Hykes, III B&B Integrations

MERIT SHOP PROUD

FLAGGER FORCE’S PRESIDENT & CEO APPOINTED TO CONSTRUCTION ANGELS’ NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Flagger Force, an industry-leading, Safety-Driven®, short-term traffic control company with operations that span the eastern third of the United States, is pleased to announce their President and CEO, Mike Doner, has been appointed to Construction Angels’ Board of Directors. Headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Construction Angels is a national nonprofit organization that facilitates access to financial services and grief counseling for the immediate surviving family members of construction workers who have been tragically killed as a result of work-related accidents. As a member of the Board of Directors, Doner will support Construction Angels’ mission through sharing his industry insights and expertise to help the organization grow and expand their impact through fundraising events, sponsorship opportunities, and other activities.

“I was introduced to Construction Angels several years ago by a colleague. When friends in the industry lost teammates, I was proud to connect them with Construction Angels who provided critical support to the victims’ families in times of need. For over 20 years, Flagger Force never lost an employee and then tragically we lost two team members within a short period of time due to inattentive drivers operating their vehicles recklessly in work zones. The entire Flagger Force team and I now understand all too well the devasting impacts of losing a colleague and friend on the job as well as the financial hardships and grief that their loved one’s face,” said Mike Doner, President and CEO of Flagger Force. “I am honored to increase Flagger Force’s engagement with this outstanding organization as a member of the Board of Directors. I look forward to sharing my time, resources, and personal experiences to support Construction Angels and the families of fallen workers.”

In addition to offering financial services and grief counseling to those who have lost a loved one to a tragic work-related accident, Construction Angels provides scholarship opportunities to qualified applicants, raises critical awareness of job site safety, and more.

“Construction Angels is proud to welcome Mike Doner to our Board of Directors as an advocate for public awareness of the risks in construction work zones, promoting stronger safety measures, and supporting the compassion and assistance our organization provides when tragedy strikes. As the CEO of Flagger Force and his magnitude of resources within the construction industry and philanthropic expertise, we believe Mike’s passion will help us continue to grow and expand our wings into markets that are unaware of our mission to helping families who have lost a loved one in an accidental work-related incident within our industry,” said Kristi Ronyak, CEO and Founder/National Executive Director of Construction Angels.

For inclusion in future issues of the Merit Shop Spokesman, please send your press releases to: