On the Level: Summer 2023

The Future of Work

High school students may be the key to solving the skilled labor shortage. Page

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Half a year gone already.

Wow, seems hard to believe. Going to be challenging times to staff the projects already underway and the projects coming online. Like many businesses, the building trades are facing recruiting issues, but each of our trades is working hard to fill the apprenticeship slots and that’s the topic of our cover story. Many high school graduates are considering the costs of four years of college versus entering apprenticeship and those factors are working in our favor.

When I think about the things that set us apart from others, and what we can say to those that we want to recruit, we should all be proud of what GREAT community citizens we are and what we give back to our community.

CCA, SMACNA and Fabricators support many community charitable initiatives. Our Labor partners are great community citizens as well. In our region we have supported:

• American Legion

• Brewster Food Pantry

• Food Bank of the Hudson Valley

• Make-a-Wish of Hudson Valley — numerous projects — thank you Carpenters, for all your efforts to support Make-a-Wish.

• Habitat for Humanity

• Hospice of Orange and Sullivan

• Putnam Humane Society

• Putnam Veterans’ Park

• Various VFW projects and donations

This fall we are working with a great committee to sponsor the Stewart Military Appreciation Picnic. Starting after Sept. 11, 2001, we have been a prime participant in putting on this event to say thank you to our military and their families stationed at Stewart. Through the generosity of Shop-Rite, The Bonura Hospitality Group, Pepsi Cola of the Hudson Valley, Dana Distributing and many other community volunteers and donors, we have been able to put on a grand picnic to feed and entertain those that we owe so much to.

While this may be our biggest undertaking, it is only one of the many initiatives where, with our partners, we demonstrate our contribution to our region.

I am thankful to my Boards for their support and leadership. We have Board Members that geographically represent our entire region and make sure we are supportive of the needs throughout our area.

All best wishes, Alan

Seidman

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James McGowan — First Vice President

Joseph Perez — Second Vice President

Josh Ingber — Secretary-Treasurer

Scott Dianis — Immediate Past President

Joseph Barone

Roland Bloomer

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On the Level is the quarterly publication of

THE CCA OF THE HUDSON VALLEY | SERVING THE PEOPLE WHO BUILD BETTER SINCE 1956

845-562-4280

CCAHV.com

330 Meadow Avenue Newburgh, NY 12550

Kurt Kaehler

Anthony Perrello, Jr.

Mark Stier

Alfred D. Torreggiani

Charlotte Van Horn

Fabricators, Erectors & Reinforcing Contractors Association

Justin E. Darrow — Chairman

Jake Bidosky — Vice Chairman

Bernie Hillman — Secretary

Daniel Teutul — Treasurer

SMACNA of Southeastern NY

James D’Annibale — President

Steve Mulholland — Vice President

Dominick DiViesti — Treasurer

Mark DiPasquale — Secretary

Louis J. Doro — Immediate Past President

Daniel Harden

Richard K. Berg

Walter “Chip” Greenwood

William Haskel

Dennis LaVopa, Jr.

Association Staff:

Alan Seidman — Executive Director

Lisa Ramirez — Director of Communications and Membership

Millie Rodriguez — Executive Assistant

Vincent Rouhotas — Administrative Assistant

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Together: Annual Women MEAN Business Event Celebrates Mentorship, Empowerment

Share Your Story Ideas

Our members are always doing great things, and we want to share the news.

On the Level, the quarterly magazine of the CCA of the Hudson Valley, SMACNA Southeastern and FERCA, welcomes your columns, photographs and story ideas for consideration. Working on a great project? Involved in a worthy community cause? Have an opinion on an issue, trend or piece of legislation? Let us know!

To submit a story or column or to pitch an idea, email CCA Director of Communications Lisa Ramirez at lramirez@ccahv.com or call her at 845-562-4280.

Lisa Ramirez

COVER PHOTO: BY LISA RAMIREZ

Welcome to Our New Members

We are pleased to welcome our newest members to the Construction Contractors Association of the Hudson Valley:

KB Duct, a Division of CECO Environmental is a leader in standard, modular ducting systems (clamp-together and flanged), individual components and application-specific duct solutions for industrial dust, fume, mist and air handling systems. Their clamp-together, Vanstone Flange and Welded Flange ducting systems can be used in virtually every dust collection system – from wood to paper to chemical – as well as fume, oil mist collection and abrasive applications. KB Duct began as a part of CECO Kirk & Blum, which has been in operation since 1907, and offers fast delivery on clamp-together duct from 3” to 24” in 22-gauge to 10- gauge, depending on diameter, and flanged duct in diameters you can drive a truck through as heavy as 1/4” material. To learn more, call 866-KNB-DUCT or visit www.CECOenviro.com.

Rover Contracting, Inc. is an industrial painting business specializing in bridge painting. They are based in Highland, NY. To learn more call 845-834-2620 or visit www.RoverContracting.com.

After 96 Years, Goldinson Corp. Closes its Doors

Goldinson Corporation, a third generation family construction company based in Newburgh and a valued member of the CCA, has closed its doors.

The small Goldin Plate & Mirror Works store opened in 1926 and through the decades grew to become a full commercial contractor specializing in aluminum windows, entrances, curtain walls and glass. They served clients in Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Ulster counties. Goldinson’s fine work can be spotted throughout the Hudson Valley, including at Woodbury Commons, Minisink Elementary School, and the Ulster County Restorative Justice and Community Empowerment Center in Kingston.

The CCA wishes everyone at Goldinson happiness in their next endeavors.

By Lisa Ramirez, Director of Communications

As the United States gears up for major investments in sectors like energy, infrastructure and logistics, it’s starkly apparent that we’ll need more skilled workers. Meanwhile, thousands of local high school students just graduated, and still more will start their senior year at summer’s end. Many will head to college or the military, their path and goals clearly defined. Yet many remain unsure.

That’s why organized labor is increasing its presence at high school career fairs, introducing well-paying opportunities to students, many of whom may never have been introduced to bricklaying, iron work or carpentry.

“We come out to events like this because joining a union is a pathway to a great life,” said Matt Ross, Council Representative for the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, as he greeted students at a job and career fair at Ellenville Jr./Sr. High School.

“College isn’t for everyone, but some students end up going to college because they don’t know what else to do. We’re here to show them that they can start building

The answer, industry and labor leaders hope, union.

It’s the question every newly-minted high school graduate is forced to face: What next?

a future as soon as they graduate high school. You even earn while you learn,” said Ross.

At Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern, the Hudson Valley Construction Career Day has become a bit of a tradition. This spring, about 700 students from Hudson Valley high schools attended, and an array of industry representatives were on hand to discuss apprenticeships and answer

students’ questions. Demonstrations and activities - including masonry, welding, soldering and more - gave the teens a chance to give the different trades a try.

The career events are also an opportunity to showcase union opportunities to underclassmen and middle schoolers, even if they’re just beginning to seriously consider their post-graduation plan.

“If no one in their family was in a union it may never cross their mind to join the trades,” said Business Manager Tom Gandolfini of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 373.

“There are so many great opportunities. The jobs are out there waiting to be filled,” said Gandolfini.

First the good news:

Historic investments in infrastructure, green energy, high tech manufacturing coupled with developers’ robust interest in the Mid-Hudson and Catskills, everyone in the construction business should be busy for years to come.

The bad news - and we’ve been hearing this for some time - is that there simply may not be enough people in the construction business to get it all done.

Industry experts say the construction industry will need to attract an additional 350,000-550,000 workers over the next year or so, and that’s in addition to the normal pace of hiring, in order to meet demand.

The skilled labor shortage came into sharp focus during the pandemic, when construction employment opportunities declined. During the COVID shutdowns many workers rethought their retirement dates and hung up their belts. Others, enticed by flexible schedules and remote work options offered in other industries, left construction entirely. And it’s impossible to calculate how many young people might have considered construction work but, as recruitment events, job fairs and other opportunities for career exploration disappeared during shutdown — simply gravitated into other jobs.

Meanwhile, the construction labor force is aging, and nearly 1 in 4 are over age 55 and rapidly approaching retirement. They’re the most highly skilled, productive and experienced people, and their absence will be sorely felt.

But back to the good news.

The labor shortage has not gone unnoticed by the federal, state and local governments, educational institutions, and advocacy groups, all of which are committed to building the construction ranks.

In New York City, for example, Mayor Eric Adams launched an $18.6 million, 3-year program to encourage low-income people to train for construction and industrial careers. Participants in the program - dubbed Pathways to Industrial and Construction Careers and financed by the American Rescue Plan Act - will be selected by the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development, then steered into higher-wage and union jobs as tradespeople, project managers and the like.

Similar initiatives are underway across New York, and nationwide states, localities, community colleges, and local organizations have leveraged American Rescue Plan funding to deliver training, encourage Registered Apprenticeships, and to provide retention and hiring bonuses.

It’s the question every newly-minted high school graduate is forced to face: What next?

Rescue Plan Injects Millions into Orange County Upgrades, Construction

By Lisa Ramirez, Director of Communications

Nearly $75 million in American Rescue Plan funding will go to Orange County public safety, security and infrastructure improvements, Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus has announced.

Orange County received $74,770,002, its share of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress. Signed by President Biden in March 2021, the ARPA aims to accelerate and shore up the national economy and provide aid to communities as they recover from the economic and public health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The county Legislature approved the expenditures by a vote of 20-0.

Neuhaus extolled the region-wide benefits of the ARPA projects at the spring meeting of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, held April 20 at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, where he presented the annual State of the County address. Neuhaus had delivered his official State of the County at the

Emergency Services Center in Goshen to lawmakers, staff and others the night prior.

Key projects in the county’s ARPA plan include:

• Medical Examiner’s Office

$24 million for a new, state-of-the-art Medical Examiner’s Office, including a public entrance and waiting area, a family room, and exam rooms

• Recruitment and Retention

$16.3 million for the recruitment and retention of county employees

• Security Upgrades

$6.3 million for security upgrades at 30 different county government buildings

Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus addresses the Orange County Chamber of Commerce at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

School Safety

$6 million will be dedicated to enhancing school safety, including upgraded radios to ensure communications during emergencies

• Morrison Hall

$5 million for asbestos abatement and a new roof for the turn-of-the-century mansion that serves as the centerpiece of the SUNY Orange campus in Middletown

• Orange County Information Technology Department

$4.5 million for new equipment

• Cromline Pump Station

$1.5 million for upgrades

• Thomas Bull Memorial Park

$1 million for water improvements at this 719-acre county park in Montgomery

The county executive also noted several other construction projects and possible opportunities on the Orange County horizon, including Amazon, Choice Films/ Umbra Stage, the Green Thumb cannabis project in Warwick, the Grand Street Properties’ plan to build 80 hotel rooms in Downtown Newburgh, and Royal Wine in Goshen.

And two proposals are being discussed, he said; the conversion of Camp LaGuardia into a county park — another possible ARPA-funded endeavor — and a feasibility study to explore the construction of a Conference Center.

Said Neuhaus, “The economy is rolling.”

“These projects will greatly benefit the county government and our residents,” Neuhaus said.

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Investing in Art

NYS Council on the Arts Injects $150 Million in Museums, Studios and Theaters

By Lisa Ramirez, Director of Communications

A record $90.5 million in funding for large-scale capital projects at an array of arts and cultural centers across New York State was announced this summer at Storm King Art Center.

The announcement, which follows a $42 million investment in small and mid-sized projects announced in April, is part of an historic $150 million investment in capital improvements for the arts, creating construction opportunities across New York.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the new funding June 6 at the groundbreaking for campus-wide improvements at Storm King, the 500-acre outdoor museum in Cornwall.

“Storm King Art Center is a jewel of Orange County and the Hudson Valley,” said State Assemblymember Chris Eachus, District 99 (which includes parts of Orange and Rockland counties).

“This investment in our community sends a strong message that New York

is a cultural center for the arts, a national leader for protection of our environment, and a pristine destination for tourists.”

Storm King is among 19 newly announced recipients of funding through the New York State Council of the Arts Capital Projects Fund. The sprawling art center received a $7.5 million Capital Improvement Grant, earmarked for an improved “welcome sequence” and construction of the Conservation, Fabrication, and Maintenance Building while prioritizing sustainability with all-electric buildings and LEED Gold Certification.

The welcome sequence improvements at Storm King will double parking, ease traffic, and better accommodate group tours.The new Conservation, Fabrication, and Maintenance Building will create space for staff and artists to work on fabrication and better care for the collection.

“From New York City to the North Country, we are investing in our state’s robust arts and culture sector to ensure all New Yorkers,

regardless of their background, have access to the transformative power of art,” Gov. Hochul said. “Our unprecedented support for this shared vision of accessible and sustainable cultural spaces will result in a stronger economy, more jobs, and improved community and personal health for New Yorkers and our visitors from around the globe.”

In addition, Empire State Development awarded more than $3 million in funding to Storm King – a $2 million capital grant and a $1.2 million Market New York grant – at the recommendation of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council. NYSERDA has also contributed $600,000, bringing the state’s total support to more than $11 million.

NYSCA’s Large Capital Improvement Grants range from $2 million to $10 million for projects with a total cost of $4 million or more. This funding will support investments to expand cultural programming, reach new and diverse audiences, and promote accessibility.

The grants will also help advance the State’s goals around diversity, equity and inclusion and will require all grantees to commit to social equity initiatives and access plans.

The 19 New York State Council of the Arts Capital Projects Fund grantees announced in June 2023 include:

Capital Region

• Art Omi, Inc. (Columbia County)

Art Omi Pavilions — $5 million

• Empire State Youth Orchestra (Schenectady County)

Campus-wide renovation — $3.5 million

• Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (Rensselaer County)

Bank lobby/music hub adaptive re-use — $3.4 million

Mid-Hudson

• Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (Putnam County)

LEED-certified outdoor theater and ecological land restoration — $10 million

• Storm King Art Center (Orange County)

Welcome sequence and conservation, fabrication, and maintenance building — $7.5 million

• The Art Effect of the Hudson Valley (Dutchess County)

Trolley Barn Community Arts Hub transformation — $2,457,000

Southern Tier

• Corning Museum Of Glass (Steuben County)

StudioNEXT expansion — $3.5 million

Western New York

• Shea’s O’Connell Preservation Guild (Erie County) Building expansion — $5 million

North Country

• Lake Placid Association of Music Drama and Art (Essex County)

Construction of a modern arts complex — $7.5 million

• Thousand Islands Art Center (Jefferson County)

Facility construction — $2 million

New York City

Brooklyn

• Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music

Building expansion — $3 million

Manhattan

• Carnegie Hall Corporation

Facade restoration — $2 million

• National Black Theatre Workshop

Construction of a multipurpose arts and job-training center and an incubator for creative sector entrepreneurs — $10 million

• New Museum of Contemporary Art Museum expansion — $3,750,000

• New-York Historical Society

Four-story building expansion & LGBTQ+ museum — $5 million

• Seaport Museum

Facade and window restoration — $2,011,000

• The Studio Museum in Harlem New museum facility construction — $7,385,000

• Vineyard Theatre and Workshop Center

Full facility renovation — $4.5 million

Queens

• The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum

Isamu Noguchi Studio restoration and Collections

Lab and Study Center — $3 million

Stewart Military Appreciation Picnic Seeks Benefactors, Volunteers

By Lisa Ramirez, Director of Communications and Membership

Members of the 2023 Stewart Military Appreciation Picnic Planning Committee have been meeting regularly in recent months, laying the groundwork for the region’s largest event for military members and their families. Scheduled for Fall 2023, the event is traditionally held every three years at Stewart Air National Guard Base. Like so many events that were canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the gathering was scheduled for 2020 but was postponed

But the Military Appreciation Picnic — a day of great food, entertainment and family activities — is back on, and thousands of guests are expected to

attend. It is a monumental undertaking, made possible only by the generous donations of many local organizations and individuals.

The Planning Committee has launched a fundraising campaign and is seeking benefactors to help make this year’s Military Appreciation Picnic special, and local and regional not-for-profits, community organizations and businesses have always given their generous support. Volunteers are also needed to set up, clean up, and do everything necessary to ensure that our guests of honor — the enlisted military members, their spouses and their children — enjoy the day and are shown our admiration, respect and appreciation.

We hope you will join us in supporting this event by becoming a Stewart Military Appreciation Picnic Benefactor. There are opportunities to become a Stewart Military Appreciation Picnic Benefactor at several levels, and all benefactors will be recognized at the event.

To learn more about becoming a Picnic Benefactor, to make a donation or for information on how your organization can help, call Organizing Committee Chairperson Alan Seidman at 845-562-4280 or email aseidman@ccahv.com. To donate online, visit https://cfosny.org/our-funds/designated/military-appreciation-day-fund.

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Building a Better World

CCA members are among the kindest, most generous people around. Here, we celebrate their good deeds and labors of love:

LeChase Takes Fundraising to New Heights

The good folks at LeChase Construction will go to great lengths to help their community. And apparently they’ll also go to great heights.

LeChase Superintendent Neil Lawther spent part of a May afternoon rappelling 240 feet down the side of Rochester’s iconic Kodak Office Tower, one of the tallest skyscrapers in New York outside of New York City.

The feat was part of the annual 21 Stories for Scouts fundraiser for the Boy Scouts’ Seneca Waterways Council, in which volunteers rappel the Kodak. The event raises money to expand Scouting for youth in underserved, typically urban, neighborhoods, providing opportunities to participate in Scouting’s character and leadership programs and activities.

“It is a little intimidating climbing over the edge of the railing 21 stories up and letting go, but once I trusted the rope and harness it was no big deal,” Lawther said. “I found it very exhilarating.”

LeChase and HB Cornerstone joined The Strong National Museum of Play in forming a team for the event. Together, they reached their $6,000 fundraising goal, sending several team members – including Lawther – down the side of the building on May 12.

“I’m glad I did it,” Lawther said when he was back on Rochester’s solid ground. “It was for a great cause.”

River Wildlife can Count on Delaware Engineering

Every year, hundreds of volunteers help DEC scientists and naturalists collect data on the fish, wildlife and plants along Hudson River tributaries, and this year, Delaware Engineering Senior Environmental Scientist Tracey Ledder volunteered to aid in the annual Eel Count. Each spring, teams of scientists, students, and volunteers collect glass eels during their 8-week migration from the Atlantic Ocean onto the Hudson River watershed. Using specialized nets and traps, the tiny, young eels are counted, weighed, and released. The project is coordinated by the DEC Hudson River Estuary Program and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, in partnership with NEIWPCC and Cornell University.

The eels are a crucial part of the local ecosystem – the juveniles are a food source for many species and the adults grow to about two feet in length, becoming predators. Because of the American Eel’s sensitivity to

environmental change, the data collected by volunteers like Ledder can be used by scientists as a bioindicator for the overall health of the watershed.

To learn more, or to become a Community Science Volunteer, visit NYSDEC at www.dec.ny.gov/lands.

Bonadio Takes Steps to Fight Heart Disease

Members of the Bonadio Group’s Syracuse office recently participated in the American Heart Association’s 2023 Syracuse Heart Walk, part of an annual nationwide effort which brings more than one million people together to support a single goal - a world free of heart disease and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of all Americans, and heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. At the same time, congenital

cardiovascular defects are the most common cause of infant death from birth defects. The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer organization dedicated to heart health.

In all, Bonadio’s efforts raised $16,000, which will go a long way in supporting the American Heart Association’s mission to fight for longer, healthier lives by funding lifesaving research, CPR training and more.

OC Partnership fetes MVP Nick Fitzpatrick

The Orange County Partnership celebrated farmer-turned-entrepreneur Nick Fitzpatrick, President of Aden Land Holdings of Montgomery, as the organization 2023 Most Valuable Partner.

Fitzpatrick was honored June 6 at the Partnership’s Annual Most Valuable Partner Breakfast, which was held at The Barn at Villa Venezia in Middletown and attended by hundreds of people.

Fitzpatrick is at the helm of a growing family-run enterprise that includes Aden Brook Farm, Aden Land Holdings, Aden Aggregates and Aden Logistics and has facilitated the sale of critical large parcels of land that generated a half a billion dollars in investment and thousands of construction and permanent jobs. Those sales included the vast parcel that made way for Medline’s $120 million, nearly 1.4-million-square-foot facility in Montgomery.

“The cumulative impact of his keen no-nonsense development foresight has led to what will generate millions in multipliers that will benefit Orange County in perpetuity,” said Orange County Partnership President and CEO Maureen Halahan. “For these and so many other reasons, it was an easy choice and, in fact, a unanimous choice of the Partnership board to honor him as this year’s Most Valuable Partner.”

Most recently, Aden Land Holdings sold a pair of large parcels in the Wawayanda hamlet of Slate Hill to Scannell Properties of Indianapolis, leading to a proposed $380 million in investment two projects - a 900,000square-foot Amazon facility and an 800,000-square-foot build-to-suit for a beverage distribution company. The projects - dubbed the Slate Hill Commerce Center - stand to result in hundreds of construction and permanent jobs as well as the extension of infrastructure down the Route 6 corridor.

Scannell has estimated that construction could start on the project in the second quarter of 2023 and be completed around the third quarter of 2024 or 2025’s second quarter.

Fitzpatrick accepted his award with brief remarks thanking his family and colleagues and adding that Orange County is a great place to live and do business.

“We have everything we need to take care of our people right here,” Fitzpatrick said.

“He’s the man behind the headlines of many, many land deals,” Halahan said.

“Nick simply gets things done.”

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Carpenters Make Pitch for Stricter Tax Fraud Penalties

By Lisa Ramirez

The halls of the New York State Capital rang loud with the voices of union carpenters the afternoon of April 18 . It was Tax Fraud Day of Action , and they came from across the state to demand lawmakers bring the hammer down on unscrupulous contractors.

The Albany rally was one of many coordinated by the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, which brings together union carpenters across New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Tax fraud, the carpenters warn, drains tax revenues and hurts honest employers, giving corrupt contractors an unfair advantage. By paying “off the books” and dodging workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, payroll taxes, wages, and overtime, they drastically cut expenses, virtually stealing work from honest contractors. Meanwhile, workers are exploited, and municipalities, schools and community services are cheated out of their fair share of tax revenue.

Tax fraud and wage theft runs rampant, lawmakers say, costing New Yorkers as much as $1 billion in earnings every year when workers are not fully paid what they’ve earned, including mandated overtime. Dishonest employers use a bevy of methods to avoid paying full wages, benefits, and a fair share of taxes, from establishing sketchy shell companies to using check-cashing stores to pay people off the books.

State and local district attorneys have bolstered efforts to increase prosecution of wage theft, especially in the construction and real estate development industries, and say turning it into a felony would give them further clout against offenders, as well as create a more powerful deterrent.

Senate Bill S2832A, introduced by Senator Neil Breslin and Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, seeks to amend the penal code and enable prosecutors to charge larceny for stolen wages, elevating the charge from simple “scheme to defraud.” The legislation passed the Senate but not the Assembly last year.

“If your employer decides that this week he doesn’t need to pay you or he doesn’t want to pay you, you only can go to the Department of Labor and good luck with that,” said Cruz. She attended the Manhattan rally, where 1,000 members of the NYC District Council of Carpenters gathered on the steps of New York Public Library. “No longer can employers steal wages and call it the cost of business,” she said.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be left holding the bag when contractors commit tax fraud,” said Scott Smith, Carpenters Local 279 business manager. “That’s why union carpenters are taking action and demanding an end to tax fraud.”

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Sullivan’s Resuscitation

It’s been a long-time coming, but Sullivan County is making a comeback

By Lisa Ramirez, Director of Communications

“This is the most optimistic I’ve been about Sullivan County in a long time,” Sullivan County Manager Joshua A. Potosek told the crowd gathered at the The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark for what was dubbed as Part Two of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development Summit.

And reasons for optimism are abundant and sorely welcome in a county that has yet to fully recover from the devastating decline of the Catskill resort industry, an engine that fueled Sullivan’s economy for generations. From the 1920s through the 1970s the county teemed with visitors from New York City and beyond, but by the 1990s the resort industry was a husk of its former glory. Some hotels clung to life a bit longer, but long-tarnished jewels — the Concord, Grossingers — are empty, deteriorating, and still dot the landscape.

Now, though, a renewed energy seems to be in the air. Tourists have returned, and though they no longer seek the sprawling resorts of the Borscht Belt heyday, they fill boutique hotels and Airbnbs and westbound Route 17 is again congested on Friday nights.

Developers, too, have rediscovered the region, lured by Sullivan’s enviable combination of open space, welcoming communities and advantageous location.

With plenty of available sites, improvements to Route 17, and proximity to population centers, Sullivan County is truly poised for a long-awaited economic revival, economic development experts say.

There are plenty of sites — both large and small — offering opportunities to feed the continued demand for warehouse and distribution facilities, with several projects already approved. This means jobs and residents, he said, and even more opportunity.

“Retail (development) follows population,” Lavelle said.

In fact, Sullivan County enjoyed the highest job creation rate year-over-year, the NYS Labor Department reported. With a job growth rate of 3.6 percent (March 2022 - March 2023) Sullivan edged out Ulster County (3.4 percent) and the Orange/Rockland/Westchester Metro Area (1.8 percent.) Meanwhile, the Dutchess/ Putnam region lost 2 percent of its jobs.

Eon Nichols, a Partner at the law firm of Cuddy and Feder whose specialties include real estate financing, commercial lending transactions and public finance, noted that the County of Sullivan Industrial Development Agency can be a particularly useful mechanism to entice developers. IDAs work to attract industrial and economic development and are legally empowered to provide tax exempt financing for approved projects

“IDA can be a bad word,” Nichols said, but it shouldn’t be. And while a developer may enjoy some tax breaks, those breaks help level the playing field when a project is considering a site elsewhere in the United States, where taxes and fees are already significantly lower.

“The South is very welcoming,” Nichols noted, adding, “The ability to reduce taxes until a facility is up and running really means a lot. If you don’t give (tax savings) to them they’re going to go somewhere else. What you get in return is a robust community.”

“Sullivan is in a better position than it has been in 20 years,” said John Lavelle of Rand Commercial.

What’s Happening in Sullivan County

Here’s a sampling of Sullivan County projects:

Route 17: Up to $1 billion was included in the 2023 state budget for an environmental review of the Route 17 expansion, including an additional lane and other upgrades. Gov. Hochul said the funding would be used to “accelerate the conversion of the Route 17 corridor in Orange and Sullivan counties to Interstate 86, fueling transformative levels of economic growth in the region and improving quality of life by alleviating congestion.”

Bethel Town Hall: This approved project includes the construction of a $26 million, 5,300 square foot carbon neutral town hall and the demolition of the existing building.

Avon Commercial Park: A 560,000 square foot warehouse in Rock Hill, near Glen Wild Road and just off Route 17.

SUNY Sullivan Aquatic Center: A $30 million aquatic and recreation facility at SUNY Sullivan, including a 25-meter long, 8-lane pool. A 200- meter track oval will be the centerpiece of the indoor arena.

Liberty Business Park: A 1 million square foot smart warehouse facility on a 109 acre parcel near Route 17 exit 101.

A new terminal at Sullivan County International Airport: A 12,000-square-foot, two-story facility at the White Lake airfield, featuring a mezzanine, outdoor deck and office space to replace the aging current terminal.

Children’s Specialty Hospital: Also in Rock Hill, an 18-bed specialty hospital for children with complex conditions, including autism. Breaking ground in July 2021, the hospital is expected to create 400 new healthcare jobs and 150 construction jobs.

Workforce Innovation Center Planned for Ulster County

As New York shifts to a greener economy, Ulster County could see tens of thousands of new jobs in construction, manufacturing, transportation, renewable energy and more, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger predicts.

The 500 jobs that Zinc8, the battery storage company coming to iPark 87, the former IBM site in the Town of Ulster, is just the beginning, county officials say, and the newly-announced Workforce Innovation Center will help ensure that the county is ready to meet the anticipated demand for employees.

“Shifting to a green economy isn’t just good for our climate and our health – it is also a massive job creator,” Metzger said in her State of the County Address. “If we build the skilled workforce to take advantage of these jobs, a Workforce Innovation Center on site at iPark 87 will be a magnet for investments by these companies, which care first and foremost about finding a location with the right workforce.”

The center will involve collaboration between county Government, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Ulster, Ulster BOCES, community organizations, and the trades. These employers will co-create curriculum so that people who train at the facility can step into jobs immediately upon completion of training programs, she said.

“And you better believe we will be working with our partners in labor to make sure as many of those jobs as possible are union jobs,” Metzger said.

SMACNA Endorses “Apprenticeship Hubs” Bills

SMACNA is endorsing the House and Senate versions of The National Apprenticeship Hubs Across America Act of 2023, legislation designed to grow and expand Apprenticeship Hubs, which help employers develop, design, and deliver registered apprenticeship programs.

The measure enjoys bipartisan support: The House version (HR 2900) is sponsored by Rep. Don Norcross (D-NJ) and co-sponsored by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), both longtime champions of registered apprenticeships. Meanwhile, the Senate version (S. 249) is sponsored by apprenticeship advocate Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and co-sponsored by Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

Said Norcross, “It is critical that we continue to invest in workforce development programs like apprenticeships, strengthen protections for the workplace, and improve the standard of living and accessibility of benefits for all working families.”

In SMACNA’s letter to the House of Representatives and the Senate, Stan Kolbe, SMACNA’s Executive Director for Government and Political Affairs, outlined SMACNA’s robust endorsement of the legislation, stating the actions were necessary for the industry to build the highly skilled workforce required to meet ever-growing demand and list of projects, including those in the federal, energy, and manufacturing sectors.

IPark 87in the Town of Ulster, site of the old IBM/TechCity campus

Painters and Allied Trades March in National Puerto Rican Day Parade

For the first time ever, members of District Council 9 marched the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, held Sunday, June 4 in New York City.

The parade marched up Fifth Avenue from 43rd to 79th Street under near perfect skies. A New York tradition for 66 years, it has grown to become one of the nation’s largest cultural celebrations. It’s estimated that more than one million people attended this year’s march.

Members of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council No 9 work in the Finishing Trades as industrial and commercial painters, drywall finishers, wall coverings, glaziers, glass workers, floor covering installers, sign makers, display workers and convention and show decorators.

The Painters and Allied Trades union also welcomes the newly chartered Local Union 1895 representing members in Puerto Rico.

Orange County IDA Monitor to be Appointed by Mid-Summer

New York State lawmakers have approved the placement of a state-appointed monitor at the Orange County Industrial Development Agency.

The monitor, approved by the State Legislature in May, will oversee IDA’s approvals for development projects and tax incentives. At the time of this writing, the monitor was expected to be in place by mid-summer. The monitor’s salary, which is to be paid by the IDA, schedule and other details had not yet been determined. The monitor is expected to be appointed to a three-year term and fall under the state Offices of the Inspector General .

The installation of an IDA monitor is thought to be unique to Orange County, and detractors fear it puts the county at a disadvantage and make it more difficult to attract developers who may be lured away by other communities.

The monitor, negotiated by Senator James Skoufis as part of this year’s state budget, will have the authority to veto tax break packages that fail to sufficiently consider the taxpayers, the environment, or return on investment as required by the IDA’s Uniform Tax Exemption Policy. Assembly Members Jonathan Jacobson, Aileen Gunther and Chris Eachus supported the measure.

District Council 9 members at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City

There’s Work in the Wind

Want to know about future contracting opportunities building New York’s energy infrastructure projects?

We Source NYC - a partnership of major manufacturing contractors, local business service providers, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation - is calling on manufacturers, suppliers, and construction service providers to plug into a new $4 billion supply chain.

We Source NYC is building a directory of business, and those listed will get noticed by multinational offshore wind companies who are required to source local products and services, and be notified about future scopes of work and have access to networking opportunities.

Offshore wind turbines—composed of blades, nacelles, towers, transition pieces, foundations, and more—reach heights comparable to skyscrapers, but within them are as many as 8,000 smaller elements. The industry’s immense port facilities and transmission lines will likewise need expansive construction services and supplies. Many of these elements are already made— and if not, can be made—in New York City and nearby.

High local demand has been identified for the following:

• Steel products: Cradles, racking, brackets, handrails, ladders, cable trays, stairs, platforms, and more

• Chemical products: Epoxy resins, bonding paste, polyurethane paints

• Other metals: Cooling systems, safety equipment, fiberglass

• Electrical components: Electrical cabinets, transformers, switchgears, converters, lighting fixtures, cables, and more

• Aggregates: Cement, concrete

• Extensive equipment supply and maintenance: Winches, dead-man anchors, cable rollers, nuts and bolts, yaw drives, pitch drives, hydraulic power packs

• Construction supply & services: Cranes, cable rollers, trailers, HSE equipment & services, electrical supplies, tool calibration, fencing, trucking, load distribution plates

To be considered for the directory, complete the We Source NYC Business Survey at www.wesource.nyc.

Holt Execs Named “Women to Watch”

Holt’s Operational Controller, Lauren Brody, and Senior Project Manager, Meghan McDevitt were honored by the New York Real Estate Journal as Women in Construction to Watch for 2023.

Brody joined Holt’s finance team almost two years ago and holds a degree from Hofstra University. She has worked on a number of finance teams at New York’s leading construction companies.

McDevitt is an operational leader at Holt’s New Jersey business unit. She holds a degree in civil engineering from Manhattan College and a master of science degree in construction management from Stevens Institute of Technology. She is currently leading the efforts for a high-end lounge at Newark Airport.

Lauren Brody Meghan McDevitt

With the Pandemic Finally Over, it’s Time to Brace for What’s Next

Are you prepared for a credit crunch?

During Covid, more money was pumped into the economy than ever before. Now, liquidity is being removed from financial markets faster than ever before, thanks to the Federal Reserve. Among the many other potential effects is a tightening of credit in the marketplace, which may hinder business’ growth opportunities.

As reported by Forbes, “The exact effect of this quantitative tightening is not known as we are in uncharted territory, but it could result in upward pressure on interest rates and siphon liquidity out of the financial markets, meaning commercial banks may have less capital to lend.” (1)

While we’re waiting to see how things play out, there are steps you can take now to put your business in a better position for getting new capital, should you need it.

To increase your business’ likelihood of securing new capital:

● Be prepared to sell your case to lenders. What distinguishes your company from others? How are your margins and cash reserves? What do your quarterly results say about your business? Did you make

strategic moves to take advantage of market forces and successfully navigate the last few years? Are you looking to grow or maintain the status quo until things turn around?

Now is the time to tell your story, using plenty of details and facts to back it up.

● Have a contingency plan. Showing lenders you have a viable plan to address different market challenges can boost their confidence in you and your business.

● Minimize risks. Do you have protocols in place for ensuring you receive prompt payment from customers? If your inventories are high, what’s your plan to lower them? Are you taking steps to protect and boost your credit rating?

● Pick the right lender. As recent events prove, it’s vital to make sure your lender’s business is healthy. Have you looked at its performance, reserves, and loan quality? What about its portfolio? Perhaps most important, do they know and understand the construction business and industry? Looking at the bigger picture, many of the steps you can take to prepare for a potential recession can also help position your business to secure capital

Michael Turturro, CPA, Managing Partner/CEO RBT CPAs LLP

while riding out uncertain times. Consider:

● How well do you know your numbers – how much cash you have, what’s your inflow and outflow, and how upcoming projects and deadlines may impact results? What about your operating costs and overhead? Are there opportunities to lower them?

● What’s your contingency plan should we enter a recession? How will your business respond? Will you cancel loans on unused equipment? Sell materials? Adjust headcount? Are your suppliers in a good place financially?

Having a plan in place now can save you precious time and money when you need them most. (It’s also a great way to show potential lenders you have viable plans to address uncertain times.)

● Do you have enough cash on hand to cover operating expenses and negotiate prices for rental equipment or purchases? How’s your emergency fund?

● Have you done everything

possible to increase margins? Are you getting the best prices for materials? Can you save by changing subcontractors? Should you rent instead of purchasing equipment? Are you estimating jobs correctly? Have you reviewed contracts to make sure you’re not paying for anything you don’t use?

● Are you balancing backlog and growth? While a strong backlog can provide a strong sense of security, the odds of projects being delayed or canceled may increase. Double-down on looking for new business opportunities.

● Are you engaging your employees to identify challenges and solutions? They see the news and know the headlines. Empower them and your business by asking for their help identifying and eliminating inefficiencies.

And finally, do you have a business advisory service or accountant to help you develop and adjust your financial plans?

(1) Weissmueller, Ryan. “How To Set Your Company Up for Success in a Possible Credit Crunch.” March 8, 2023. Fortune.com.

In good times and bad, RBT CPAs LLP has been helping Hudson Valley businesses adjust to the ever-changing economic landscape for over 50 years. We believe we succeed when we help our clients succeed.

Yes, You Really Do Need to Wear Sunscreen

By Lisa Ramirez, Director of Communications

But in the United States, where nearly 5 million people are treated for skin cancer each year, the use of sunscreen among construction workers is alarmingly low. In fact, a 2019 study by the Centers for Disease Control found that only 15-21 percent of construction workers use sunscreen and just over half wore protective clothing against the sun.

The high levels of ultraviolet radiation exposure that comes with outdoor work means construction workers can face an increased risk of skin cancer. Ultraviolet radiation is the primary cause of most skin cancers.

The good news is that skin cancer is largely preventable, and employers can help protect workers by promoting sun-safe policies, providing access to

sun protection, and encouraging a workplace climate where sun safety is encouraged.

By following these recommendations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) your time in the sun can be safer:

● Apply sunscreen generously. That means about one ounce to cover all exposed skin 20 minutes before going outside.

● Sunscreen should have a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 - and SPF 30 is better - and provide protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays.

● Reapply sunscreen every two hours, even on cloudy days.

● Work in the shade when possible.

● Avoid burning. Sunburns significantly increase one’s lifetime risk of skin cancer.

● Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

● Use extra caution near water, snow and sand, which reflect the sun’s rays.

● Have a dermatologist evaluate any new or changing moles.

● When possible, minimize working in the summer sun from 10am - 4pm, when UV rays are strongest.

● And while sun protection is top-of-mind in the summer, remember that the risk of skin damage is year-round.

Few people spend more time outside than construction workers, and for many, working outdoors is one of the best parts of the job.

INVESTING IN OUR INDUSTRY’S FUTURE INVESTING IN OUR INDUSTRY’S FUTURE

One of the most important things we can build together is a vision for our future. Today, we’re actively preparing for tomorrow by fostering a culture of collaboration, bringing up a new generation of leaders, and training members with the skills for tomorrow’s work. As technology reshapes our field and the world around us, nothing is more important than making sure that our members are equipped to make the most of an ever-changing industry.

THE NORTH ATLANTIC STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS. IT’S TIME TO BUILD.

NASRCC.ORG

Invest in Workplace Fun and Everyone Enjoys the Returns

Who doesn’t want to have fun?

Okay, maybe Scrooge, but even he came around after a while. Most people want to enjoy themselves whether at home, at work or during activities. Having fun and enjoyment gives us a feeling of contentment. In short, it makes us happy.

Robin Seidman specializes in general HR policy and procedures. rseidman@ccahv.com

A savvy employer knows that a fun workplace is a productive workplace, with employees committed to a job because they enjoy their work. They look forward to coming to the office and interacting with their colleagues and clients. They laugh, they joke around yet they get their job done. It is a win-win for all.

The key is to balance the fun factor with the work factor. An employer doesn’t want a circus in the office and frankly, that type of atmosphere makes it hard to concentrate. Instead, a variety of activities designed to make the workforce a cohesive partner in your business can work wonders to boost retention and productivity.

Small activities more often can trump one big employee event a year, such as the holiday party. Here are some ways to enhance employee morale:

FREE

Casual Fridays

Let your folks dress down for the day. If you already have a business casual dress code, allow jeans, tee shirts, sneakers. Put some rules around it: No torn jeans, clean sneakers, no tees with offensive messages or graphics, including religious, political, sexual or ethnic content.

If you have company-branded attire — i.e. tee shirts, sweatshirts or button downs with your logo — make sure each team member has one to wear.

Employee of the Month

Reward outstanding efforts and performance with a certificate and post their picture on your “Super Star” wall. It’s even better if the wall is in a customer viewing area. Throw in a preferred parking spot.

PotLuck Lunches

Many employees will gladly contribute their specialty dish to a potluck lunch. For those who don’t cook, invite them to bring soda, juice, chips or cookies.

SOME EXPENSE

Taco Tuesdays, Pizza

Thursdays, Bagel Fridays

Food is a great motivator. Pick a day each month to treat the staff to lunch.

Grill Days

Bring a portable grill to the office on a warm day and cook up some burgers and hot dogs for the team. Make sure to include veggie burgers for those who don’t eat meat.

Ice Cream Socials

We all crave ice cream during the dog days of summer. Bring in frozen treats for the staff.

MORE COSTLY BUT WORTH IT

Time off

On a rotating basis, let employees leave early on Fridays in the summer. You will be paying for time not worked, but in the long run it translates to a loyal team member. It doesn’t even have to be a half day. A two- or three-hour early dismissal jumpstarts the weekend and puts a smile on their face when they walk out the door.

Family Picnic

Frequently, the spouse and family are disconnected from the employee’s work life. A picnic gives families a chance to mingle with the worker’s colleagues and management. A local park is a great venue. Include activities like a softball game, corn hole, volleyball and a kids’ coloring contest.

Holiday Party

Celebrate with your staff. It can be in the office or offsite but if offsite, include the spouses. Mocktails, appetizers and seasonal desserts are always winners. To avoid religious conflicts, consider a Thanksgiving or end-of-year celebration.

Annual Recognition Reception

This can be a dinner, a lunch or even a brunch. It’s great to recognize the company’s achievements while saluting the efforts of the staff. An Employee of the Year will work twice as hard next year! You can designate categories for awards, such as Top Sales, Perfect Attendance, Most Customer Compliments, and 1, 5, 10, 20-year Employees. A certificate and a gift wraps up the recognition and you decide what makes sense for your business. (Remember to check with your accountant to determine any tax implications of gifts for both the company and the employee.)

These are just a few ideas and there are plenty more on the internet. Find out what your employees would like. You can even designate an employee as the Fun Ambassador. The goal is to make your work environment a model for your profession so you can retain top employees and attract new talent.

Fun can cost as much or as little as you want, but the benefits you will reap will make your efforts priceless.

Alan Mack, Master Aviator, Author, Speaks at CCA Annual Dinner

It was wonderful to see our members and guests together at the CCA’s Annual Dinner, which was held April 27 at the Powelton Club, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

A special thank you to our guest speaker, Alan C. Mack, elite aviator, war hero and author, for sharing his compelling story. Mack was a U.S. Army helicopter pilot during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001. His book, “Razor 03: A Night Stalker’s Wars,” chronicles Mack’s training and combat missions, including the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in the mountains of Tora Bora, rescuing “Lone Survivor” Marcus Luttrell in the Kunar Valley, and being shot down by Taliban fighters during Operation Anaconda.

Mack began serving as Orange County Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Services in August 2016, and after decades of military service and years of near-constant deployment, said he is happy to be home in Orange County. “Life in the Hudson Valley is great,” he said. “No one is shooting at me.”

For information on our upcoming events, visit www.CCAHV.com or call 845-562-4280.

National Debt Discord Pushes Me to My Limit

Don’t get me wrong; I am not happy with the national debt and spending should be curtailed in order to right our financial house. My grievance is with how politicized the issue has become.

Take C-SPAN’s morning call-in program. I listen daily, and people were only interested in talking about the debt. Most callers started with a dissertation on whose debt it really is.

The conversation goes like this:

Moderator: “Hello George, calling from New York on the Democrat line.”

George: “Hi. Yeah. I’m just calling to say that we wouldn’t be in this problem if it wasn’t for the Republicans. And most of this debt - in my opinion - is from Trump so, Republicans shouldn’t be making a big deal about it.”

Moderator: “Ok George. Next caller. Republican Cindy from Dallas.”

Cindy: ”Oh. Hi. Yes. Well, I am totally in favor of capping the spending so Joe Biden can’t keep throwing our money away.”

Moderator: “Ok folks. That’s it for this week.”

I mean, this went on for months and months. Call after call after call after call. Only occasionally would someone acutely mention that the debt belongs to America and not to some American political subdivision.

Now that it’s done, let’s look back and assess: Observation One

I have to give some points to President Joe Biden, who dragged this thing out till the absolute last minute. Yes, he got criticism from everyone. But think about it. We

Dan Depew Director of Business Development Holt Construction

Like most of you, all the debt limit talk has me at wits’ end.

are polarized as a country, as are the House and Senate. Running down the clock was the only way anything was going to get done. Whether Biden planned it this way or it was a serendipitous outcome of procrastination, it worked.

Observation Two

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) also gets points, this time for holding his position and achieving a small but historic financial curtailment. The heavy handed ultra-right House members need to give him a break and recognize that none of them could have done a better job. In fact, they would have failed miserably.

Observation Three

When I was a kid, this is the type of logical conclusion we would see when both sides found uncomfortable - yet stable - ground. It was not uncommon for Congressman Ben Gilman, a Republican, and Congressman Maurice Hinchey, the Democrat, to join forces to produce an American outcome like this one.

I am hoping that the Hudson Valley’s newest congress members, particularly Lawlor, Ryan and Molinaro, remember that Ben and Maurice had it right and that is why we had their backs, regardless of party. In fact, many people wouldn’t have been able to tell you which party the two lawmakers belonged to. None of us in the Hudson Valley want to hear that America is at war with a political party. We just want you working together.

Observation Four

We probably need to continue to curtail our spending

and, at minimum, hold the line for a few years. This will allow our credit rating to stabilize, inflation to fall and Republicans and Democrats to find some time to work together on things that don’t have a dollar sign directly involved with their success.

One area trumpeted by the Republicans and fought for by Speaker McCarthy with some success was lifting limitations that slowed projects with long and meaningless processes that result only in paperwork, lost opportunity and devalued investments.

The construction industry often views federal budget cuts as a negative for future work, but in this case they don’t have to be. An old adage says that if the government gives you a dollar, it’s worth 50 cents. Much of that devaluation is attributed to the red tape preventing projects from getting accomplished at the best value. If the efficiencies proposed can be implemented correctly we may actually see a boon in investment and projects.

Observation Five

Lastly, much of our borrowing of late has been at high interest rates, internationally dependent, and for short term social programs with little or no guaranteed long-term projected usefulness. That’s like swiping a credit card for dinner or other short term consumables. No one in their right mind should be doing that, and neither should our country.

When we borrow it should be for infrastructure and capital investments with long term impacts and benefits that extend long beyond the term of the loan period. Buildings and infrastructure more than meet that threshold, and repatriation of manufacturing makes sense also because it creates opportunities for independence and further stabilizes national security.

It’s really kind of simple. When we look at things in a factual reality and through the lens of a shared American responsibility, the solutions to our problems are quickly revealed.

Now let’s hear from our next caller.

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W . PERREC A . CO M

It’s in the Mix

When it Comes to Concrete, What’s Submitted Isn’t Always What You Get

Anthony Perrello, Jr. Principal Sullivan Construction Group

Concrete is the world’s most widely used building product with a history dating back to 6500 BC, and whether you’re a developer, an accountant, or a librarian you interact with concrete every day. It’s in the bridges we cross, the homes we live in, the buildings we work in and the schools our children learn in.

Concrete’s basic ingredients are cement, water, sand and stone. Simple, right? But as the world grows those ingredients change, deplete or are targeted by government policies, creating a very delicate balancing act.

Those of us in the industry are well versed in the pre-construction submittal process. You pick a vendor and request the material submittals sheets. We, in turn, submit them to the design team, get approval, and place the materials order.

Usually, you verify that the materials match the submittal. But how do you really know what you got? There are no on-site ingredient tests other than batch weight comparison to the submitted design mix but even that won’t prove that the specified ingredients were used. This is a systemic problem everywhere, and the Hudson Valley is no exception.

The submittal managing process is key to project success. The Sullivan Construction Group has developed strategies to navigate and mitigate these challenging issues, allowing us to become a leading concrete contractor in the region for complex concrete structures, specialty floors and industrial paving and parking lots.

Not All Mixes are Created Equal

Concrete mixes come in all shapes, sizes and usages. Think you call the concrete plant and order a 4000PSI and that’s the end of it? It’s just the beginning.

Foundations mixes are often based on functionality and strength design, so if the mix results in the appropriate strength, provides the proper coverage for reinforcement or embeds, and can handle the regional climate fluctuations, it will work for the job.

But placing the concrete can complicate things, and depending on distance, the concrete may need to be pumped or conveyed to the location. But is your mix pumpable? You must also hope that your ready-mix supplier used approved materials from the mix design.

“Slab-on-Ground” - or metal deck - falls under the same strength and functionality parameters with one caveat: Finishability, which is single-handedly the biggest issue in the industry for every flat work contractor. The ready-mix supplier is bound only by compressive strength or, at times, flexural requirements, neither of which tell you if the surface can handle the manipulating (floating, trowelling, etc.) during finishing. Meanwhile, if that finished surface peels or delaminates, the

ready-mix supplier will shrug and say, “Well, the breaks came back good.”

So why does the philosophy of compressive strength not hold up? When finishability issues arise or aesthetics are challenged, the owner will often insist the contractor remove the floor and bear the cost. The comments are often made, “The finishers got on it late (or early),” but can you really tell without costly testing? Then the questions start. What was the cement Type I/II or Type IL? Was it natural sand? What was in the mix that was placed and finished? Did someone change the mix design?

The Usual Suspect (Hint: It’s Sand)

With the Hudson Valley developing as quickly - and for as long - as it has, our natural resources are being depleted.

Natural sand is a key ingredient of good, finished floors, and it’s commonly found near old riverbeds and lakes. As a result of natural erosion, natural sand is rounder and softer than other sands. It’s mined from the ground, screened and washed, used in concrete and other products. Its quality is measured by angularity, type, absorption rate and gradations (there is much more but these are the basics), and it’s often the best sand for good, finishable concrete. But clean and consistent natural sand is becoming more expensive and harder to find, causing many local ready-mix producers to turn to manufactured “man sand.”

“Man sand” is made by crushing stone to make coarse aggregates and is, in some ways, a byproduct. The stone is run through crushers to create the

small particles used in concrete production. Quality is measured the same as natural sand, but it is usually far more angular.

Man sand isn’t all bad - it works great in most structure concrete, like footings, walls, and piers - but it does have its downfall in the use of slabs of any kind requiring a machined troweled finish. (It can be used, if treated correctly and tested for finishability with mockup “test” slabs and adjusted as needed.)

Your mix design may say natural sand from “ABC Sand and Gravel,” but that doesn’t mean that’s the sand in your mix. ABC may have run out and your ready-mix producer, in a scramble to make the pour, used an alternate sand supplier. Often you won’t be informed of these adjustments until there’s a problem (if they tell you at all.) If the breaks come back in spec, you are left with an expensive problem. The owner blames the contractor, and the ready-mix supplier doesn’t take any responsibility if the mix met strength.

Keep it Simple

Owner/developers, general contractors, construction managers, and design teams should understand these constructability issues ahead of time. If they do, they can play an integral role and help concrete subcontractors mitigate all the possible issues (and at the end of the day it’s their issues, too.)

Hire contractors that are committed to quality and continuing education with American Concrete Institute (ACI) certified personnel. Professional concrete contractors will be up-to-date on these issues and use things like preslab meetings to make sure these items are identified and coordinated. They’ll stay in front of issues and ask the tough questions, have the ready-mix suppliers re-submit mix designs with current materials used, and send the third-party inspection agency to make a plant inspection to guarantee the mix is what was approved.

Really, when you think about it, these upfront discussions are cheap insurance policies. You only get one chance to finish concrete correctly.

Cement Talk

Here’s a quick primer in cement types:

Type I/II

The cement typically used in the everyday construction operations in the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions are usually Type I/II, a general-purpose cement most often used for foundations, slabs, precast concrete products, bridges and pavements. It provides a moderate sulfate resistance to exceed the applicable ASTM and AASHTO chemical and physical requirements, ASTM C150 and AASHTO M 85.

Type IL

The new cement on the block that will replace Type I/II is the challenging Type IL, a blended portland limestone cement (PLC) that permits an interblending of naturally occurring limestone to a maximum allowance of 15 percent.

Type IL cements are more environmentally friendly than other types and have similar performance to Portland Type I/II, and is a sustainable cement building solution that significantly reduces carbon footprint. Although Type IL meets ASTM C595, AASHTO M 240 and ASTM C1157 it is also creating issues for concrete contractors across the country. The limestone blended into the cement is ground much finer in the cement clinker and has resulted in low breaks, set differentiation, and an array of finishing nightmares, including peeling and delaminations.

After a 7-Year Run, will Workers’ Compensation Rate Decreases End?

Since October 2017, the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board has been filing for annual decreases in loss costs, which form the basis for the insurance rates that are charged by workers’ compensation insurance carriers.

President Lovell Safety Management Co., LLC.

This year’s proposed rate filing of -2.6 percent follows last year’s adopted -8.7 percent change. And prior years saw these decreases:

● 2021: -6.4 percent

● 2020: -1 percent

● 2019: -10 percent

● 2018: -11.7 percent

● 2017: -4.5 percent

Based upon the decrease in loss costs, one might assume that the last seven years saw a consistent improvement in safety that produced a reduction in the cost of claims. Indeed, Rating Board data show that accident frequency did decline over the last few years, hitting a low point during the pandemic year of 2020.

In the most recent years for which we have data, however, accident frequency has started to creep up. But that is not the whole story. While overall claims counts have been decreasing, the cost of those accidents has been increasing. Here again, the pandemic year seems to be an

inflection point as the October 2023 rate filing shows a very slight downturn in claim severity beginning in 2020.

So, while there have been improvements in accident experience, they account for only a portion of the seven-year trend, contributing primarily to decreases in the oldest two years of the seven, 2017 and 2018. Each rate filing looks at the two most recent years’ loss data. For example, this year used data from policies that were incepted in 2020 and 2021. In three of the last four loss cost filings, recent experience suggested decreases, but by 1.7 percent to 3.8 percent, far less than the decreases incorporated into the loss cost filings.

Another factor accounts for the decreases.

The key driver of loss cost decreases for the last several years has been growing wages. Remember, the cost of insurance is charged as a rate per $100 of payroll. If wages increase, and the cost of claims remains constant or decreases, then the rates charged on policies should decrease. It is the wage trend that has been putting downward pressure on loss costs. In the four years prior to the 2023 rate filing, the future trend has averaged -6.2 percent.

With all the attention being paid to inflation, one might have anticipated this trend to continue this year - but it did not. After increasing by 10.0 percent in 2021 and 5.9 percent in 2022, the statewide average weekly wage (AWW) grew by only 1.8 percent to $1,718.15 in 2023. When the latest wage data was run through all the actuarial projections it indicated a -1.7 percent impact on loss costs. Last year, the same factor was -6.3 percent.

Here again, the data seems counter-intuitive. Why would the AWW increase by a very dramatic 10.0 percent and 5.9 percent during the unprecedented coronavirus-driven increase in unemployment? And why, during a period of significant inflation, would we see such a small increase?

The answer seems to be that the AWW is not a great way to measure the wage experience of most state workers. During the pandemic years, the average was driven up by the changing composition of the labor force, as low-wage service workers were laid off, while higher-paid white-collar workers tended to retain their jobs. With a smaller number of low wage workers, the higher paid workers drove up the average. By the same token, the Labor Department believes that the decrease in the average for 2023 was driven by lower bonuses for Wall Street workers.

With so much of the pricing of workers’ compensation insurance riding upon such fickle data, we might wonder just how accurate the loss costs developed in the post-pandemic years will prove to be.

The recent decreases, however, have been a bright spot for employers at a time when other costs are increasing. Unfortunately, reductions are not likely to continue.

Thank You!

The Construction Contractors Association of the Hudson Valley is grateful to our Diamond Sponsors*

for their exceptionally generous commitment to the CCA and the work we do on behalf of our members, our industry, and our partners in the building trades:

AFFINITY BST ADVISORS

BEAM ENTERPRISES, INC.

BARONE CONSTRUCTION GROUP, INC.

CATANIA, MAHON & RIDER PLLC HOLT CONSTRUCTION CORP.

IRONWORKERS LOCAL 417

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS

LOCAL 137

MDS HVAC-R, INC.

MARSHALL AND STERLING, INC.

M&T BANK

NORTH ATLANTIC STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS LOCAL 279

PARAMOUNT BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, INC.

PERRECA ELECTRIC, INC.

SERVICE SCAFFOLD COMPANY, INC.

TECTONIC ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, GEOLOGISTS, & LAND SURVEYORS

TRI-STATE DRYWALL AND ACOUSTICAL, INC.

CCA Diamond Sponsors enjoy all networking, educational, and promotional opportunities, including: One year membership to the CCA, SMACNA or FERCA; four full page ads in On the Level; guaranteed foursome and prominent signage at the CCA Golf Outing; and two tickets to the Lobster Bake, Annual Dinner Meeting, and Holiday Get-Together. Diamond Sponsorship is $4999, a $1300 savings if all benefits are purchased separately. For more information call the CCA office at 845-562-4280.

*Diamond Sponsors as of June 30, 2023

Walden Savings Bank is Here for Your Business

Walden Savings Bank is committed to helping local businesses by providing a wide array of commercial loan products that will allow you the flexibility to run your business and remain focused on growth. Complex projects, construction or renovation, let Walden Saving Bank simplify the loan process. Our commercial term loans are designed to assist companies interested in expansion, renovation, long-term working capital, machinery/equipment

and rolling inventory.

We offer:

• Competitive interest rates

• Flexible terms

• Experienced advisors

• Fixed and stable payments

• Loan terms range from 12 to 72 months

• Interest rates can be fixed or floating

acquisition

Roe

Lender

Ratysnki

Plan for tomorrow, live for today.

We get it. You are busy writing bids, securing contracts, managing projects, and dealing with personnel issues all day long. But when do you get to plan for your own financial tomorrow and still live for today?

We’ll help you plan to do the things you live for. Whether you are imagining a retirement sailing around the world or just kicking back with your family, we can tailor a plan from a wide range of financial options to make it happen. Our team of financial planning advisors can help identify your financial planning goals and address those needs with investment strategies for potential growth. With the full suite of Northwestern Mutual resources at our fingertips, we also assist business owners in developing succession and estate plans to protect the continuity of their life’s work and position it to flourish in the future.

Patrick A Di Cerbo, CLU®, ChFC®, AEP®, MSFS, CFP® Wealth Management Advisor 518.281.8200 patdicerbo.com pat.dicerbo@nm.com

07-1016 © 2021 Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with longterm care benefits) and its subsidiaries in Milwaukee, WI. Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), a subsidiary of NM, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser and member FINRA and SIPC. Patrick A Di Cerbo is an Insurance Agent(s) of NM. Patrick A Di Cerbo, is a Registered Representative(s) of NMIS. Patrick A Di Cerbo, is a Representative of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company®, (NMWMC) (fiduciary and fee-based financial planning services), a subsidiary of NM and federal savings bank. All NMWMC products and services are offered only by properly credentialed Representatives who operate from agency offices of NMWMC. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

The First Half of 2023 was a Bit Complicated. So Where are We Now?

The construction industry came into the year 2023 with caution, uncertainty and many unanswered questions. Halfway through the year, do we have any clearer answers?

As an advisor, student and practitioner of the construction industry, it felt only natural to reflect on and share some observations and takeaways from what we have experienced over the last six months.

Financial Results Are Shaky

The renaissance the construction industry experienced in the years leading up to and through 2019 are well documented: Record levels of spending across all sectors and employment at its highest. And we all know

what happened as we pushed into 2020, specifically March 2020.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, nearly every business, regardless of the industry, was impacted. But the construction industry had one thing others didn’t: committed backlog. Plus, most contractors qualified for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Employee Retention Credit (ERC) programs, so the financial pain of the pandemic was masked.

Carl Oliveri, Partner Construction Practice Leader Grassi & Co. CPAs

Flashforward to 2022, and backlog had dwindled, replacement work was hard to find, government assistance programs had ended and the natural lag of the construction industry caught up to us. Not surprisingly, financial results of contractors for 2022 were meek. Put more directly, the 2022 financial results that surfaced during early 2023 are showing the construction industry is experiencing what most companies/industries felt in 2020.

Adjusting To Inflation

Another economic event that does not discriminate, inflation has made its mark across most businesses and households. And while it continues, the construction industry has adjusted to the rising costs of materials, taken proactive steps to alleviate supply chain issues, and modified employee compensation packages accordingly. While the absorption of rising costs depends on the circumstances at hand, the primary tool to battle inflation – interest rates – has cost contractors real dollars in their bottom line as rates have increased and continue to rise. The private construction sector has experienced substantial fallout as spending has slowed due to the cost of borrowing. Not to mention, the common practice of utilizing a line of credit to mobilize projects as requisition funding is pending has become extremely costly.

The best summation is what one industry executive shared with me, “It scares me when I see contractors bidding a project at a margin that is less than their line of credit rate.”

The Banking Shakeup

The country hadn’t seen a banking crisis since 2008. Coming into this year, a banking crisis – or maybe this was more of a shakeup – was an event we didn’t expect to encounter. Seemingly emerging overnight in mid-March, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank made headlines as a result of weak investments and cryptocurrencies.

In an age of market perception becoming reality regardless of fact (thanks to social media and the 24-hour news cycles), confidence in both banks was shaken to a point where we saw depositors lining up to withdraw enough funds to cause the banks’ collapse. Like 2008, the federal government stepped in to assist by securing all deposits,

and in Signature’s case, facilitated a soft landing for customers and personnel.

Regardless, the damage was done as numerous contractors either moved or started the process of moving away from Signature. For the New York construction market, there is one less bank dedicated to the construction industry, and we will need to watch closely how Flagstar Bank navigates the market after acquiring Signature.

Infrastructure Spending

The need for the United States to invest and improve our infrastructure is dire. And Washington has recognized and taken steps to address this by passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will see $1.2 trillion authorized for transportation and other infrastructure spending, with $550 billion earmarked for new programs. Interestingly enough, a tradeoff in the passing of this legislation was the repeal of the ERC program for the 4th quarter of 2022, which most contractors qualified for in the first three quarters. Even as we hear about the billions of dollars being released and allocated to the states, the projects are MIA. Looking at where we are locally and the robust capital spending plans our public agencies have teed up, we cannot help but wonder how much is reliant on federal dollars?

Looking back, it has been an eventful year, even though it’s only halfway through. The construction industry will look at the rest of 2023 to rebound from shaky 2022 financial results, stabilize their banking positions and hopefully start to see work in both sectors emerge. The industry continues to be a major driver of jobs and opportunities across the country.

As the year continues, Grassi’s Construction team will continue to monitor industry trends and share proactive advice and insights to navigate the landscape.

Carl Oliveri, CPA is a Partner and the Construction Practice Leader at Grassi. He specializes in project-centric and companywide financial modeling, operational strategy development, financial statement attest services and income tax method analysis. Carl can be reached at 212-223-5047 or coliveri@grassicpas.com

The Power and Pitfalls of Multifactor Authentication

The authentication systems we use for services such as Netflix, Microsoft Office365 and IT devices historically utilized only a username and password as a method of validating who you are. Over time, the use of a password alone has proved ineffective, predominantly because of poor practices by the creator and owner of the password.

Many of the breaches we read about on a daily basis are the result of weak passwords or the use of a single password across multiple services. The greatest weakness of a password by itself is that once obtained, no other mechanism exists to stop its usage.

To mitigate this weakness, it became clear that a password alone is not sufficient; thus, multifactor authentication (MFA) was born. Multifactor authentication employs the concept of having any two of the three methods below work in combination with one another in order to authenticate an individual and grant access.

These authentication methods are:

• Something you are: A biometric feature, e.g., iris scanner, thumb print or facial recognition.

• Something you have: A component only a specific individual should possess, e.g., Google Authenticator App code, DUO code or YubiKey.

• Something you know: Specific knowledge only the individual

knows, such as a password or security question.

When you withdraw cash from an ATM, you are in effect using MFA. The PIN is something you know, and the card is something you have. The only way to access your account is with the combination of the two. Having one without the other is useless.

The adoption of MFA has accelerated as a result of the pandemic-induced remote work shift, and cyber insurance now mandating it as a condition of coverage. Surely this means that the company is safe when MFA is deployed?

Be Aware and Be Ready

Unfortunately, MFA alone is no longer sufficient. Cybercriminals have found ways to bypass MFA, including:

• Social Engineering

Tricking an unsuspecting user, through emotional hooks, into taking an action, such as supplying privileged information (a password), utilizing a fictitious login site, or downloading a malicious file. Social engineering is one of the primary ways cyber criminals bypass MFA in combination with some of the other methods described below.

Cybersecurity awareness training and phishing testing remains the primary defense mechanism.

• Consent Phishing

A form of social engineering designed to trick users into granting permissions to malicious cloud applications. These malicious applications can then gain access to users’ legitimate cloud services and data. Unlike credential compromise, threat actors who perform consent phishing target users who can grant access to their personal or organizational data directly. The consent screen displays all permissions the application receives. Most users do not read and interpret the access level being requested and just click accept, allowing MFA to be bypassed.

Organizations can prevent this attack by removing the employee’s ability to download or consent to applications that are not approved and managed by the organization.

• Brute Force

Repeatedly trying different permutations of one-time codes, in combination with the identified password, until a successful combination is received. This has become more of a difficult method in multifactor bypass due to the one-time passcode length. However, should a service or system require

David Plutner, Manager (left) and Thomas J. DeMayo, Partner (right) PKF O’Connor Davies

a passcode short in length (a PIN of four characters) which allows for an infinite number of entry attempts, then that system may be vulnerable to a brute force attack with regard to multifactor authentication.

In this scenario, the organization relies on its head of IT, or security team, to perform their due diligence by ensuring that any PIN that is required for MFA is longer than four characters and that the application being utilized restricts the organization’s employees from having the capability of changing that requirement.

• Generated Token Recovery Keys

Produced when multifactor authentication is implemented on an account. These keys are preauthorized one-time-use PINS utilized in case there are any issues where the device used to generate the one-time code is no longer available. When this option is available, employees tend to take screenshots or keep these keys available in plain text on their desktop or in their documents folder. An attacker who compromises a machine could potentially find this key and bypass multifactor authentication when discovering said file.

Organizations need to block this method and require IT to be contacted, or, if necessary, provide employees with a password manager such as 1Password, NordPass or Bitwarden to contain these types of recovery keys.

• Session Hijacking

This works by stealing a user’s

established session and is primarily performed by implementing what is known as a “man in the middle” attack. The cybercriminal will trick (socially engineer) the user to logging into a legitimate-looking site under the control of the cybercriminal. As the user logs into the malicious site, behind the scenes the credentials are being sent to the legitimate site. This allows the authentication to function as normal. After the user has entered their credentials and provided their second factor, a legitimate session is established with the real website. The session is then hijacked by the cybercriminal. Since the session is already authorized, no additional authentication is required.

Organizations can defend against this by training against social engineering attacks as described above or adopting YubiKeys. Yubikeys are effectively another factor that will only work when it verifies it’s communicating with the legitimate site, removing the ability for a man in the middle of attack.

• SIM Swapping

The process in which a cybercriminal contacts the target’s cell phone provider and persuades them to move the target’s cell phone number to their own device. This means they will receive all calls, texts and push MFA type of notifications, enabling the attacker to obtain any MFA tokens, texts and calls required to verify the second factor of authentication for the targeted user. Furthermore, any business accounts tied to that phone are now compromised.

To prevent this, organizations and individuals should contact their mobile provider and establish a secret PIN or code which they must provide before porting or transferring over their number to a new device will be authorized.

• MFA Fatigue

Initiated when authenticator apps are utilized, such as Google Authenticator. An option for the second factor is known as a “push” notification. This is when a person logs in and the second factor is sent to a device in the form of a question to allow the connection and verify it is you who authorized it. Attackers had adopted tactic-run automated programs or scripts that attempt to log in with stolen credentials on a consistent basis, thus causing endless “push” notifications to pop-up on the employee’s device asking to grant access. To stop the barrage of notifications, people will simply accept the push, granting the person access.

To prevent this, train your employees to be aware of the tactic, but also, configure your MFA application to block multiple phish attempts in a defined period from a single site.

Attacks will continue to evolve and we will continue to be in a cat and mouse game. As artificial intelligence and quantum computing move into the landscape, new threats will surely enter the playing field.

What is critical is that you continue to be aware of the threats and adopt the necessary policies, practices, procedures and tools.

Stronger Together: Annual Women MEAN Business Event Celebrates Mentorship, Empowerment

By Lisa Ramirez

Leaders of local businesses and community organizations, advocates, educators and entrepreneurs came together June 1 in Orange County for the annual Women MEAN Business summit.

The day-long event, hosted by the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and held at the Barn at Villa Venezia, included panel presentations, break-out discussions, and a keynote address by Maureen Halahan, president and CEO of the Orange County Partnership, all designed to inspire, motivate and support the women who drive the local economy.

“In a world where women’s voices and achievements have often been overlooked or undervalued, our unity is a powerful force,” said Chamber President Heather Bell-Meyer. “Women should have each other’s backs, raise each other up, and genuinely empower each other.”

Mentorship, empowerment, authenticity and networking among women — “MEAN” — are the primary discussion points at the annual gathering.

Speaking to why an (almost) all-woman business summit was important even as women continue to make gains, Bell-Meyer said, “This strengthens our individual journeys and paves the way for our collective growth and progress. It’s through this we break down barriers, shatter stereotypes, and create a more inclusive and equitable society.”

In her keynote, Halahan, who has led The Partnership since 2002 and through two decades of steady and unprecedented economic growth, said the encouragement and support of women has been important throughout her career. Her long tenure at the Partnership gives her boasting rights as the longest serving economic development specialist in the Mid-Hudson and she is, said Bell-Meyer, “the queen of economic development.”

“I’ve had a fabulous journey because so many women before me worked so hard to pave those roads,” Halahan said in her key. “Grow in your position. It’s an opportunity to show that it can be done, it is being done

“MEAN is a beautiful reminder that there are other like-minded women, both globally and locally, who are implementing safe spaces for all women to connect and grow as entrepreneurs,” said Kanisha E. Henderson, a DJ, writer, producer and owner of Perfect Touch Entertainment.

Good Deeds

CCA members are among the most generous folks around. They’re committed to their communities, and no matter how busy things get they’re volunteering, fundraising, and finding all kinds of wonderful ways to give back.

We’d love to shine a light on these good deeds. If your organization or someone within it is out making the world a bit brighter, please tell us about it so we can include it in “On the Level.”

Whether they’re coaching a local team, serving as a volunteer first responder, collecting supplies for a shelter, or giving their time and skills to worthy effort, we want to know.

We can’t wait to share these inspiring stories with our On the Level readers!

Notary Service Available to CCA Members

If you need notary services, give the CCA office a call at 845-562-4280 to let us know you’re coming. Please be sure to bring the documents that need to be signed and a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. This notary service is offered exclusively to CCA, SMACNA and FERCA members. CCA headquarters (330 Meadow Ave. Newburgh) is typically open weekdays 8:30am - 4:30pm.

845-562-4280

LRamirez@CCAHV.com

CCAHV.com

330 Meadow Avenue

Newburgh, NY 12550

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Join CCA

Since 1956, the Construction Contractors Association of the Hudson Valley has had a hand in almost every significant construction project in the region. With a commitment to providing quality management coupled with outstanding workmanship, CCA members get jobs done right, on time and within budget.

• The power and leverage of strong relationships with state, local and federal officials

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THE CCA IS YOUR TIRELESS ADVOCATE. MEMBERS ENJOY: