The Kansas Milestone | Summer 2023

MILESTONE THE KANSAS

Summer 2023

CELEBRATION OF A CENTURY

Jameson Rodgers headlines KCA's 100th Anniversary convention

WHAT COMES NEXT?

How to address employees' emotional needs after a traumatic work incident

$800K & COUNTING

KCA Foundation awards scholarships to future of heavy construction

WELCOMING A NEW KDOT SECRETARY

Governor appoints Calvin Reed

WICHITA NORTH

JUNCTION, K-14 &

DESOTO

KCA members break ground, cut ribbon on major IKE and T-Works projects

As a family-owned business spanning three generations and more than 80 years, our family’s mission and values are woven through the fabric of Kansas’ history. We’ve grown that mission from one store to 15 locations serving 144 counties with more technicians serving Kansas than any other heavy equipment dealer. While a lot has changed, Foley’s commitment to empowering the progress of our customers and the communities we serve has remained constant.

Summer 2023

Volume 3, Issue 1

OFFICERS

Chris Rech, President A.M. Cohron & Son, Inc.

Chad Girard, Vice President APAC Kansas, Inc. - Shears Division

Josh Smith, Treasurer Klaver Construction Co.

Scott Anderson, Immediate Past President Summit Materials

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Trey Bowen, Director-at-Large Superior Bowen Asphalt Company, LLC

Peter Clark, Aggregate & Light Type Division Bayer Construction

Shane Ham, Supplier/Service Division Foley Equipment Co., Inc.

Mike Hoffman, Grading & Railroads Division Alan’s Excavating, Inc.

Heather Jantz, Director-at-Large MJE, LLC

Travis Rose, Structures Division Bridges Inc.

Rocky Seybert, Flexible Paving Division Venture Corp.

Jeff Shaw, Utility Infrastructure Division APAC Kansas, Inc. - Shears Division

Pat Short, Director-at-Large Pearson Construction

Steve Sloan, Supplier/Service Division Midwest Minerals

Jay Van Hove, Rigid Paving Division Koss Construction Co.

STAFF

Michael White Executive Director mwhite@webuildkansas.com

Stephanie Mullholland Marketing & Membership Director stephanie@webuildkansas.com

Nancy Delgado Administrative Coordinator ndelgado@webuildkansas.com

On the cover: 4

Nashville star Jameson Rodgers headlined KCA's Celebration of a Century concert. The concert, held at convention in honor of KCA's 100th anniversary, was sponsored by Monarch Cement Company and Murphy Tractor.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

3 4

President’s Message Not afraid to step up

Celebrating a Century KCA members commemorate 100 years

What Comes Next?

Addressing employee needs after a workplace incident

2023 Legislative Session

Highway fund protected, new dollars for local projects

Golfers Raise Funds for Industry's Future Foundation to award $60,000 in scholarships, internships

Options to Consider:

Does your insurance cover workplace violence?

Meet the Next Secretary of Transportation

Calvin Reed appointed to top spot at KDOT

Member News Awards, ribbon-cuttings, groundbreakings & more

Member Profile: Vogts-Parga Construction

Strength that binds.

The Monarch Cement Company

Humboldt, Kansas

620.473.2222

www.monarchcement.com

Strength is more than muscle and brawn. At The Monarch Cement Company, real strength is based on character, conviction and grit.

For more than a century, that strength has forged a solid foundation, allowing us the privilege of being a trusted partner of Kansas Contractors Association members. We’re proud to serve you and the Midwest’s heavy construction industry through the Monarch family of companies, including ready-mixed concrete, concrete products and sundry building materials.

To this day, our core beliefs are centered around the promise of “good people helping good people” – and they always will be.

Never afraid to step up

BY CHRIS RECH, A.M. COHRON & SON, INC. KCA PRESIDENT

When we said we were stepping up and going all out for KCA's 100th anniversary, wow did we mean it! Our industry has stepped up in full force this year ... turning out record attendance for our 100th anniversary convention ... engaging in this last election and legislative session to protect our business interests ... and making record contributions through the Action Auction and raffle to help strengthen our industry's political muscle.

But, truth be told, our industry has never been afraid to step up.

100 years of leadership

In 1923, the heavy construction leaders who came before us had the courage and the vision to form a new organization, banding with their competitors, because they knew our industry would be stronger together. They were right.

100 years later, KCA is the recognized watchdog and voice of the Kansas transportation industry. Together, we have spearheaded passage of every state highway plan, led the fight to start reversing the damage of extraordinary transfers from the Highway Fund, and successfully secured existing and new investments in infrastructure.

Leading into our next century

As we enter this next century, there will inevitably be challenges ahead – just as there were challenges facing KCA's founders. At the forefront of those challenges are:

State revenues. While state revenues and infrastructure investments have remained healthy in recent years, we all know what it's like to weather downturns in our industry. That's why our association remains focused on advocating for budget and tax decisions at the state level that will protect the long-term stability of state revenues and transportation dollars.

Workforce Shortages. Like most industries, our members are continually trying to add to our workforce and stay ahead of shortages. KCA is heavily engaged in statewide efforts to attract more high school and college students into heavy construction. Our Construction Education Foundation is focused on helping students connect with, and pay for the training they need to succeed in our industry.

Through any challenge that may come our way, there's no doubt we will continue to find success in stepping up together as an industry. I look forward to serving as your president this year and to seeing what the future brings for our industry, our businesses and our families.

In the meantime, I hope you will mark your calendars because the celebration isn't over yet. Our 100th year will culminate with a dinner in the Flint Hills on November 2, including the release of our centennial book and video. I hope you will join us as we take one more opportunity to celebrate where we've been and where we're going.

Celebrating a century KCA

TURNS 100 YEARS OLD

In 1923, Kansas contractors came together to form the Kansas Contractors Association as a united voice for their companies and the heavy construction industry. APAC-Kansas Shears Division (then known as Shears Construction) of Hutchinson and Carrothers Construction of Paola were among the charter members. Both companies celebrated their 100th membership anniversaries this year alongsideº KCA's centennial.

In January, the 100th celebration kicked off with KCA's annual convention. The three-day event in Overland Park included the popular Action Auction – sponsored by Foley Equipment – which brought in record proceeds for the KCA Political Action Committee; and a special anniversary dinner and live auction - sponsored by Monarch Cement Co. and Murphy Tractor – which featured Nashville star Jameson Rodgers.

Guest speakers included Lt. Governor David Toland, Speaker of the Kansas House Dan Hawkins, motivational speaker Jake Thompson and Cal Beyer of Holmes Murphy who addressed what construction leaders need to know about mental health in the workplace.

SAVE THE DATE

Thursday, November 2

Clover Cliff Ranch in the Flint Hills

Join us for the finale of KCA's 100th anniversary year, a celebration on the Flint Hills at Clover Cliff Ranch, owned by KCA members Warren & Susie Harshman. The evening will include dinner, legislative guests, and the release of our 100-year history video and book.

Jameson Rodgers performs during KCA's convention as part of the association's 100th anniversary celebration. His performance and dinner were sponsored by Monarch Cement Company and Murphy Tractor.

Above: Over a decade of KCA Past Presidents gather for a 100th anniversary photo. Middle left: Kip Spray of Venture Corporation with his grandson Theo Spray. Middle right: The Harshman Construction team having some fun outside the trade show. Bottom left: Mike Schirmer with Bettis Companies and Jolee Berroth with Koss Construction get into bidding at the Action Auction. Bottom middle: State Rep. Adam Thomas (R-Olathe) sings the National Anthem to kick off the Action Auction. Bottom right: Stan Scudder of Bridges Inc. visits with Wayne Gudmonson of KDOT.

Top left: The Bettis Companies team plays a hand of blackjack at the KCA Casino. Top middle: The ice cream social sponsored by The Miller Group and PetroChoice gets underway. Top right: Walt Bettis of Foley Equipment congratulates Curt Kitson of Monarch Cement Co. on his retirement. Kitson has played an integral role in the Action Auction, $10k raffle and ConEd Golf Tournament for decades. Middle left: The MJE team at the Action Auction. Middle right: Calvin Reed, our next KDOT Secretary, catches up with KCA members on a break. Below: Scott Anderson of Summit Materials welcomes members to the convention as KCA President.

Top

Lt. Governor David Toland talks about the state's economic development and infrastructure efforts.

McClellan of

and Josh Smith of

Construction visit with Curt Mauler of

Contractors.

Hansen

introduces the KDOT Partnering Awards. Bottom left: MItchell Youngers with Central Power Systems helps get ready for the live auction. Bottom middle: The 100-year celebration on Thursday night included birthday cake. Bottom right: Chris

& Son is elected KCA president during the Friday business meeting.

:

Middle left: Roger

Wildcat Construction

Klaver

L&M

Middle right: Brian

of Dustrol

Rech of A.M. Cohron

Membership Awards

Sherwood Construction Wichita, Kansas

Safety Awards

CATEGORY I BRB Contractors

Topeka, Kansas

50-YEAR MEMBER Venture Corporation Great Bend, Kansas

Duit Construction Co. Edmond, Oklahoma

CATEGORY II Klaver Construction Topeka, Kansas

CATEGORY III Clarkson Construction Kansas City, Missouri

KDOT Partnering Awards

CATEGORY IV Bettis Asphalt & Construction Topeka, Kansas

CATEGORY V APAC-Kansas Shears Hutchinson, Kansas

Wildcat Construction was recognized as this year's Kansas Statewide Partnering Award winner during the KCA-KDOT Partnering Conference Feb. 21-22 in Wichita. The winning project was in District 1 and valued at $5.57 million. Also recognized in this year's Partnering Awards – District 1: Julius Kaaz Construction; District 2: Dustrol Inc.; District 3: Venture Corporation; District 4, less than $1.5 million: Killough Construction; $1.5 million and over: Bob Bergkamp Construction; District 5: APAC-Kansas Shears; District 6: Venture Corporation; and Kansas Turnpike Authority: Dondlinger Construction.

100-YEAR FOUNDING MEMBER Carrothers Construction Paola, Kansas

100-YEAR FOUNDING MEMBER APAC Kansas-Shears Hutchinson, Kansas

80-YEAR MEMBER Reece Construction Salina, Kansas

80-YEAR MEMBER

30-YEAR MEMBER

What comes next?

ADDRESSING THE EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF EMPLOYEES FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC WORKPLACE INCIDENTS

BY CAL BEYER

Mental health and wellbeing remain top of mind for leaders throughout the construction industry. The pandemic underscored the importance of mental health and wellbeing of workers at all levels as well. One such area of special focus in the heavy/ highway and civil/bridge sector of the construction industry is catastrophic work zone incidents. This is a topic that can involve employees from various job responsibilities from affected state, county, and municipal transportation agencies, as well as roadway protection workers for contractors and subcontractors.

Protecting the physical safety of roadway protection workers is a priority of the members of the Kansas Contractors Association. Work zone incidents are frequently catastrophic with traumatic

injuries. The mental wellbeing of roadway protection workers can be affected both by witnessing such incidents and from being exposed to the aftermath. Sometimes the victims of such crashes are co-workers or subcontractors known by those witnessing the incident.

Employers can help address the emotional needs and overall wellbeing of employees by incorporating Critical Incident Response capabilities and protocols into emergency crisis incident plans. This is an essential element of effective crisis management suitable for major workplace incidents and traumatic jobsite tragedies.

Following a work zone incident, Operations and Safety personnel busily execute “emergency

response” checklists to clear damaged vehicles and other debris and ensure the roadway can be safely opened. However, it is important that these emergency response plans and crisis management protocols address the wellbeing of all employees involved as witnesses or potential victims of close calls. Addressing the human element of crisis management is vital.

This requires effective preplanning to know how your organization will respond should an “unthinkable incident” occur on a company workplace or jobsite. An important adage in crisis management is attributed to EAP industry leader Bob VandePol “a crisis is not the time to Google for a crisis counselor.”

Get to Know Your Employee Assistance Program

QUICK ACTIONS TO HELP BE PREPARED FOR CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSES

1. Develop a Crisis Management Response Plan with emergency telephone numbers and checklists of emergency action steps.

2. Determine if your organization has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

3. If yes, then:

a. Understand the type of services offered: on-site, telephonic, virtual, text/chat.

b. Ask about the expected response time in a crisis response.

c. Communicate key contact information to all field leaders and supervisors.

d. Request key leaders and supervisors create contacts in their phones to save the name and contact information for the EAP.

e. Perform a “drill call" to “test” the service to ensure that your company knows how to access such services.

4. If no, ask your insurance risk management or employee benefits advisor to help recommend options and pricing for such services.

5. Develop a protocol for offering Critical Incident Response services as needed following a Critical Incident.

Many employers have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to provide consulting to the organization and to provide or help facilitate appropriate counseling and support services to employees. It is important to contact your EAP service provider to inquire if they offer critical incident response services and what the typical expected response time will be to mobilize such services. If your company does not have an EAP, ask your insurance risk management and/or employee benefit advisor for assistance securing such services. There are some service providers that will provide critical incident services on an ad hoc emergency basis.

Additional Resources

Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). May/June 2021. Crisis Management: The Critical Human Element. Building Profits.

Construction User’s Roundtable (CURT). Nov 2022. Critical Incident Response: Addressing Worker Wellbeing After Catastrophic Incidents. The VOICE

Cal Beyer, CWP, SCTPP is Vice President of Workforce Risk & Worker Wellbeing for Holmes Murphy. He’s been dedicated to construction risk and safety management since 1996. He was director of risk management and safety for a paving contractor in the Pacific Northwest from 2014-2020. He serves on the Executive Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Cal helped to launch the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Contact Beyer at cbeyer@holmesmurphy.com or 651/307-7883.

Disclaimer: This article does not provide either legal or claims advice. The practices described highlight risk management practices to demonstrate employers’ caring culture for employees involved in potentially traumatic workplace experiences. Importantly, there are jurisdictional differences between states on the compensability of “stress” and “post-traumatic stress” in workers compensation. For some professions in some states, there are statutory presumptions of coverage. Seeking legal and claim management counsel is therefore advisable to understand the risks to rewards associated with instituting critical incident response services.

Highway fund protected, new dollars for local infrastructure

The transportation industry emerged from the 2023 legislative session with several wins, including protecting highway fund dollars and securing $215 million in new dollars for local infrastructure projects. KCA was also able to mitigate issues that would have created new requirements for contractors, including a change that would have impacted unemployment benefits for workers in our industry.

TAXES

The most notable veto that failed to get the votes for an override this session was Senate Bill 169, the mega tax bill. The bill would have moved the state to a flat income tax rate of 5.15%, accelerated the elimination of the state portion of food sales tax, increased property tax exemptions for homeowners, and smoothed the social security income tax cliff. The bill was expected to have the votes to override, but fell short in the Senate with two conservatives voting against the override and one conservative passing. With little time left in the session, a second tax bill was not attempted, leaving further tax cut discussions for next session.

BUDGET, HIGHWAY FUND & NEW LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

The original budget, House Bill 2184, passed by the Legislature before First Adjournment, largely

protected State Highway Funds from transfers. One such attempt to transfer dollars from the Highway Fund would have diverted $10 million from the Highway Fund to modernize the state’s license plate system. In budget negotiations, the Legislature removed the transfer and instead designated federal funds for this project.

The Governor line-item vetoed a provision in HB 2184 to create the BUILD Kansas Matching Grant Fund and earmark new dollars from the General Fund for local infrastructure projects. However, the Legislature revived the concept in its Omnibus budget, Senate Bill 25. Specifically, SB 25 creates the Matching Grant Fund and designates $215 million to help draw down federal funds for local projects as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

EMPLOYMENT BILLS

E-Verify. During the Regular Session, Sen. Caryn Tyson (R-Parker), chair of the Senate Tax committee, amended an e-verify provision onto the budget bill, House Bill 2184, during floor debate. That provision would have require “all state agencies and contractors with the state to enroll and actively participate in e-verify

for verification of employment eligibility in Fiscal Year 2024 and Fiscal Year 2025.” The language in the provision contained a number of inconsistencies, including conflicting information on how subcontractors were to be handled. Due to the inconsistencies, budget negotiators inserted language into the Omnibus budget (Senate Bill 25) that delays implementation until Fiscal Year 2025. We will continue to work with KDOT on implementation.

Unemployment for Temporary Employees. House Bill 2401 would have amended the state’s unemployment laws, including defining temporary unemployment as “an individual who has been laid off due to lack of work by an employing unit for which the individual has worked full time and reasonably expects to resume full-time work at a future date and the individual’s employment with the employing unit has been temporarily suspended and not terminated.” The bill also would have changed the number of weeks a temporary employee could receive benefits, generally limiting them to eight consecutive weeks. However, extensions of up to four additional weeks could be permitted upon approval of the Secretary of Labor.

Extensions would be allowed only upon a determination by the Secretary that the employer has filed all required employment security reports, paid all required contributions and is either a positive account employer or a negative account

employer with a calculated reserve ratio that has improved since the employer’s most recent reporting year. HB 2401 passed the House but was not heard by the Senate Commerce Committee. The bill will remain alive for next session. We will be working with Leadership and Commerce committee members during the interim on potential solutions to address concerns without impacting workforce availability in industries, like transportation, that have seasonal considerations.

Tax Credit for Apprenticeships. House Bill 2292 was signed into law. The bill creates a tax credit for certain employers who create apprenticeship programs to strengthen and expand the Kansas workforce. Employers would be eligible for the tax credit for up to 20 apprentices in tax years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

TRANSPORTATION BILLS

Water Infrastructure Projects. House Bill 2302 passed the Legislature and was approved by the Governor. It includes creation of the Water Project Grant Fund and directs a portion of revenue from the state sales tax to fund water-related infrastructure projects.

Railroad Track Maintenance Funding. House Bill 2335 increases the transfer from the State Highway Fund from $5 million to $10 million for the rail service improvement fund. This will create loans and grants for qualified track maintenance in the rail service improvement program.

2023 TOURNAMENT WINNERS

Golf tournament supports scholarships for future of heavy construction

TOURNAMENT SPONSORS

More than 135 golfers turned out June 8 at Colbert Hills to "golf for a goal." The goal was to grow the industry's workforce by raising funds for scholarships and internships to support students interested in heavy construction careers. More than $63,000 was donated this year by players and sponsors to support the KCA Construction Education Foundation's scholarship program. Since inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $800,000 in scholarships and educational support. The winners of the Championship Flight – the Midwest Concrete Materials team of Chris Eichman, Rob Eichman, Curt Kitson and Marvin Spees – were awarded the Kitson Cup.

Top: Steve Altobello of Shilling Construction and Ben Williams and Joe Tiernan with Holmes Murphy visit with golfers at Tee Box #5. Bottom Left: The Purple Wave Auctions team hosted Tee Box #15. Bottom right: Michael White at Tee Box #1 with Frank Champion (Ergon), Allan Gardner (Crane Agency), Jason Mayers (Marmie Auto Group) and Chris Spray (Venture Corporation).

OUR 2023 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

FOUNDATION SET TO AWARD $60,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS

KCA's Construction Education Foundation is set to award $36,000 in scholarships and an estimated $24,000 in internships this year. The awards are presented to students pursuing a career in heavy construction through training at a Kansas technical college, community college or four-year institution.

Insurance coverage options to consider when it comes to workplace violence

BY SHANNON HILDING, J.D., CRIS

Workplace violence is becoming a more prevalent risk. Despite the pit in your stomach you feel when thinking about the topic, violence must be addressed from a preventative and business continuity standpoint. Your proactivity could end up protecting the livelihood of your employees and company.

It’s important for business owners to consider the physical, emotional and financial risks posed by workplace violence and how they can protect themselves.

You may think workers compensation covers costs, but this may not always be the case. There are other considerations too, such as providing counseling, crisis communications and lost revenue. One option is workplace violence insurance, which exists to address expenses resulting from an actual or threatened incidence of violence.

Be Aware of Gaps in Workers Compensation

At the forefront of business owners’ minds is the physical safety of their employees. This often leads

to the assumption that expenses incurred due to a violent act in the workplace are covered under workers compensation.

Yet this topic falls into a gray area for workers compensation. Coverage can be very fact-specific (for example, is the motivation behind the attack truly work-related or a personal issue that erupted in the workplace?) and may be affected by a patchwork of state laws.

Protect Business Operations

Additionally, considering only medical expenses from such an event leaves a great deal of financial exposure on the table. You could, in turn, leave your balance sheet exposed.

After all, the impact of violence in the workplace is not limited to physical wellbeing. It has a ripple effect that could affect the overall financial wellbeing of your company. A traumatic event like violence has the potential to shut your company down for multiple days. And media coverage could

negatively impact your company’s public image. Insurance carriers are now offering workplace violence policies to assist businesses with expenses and liabilities that may ensue after an event. Such coverage is a necessary piece of business continuity planning that is there to support and protect your business during a time of great distress.

While the hope is that such coverage is never needed, the reassurance that it is available can be invaluable.

What is Covered in Workplace Violence Policies

Business Income and Extra Expenses

Covers lost revenue, expenses incurred to get the business back up and running, temporary location costs, and ongoing expenses such as employee salaries and wages for temporary replacement workers.

Public Relations and Crisis Management Expenses

Costs associated with communicating about the event with employees, customers and the public.

Additional Expenses

Heightened security assessments and personnel, counseling services, medical or dental care, sanitation services, death benefits to survivors and forensic analysis.

It's important to think proactively about workplace violence. Talk with your insurance broker and safety team about how best to protect your business from such threats. While discussing the threat of violence remains uncomfortable, it has the potential of protecting people's lives and your company’s future.

Shannon Hilding, J.D., CRIS is Director of Service, Property & Casualty for The Miller Group. She can be reached at shannonh@millercares.com

MEET THE NEXT SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

Governor appoints Calvin Reed to top spot at KDOT

Calvin Reed, a 15-year Kansas Department of Transportation employee, has earned Governor Laura Kelly's appointment to lead the agency. Reed has been acting secretary since the December 2022 resignation of Julie Lorenz.

We sat down with Secretaryappointee Reed to talk about his experience and vision for the future of the agency.

Where did you grow up? I grew up on my family’s hog farm just outside Melvern, Kansas. I’ve lived in Kansas my entire life.

What was your very first job? I helped my dad and grandpa on the farm as early as I could cut thistle out of a pasture or carry a bucket of feed to the hogs. My first “real” job was as a cashier at the BETO Junction truck stop.

Tell us about the jobs you’ve held since then on your career path: I started out as a bridge designer for KDOT in 2002 in Dick Elliot’s bridge squad. I had the amazing opportunity to be mentored by some of the best bridge engineers in Kansas. As my career progressed, I began to specialize in bridge repairs and rehabs and eventually began managing the bridge maintenance squad in 2006 and ultimately became KDOT’s bridge

management engineer in 2010. In 2016 I left KDOT for an opportunity in the private sector working as bridge team lead and transportation division manager for PEC. I came back to KDOT in 2019 as Bureau Chief of Structures and Geotechnical Services, then Division Director for Engineering and Design before I was appointed to the Acting Secretary role.

What originally drew you to the engineering/ construction industry? And, what encourages you to want to stay in this industry? I’ve always had a natural curiosity and I’ve always enjoyed problem solving – which are some important skills for growing up on the farm. I remember having a small stream by our house, and after a rain one of my favorite things to do was to take whatever I could scrounge up around the farm and try to build a dam to see how high I could dam the stream up. I finally backed the stream up far enough that my dad asked me to stop. Growing up in a very small school, we weren’t exposed to engineering as a career, but I was fortunate to have a couple teachers who identified that skillset in me and encouraged me. Bridge engineering appealed to me very early on in college. Once again, I had a great mentor, Dr. Robert Peterman at K-State, who

took me under his wing and challenged me in every way. Because of him, I came out of college much more prepared for the challenges thrown at me when I started at KDOT.

I would encourage anyone to get into the transportation industry – construction, engineering, surveying, etc. for a number of reasons. First and foremost, what we do is important. The ability to easily move from one place to another is something that we sometimes take for granted, but it is essential for the success of our state. I also think our industry is in a transition. While change can be scary, it can also be exciting because we get to set the path. I am very excited to see what the next generation brings for transportation.

With your long-time experience as a leader within KDOT, what do you see as the department’s biggest challenge? And, what’s the biggest opportunity you see as you step into this new role? Workforce! The pandemic accelerated the trend of retirements throughout our industry and the biggest challenge will be filling that void of experience. When it comes to projects, KDOT has two core responsibilities that cannot be delegated to someone else– decision making and oversight. With the rapid loss of experience in our industry, it is more important than ever to have a sustainable model for continuing to be able to do these within the Agency.

There are many pieces to this puzzle, including education, training, compensation and career path development. These are conversations that KDOT leadership are already having, and I look forward to leading these conversations going forward.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the industry as a whole? Workforce! KDOT’s role in helping industry face this challenge is slightly different. We need to communicate to industry through continual and sustained investment in our transportation infrastructure. When we do this, I am

confident that industry partners in Kansas will step up and staff up to deliver.

One of the keys to success for any organization lies in the strength of its partnerships. What do you value about the department’s current partnership with contractors and the industry? And, what can contractors do to help strength that partnership? I am consistently reminded how valuable partnerships are to deliver transportation for Kansans. In fact, the IKE Transportation Program was built around partnerships and is delivered through these partnerships. What I see as valuable about KDOT and industry partnerships is this: though our missions may be different, at the end of the day we are all working toward a common goal – delivering a transportation system that Kansans have come to expect. My expectation is continued open and transparent dialogue between industry and KDOT – at all levels. Trust is developed through this type of collaboration, and trust is necessary to solve our problems together.

Electric vehicles and the impact on motor fuels tax stands to change transportation revenues in Kansas and around the country. What is/can KDOT and the industry do to be proactive? This is one of the most transformative times in the transportation industry and how we fuel the fleet of the future is a big national conversation. A lot of the conversation so far has been about EV, but there are other emerging technologies that I think have a lot of potential, including hydrogen. I think the most important part of the conversation is that these innovations are a GOOD thing. Diversification of our fleet provides a more sustainable model for continuing to have the freedom to move around like we do now. As we move forward, it is important that we don’t get too married to adapting to one particular technology and instead look for solutions that would work for a whole range of options.

Kansas is in the final year of our Road Usage Charge (RUC) study. RUC has been used on the coasts for years, but has not been widely explored in the midwestern states. This study will be one of the first steps in informing policymakers what the values of Kansans are as we look to funding transportation for the future. I look forward to engaging with the governor, the legislature and industry in identifying sustainable strategies for funding into the next transportation program.

RECH ELECTED KCA PRESIDENT

Chris Rech was elected president of KCA at the association's convention in January. Rech is vice president of A.M. Cohron & Son in Emporia. Other officers elected at convention include: Chad Girard, APAC-Spears, Vice President and Josh Smith, Klaver Construction, Treasurer. New board members elected include: Peter Clark, Bayer Construction, Aggregate & Light Type; Pat Short, Pearson Construction, Director-at-Large; and Jay Van Hove, Koss Construction, Rigid Paving.

KENNETH LANGLEY PASSES AWAY

Kenneth "Red" Langley passed away June 26 at the age of 97. He cofounded and was a partner in L&M Contractors with Ed Mauler. Langley's wife Doris preceded him in death. He is survived by daughter, Candace Dolan of Great Bend, and son, Floyd Guernsey of Enid, Oklahoma.

KDOT-KCA PARTNERING CONFERENCE DRAWS 250

The KDOT-KCA Partnering Conference drew more than 250 contractors, engineers and KDOT professionals to Wichita on February 21. KCA members Chris Rech of A.M. Cohron & Son, and Rod Jerrick of APAC-Shears were panelists during the day along with John Riggins of Kirkham, Michael & Associates, Inc., Dan Scherschligt of the Kansas Asphalt Pavement Association and Tony Menke with KDOT.

BHC ACQUIRES SAVOY

Brungardt Honomichl & Company, P.A. (BHC) has acquired long-time

Kansas firm Savoy Company, P.A. Wichitabased Savoy provides services ranging from preliminary property surveys to forensic accident scene investigations. BHC, based in Overland Park, specializes in civil engineering and land surveying services with expertise in the telecom sector.

BERGKAMP CUTS RIBBON ON COMPLETION OF K-14

Bob Bergkamp Construction joined KDOT, the project subcontractors and local officials to officially open up K-14 with a ribbon-cutting event on June 14. The $81.7 million project, one of the last projects to be completed under the T-Works plan, provides a 15-mile asphalt freeway with paved shoulders connecting Hutchinson to Nickerson to Sterling, through Reno and Rice counties. The Reno County interchanges are 56th

Avenue near Hutchinson and Nickerson Road near Nickerson. The Rice County interchange is Broadway Avenue near Sterling. Additional KCA members on the project included: APAC-Shears, Dondlinger Construction, Fulsom Brothers, King Construction, Klaver Construction, PCi Roads, Pearson Construction, Reece Construction, Roadsafe Traffic Systems, Seeders Inc. and Surveys Inc.

The Rice County portions of the project included 19 reinforced concrete boxes, six bridges, 2,134,255 cubic yards of fill and about 100,014 tons of asphalt. The Reno County portion included 24 reinforced concrete boxes, five bridges, 2,249,430 cubic yards of fill and about 101,412 tons of asphalt.

Read more: The K-14 project was recently featured in Construction Equipment Guide.

DONDLINGER COMPLETES WICHITA FLY-OVER

Wichita celebrated completion of the new two-lane flyover that connects northbound I-135 to southbound I-235 with a ribbon-cutting on May 24. The project, spearheaded by Dondlinger Construction, is another step in an ongoing project to improve the North Junction, which connects I-135, I-235, K-254 and K-96. The two-lane bridge is a 1,323 foot, weathering steel superstructure on a curved alignment.

The project involved 110,085 man-hours, 3,688,077 pounds of structural steel, 17,600 cubic yards of structure and paving concrete, 681,622 cubic yards of dirt and the equivalent of five miles of steel H-Pile. Construction cost for this sub-phase was $36.3 million.

CLARKSON BREAKS GROUND

ON FIRST PROGRESSIVE

DESIGN BUILD PROJECT IN KANSAS

Clarkson Construction Company broke ground June 29 on infrastructure improvements in Desoto. The $61 million project – which includes updating the current two-lane asphalt road to a divided 4-lane roadway with curb, gutter and sidewalks –will support the new Panasonic plant that is under construction. Governor Laura Kelly, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids, KDOT Secretary-appointee Calvin Reed, Kansas House Transportation Chairman Shannon

LEGISLATIVE LEADERS TALK TRANSPORTATION

The KCA office was the site for this year's Transportation Day, hosted Feb. 8 by Economic Lifelines. Legislative leaders joined the crowd of transportation, economic development and local government officials for a discussion on infrastructure. Panelists included Senate President Ty Masterson, Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, House Minority Leader Vic Miller, Senate Transportation Chairman Mike Petersen and House Transportation Chairman Shannon Francis

Francis and local officials all participated in the groundbreaking, which is the first progressive design-build project KDOT has undertaken in Kansas. The project is funded by the IKE plan along with matching dollars from the City of DeSoto and Johnson County.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR CONED TOURNAMENT HOLE SPONSORS

A.M. Cohron & Son

APAC-Shears

ASP Enterprises

Assured Partners

Berry Tractor

Bettis Companies

BRB Contractors

Central Plains Cement

Construction Anchors

Coreslab Structures

Crafco

Dustrol

Ebert Construction

Ergon

Flint Hills Resources

GW VanKeppel

Hall Brothers

Harris Kelsey Law/Blaine Finch

Jim Hawk Truck Trailers

King Construction

Koss Construction

Midwest Concrete Materials

Midwest Minerals

The Miller Group

The Monarch Cement Co.

Pavement Pros

Phillips Southern Electric

Pinion

OldCastle Infrastructure

SMH Consultants

Vance Brothers

Venture Corporation

Wildcat Construction

Vogts-Parga Construction was created in 2009 by the merger of Vogts Construction and Parga Construction, two Newton-based construction companies. The merger combined the dirt-moving and heavy equipment experience of Alan Vogts and the concrete expertise of brothers Rene and Ricardo Parga. Together, they grew the company from revenues of $500,000 a year to $15 million+ a year.

Rene and Ricardo became sole owners in December 2020 when Alan retired. Because the Parga brothers migrated to Kansas from Mexico and are now U.S. citizens, the company is certified in Kansas and Oklahoma as a DBE and MBE.

Both Rene and Ricardo know the business from the ground up. They got their start as concrete finishers for Helmers Construction in Wichita. Their management team is equally experienced in all aspects of construction, business ownership and management.

What's next? Vogts-Parga has purchased a 10acre property at I-35 and Hwy 260 in Moundridge. In 2024, the company will consolidate its office, shop and warehouse into the centralized location which includes a 50,000 square foot warehouse and two stories of office space.

MEMBER PROFILE

Vogts-Parga Construction

717 North Main Street | Newton, Kansas 67114 (316) 284-2801 | VogtsParga.com

Year Founded: 2009

Joined KCA: 2022

Work Performed: Concrete & drainage

Special Designations: Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) in Kansas and Oklahoma

Management Team:

Rene Parga, President

Ricardo Parga, Vice President

Chris Metcalf, Operations Manager

Scott Seirer, Project Coordinator

Allen Murdock, Controller & Finance Manager

Offense, defense and special teams

BY MICHAEL WHITE KCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Former NFL coach George Allen used to say that winning in football is "one-third defense, one-third offense, and one-third special teams." The same can be said of a winning legislative strategy.

Our industry's strategy and commitment to advocacy paid off again this session with both the Governor and the Legislature prioritizing transportation. Here's how:

The Defense

Working with Statehouse leaders, we were able to protect the highway fund from extraordinary transfers. We were also able to protect the highway fund's sales tax revenue stream.

There were multiple proposals on the table this session to accelerate the reduction or elimination of the sales tax on food. A flat cut or phase out of the food sales tax would have reduced revenues intended for the highway fund. However, the Governor and legislative leaders stood with us and, in their tax proposals, adjusted the percentage of the non-food sales tax dedicated to the highway fund in order to prevent a cut to transportation.

The Offense

We worked with House leadership on legislation to establish the BUILD Kansas Matching Grant Fund and designate new dollars for local infrastructure projects. These new dollars ($215 million) will come from the State General Fund and will be available to help communities apply for federal IIJA funds.

This will ensure Kansas can secure its fair share of the federal funding and make sure small and midsize communities aren’t left out due to an inability to secure the required match.

Special Teams

Our team – our members and our staff – are a critical part of our success. KCA members have long recognized the importance of being engaged in the political and legislative process. A testament to that is the member support for our Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Fund. The Eisenhower Fund has helped solidify KCA's position as one of the most influential voices at the Statehouse, and allowed us to further build a winning strategy.

Another step we took this session was to round out our lobbying team. The board approved bringing Blaine Finch, an attorney and former Speaker Pro Tem of the Kansas House, on contract to assist with legal review, bill drafting, legislative strategy and lobbying. This addition is one more step toward strengthening our organization's offense and defense, and securing the interests of our members and the industry as a whole.

The bottom line is this: if we don't stand up for transportation, who will?

GET MORE WITH MURPHY

With 31 locations offering a full complement of equipment, parts inventory, service technicians and field service capabilities - We are ready to serve you!

800 SW Jackson, Suite 100 Topeka, Kansas 66612

WeBuildKansas.com

Midwest Concrete Materials team wins Kitson Cup in Championship flight

The Midwest Concrete Materials team of Chris Eichman, Rob Eichman, Curt Kitson and Marvin Spees won the Championship Flight in this year's ConEd Golf Tournament. They were awarded the Kitson Cup. Read more about the tournament on Page 14.