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The Halloween hit "Monster Mash" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent rest of October at the top of the charts sixty-four years ago. This fun historical nugget sent me on a mini side quest to create a haunting playlist curated specifically for the construction professional:
• I Put a Lien On You - An unpaid subcontractor's blood-chilling warning.
• Driller - Imagine the zombie dance, but everyone's in hard hats.
• Dead Load Party - A structural engineer's wild night out.
• Somebody's Watching Me (The OSHA Inspector) - Everyone better have their safety glasses on...
• Change Order Mash - It caught on it a flash, and it blew the budget.
• Bad Bid Rising - A cautionary tale about the lowest number on bid day.
• The Time Warp (Schedule Edition) - It's just a jump to the left on the Gantt chart.
• Punch List Killer - The architect walked through and found 312 items.
• This is Bid Day - Addenda arriving at 4:55pm is scarier than anything in Halloween Town.
• Zombie (Night Shift, Week Six) - Not undead, just running on gas station coffee and four hours of sleep.
If you want the actual playlist that inspired this spook-tacular MBEX edition, I've got it here. Enjoy!
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Five Quick Things To Know & Do This Week:
1.) 40 and Under - Share this with the young professionals in your office. Our next MBEX Young Professionals Network (YPN) event is happening October 28 at Frattalone Construction. Come meet and mingle with folks in a similar stage of their careers, make new connections, and enjoy appetizers and drinks.
2.) Industry Pulse - ABC's Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.7-months in September, up 0.2-months when compared to both the previous month (August) and September 2025. Commercial and institutional backlog rose to their highest level since July 2025 (9.0-months).
3.) Minority Notice - Engineering & Construction Innovations (ECI) is seeking quotations from subcontractors and suppliers, particularly current CERT-certified SBE, MBE, and WBE firms, for the City of St. Paul 2026 Citywide Sewer Repairs project. See full notice here.
3.) Project Watch - Three states. Two big infrastructure projects. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is planning a 101-mile, $249-million, 345-kilowatt transmission line connecting Alexandria, Minn. to the Minnesota/North Dakota border, with construction starting in 2028. Meanwhile in South Dakota, the state's Board of Water and Natural Resources gave the green light to $33.6-million for drinking water and wastewater projects.
5.) Social Media Break - When the experience IS the payday 😎 😂
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TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) - Inside Issue No. 42:
• December Plans: Registration now open for Holiday Party North in Duluth
• DEED Funding: $2-million awarded to seven Minnesota redevelopment and demolition projects
• Board Election: See the slate of candidates proposed for MBEX's 2027 Board of Directors
• Q4 Risks: Cyberattacks becoming more and more common among construction companies with technological advances and AI usage
• Upcoming Events: Construction Estimating Principles & Application online course (11/10); Reading Construction Documents online course (11/12 & 11/13); Online Plan Room Demo (11/19); & Holiday Party North (12/10)
• Project Download: Updated project information for the week of October 14-20
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Jingle Bells are Already Ringing...
Join us December 10 for Holiday Party North
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We know, we know. The pumpkins are barely carved, but Ridgeview Country Club in Duluth has a holiday party with your name on it.
MBEX's Holiday Party North is set for Thursday, December 10, and it's a proper end-of-season evening. By the time December rolls around, a constructions season's worth of deadlines, decisions, and tough weeks have accumulated. This is a night to set that all aside and relax.
A sit-down dinner, a drink in hand, familiar faces across the table...it sounds simple, and it is, but it's something we look forward to every year.
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Date: Thursday, December 10
Time: 5:00pm - 7:30pm
Location: Ridgeview Country Club
700 Redwing Street, Duluth, 55803
Cost: $45 per person
Become a Sponsor: Support this event by becoming a Dinner, Cocktail, Hors d'oeuvres, or Door Prize Sponsor!
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If you're based in the Duluth area or spend a good chunk of your time working up north, this event is for you.
Holiday Party North draws members from across the region's industry, meaning the room tends to feel less like a networking event and more like running into people you actually know, and a few new faces you'll be glad you met.
Want to show up in a bigger way? Sponsorship opportunities are available inside the registration form, from Dinner and Cocktail sponsorships to Door Prizes.
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THANK YOU, SPONSORS!
We greatly appreciate the support of the following member companies who are already helping make this event possible:
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Register before the season feels overwhelming; Future You will thank you 😎
| | | Contact Melanie, Events & Membership Coordinator, with registration, sponsorship, or other event-related questions: (612) 381-2628 or melanie@mbex.org. | | |
DEED Announces $2M for Site Redevelopment
Seven Redevelopment & Demolition Projects to Receive Funding
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The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced more than $2-million in awards for seven redevelopment and demolition projects through their Redevelopment Grant and Demolition Loan programs.
The Redevelopment Grant Program helps communities eliminate barriers to development by removing blighted structures, stabilizing soil, and upgrading infrastructure for more productive industrial, residential or commercial uses.
The Demolition Loan Program helps communities with the removal of dilapidated and unsafe structures to prep sites for future developments.
The redevelopment and demolition funding projects include:
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ANNANDALE
Pandora's Redevelopment - $66,183
• For abatement, building demolition, and public infrastructure improvements.
• This 0.16-acre site will be redeveloped into a two-story, 10,000-sqaure-foot mixed-use building with four upper-floor residential apartment units and first floor commercial space.
• Historically the site was used as a meat market and other retail.
CROOKSTON
Old Tri-Valley Building - $495,000
• For building demolition.
• The 0.76-acre site has the potential to support a three-story mixed-used building with first floor retail and upper-level housing.
• Historically the site was used as offices and commercial space.
HIBBING
Jefferson School - $388,865
• For abatement and building demolition.
• The 10.35-acre site will be redeveloped into a three-story apartment building with 75 residential units.
• The site was historically developed as a school and most recently a bakery.
HUTCHINSON
Jorgenson Hotel Redevelopment - $125,915
• For abatement and demolition.
• The 0.26-acre site will be redeveloped into a new boutique hotel.
• Historically, this site was developed as a hotel and later used as apartments, restaurants, retail and office space.
LINDSTROM
Lindstrom's Landing - $313,799
• For site demolition and public infrastructure improvements.
• The 2.67-acre site will be redeveloped into a 20-unit senior apartment building, a 3,600-square-foot retail and office building, and an 80-room boutique hotel with a 28,000-square-foot restaurant.
• Historically the site was developed as a hotel, and more recently was occupied by a restaurant.
NEW ULM
The 227 Hotel - $347,450
• For interior abatement, demolition, and public infrastructure improvements.
• The 0.54-acre site will now be renovated and redeveloped into an 80-room boutique hotel, a 3,500-square-foot event space, and will continue to house its anchor restaurant.
• The site was previously used as retail and residential space but is currently occupied by a restaurant.
SOUTH ST. PAUL - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (EDA)
Concord Business Center - $360,763
• For abatement, demolition and public infrastructure improvements.
• The 4.2-acre site will be redeveloped into a 70,000-square-foot office and warehouse building.
• Historically, the site was used for vehicle maintenance, trucking and office space.
| | Since its inception in 1998, DEED had awarded more than $92.1-million in Redevelopment Grant funding, attracting over $4.4-billion in private investment and creating more than 10,000 housing units (almost 3,000 of which are considered affordable), and more than $3.9-million in Demolition Loans, reclaiming more than 67-acres of blighted property. | | | The projects listed above will collectively create or retain 151 jobs, increase local tax bases by more than $1.1-million and leverage more than $92-million in private investment. | | |
Your Vote, Your Board
MBEX Board of Directors Elections are Coming in December
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The 2027 MBEX Board of Directors election is coming up, and we want to make sure every member company knows what to expect, how the process works, and how to participate.
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This Year's Slate
Our election is slightly different this year. Instead of voting for 3 of 6 proposed candidates, our Nominating Committee is putting forth a slate of candidates for membership approval, per a bylaw change approved last year. The 3 proposed candidates to join the 2027 Board are featured below.
Member companies are being asked to approve, or not approve, these candidates. If you'd prefer to support someone not on the slate, write-in candidates are welcome.
Every member company receives one ballot, and every ballot counts equally regardless of company size.
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Matt Olin
President
Sorlie Acoustics
(Duluth, Minn.)
25+ Years in the
Construction Industry
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Chris Niemand
Vice President
Frattalone Construction
(St. Paul, Minn.)
15+ Years in the
Construction Industry
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Justin Tacheny
Territory Manager
Sunbelt Rentals
(Metro / Twin Cities area)
5+ Years in the
Construction Industry
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What the Board of Directors Does
MBEX's Board of Directors sets the strategic direction of the organization, oversees its operations, and represents the interests of the membership. The Board guides organization priorities, helps determine resources are allocated, and how MBEX shows up for its members across the Upper Midwest.
What Members Can Expect and When
Elections will be held throughout the month of December. Additional details, including full candidate information, ballot instructions, and deadlines, will be communicated to all member companies ahead of the election's opening.
Keep an eye on your inbox and upcoming issues of the Weekly Bulletin for everything you'll need to know to participate.
Questions?
Reach out to David Siegel, Executive Director, at (612) 381-2625 or ds@mbex.org.
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Know Your Risks: Cybersecurity & Technology
Q4 Commercial Construction Risk Check-In [Part 5 of 6]
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Banks and hospitals get hacked. Healthcare systems and tech companies make news after ransomware attacks. But a framing contractor in Minneapolis or a mechanical sub in Des Moines? That's not who cybercriminals are after...or so the thinking goes.
The data says otherwise, and the gap between how contractors perceive their cyber risk and the reality of that risk is one of the more consequential blind spots in the industry currently.
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😵 The Threat is Real and It's Growing
Cyberattacks targeting construction and engineering organizations rose 23% year over year as of May 2026, according to Check Point Research. That's a measurable, sustained trend that reflects something important: the construction industry has become an increasingly attractive target because it has been slow to prioritize cybersecurity.
Construction companies carry a significant amount of sensitive data, like financial records, contract terms, project plans, subcontractor agreements, payroll information, and increasingly, the credentials and access points for the digital tools and platforms that run modern project management. That data has value to cybercriminals whether your company generates $2-million a year or $200-million.
Add in the growth of connected technology on jobsites (project management software, building information modeling platforms, IoT-enabled equipment, and cloud-based documents systems, to name a few) has expanded the attack surface considerably.
The specific threats to know and understand include:
• Ransomware. Attackers encrypt your systems and demand payment to restore access.
• Payment Fraud. Criminals intercept or spoof communications to redirect payments to fraudulent accounts.
• Phishing Attacks. Employees are manipulated into surrendering credentials or clicking malicious links.
• Data Breaches. When sensitive project or personnel information is accessed and either sold or used for extortion.
Each of these has affected construction companies in recent years, and each is growing more sophisticated as AI tools make it easier for attackers to craft convincing, personalized attacks at scale.
🤖 The AI Factor
The cybersecurity threats seen in 2026 are vastly different than how they looked even two or three years ago, largely because of AI.
Phishing emails used to be relatively easy to spot with their poor grammar, generic greetings, and implausible scenarios (do you still hear from that Nigerian prince?).
AI-generated phishing messages are now grammatically flawless, contextually specific, and in some cases convincingly personalized using information scraped from public sources like company websites and LinkedIn profiles.
The same tools that are changing how contractors estimate, document, and manage projects are also changing how criminals target them. An employee who received basic phishing awareness training two years ago may not be equipped to spot today's AI-assisted attacks.
🚩 Where Companies Are Most Exposed
A few specific vulnerabilities tend to show up repeatedly in construction cybersecurity incidents.
Wire fraud and payment diversion are among the most financially devastating. This is when an attacker intercepts an email chain between a contractor and a subcontractor or supplier, inserts themselves into the conversation, and redirects payment to a fraudulent account. By the time the error is discovered, the money is gone and recovery is difficult. Verification protocols, like calling a known number to confirm payment instructions before any wire transfer, are a simple but citical defense.
Project management and document platforms are another exposure point. Many companies use cloud-based systems that multiple employees, subs, and project partners access. Weak passwords, shared credentials, and inadequate access controls create pathways that attackers can exploit. A sub whose credentials are compromised can become the entry point for an attack on the GC's systems.
Remote access, or the ability to connect to company systems from outside the office, expanded dramatically during and after the pandemic and hasn't slowed down since. Every remote location is a potential entry point, and the security controls around those connections vary widely from company to company.
📋 What To Do Before 2027
The practical starting point is an honest look at your technology exposure. Ask yourself and your crew the following:
• What platforms, connected devices, and AI-enabled tools does your company use across its operations?
• Who has access to what, and how are those access credentials managed?
• When did your team last receive cybersecurity training? Did that training reflect today's AI-assisted threat environment or the threat environment of three years ago?
From there, a few specific actions should be prioritized before year-end:
1.) Establish clear verification protocols for any payment instruction changes, such as a phone call to a known contact before any wire transfer.
2.) Review access controls on your project management and document platforms, removing credentials for former employees and subs who no longer need access.
3.) Put a written policy in place governing how AI tools can be used for estimating, planning, documentation, and other business functions. (The liability questions around AI-assisted decisions are still being sorted out largely across the industry, and having a documented approach helps.)
On the coverage side, talk to your insurance advisor about cyber liability coverage before your next renewal. Many contractors either have no cyber coverage or carry limits that don't reflect their actual exposure. As AI-assisted attacks grow more sophisticated and construction companies become more attractive targets, the argument for adequate cyber coverage gets stronger.
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Cybersecurity isn't a technology problem; it's a business risk problem, which means it belongs in the same conversations as the rising costs, workforce vulnerabilities, litigation exposure, and weather resilience issues previously discussed throughout this series.
The common threat is pretty clear across all five parts: the risks that do the most damage to contractors are rarely the ones that come out of nowhere. They're the ones that were visible, were underestimated, and weren't acted on before they became a crisis.
Next issue, we wrap up the series with a comprehensive coverage overview, including the key insurance policies to revisit before the new year rolls around to make sure your protection reflects where your business really is today.
| | | The information for this feature was sourced from For Construction Pros. Members are encouraged to do their own due diligence by speaking with legal counsel. | | | |
A valuable benefit of an MBEX membership is invitations to our social and educational events; by being an employee of a member company, you, too, can take advantage and attend all MBEX-sponsored events.
** indicates a newly added or updated event
October 28 - MBEX Young Professionals Network
MBEX YPN is about making connections, building relationships, and growing one's network in a relaxed, welcoming setting. Come enjoy drinks, snacks, door prizes, and great conversation with fellow young construction professionals from across the industry also in the early stages of their careers. Register
November 10 - Construction Estimating Principles & Application [Online Course]
This half-day estimating course tackles both the principles and the technology behind competitive bids, covering advanced estimating concepts like cost analysis, risk management, escalation, and flexibility, alongside a practical look at how digital tools like Bluebeam Revu can produce faster, more consistent estimates. Sign Up
November 12 & 13 - Reading Construction Documents [Online Course]
This half-day estimating course tackles both the principles and the technology behind competitive bids, covering advanced estimating concepts like cost analysis, risk management, escalation, and flexibility, alongside a practical look at how digital tools like Bluebeam Revu can produce faster, more consistent estimates. Sign Up
** November 19 - Online Plan Room Demo
From navigating the Deskpad, setting up project search filters, and adding your company to a project's bidders list, this free one-hour session is a great introduction to our Online Plan Room. Register
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• Total Projects Received at MBEX from 10/12/2026 - 10/16/2026: 79
• Total Project Leads Reported on at MBEX from 10/12/2026 - 10/16/2026: 18
• Total Active Projects Received / Reported on at MBEX as of 10/20/2026: 281
• Total 2026 Projects posted to the Online Plan Room as of 10/20/2026: 4,863
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Click the button above to view the most recent project data from 10/14/2026 - 10/20/2026.
For information about the Bulletin's content, technical issues, or to place an ad (such as a Minority
Notice, Job Posting, or Event Notice), contact Ashlee, Membership & Communications Director.
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Information within the MBEX Weekly Bulletin is obtained from sources deemed reliable. The Midwest Builders Exchange (MBEX) does not assume responsibility for its completeness or accuracy. You are urged to check your own sources in addition to the information contained in this publication. This issue contains plans and other bidding information received before and including the date noted above. The project data within this newsletter is intended for member companies' and their employees' use only.
2026 BOARD OFFICERS: President - Brian Kalla, St. Cloud Acoustics; Vice President - Sean Ochis, Northern Industrial Insulation; Treasurer - Allie Brady, Veit USA; Past President - Heidi Sedlacek, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota
2026 DIRECTORS: Kevin Bohrer, Donlar Construction; Ben Bowman, Adolfson & Peterson Construction; David Brandt, Schadegg Mechanical; Matt Lennartson, RJM Construction; Chris Niemand, Frattalone Companies; Jason Rentmeester, Kraus-Anderson Construction; Harry Rothstein, Weidner's Mechanical Contractors; Jim Rothstein, Erickson Electric; and Alanna Soukkala, Holden Insurance Agency.
MBEX STAFF: David Siegel - Executive Director; Julie Miller - Executive Assistant / Project Coordinator / Accounting; Ashlee Hartwig - Membership & Communications Director; Melanie Hendrickson - Events & Membership Coordinator; Jeff Boelter - Project Acquisition & Plan Room Support; Shauna Baska - Project Reporter & Bidders Lists; Ka Yang - Addenda & Apparent Lows; Peggy Esboldt, Madison Gentil & Michelle Siegel - Project Reporters; Don O'Connor - Independent Event Planning Contractor
You are receiving this email because you are employed by a current member company in good standing or have indicated you wanted to receive MBEX's Weekly Bulletin. Unsubscribe from the Weekly Bulletin
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