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Five Things To Know & Do This Week:
1.) The MBEX Member Road Show will be stopping at Mr. D's Bar & Grill on Wednesday, March 6 (today!), from 3:00pm-5:00pm. If you're in Duluth or in the surrounding region, come stop by for free food & drinks and great networking opportunities.
2.) On that note, our stop scheduled for Thursday, March 7 at the Sawmill Saloon in Virginia, Minn., has been cancelled.
3.) MnDOT started spring load restrictions in the Central frost zone on March 1, 2024. Restrictions will begin in the North-Central frost zone Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Spring load restrictions have already begun in the South, Southeast, and Metro zones.
4.) Bluebeam Revu courses with UChapter2 started this week and continue into next. Sign up now, or join us for the next round of courses in June. We're also offering a Reading Construction Documents course on March 20 & 21.
5.) Test Your Knowledge:
In what century were women first recorded or mentioned as working in construction?
A.) 13th century
B.) 15th century
C.) 18th century
D.) 20th century
See the Answer
We recently attended a lecture on foundations; it was quite grounding.
IN BRIEF:
• For Women in Construction: Join us for a POWER-ful April 2nd event
• 20 or Less: New reporting required for small businesses
• Tips & Tricks: Printing your own customized bidders lists
• Sharp Fall: January's nonresidential construction spending dips deep
• ABI Remains In Decline, Common Estimating Mistakes, and Ways Jobsites Can Be More Inclusive to Women: Five construction headlines, and a 223-unit apartment building in Ramsey's downtown
• Member Benefit: Move and store for less with PODS
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2024 MBEX Women's POWER Workshops | |
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The MBEX Women’s POWER
series is gearing up for a dynamic return in 2024, featuring four exciting workshops that are set to continue our mission: empowering women throughout the construction industry
with education, fostering connections,
and elevating professional journeys.
Registration is now open for our first workshop on April 2nd, and mark your calendars for the following dates to join MBEX POWER for learning, networking, and professional and personal growth:
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WORKSHOP #1
Making It in a Male-Dominated World
• Tuesday, April 2
• 3:30pm - 5:30pm
• McGough Construction (Roseville)
Join us for a passionate discussion on diversity and inclusion, and discover how we can empower more women to succeed in male-dominated careers.
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WORKSHOP #2
Women, Money and Happiness
• Wednesday, June 26
• 7:30am-9:00am
• Location TBD
Women juggle a lot, and while managing the present is crucial, planning for the future is just as essential. Join us for a lively workshop where attendees will learn tips and tricks to help women become savvier and smarter with their finances.
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WORKSHOP #3
Balance vs. Blend
• Monday, August 19
• 2:00pm-3:30pm
• Prosperwell Financial (Mendota Heights)
Say goodbye to the concept of balance and embrace the idea of fulfilling blend. Join us for this workshop where attendees will leave with practical ideas on how to find that perfect blend in life they're dreaming of.
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WORKSHOP #4
Live It List & Self-Care Health Fair
• Thursday, October 10
• Time TBD
• Hilton Minneapolis (Bloomington)
Get ready for an exceptional experience as attendees unlock the secrets to true happiness and discover how to live life to the fullest through the Live It List. Nicole joins us as our special guest speaker at the MBEX Fall Social and second annual Self-Care Health Fair.
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Meet Our Workshop Speaker
Each workshop will be guided by none other than the incredible Nicole Middendorf, CEO of Prosperwell Financial and the visionary behind the Live It List (pictured left).
Nicole is a financial expert, a knowledge junkie,
a survivor, a single mom, and a born coach. In 2003, she boldly ventured out from Morgan Stanley to establish her own wealth management firm, Propserwell Financial. She’s also the author of five books, as well as a world traveler, a philanthropist, and a pro when it comes to public speaking.
The best part of it all? These workshops are open to ALL women in the construction sector. Whether swinging a hammer on-site, rocking it in marketing, managing projects like a boss, or a trade skills expert, these sessions are for you.
Be the first to know when registration opens for each of these upcoming workshops by signing up for the POWER email list, and keep an eye on the MBEX's website for upcoming details as they become available.
Feel free to bring your girlfriends and colleagues along --- the more the merrier, and we're all about building a rock-solid and POWER-ful support network for everyone.
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New Required Report to Impact Small Businesses with 20 Full-Time Employees or Less | |
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Effective January 1, 2024, small businesses with 20 full-time or less employees --- including building material dealers and suppliers --- are now required to file a Beneficial Ownership Report with the US Department of Treasury and its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as part of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).
This law was passed in 2021 and aims to combat illicit activity including tax fraud, money laundering, and financing for terrorism by capturing more ownership information for specific U.S. businesses operating in or accessing the country's market.
Employers with 20 full-time employees or less, or those with less than $5-million in gross sales, will now be required to disclose all beneficial owners and key decision makers within their organization to FinCEN via an online reporting system.
Any existing business who meets the above noted requirements has until December 31, 2024 to file its 2024 report.
Employees with 21 or more full-time employees or with gross sales of greater than $5-million are exempt from the law / reporting requirement.
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Printing a Customized Bidders List | |
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As an MBEX member you have access to a complete bidders list for every project in the Online Plan Room, but may be unaware that you have the ability to print your own customized bidders lists.
The bidders list for each project can be found along the top of the Project Details page (the red tabs found underneath the project's title).
To print a customized bidders list:
1.) Start by clicking the "Bidders" tab. The current list of bidders for that project will be shown.
2.) An open checkbox appears to the left of every company name as well as every trade type (Electrical, General, Masonry, etc.). Select as many individual companies as you'd like for inclusion within your customized list by clicking on the box next to the company name (a blue checkmark will appear inside the box once selected). Alternatively, check the box next to a trade type to add *all* listed companies for that trade type to your list.
3.) Once selections have been made (individual companies and/or trade types), click on the red button to the left featuring a printer icon. Choose your printer, click 'Print,' and you're finished!
Your customized list will include Company Names, Addresses, Phone Numbers, Fax Numbers, Zip Codes, listed Contact Names, and Contact Email Addresses (if available).
BONUS: You can also send an email to a selected company (or companies) by clicking the orange button (also found on the left) featuring an envelope icon.
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Nonresidential Spending Falls Sharply in January | |
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Spending was down on a monthly basis in 10 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories. Private nonresidential spending fell 0.1%, while public nonresidential construction was down 1.0% in January.
"Nonresidential construction spending fell sharply in January, ending a 19-month streak of monthly gains," said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. "Some of this decrease is due to weather-related factors. That's especially true in infrastructure categories like highway and street and water supply, both of which exhibited steep declines in spending to start the year but should remain elevated through 2024."
Construction spending in the manufacturing category, on the other hand, continued to surge in January, accounting for nearly $1 of every $5 of nonresidential construction spending.
Despite January's disappointing data, nonresidential construction spending is still up more than 17% over the past year.
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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 any and all MBEX-sponsored events.
** indicates a newly added event
March 3-9 - Women in Construction Week
Women in Construction (WIC) Week celebrates and promotes the role of women throughout the construction industry. See WIC Week Events
March 6 - Member Road Show: Duluth
Join MBEX for a casual gathering with food, drinks, and networking with great company at Mr. D's Bar & Grill. Register Here
March 7 - Bluebeam 3: Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Advanced)
After finishing the Bluebeam 2 course, students will move into creating custom columns, embedding formulas, and information organization. Register Here
CANCELLED: March 7 - Member Road Show: The Iron Range (Virginia)
We're sorry; this event has been cancelled.
March 8 - Bluebeam 4: Document Management & Best Practices
This course will not only improve consistency and accuracy in document management, but it will eliminate all the time wasted navigating through drawing sets and wondering who has the latest drawings. Register Here
March 12 - Bluebeam 5: Collecting Field Data
Learn to create and place custom punch symbols, quickly embed images or videos, and create summary reports. Register Here
March 13 - Bluebeam 6: Administrative Professionals
Administrative teams have unique document workflows that demand a different set of tools compared to design and construction teams. Register Here
March 14 - Bluebeam 7: Civil Workflows
Yes, there are tools in Bluebeam Revu for Civil Designers and Engineers! Not only will students learn navigation and markups, but also work flows like Calibrating Plan & Profile drawings with different X-Y scales, ideas for Cut & Fill calculations, combining several PDFs into one large area map, and adding images. Register Here
** March 20 - MBEX Online Plan Room Demo
From navigating the Deskpad, setting up filters, understanding project information, and bidders lists, this free, one-hour session is a great introduction to our Online Plan Room. There will be time at the end for questions and answers. Register Here
March 20 & 21 - Reading Construction Documents
Designed to quickly familiarize students with the basics of reading and understanding construction documents, this two-part online program is perfect for apprentices, entry-level tradespersons, project coordinators, assistant project managers, new project managers, estimators, specialty sales representatives, entry-level architectural or engineering designers, or anyone in career transition looking for a refresher. Register Here
**April 2 - POWER Workshop #1: Making It In a Male-Dominated World
In 2024, the upcoming MBEX Women's POWER workshops are revisiting familiar themes from last year, but this time, they will be guided by none other than the incredible Nicole Middendorf, CEO of Prosperwell Financial and the visionary behind the Live It List. Register Here
**Save the Date - April 17 - MBEX Spring Social
Join us for an evening out with fellow construction business owners, executives, and industry professionals that includes a special speaker, drinks and delicious food, cash raffles benefiting the MBEX Construction Scholarship fund, and more.
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ECONOMIC REPORTS
🔽 ABI Remains in 'Declining Billings' State in January 2024
Architecture firm billings remained soft entering into 2024, with an AIA / Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 46.2 in January. Business conditions remained weak at firms in all regions of the country except the Midwest, where modest growth was seen in three of the last four months. Firms with multi-family residential specialization continue to report the softest business conditions of all specializations. The regional average for the Midwest is a score of 50.9. (Building Design + Construction)
BUSINESS OWNERSHIP + ESTIMATIONS
🧮 Eight Common Construction Estimating Mistakes
Profits are won or lost based on how accurate your construction estimates are and how closely they match your final project costs. Chances are one wrong estimate on a project that loses money won't put you out of business, but a couple of unprofitable projects may have you closing the doors for good. Here's a look at some of the most common construction estimating mistakes and how to prevent them. (Construct Connect)
WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION
👷♀️ Seven Ways Jobsites Could Be More Inclusive & Welcoming to Women
Whether it's having personal protective equipment that fits correctly for women or using a woman's proper name rather than a pet name like "kiddo" or "sweetie" and recognizing a woman's role on-site as an equal, legitimate position, there are ways to make jobsites more inclusive. Without waving a magic wand to increase the proportion of women in operational roles on-site, what can be done to make women --- and other minorities in the industry --- feel more welcome on-site? (Pro Builder)
INFRASTRUCTURE
⚡ Energy Companies Tap AI to Detect Defects in an Aging Grid
The rapid advancement of AI and machine-learning technology has opened the door to faster detection of potential failures in aging power lines, guiding transmission owners on how to upgrade the grid to meet clean energy and extreme weather challenges. Automating inspections is a first step in a still uncharted future for AI adoption in the electric power sector, echoing the high-stakes international debate over the risks and potential of AI technology. (Energy Wire - E & E News)
PROJECT CONTRACTS
🏁 Strategies for Getting Difficult Contracts to the Finish Line
When negotiating design and construction contracts for large projects, it's common for sophisticated parties to push to the end of their negotiations the half-dozen or so provisions that one side or the other has characterized as "deal-breakers". Often in the eleventh hour, one of the parties will make a concession (sometimes many concessions), have their bluff called, or possibly propose a creative solution that saves the agreement from irreversible derailment. How can parties mired in a stalemate find a way to pass the checkered flag? Here are some tips. (J D Supra | Daily Journal of Commerce)
🦺 PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Norhart Proposes 223 Apartments in Ramsey's COR
Norhart Construction is pitching a 5-1/2 story, 223-unit apartment building in Ramsey's downtown area --- known as The COR --- that would offer apartments ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom units and amenities such as an outdoor pool and indoor lounge areas. Norhart's plans also show 5,000-square-feet of ground-floor retail space on the 4-acre site, which is wedged between Sunwood Drive Northwest and Zeolite Street Northwest just south of the future Ramsey Parkway. (Finance & Commerce)
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Rendering: Norhart Construction | |
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The Business Development Process (Part 1)
Presented by GovWin from Deltek
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DATE: Thursday, March 7
TIME: 1:00pm CT | 2:00pm ET
LOCATION: Online
COST: Free
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Are you responsible for driving growth in your organization? Then you can't miss this brand-new webinar from Deltek and Red Team.
Join in for a jam-packed hour of business development best practices designed to optimize your procurement process.
Webinar Highlights include:
• Define, develop, and execute a streamlined business development process;
• Build and enhance your professional network; and
• Create a viable pipeline and make go / no-go decisions.
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OSHA 30 Certification for Construction
Presented by the DBE Business Academy
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DATE: March 11 - 14
TIME: 8:00am - 4:30pm each day
LOCATION: MnDot District 6 Rochester - Lake Pepin Conference Room (2900 48th St NW, Rochester, Minn.)
COST: Free
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Gain a comprehensive understanding of how Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and other safety regulations impact your worker responsibilities, day-today operations, and business development.
Learn from an Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer with valid credentials for issuing successful completion cards. Guest speakers enrich this OSHA 30 training and highway construction safety will be emphasized.
• Focus on safety regulations for small highway construction companies;
• Learn heavy equipment standards;
• Understand personal protection equipment requirements; and
• Earn OSHA 30 Certification.
Contact Conrad Nguyen: conrad@kortech.com | (732) 801-6215
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Air Barrier Symposium
Presented by CSI - Minneapolis / St. Paul, ABAA & BEC - Minnesota
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DATE: Tuesday, March 12
TIME: 9:00am-2:00pm
LOCATION: Boy Scouts Base Camp (6202 Bloomington Road, Fort Snelling, Minn.)
COST: CSI Member - $25 | Non-CSI Member - $35
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Join CSI - Minneapolis / St Paul, ABAA, and BEC - Minnesota for a half-day event with multiple presentations, tabletops, and lunch.
Agenda:
• 9:00am-9:30am: Sign In
• 9:30am-10:30am : Presentation - Whole Building Testing
• 10:30am-10:45am: Break
• 10:45am - 11:45am: Presentation - Why of Commissioning
• 11:45am - 12:45pm: Lunch & Tabletops
• 12:45pm - 1:45pm: Presentation - Ground Hog Day
Presenters and full presentation descriptions can be found on the event's registration page.
Contact Tamara Foncerriada: tamara@airbarrier.org | (339) 206-1142
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Benefit of the Week: PODS | |
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PODS combines moving and storage into one easy solution. No more packing, unpacking, and repacking on someone else's schedule.
Instead, PODS puts you in control and safely transports or stores your belongings.
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MBEX Members receive:
• 10% off initial delivery (local and long distance)
• 10% off first month's rental (local and long distance)
• 10% off long distance transportation
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NPP (National Purchasing Partners) is a member benefit provider of the Minnesota Builders Exchange (MBEX), offering savings on products and services that businesses and employees use every day.
Start saving by enrolling your business with NPP for free to activate this offer (and others like it) here: https://mynpp.com/association/mbex/. Restrictions many apply.
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PROJECT INFORMATION + UPDATES | |
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• Total Projects Received at MBEX from 2/26/2024 - 3/1/2024: 98
• Total Active Projects Received/Reported on at MBEX as of 3/5//2024: 387
• Total Projects in the Online Plan Room as of 3/5/2024: 946
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Click the button above to view the most recent project data from 2/28/2024-3/5/2024.
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 Manager.
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UPCOMING MBEX EVENTS
• March 6 - Bluebeam 2: Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Basic)
• March 6 - Member Road Show: Duluth
• March 7 - Bluebeam 3: Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Advanced)
• March 8 - Bluebeam 4: Document Management & Best Practices
• March 12 - Bluebeam 5: Collecting Field Data
• March 13 - Bluebeam 6: Administrative Professionals
• March 14 - Bluebeam 7: Civil Workflows
• March 20 & 21 - Reading Construction Documents online course with UChapter2
• March 21 - Online Plan Room Demo
• April 2 - POWER Workshop #1 - Making It in a Male-Dominated World
• April 17 - MBEX Spring Social
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Connect with the Builders Exchange: | |
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Information within the MBEX Weekly Bulletin are obtained from sources deemed reliable. The Minnesota 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 prior to and including the date noted above. The project data within this newsletter is intended for member company's and their employees use only.
2024 BOARD OFFICERS: President - Mike Carlson, Max Gray Construction; Vice President - Heidi Sedlacek, Bituminous Roadways; Treasurer - Brian Kalla, St. Cloud Acoustics; Past President - Greg Grazzini, Grazzini Brothers | 2024 DIRECTORS: Allie Brady, Veit; Kevin Bohrer, Donlar Construction; David Brandt, Schadegg Mechanical; Jason DuVal, Tenet; Chuck Geisler, American Engineering Testing; Chris Niemand, Frattalone Companies; Sean Ochis, Northern Industrial Insulation; Jason Rentmeester, Kraus-Anderson Construction; and Nate Sapik, Benson Electric Company | STAFF: David Siegel - Executive Director; Julie Miller - Executive Assistant/Project Coordinator/Accounting; Jeff Boelter - Project Acquisition & IT; Ashlee Hartwig - Membership & Communications Manager; Don O'Connor - Duluth Branch Manager; Shauna Baska, Peggy Esboldt, Janet Margheim, Michelle Siegel & Ka Yang - Project Reporters
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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