NUCA's annual Washington Summit once again delivered real results for our association and our industry. Our 110 attendees discussed our several issues in a record-setting 106 meetings with House and Senate lawmakers and staffers. A top highlight of this year's Summit was presenting House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman with the 2022 "We Dig America" award, our association's top award for making a significant national contribution to the industry. Those our attendees met with in Congress were very open to the association's legislative goals, and we expect this year's Summit to deliver dividends into the session ahead. To help attendees with their follow-up meetings, our Summit fact sheets will remain available at wedigamerica.org. The 2023 Summit photos can be viewed here.

This June 19-23 is the seventh annual Trench Safety Stand Down (TSSD), generously sponsored this year by NUCA National Partners United Rentals and Sunstate Equipment Co. This is your company's opportunity to talk directly to your employees and others about excavation safety. Companies can conduct a stand-down by taking a break to conduct a toolbox talk or other safety activity to draw attention to the specific hazards related to working in and around trenches/excavations. We hope each NUCA member will participate in our TSSD program and promote June's "Trench Safety Month!" For more event information, TSSD materials, and company participation details, go here.

2023 is the year to "Make NUCA Yours!" Pencil in on your calendar the 2023 NUCA Annual Convention & Exhibits, our very popular annual member get-together. This year, the Convention will be held October 26-28 in Naples, Florida, at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. (The hotel liked our members so much in 2021 they wanted us to come back!) Our preliminary program is available and includes our relaxed favorites and new events. Our keynote speaker, kindly sponsored by NUCA National Partner Core & Main, is the charismatic Randy Fox, former NCAA official and corporate leader.

We want you to see you in sunny Florida this fall! (We also want to see you and your guest in Palm Springs, California, for the 2024 NUCA Annual Convention & Exhibits, March 20-23, 2024.) Registration for the 2023 Convention is now open at ww.nuca.com/fallconvention2023.

Since NUCA began our webinar series three years ago, we've amassed a significant catalog of specialized industry knowledge for every NUCA member. Our last Webinar sponsored by NUCA member Road Widener is now available for your viewing--when it's convenient for you. Give our extensive webinar library a browse and find a past event that can help you deliver better business results for your company or in your job. Go to NUCA's Webinar webpage to find the complete list.

NUCA's Fairfax, Virginia office will be closed Monday, May 29, for Memorial Day. NUCA and our members are taking time that day to remember and honor the American heroes who have served and sacrificed for our country.

NUCA Assurance: Get More Control Over Your Business Insurance  

Our association’s new NUCA Assurance benefit is rapidly finding friends in our industry, and it’s easy to see why. Join like-minded NUCA contractors who have taken control of their claims, managed their risk, and secured better, more focused insurance services for their businesses. NUCA Assurance is a construction-focused group captive program owned by NUCA members and designed by insurance experts to deliver the claims control and risk-management support smart construction business owners need. This association benefit helps your company purchase workers' compensation, general liability, and auto liability insurance. To learn more about this new member benefit, go to nucaassurance.com.(NUCA is introducing more business insurance options for members next month--stay tuned!)

Are you seeking to know more about horizontal direction drilling, or auger boring? NUCA's "Trenchless Construction and New Installation Methods" manual can help your estimators, engineers, and project managers recognize that trenchless technology could deliver large cost savings to your excavation projects. The 148-page, full-color illustrated manual carefully addresses and explains the most common trenchless installation methods. Buy a copy for your local planning department to introduce their staff to these cost-efficient subsurface construction methods. The manual is available exclusively from NUCA and can be ordered online at www.nuca.com/trenchlessmanual.

Win a trip for two to exciting Louisville, Ky. with complementary Expo registrations and come see NUCA at The Utility Expo, Sept. 26-28! Enter by May 31, 2023, for a chance to win--it could be you!

More details and contest rules here: theutilityexpo.com/win

"Make NUCA Yours" is our slogan for 2023. Your NUCA membership investment can deliver benefits far in excess of its cost--but only if you ask your human resources office to explore what it offers. Start by forwarding this e-mail to them and ask them to check out NUCA Advantage. Our online portal leads to expanded healthcare benefits options for your company, as well as payroll, wellness, compliance, benefits administration, 401K programs, online training, OSHA logs, and a wealth of free HR benefits available only to NUCA members. Find our expanded NUCA Advantage benefits program at www.NUCAAdvantage.com.

How frequently does your company need standardized contracts? ConsensusDocs are the only standard contracts written and endorsed by 37 leading design and construction industry associations. Written in a straightforward fashion, ConsensusDocs incorporate best practices and fairly allocate risk to reduce costly contingencies and adversarial negotiations, and to promote better project results. Use your NUCA member discount code NUCA100 to redeem your discount. To learn more, go to ConsensusDocs.org.

While most scaffolding is designed for ease of erection and use, there are still many hazards associated with scaffolding that can result in someone getting injured or even killed. This week's TBT: The Role of the Competent Person for Scaffolding.