THE VOICE OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Keep up to date with important news topics within our industry.
Have you completed your information to advertise in our new membership directory??
Click Here for Directory A dvertising Info
News
Construction Industry Continues to See Benefits of Tax Reform
It has been more than a year since the Republican-controlled Congress passed the first major overhaul of the U.S. tax system in three decades, and the construction industry is continuing to see the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  READ MORE...
Justice names new West Virginia transportation leaders
Amid a flurry of activity to improve West Virginia’s deteriorating roads, Gov. Jim Justice officially named his longtime associate, Byrd White, as the state’s next Transportation secretary. READ MORE...
DOT releases lists of roads needing maintenance
The West Virginia Department of Transportation released Monday evening multiple lists of roads in need of repair and maintenance work.
The release comes  less than a week  after Gov. Jim Justice ordered Division of Highways employees to compile lists of roads in most significant need of work.
Justice  proposed earlier this month plans  to use bond money from “Roads to Prosperity” projects and other funding sources to cover road work costs.
The list details the roads in need of repair as well as equipment needed to conduct road work.
The Department of Transportation noted a road’s placement does not mean road work will happen. READ ARTICLE
West Virginia Division of Highways List Shows Northern Panhandle’s Road Repair Needs Are Numerous
West Virginia’s Department of Transportation on Tuesday released lists of secondary roads in need of maintenance, including priorities in Northern Panhandle counties. READ MORE...
A recent report from USA Today showed five metropolitan statistical areas at least partially located in West Virginia to be among the worst in the country for declining population. The Weirton-Steubenville MSA ranked sixth on the list, with a decline of 4.9 percent since 2010. READ MORE...
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials and environmental consultants visited the site of the planned Wheeling Island Gateway Park on Tuesday morning to start assessing the future park land. READ MORE...
How to Effectively Manage an Underperforming
When a subcontractor doesn't perform according to the terms of its contract, it can often can turn a general contractor's or owner's experience of a great project from dream to nightmare. READ MORE...
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice Signs Free Community College Bill, Many Others Await Action
Gov. Jim Justice has until midnight tonight to sign or veto bills passed by the West Virginia Legislature during its regular session this year, otherwise those bills become law automatically.
The 2019 legislative session started Jan. 9 and ended March 9. R EAD MORE...
Ten Tips to Help Contractors Make More Money
Not many people would turn down an opportunity to earn more money doing what they love. However, it is common for construction contractors do that indirectly every day because of the way they operate their businesses. Whether a contractor is a sole proprietor or part of a team, there are easy ways to generate more money in a construction business without taking on more projects or gaining new skills. READ MORE...
City council finalized plans to redevelop city-owned, vacant properties on Main Street across from The Health Plan at its meeting Tuesday evening. Council unanimously voted to approve an ordinance to spend $350,000 to aid development of 1107 and 1109 Main St. READ MORE...
Women at Work: A Shifting Female Trend in the Construction Industry
More and more women are opting for hard hat careers, according to the National Association for Women in Construction (NAWIC).
Currently, women make up 9.1 percent of the industry. By 2020, that number is expected to rise to 25 percent. READ MORE...
What do millennials and generation Z want from their professional careers and how can contrac tors effectively gain their attention? The answers may lie with technology.  READ MORE  ...
Naylor Solutions Partnership
I want to share with you that we have proudly partnered with  Naylor Solutions , a leader in Membership Directories and Industry Resource Guides to produce a new membership directory for the Ohio Valley Construction Employers Council. So if you're receiving phone calls, emails or mail from  Naylor Solutions   on behalf of the OVCEC. I encourage you to have a conversation with them. As a member you will  STILL  have a free membership listing but our new directory will provide you with some new opportunities to market yourself and your organization. With the phenomenal growth we are witnessing in the construction industry that only promises to increase with the much-anticipated announcement of the PTT Ethane Cracker, now is the time to promote yourself and I can think of no better place to advertise and market your company than in the OVCEC's Membership Directory. We are the Voice of the Construction Industry! 

Ginny
The    NEW  OVCEC Membership Directory will be produced annually to ensure all our new members have ample opportunity to be featured. Historically the OVCEC membership guide has been the industry's 
go-to since its original printing in 1954. In our new guide, you will find contact information for general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, as well as companies that provide support services, like wealth management, insurance, and more. It's not unusual to find well-worn, dog-eared copies on the desks and in the work vehicles of building managers, project managers and superintendents. It is the #1 resource for West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania contractors!
 
More than 6,000 printed copies of this comprehensive construction industry directory are distributed each year. The  NEW  Ohio Valley Construction Employers Council Membership Directory will offer  Advertising Opportunities  available through a special classified section. List your company information today, along with goods, products and services to the construction industry. 

The    NEW  Membership Directory will also be featured in digital form on the new OVCEC website providing your company even more exposure

Contact Ken Kepler at (352) 333-6022 or [email protected] more information.
Upcoming Events
OVCEC's Under Construction
Are you a OVCEC 
member and want to 
feature your company 
in the  Under
Construction magazine?

Send your press releases,
Project information,
 and photos to

Advancing the Construction Industry  
Helping you manage and grow your businesses 

Safety and Education
Screening for Safety: A New Standard for Drug Testing in the Construction Industry
It is not enough to follow the letter of the law when  drug testing , especially when the law itself is a test of whether a construction company can ensure a reliable means of gathering specimen kits and samples. READ MORE...
OSHA Requests Information on Powered Industrial Truck Standard
OSHA is requesting information as the agency considers rulemaking to update the powered industrial trucks standards. OSHA will use the information received to determine what action, if any, it may take to reduce regulatory burdens and create jobs while improving worker safety. Powered industrial trucks include forklifts, fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and specialized industrial trucks powered by an electrical motor or internal combustion engines. Comments must be submitted by June 9. For details, see the  news release .
Pennsylvania Construction Company Cited for Exposing Workers to Trenching Hazards
OSHA cited Etna Construction, Inc., for exposing workers to excavation hazards at a worksite. The company was cited for failing to install protective systems inside a trench, provide a safe means of exit from the trench, ensure that workers wore hardhats, and properly guard protruding steel. The company faces penalties of $208,560. Read the  news release for more information.
Did You Know?

OSHA has resources to keep  tree care  and  landscaping  workers safe from falls, electrocution, struck-by, caught-in, and other hazards.
Employers Must Post Injury/Illness Summary Through April 30
Each year, employers are required to post a copy of OSHA Form 300A  from Feb. 1 through April 30. The summary must be displayed in a common area where notices to workers are usually posted. Businesses with 10 or fewer workers and those in certain low-hazard industries are exempt from OSHA record keeping and posting requirements. Visit OSHA's  Recordkeeping Rule webpage  for more information.
Safety Tool Box Talk
OVCEC Bid Calendar
What Is the OVCEC Plan Room?
  • It is a conveniently located source of construction plans for the Ohio Valley area
  • It publishes a weekly Construction Report listing projects out for bid, due dates, apparent low bidders and contracts awarded
  • It provides updates on projects throughout the week by email
  • It provides online access to plans and specifications for your review and downloading
  • It provides bidders lists
  • It has staff that will get the plans you need whenever possible

Submit Plans & Specs
As an Owner or Architect of a project, placing your project plans in the OVCEC Plan Room will help to insure the success of your project.
The Plan Room will:
  • Help you publicize your project
  • Increase the quantity and quality of bids you receive for your project
  • Help you get addenda out to bidders
  • Reduce your cost of blueprint duplication by allowing electronic submission to Plan Room Online