AGC of MN Foundation Awarded Historic Grant to Address Construction Mental Health Crisis

I am thrilled—and incredibly proud—to share some important news with you.

The AGC of Minnesota Foundation has officially been awarded a $450,000 state grant through the Department of Labor & Industry to address the mental health crisis in our industry. This is a major milestone in our ongoing commitment to reduce suicide, strengthen support systems, and change the culture around mental health in construction.

As you know, construction continues to face some of the highest suicide rates of any industry. We’ve all felt the impact: on jobsites, in companies, and in our families. This grant allows the construction industry to move from concern to action.

What makes this especially powerful is how we’re doing it.

We’re partnering closely with the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council and Mercury Creative Group to lead a statewide, industry-wide movement—bringing together contractors, labor, and project owners around one shared goal: making mental health a core part of construction safety.

Here’s what this work will include:


• Expanded suicide prevention training tailored specifically to construction workers and leaders
  
• New mental health curriculum in apprenticeship programs, reaching more than 1,500 apprentices statewide
  
• The Minnesota Construction Mental Health Alliance, bringing contractors, labor leaders, and project owners together to drive lasting culture change

This isn’t a short-term program. It’s a long-term investment in our people and in the future of our industry. It is a sustainable and culture change approach that will have lasting impact and produce meaningful results.

Your leadership, engagement, and willingness to have these conversations have helped make this possible. We look forward to sharing opportunities to participate, attend training, and help lead this effort in the months ahead.

Together with our partners in the trades, we’re proving that safety includes more than hardhats and harnesses. It means looking out for one another in every respect, and breaking stigma surrounding mental health.

Thank you for being part of this movement.


Tim Worke, CEO

Photos from AGC Honors 2026

The full set of photos will be available next week, but we're happy to share some of the photos from this week's AGC Honors event, where we recognized organizational and individual greatness! Click below to view the early release photos.

Skill-Responsibility-Integrity (SRI) Award recipient Mark Magney (L) and 
Lifetime Achievement Award recipient George W. Mattson (R)

Economic Event with Ken Simonson

AGC members were privileged to hear from AGC of America's Chief Economist, Ken Simonson this week, following AGC Honors. Ken presented his latest economic reports and outlooks focused on construction nationally, as well as Minnesota trends.

Click to view:

• Ken's presentation slides
• Minnesota results from the recent AGC of America Construction Outlook Survey
• Ken's latest Data DIGest newsletter

See You at the Summit!

Don't miss the chance to ignite connections, fuel innovation, and put your business in the spotlight at the 2026 Minnesota Construction Summit!

Join us February 18–19 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre for two action-packed days built for every corner of the construction world, from boots-on-the-ground teams to company leaders. Experience visionary presenters, hands-on learning sessions, and a dynamic exhibit floor that brings together contractors, suppliers, and service professionals driving the industry forward. Whether you’re attending, exhibiting, or sponsoring, this is your chance to learn, connect, and grow your brand where Minnesota’s construction community comes together.

Thank You to the Summit Sponsors!

Stop the STCKY Academy

Safety professionals are encouraged to join us for an 8-hour Stop the STCKY (S#*! That Can Kill You) Academy, presented by Adam Mack of Sundt. 

Registration includes lunch, and online participation is available. 

REGISTER

Governor Walz Releases $907 Infrastructure Plan Ahead of the Legislative Session

In accordance with past practice, the Governor unveiled his infrastructure priorities before the start of the 2026 Legislative Session. The plan focuses on preserving existing infrastructure and investing in public safety, water, and transportation projects. The proposal is also referred to as the Governor’s bonding plan because it uses the State’s bonding capacity to fund long term projects and will be discussed throughout the session among legislators. The $907 million dollar plan includes:

• $316m asset preservation – including $140m for MN State Colleges and Universities and the University of MN
• $172m for water and road projects
• $99m for economic development and affordable housing
• $52 million for dam safety repairs, outdoor recreation and environmental protection

The full proposal can be viewed here.

The Next Chapter of the One Big Beautiful Bill, Explained

AGC Member Price: FREE | Non-Member Price: $99

In 2025, AGC hosted an introductory webinar on the “The Contractor’s Guide to the One Big Beautiful Bill” and what it could mean for construction firms. Since then, tax writers and practitioners have continued unpacking the details and the implications for contractors and their advisors.

Join us January 27 at 1:00 PM CT for a follow-up session, leading construction tax professionals will walk through the latest OBBBA developments, clarifications, and planning opportunities. We’ll go beyond the high-level overview to focus on how key provisions could affect your companies.

Whether you joined our first webinar or are jumping in now, this session will provide practical, construction-specific insight you can use in conversations with your CPA, bonding company, and internal leadership team. REGISTER NOW

January HR Forum

Join us online or in person in our newly remodeled training room next Wednesday, January 21 for the AGC HR Forum, where we'll be discussing:


Updates | Implementation of Paid Family and Medical Leave and Work Breaks/Rest Periods


Main Agenda Item | ICE Raids | Phyllis Karasov, Larkin Hoffman


Guest Speaker | Aldon Severson, Director Client Development, MDA Leadership Consulting

   • Updated Approach to Succession Management 

   • Talent Trends in the Construction Industry


Announcements | Upcoming Events

   • Construction Skills Based Hiring Accelerator


Brainstorm Monthly Topic Ideas


Networking | Catching Up!

Transportation Construction Materials:
Towards Net Zero Summit

Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | 8 AM-2 PM | Minneapolis Marriott West

Sponsored by AGC of MN, ARM of MN, CPAM, MAPA, and MnDOT

The 2026 Transportation Materials Towards Net Zero event is a leadership summit intended to provide a roadmap for legislators, agencies, industries, and the engineering community for ultimate attainment of net zero emissions in transportation materials. The focus will be on common areas of interest related to global warming potential, government regulations, and effects on materials used primarily in the transportation sector. The goal of the event is to identify the major items that must be completed to achieve the targets set for reduction of carbon footprint. The items will become a part of the roadmap used in the process.

Breaking Old Habits: What's Next for Construction 
in 2026

As 2026 begins, the industry faces a mix of challenges and opportunities. Labor shortages and economic uncertainty continue to pressure margins, but there’s room for optimism. Interest rate cuts, increased private equity activity and booming demand for data centers and infrastructure projects are reshaping the market. Learn what trends to watch and how to position your business for growth. Click here to read more.

by Brian Bohman, Wipfli

Expand the Toolbox Workshop Series:
The Construction Industry Hiring Accelerator

Expand the Toolbox (ETT) is excited to share with you our next series in business & thought leadership workshops. This time, we are focusing on building up HR skills no matter what size your company is.

This workshop is SHRM Certified!

The Construction Industry Hiring Accelerator Workshop will be held on Tuesday, February 3rd, in-person at our Goodwill Learning Campus from 7:30-11:00 am! This will be an interactive workshop that will equip attendees with new tools and strategies to hire and develop employees into the construction field.

The workshop will hold specifics on:

•      Competencies and skills

•      Job descriptions

•      Interviews

•      The use of AI in the hiring process

•      Onboarding

•      Upskilling 

EXAMPLE: UPSKILLING SUMMARY

• Transferable skill sets: 
• Recognizes broader abilities, allowing workers to move across roles and projects more fluidly.
• Continuous upskilling:
• Encourages adoption of new technologies, keeping the workforce competitive and ready.
• Clear career ladders:
• Creates transparent advancement opportunities, improving retention and motivation.
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration:
• Helps assemble diverse teams with complementary skills, improving delivery and innovation.

REGISTER TO HOLD YOUR SPOT (Space is limited) and please share with others!

Directions

(when you enter the parking lot, the Goodwill Learning Campus entrance will be to the right at the west end of the building)

View and Search a Century of AGC Newsletters

Thanks to a generous sponsorship by Orion Search Group, all AGC newsletters (1926-2017) have been scanned and optimized for viewing and searching!

As members reach milestone anniversaries and are researching your own histories, we hope this will be a valuable resource for discovering details regarding your firm's engagement with AGC and the broader Minnesota construction industry over the past decades.

Thank You to our 2026 Annual Partners!