West Texas AGC News & Resources
Safety Tip: Work Practices when it's HOTTER than ____ (it should be)
When working outside or in unconditioned spaces during the extreme heat, it becomes imperative that companies use a HEAT INDEX or other environmental devices such as the WBGT, Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Monitor, to provide guidance and work within the stricter OSHA HEAT regulations. Use the following for practical applications:

Work Practices
Some worksites cannot be cooled by engineering controls. At those locations, employers should modify work practices when heat stress is too high to work safely. Consider the following activity modifications (also known as "administrative controls"):
  • Modify work schedules and activities for workers who are new to warm environments.
  • Schedule shorter shifts for newly hired workers and unacclimatized existing workers. Gradually increase shift length over the first 1-2 weeks.
  • Hazard Recognition section for more information.
  • Consider scheduling work at a cooler time of day, such as early morning or late afternoon.
  • Reduce physical demands as much as possible by planning the work to minimize manual effort (such as delivering material to the point of use so that manual handling is minimized).
  • Rotate job functions among workers to help minimize exertion and heat exposure.
  • Ensure that workers drink an adequate amount of water or electrolyte-containing fluids.
  • Workers should watch out for each other for symptoms of heat-related illness prepared to administer appropriate first aid to anyone who is developing a heat-related illness.
  • Administer appropriate first aid [hyperlink to first aid page] to any worker who is developing a heat-related illness.
  • In some situations, employers may need to conduct physiological monitoring of workers.
  • Implement a buddy system for new workers and in heat stress environments.
  • Avoid drinking hot beverages during lunch and afternoon breaks.
Additional Information by clicking the buttons below.
Update Safety Manuals to Avoid Issues, Ensure Compliance, Gain Employee Confidence
Roofing contractors should revise their safety manuals each year to comply with changing OSHA regulations, save money and keep workers on the job, according to Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese. "If you want to instill that you've got a culture of safety, you have got to be able to explain what your safety protocols are downstream," Trent argues that roofing contractors can save thousands of dollars in fines and lost productivity, as well as better retain their workers, by taking the time to properly update safety manuals annually and gain a deeper understanding of factors that will change safety policies. 
The best place to start with your Safety Manual is with your West Texas AGC Chapter. A custom Safety Manual is developed for each member.
For an updated version or more information contact WTAGC at [email protected] or call 325.676.7447.
OSHA: Know Your Rights
Advance your Career and Earn Continuing Education Units
Learn About NEW AGC Virtual Learning Below
HOW AGC EDGE WORKS?
The same high quality learning experience and expert instruction you expect from AGC in-person classroom training from the ease of your home or work computer.

  1. Find your upcoming course - Courses are available in different segments to fit your schedule
  2. Quick Sign-up - Register using your AGC account. If you do not have one, create one at agc.org. Register using the account of the person attending the courses.
  3. Registering a Group? Contact [email protected] and they will assist you.
  4. Review Schedule - Plan to attend all segments of the courses scheduled.
  5. Receive your Zoom Lind and Attend the Course(s) - Start the courses prepared to learn with microphone and video capabilities

EDGE Courses: Building Information Modeling, LEAN Construction Education, Construction Superintendent Fundamentals and Project Management Development Program

Remember to identify West Texas AGC Chapter as your AGC Chapter!
AGC Education and Research Foundation 2023-2024 Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship - Apply Now
Each year the AGC Education and Research Foundation offers undergraduate and graduate level scholarships to students enrolled in ABET or ACCE accredited construction management or construction related engineering programs.
Applications will be received
July 1, 2022 through November 1, 2022. 
Hispanics Comprise 61% of the Construction Workforce in Texas
Hispanics now account for almost a third of the construction workforce, according to the 2021 Current Population Survey. In this post, we focus on the regional and state-level differences in the racial and ethnic composition of the construction labor force.
The share of Hispanics employed in construction varies considerably by state, ranging from less than 1% in West Virginia, Vermont, and New Hampshire to more than 50% in Texas and California. Hispanics working in the construction industry are more geographically concentrated in the Southern and Western states, where a large number of Hispanics reside. In fact, 52% of the nation’s Hispanic construction workforce is concentrated in three states – Texas (834,000), California (808,000), and Florida (317,000).

Texas also stands out for registering the highest share of Hispanics in the construction labor force (61%). California is next on the list, with Hispanics accounting for 55% of its construction workforce, followed by Arizona where 49% of construction workforce are Hispanics.

African Americans and Asian Americans are underrepresented in the construction industry in most states. African Americans comprise less than 6% of the construction workforce, while their share in the US labor force exceeds 12%. States with the largest share of African Americans working in construction are Maryland (18%), followed by Georgia (15%), and Louisiana (14%). Asian Americans account for less than 2% of the US construction workforce. However, their share is significant in Hawaii, where one out of every three construction workers are Asian Americans.
Project Updates Leprino, Lubbock | Nacero, Odessa | Lancium, Abilene
LUBBOCK
Leprino Foods Company, a leading global manufacturer of premium-quality dairy foods and ingredients, is building a new, state-of-the-art 850,000 square foot dairy manufacturing facility in Lubbock, Texas. Construction of the new facility began in June 2022 and will be completed in two phases by early 2026.
Construction Manager for the project is Whiting Turner Construction. Subs and suppliers interested in working at this project are requested to send a request to: [email protected] with Lubbock EDA. They will forward the information to the Whiting Turner Construction Fort Worth office.

ODESSA - PENWELL
Plans for NACERO’s natural gas to gasoline plant near Penwell are proceeding with an air quality permit in hand, financing and site development in the works. The initial site near Penwell was 600 acres, but Nacero wanted 2,000 more acres so the whole area will encompass about 2,600 acres. The estimated cost for the total build-out of the project is about $7 billion, with approximately $2 billion in phase 1.
 
Nacero is developing large-scale facilities that will make affordable, low and net zero carbon footprint gasoline from natural gas and renewable natural gas for today’s cars and trucks. The plant will also have about 2,000 acres of solar to power the plant.
 
 
ABILENE
Mortenson Construction is Construction Manager for the LANCIUM Project. The West Texas Chapter AGC has provided Mortenson with our membership list and their contact information with anticipation they will be contacted.

The $2.4 billion project by Lancium, a tech and energy company, promises to bring 57 full time jobs to the area. Site Work began earlier this summer and Mortenson is phasing the work. Construction of the 10,000 SF corporate office building is expected to begin by end of summer along with the company’s on-site substation.
 
Executive Vice President at Lancium and spearhead of the Abilene project is Eric Kutscha, has described the company like a mediator of sorts between Texas energy and those that need it to mine cryptocurrency.
“We’re more the energy manager, and the Bitcoin companies, which want access to the power, have to follow the rules and regulations that we set up in our contracts for them,” says Kutscha. Lancium intends to build the infrastructure needed to support the many computers’ and servers’ mining needs as well as a substation needed to power them. That being said, Lancium bills itself as an eco-minded company and wants to utilize the abundance of Texas’s renewable energy sources that, for now, are going wasted, as Kutscha explains:
“People will use the term ‘congested grid.’ Transmission lines are full, there’s not enough local load to consume, so the renewable solar, renewable wind [providers] are asked to dial down their output until the grid is ready receive more.”
Notice to WTAGC members
The projects by Economic Development Corporations contracted to large contractors as Construction Managers are very difficult for the West Texas Chapter to obtain plans and specifications for our members. We continue to reach out to the taxing entities, economic development corporations and CM's awarded and will work diligently to acquire the information you need. This will be forwarded through the plan room or newsletter when available!
The Beginning of the End can feel a lot like the middle
when you are living in it.
Karen Russell, writer
If you feel like this quote, you could use a change
I just returned from an AGC training where an excellent session was held by a speaker Jake Thompson from Dallas. He wrote a book called 'Compete Every Day' - The Not-So-Secret Secret to Winning at Work and Life | What if the key to reaching your full potential in your career and life wasn't about what talents you were born with, but something more?
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Cassie Hughes, West Texas AGC, Executive Director
NEW AGC benefit with PROCORE, Verizon 5G Business Internet through NPP,
Group Medical Plan and AGC SW 401 (k) with WEST TEXAS AGC Membership
A Few of the Benefits that SAVE our members money and time!
When it comes to your company's bottom-line, your membership pays dividends.
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2022 OFFICERS
PRESIDENT - RHETT DAWSON | Henthorn Commercial Construction , LLC
VICE-PRESIDENT - JAMES BISHOP | Associated Contractors
SECRETARY/TREASURER - SAM WALDROP | Waldrop Construction
STATE AGC-TBB REPRESENTATIVE - CHAD HENTHORN | Teinert Construction, Inc.
AREA REPRESENTATIVES - KEVIN DARNELL | M & F Litteken Co. & JOHN W. COOPER | Cooper Construction Co., Inc.