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Like so many in the AEC community, MBEX is pondering how we can use AI to create more value for our membership. We've formed an AI Task Force to explore opportunities, with the ultimate goal being twofold: to further member success and to keep MBEX relevant.
One idea is to run specification documents through a bounded AI platform, which would pull key information members need in determining if a project is worth pursuing. Highlighted information would include such things as warranties, liquidated damages, timelines, and background checks, and it would be assembled into a single, at-a-glance report. Would this kind of spec overview be helpful? What other information would you want to see in a report like this, if MBEX were to create such an AI tool?
Email me your ideas and suggestions at ds@mbex.org. We'd love your direct input.
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Five Quick Things To Know & Do This Week:
1.) MBEX Closed - In honor of America's 250th birthday and the Fourth of July holiday, MBEX will be closed on Friday, July 3. We'll be back to regular business hours on Monday, July 6.
2.) Blatnik Bridge Project Update - Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II, with a bid of $930-million, was named contractor for the $1.4-billion design-build project to replace the John A. Blatnik Bridge between Duluth, Minn. and Superior, Wisc. (Lunda Construction had also been shortlisted for the project.) Parsons Corp. will provide design and construction oversight contracts, with construction slated to start in late 2026 and completed in 2031.
3.) Most Clicked - This is what MBEX members liked most throughout the month of June:
• Lake Superior Harbor Cruise - July 15 [event registration]
• MBEX.org - Revealing our new website [website]
• Sporting Clays Scholarship Fundraiser - August 6 [event registration]
• EPA allocates $2.9B for lead pipe replacement [article]
• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program updates [article]
4.) Major Redevelopment Planned - A group of local investors and developers unveiled plans to turn the massive former Wells Fargo Home Mortgage campus into a mixed-use community for $100-million to $250-million. Plans call for 1,000 new housing units; converting the historic Honeywell building into residential, commercial, and retail spaces; and converting the site's more modern office building into medical offices and educational spaces.
5.) Picture Perfect - The full 2026 MBEX Twin Cities Golf Tournament photo album is here! Mark Salter captured many great moments throughout the day. Find your team, share on your socials, and tag us wherever you post 😁 📸 🤩
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Inside Issue No. 26:
• July / August Events: Lake Superior Harbor Cruise, Online Plan Room Demo, UChapter2 training opportunities, and more
• Economic Overview: An uptick in hiring and growing backlogs, but reemerging signs of labor shortages and price escalations
• June Roundup: Reviewing MBEX's past month of projects and progress
• Know Your Contract [Indemnification]: Part 2 of 4 breaking down primary risk management tools found in construction contracts
• Project Download: Updated project information for the week of June 22-26, 2026
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Add These MBEX Events to Your Summer Plans
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Summer is in full swing, and so is the MBEX calendar.
On July 15, set sail on our Lake Superior Harbor Cruise, a great way to take in great scenery alongside industry peers (no one said networking had to be boring 😉). The following day, grab a hot morning cup of the beverage of your choice and tune in for our monthly Online Plan Room Demo, ideal for anyone looking to sharpen their daily project searches and work inside the platform.
August kicks off with a pair of skill-building opportunities through our partnership with UChapter2: Construction Estimating Principles & Application, followed by Reading Construction Documents. These courses are a great way to strengthen technical know-how, whether you're new to the industry or looking to brush up.
Right in the midst of the educational opportunities is our annual Sporting Clays Scholarship Fundraiser on August 6, a fun day on the range that directly supports MBEX's scholarship fund and the next generation of construction professionals.
We then close out the month with Golf North in Duluth, another wonderful chance for members to connect with each other and others across the commercial construction industry.
Scroll down for full event details in July and August, including registration links:
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Date: Friday, July 3
MBEX will be closed in observance of the 4th of July holiday, returning to regular business hours on Monday, July 6.
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Date: Wednesday, July 15
Time: Beginning @ 5:00pm
Location:
• Board the vessel at Pier B Resort - 800 West Railroad Street, Duluth, Minn., 55802
Cost: Free for current MBEX Members
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Date: Thursday, July 16
Time: 9:00am - 10:00am
Location: Virtual Event via Zoom
Cost:
• Free - open to both current MBEX Members and potential members
• Sign up required
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Date: Tuesday, August 4
Time: 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Virtual Event - Led by Troy DeGroot with UChapter2
Cost:
• MBEX Members - $385
• Non-Members - $539
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Date: Wednesday, August 5 & Thursday, August 6
Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm (both dates)
Location: Virtual Event - Led by Troy DeGroot with UChapter2
Cost:
• MBEX Members - $362
• Non-Members - $506
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Date: Thursday, August 6
Time:
11:00am - Team Check-In & Lunch
12:15pm - Mandatory Team Meeting
12:30pm - Shoot Begins
4:00pm - Social & Dinner
5:00pm - Short Program & Awards
Location: Game Unlimited Hunting Club - 871 County Road East, Hudson, Wisc., 54016
Cost: $200 per shooter (4 minimum shooters; 6 maximum)
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Date: Wednesday, August 19
Time:
12:15pm - Registration & Lunch
12:30pm - Shotgun Start
5:30pm - Dinner
6:00pm - Program, Awards & Prizes
Location: Ridgeview Country Club -
700 Redwing Street, Duluth, Minn., 55803
Cost: $175 per single golfer | $700 per foursome
| | Yes, June may be over, but there's still plenty of summer ahead, and we hope you'll make MBEX a part of your plans. | | | MBEX's social and networking events represent a huge benefit of membership, with exciting and varied events to participate in and show your support for the Midwest Builders Exchange. | | |
What We Learned in June:
Construction Shows Small Signs of Momentum, Risks Remain
| | The construction industry has experienced an uptick in hiring and a growing backlog in recent months, yet input price escalation and reemerging signs of labor shortages could put pressure on contractor margins in the months ahead. | | |
🏗️ Nonresidential Construction Spending Growth Concentrated in Public Segment
Nonresidential construction spending expanded 0.1% in April, but growth was entirely concentrated on the public side of the segment, which grew 0.4% for the month. Private nonresidential spending contracted in April and is now down 2.1% from a year ago.
While most of the private sector weakness is the result of CHIPS Act-incentivized megaprojects winding down, few categories other than data centers have exhibited significant momentum during the early months of 2026.
🤝 Nonresidential Hiring Picks Up
Construction industry employment grew by 17,000 jobs in May (15,700 of which were in the nonresidential segment). Nonresidential construction employment has grown by more than 100,000 positions over the past year, a 2.1% increase, growing more than two times faster than the broader economy over that span.
An utter lack of layoffs in recent months suggests that contractors are increasingly struggling to fill open positions, providing yet another sign of growing industrywide demand for labor.
📊 Backlog Surges, Contractors Remain Confident
ABC's Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 9.1-months in May, a three-year high. All four regions measured in the survey have higher backlog than one year ago, though growth is fastest in the South and Middle States (see first chart below).
While contractor confidence fell slightly in May, expectations remain broadly upbeat about sales, profit margins, and hiring over the next six months (see second chart below).
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💰 Materials Price Escalation Accelerates
Construction input prices surged 2.6% in May and are up nearly 10% over the past year. While oil prices made a significant contribution to the rise in overall input prices, tariff-affected inputs like iron, steel, and copper continue to experience brisk price increases.
While lower oil prices should ease input price pressures over the next several months, there will continue to be faster-than-ideal escalation as costs are passed through various parts of the supply chain.
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Looking Ahead
Borrowing costs are set to remain elevated through 2026, and that, coupled with rising material prices, could weigh on profitability and limit construction activity in many nonresidential categories over the remainder of the year. Despite those headwinds, the data center boom will continue for the foreseeable future.
| | | This information was collected from Construction Futures, a monthly economic roundup produced by Construction Executive (CE). | | | |
At the start of each month, we look back at MBEX's past 30-some days to review project progress, Online Plan Room stats, and membership achievements.
Numbers reflected below share data from the date range of June 1-30, 2026.
| | Total # of Projects Added (June 2026) | | Total # of Projects Added (June 2025) | | Total # of Projects Added (June 2024) | | Total # of Projects YTD (Jan. 1 - June 30) | | New Member Companies Joined | | | | |
No. of Members & Non-Members
Added to Bidders Lists
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10 Most Viewed Projects (June 1-30, 2026)
** indicates the project is still actively bidding
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#1
City of Maple Grove
- Storage Structure
• Total Monthly Visitors: 2,032
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 5,257
• Project Rank: 1 of 5,539
• Bid Date: July 1, 2026
• Project Location: Maple Grove, Minn.
• Project Category: Storage / Warehouse
• Project Type: New Construction
• Project ID: 2026-0B5D **
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#2
Lab Renovation - Metropolitan Mosquito Control District
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,837
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 5,114
• Project Rank: 3 of 5,539
• Bid Date: July 1, 2026
• Project Location: St. Paul, Minn.
• Project Category: Office Building
• Project Type: Remodeling / Renovation
• Project ID: 2026-0BAA **
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#3
Northfield High School
- Additions & Renovations
- ISD 659
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,693
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 6,127
• Project Rank: 15 of 5,539
• Bid Date: June 16, 2026
• Project Location: Northfield, Minn.
• Project Category: Educational
• Project Type: Addition
• Project ID: 2026-0AFD
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#4
City of Clear Lake
- New Fire Hall
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,450
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 6,786
• Project Rank: 8 of 5,539
• Bid Date: June 9, 2026
• Project Location: Clear Lake, Minn.
• Project Category: Storage / Warehouse
• Project Type: New Construction
• Project ID: 2026-0A8E
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#5
Lysen Hall - Dormitory Renovation
- Minnesota State Academy for the Blind
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,339
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 3,526
• Project Rank: 60 of 5,539
• Bid Date: June 30, 2026
• Project Location: Faribault, Minn.
• Project Category: Educational
• Project Type: Remodeling / Renovation
• Project ID: 2026-0BE3
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#6
City of Howard Lake
- Water Treatment Facility
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,304
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 4,712
• Project Rank: 55 of 5,539
• Bid Date: June 25, 2026
• Project Location: Howard Lake, Minn.
• Project Category: Wastewater / Water Treatment
• Project Type: New Construction
• Project ID: 2026-0AC5
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#7
Jefferson Elementary School
- Renovation - Faribault Public Schools
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,218
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 2,762
• Project Rank: 81 of 5,539
• Bid Date: June 16, 2026
• Project Location: Faribault, Minn.
• Project Category: Educational
• Project Type: Remodeling / Renovation
• Project ID: 2026-0B5A
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#8
City of Rogers - City Hall & Police
Station - Bid Package No. 2
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,151
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 2,745
• Project Rank: 2 of 5,539
• Bid Date: July 21, 2026
• Project Location: Rogers, Minn.
• Project Category: Office Building
• Project Type: New Construction
• Project ID: 2026-0C84 **
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#9
City of Chaska - City Hall
Plaza Improvements
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,098
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 2,915
• Project Rank: 77 of 5,539
• Bid Date: June 11, 2026
• Project Location: Chaska, Minn.
• Project Category: Local Government
• Project Type: Improvements
• Project ID: 2026-0B3B
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#10
City of Oakdale - Willowbrooke Parks West - Restroom & Picnic Shelter
• Total Monthly Visitors: 1,045
• Total Visitors Since Project First
Posted: 2,605
• Project Rank: 136 of 5,539
• Bid Date: June 26, 2026
• Project Location: Oakdale, Minn.
• Project Category: Local Government
• Project Type: New Construction
• Project ID: 2026-0BBB
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Know Your Contract: Indemnification
Risk Mitigation Tools Every Contractor Should Understand [Part 2 of 4]
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Welcome back to our four-part series breaking down the key risk management tools found in every construction contract.
In Part 1, featured in our June 24th issue, we covered bonds, which are the three-party guarantee that protects owners, subcontractors, and suppliers when a contractor fails to perform or pay.
In this issue, we're turning to indemnification provisions, a less visible but equally critical piece of your contract that determines who actually carries the financial weight when something goes wrong on the jobsite.
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🤔 Indemnity: Who Pays When a Claim Comes In
Indemnification provisions are another cornerstone of construction risk allocation. Their core purpose is to protect upstream parties (typically owners and general contractors) from liability arising out of third-party claims caused by the acts of downstream parties.
🌀 Personal Injury & Property Damage Claims
This is where indemnity clauses matter most in practice. If a subcontractor's employee is injured on the job, or if a subcontractor damages adjacent property or the project itself, the owner and general contractor are often named as defendants regardless of who actually caused the issue.
A properly drafted indemnity provision shifts that financial burden back to the subcontractor responsible for the work, ensuring liability lands with the party whose actions actually caused the loss, not just whoever happens to be highest on the project chain.
⚖️ Duty to Defend vs. Duty to Indemnify
This distinction trips up more contractors than you'd expect, and it's worth understanding clearly.
• The duty to defend typically requires the indemnitor to provide a legal defense to the indemnitee as soon as a covered claim is asserted, often well before the underlying facts are sorted out.
• The duty to indemnify, by contrast, concerns the ultimate obligation to pay damages or settlements, which usually isn't known until litigation concludes.
Your contract should spell out clearly whether both duties apply and exactly when each one is triggered.
🖊️ First-Party vs. Third-Party Claims
Most indemnity clauses are written to address third-party liability, which protects the owner or general contractor from lawsuits filed by outside parties. Some contractors go further and extend indemnity to first-party losses as well, such as direct damages stemming from a contractor's defective work.
Knowing which type of claim your indemnity clause actually covers can make a significant difference if a dispute arises.
🔎 Anti-Indemnity Statutes
Here's where things get state-specific. Most states have anti-indemnity statutes that limit or prohibit clauses requiring one party to indemnify another for that party's own negligence. These laws exist to prevent parties with greater bargaining power from shifting liability onto others for losses they didn't cause.
Because these statutes vary significantly from state to state, the enforceability of any given indemnity clause depends heavily on the project's jurisdiction, which is exactly why this language deserves a careful read before you sign.
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Indemnity provisions can be some of the densest language in a construction contract, but understanding the basics puts you in a much stronger position at the negotiating table.
Next issue, we'll look more closely at insurance: how it differs from indemnity, and the cover types, limits, and contractual mechanisms that determine whether your policy actually protects you when it counts.
| | | The information for this feature was sourced from Construction Business Owner. Members are encouraged to do their own due diligence regarding indemnity clauses and/or contract provisions by speaking with legal counsel. | | | |
• Total Projects Received at MBEX from 6/22/2026 - 6/26/2026: 101
• Total Project Leads Reported on at MBEX from 6/22/2026 - 6/26/2026: 16
• Total Active Projects Received / Reported on at MBEX as of 6/30/2026: 388
• Total 2026 Projects posted to the Online Plan Room as of 6/30/2026: 3,432
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Click the button above to view the most recent project data from 6/24/2026 - 6/30/2026.
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 Director.
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UPCOMING MBEX EVENTS
• July 3 - 4th of July - MBEX Closed
• July 15 - Lake Superior Harbor Cruise
• July 16 - Online Plan Room Demo
• August 4 - Construction Estimating Principles & Application [Online Course]
• August 5 & 6 - Reading Construction Documents [Online Course]
• August 6 - Sporting Clays Scholarship Fundraiser
• August 19 - Golf North
• September 9 - Sporting Clays North
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Information within the MBEX Weekly Bulletin are obtained from sources deemed reliable. The Midwest 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.
2026 BOARD OFFICERS: President - Brian Kalla, St. Cloud Acoustics; Vice President - Sean Ochis, Northern Industrial Insulation; Treasurer - Allie Brady, Veit USA; Past President - Heidi Sedlacek, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota
2026 DIRECTORS: Kevin Bohrer, Donlar Construction; Ben Bowman, Adolfson & Peterson; David Brandt, Schadegg Mechanical; Matt Lennartson, RJM Construction; Chris Niemand, Frattalone Companies; Jason Rentmeester, Kraus-Anderson Construction; Harry Rothstein, Weidner's Mechanical Contractors; Jim Rothstein, Erickson Electric; and Alanna Soukkala, Holden Insurance Agency.
MBEX STAFF: David Siegel - Executive Director; Julie Miller - Executive Assistant / Project Coordinator / Accounting; Ashlee Hartwig - Membership & Communications Director; Melanie Hendrickson - Events & Membership Coordinator; Jeff Boelter - Project Acquisition & Plan Room Support; Shauna Baska - Project Reporter & Bidders Lists; Ka Yang - Addenda & Apparent Lows; Peggy Esboldt, Madison Gentil & Michelle Siegel - Project Reporters; Don O'Connor - Independent Event Planning Contractor
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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