< PreviousLack of talent poses a significant problem, especially if the industry is to take full advantage of investment dollars avail- able in the private sector for construction and other projects by local governments and even the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by the Biden administration. Proactive strategies to attract and train new employees are vital, according to AGC Georgia’s CEO Mike Dunham. “Workforce development is one of the most important things we do. We have an aging population of construction workers and it’s safe to say that the industry has not done a good job encouraging young people to consider careers in con- struction. Added to that, a big pendulum swing occurred over the past 30 years where influencers told young people they couldn’t be successful without a college degree. This can’t be farther from the truth. You can be very successful, have a high paying job and never go the college or university path,” Dunham says. It seems that increasing numbers of young people agree with Dunham. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicates college enrollment has declined by 9 percent since 2010 while the number of students taking up apprenticeships has grown by 64 percent since 2012. With the average cost of an on-campus, state-college education topping $25,000 per year, this immerging shift towards an ‘earn as you learn’ model is perhaps unsurprising. However, Dunham believes the construction industry needs to impact young people long before they reach high school and that the secret to attract- ing fresh faces is early contact. “Many years ago, we realized you can't wait until students are in the ninth grade and declare a career pathway at their high school. It's too late to pro-actively encourage them to consider construction by then. So, we're starting programs as early as second and fifth grades and for middle schoolers. Perhaps equally important as reaching the students, we also know that their influencers must be educated on our career opportuni- ties, too. You must lead the way in the hearts and minds of the parents, and you must educate school counselors.” Dunham has no doubt that this is the way forward. He believes everyone within the industry has a role to play, including AGC Georgia members. “For many years, I have challenged con- tractors to get out from behind their desk and go shake the hand of a high school or technical college instructor in their area. I encourage them to find out what those instructors need to create a more dynamic curriculum. What materials can the industry help provide? I ask them to volunteer time to be a guest speaker in the classroom or even host students for a jobsite visit. All of these industry-to-classroom connections help young people envision a career path within our industry.” “All of these industry-to-classroom connections help young people envision a career path within our industry.” | 60 FEBRUARY 2023To this end, AGC Georgia has become fully and enthusiastically dedicated to its Skills Challenge series. Since inception over a decade ago, the Skills Challenge series has grown significantly. In 2023, the program will expand to host eight regional events for high school students. These day-long events are designed for both competitors and student observers to explore their potential within the industry. This state-wide workforce devel- opment initiative is supported by hundreds of industry firms who provide hundreds of thousands in sponsorship dollars to a core group regional contractors who serve as hosts with AGC Georgia. Serving as a host contractor requires hundreds of hours of time and expertise. It’s evident by the broad support from the industry that firms value these events which serve as a grassroots way to build a sustainable talent pipeline for the entire industry to benefit from. AGC Georgia is proud of efforts to welcome not only students and their instructors at the Skills Challenges, but hundreds of influencers including state legislators, school superinten- dents, high school counselors, mayors, school board mem- bers, and leaders from the Department of Education and Technical College System of Georgia. | 61 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONDunham shared, “In the fall of 2022, we had over 1100 student competitors and even more student observers in attendance representing 89 high school construction programs through- out Georgia. The demand is so great that we're adding an eighth regional event in 2023.” Sounds very positive and proactive, but what exactly is the Skill Challenge event? How does it work? “It’s a competition and the students take it seriously. For some competitors, this is their Friday Night Lights moment. Skills Challenges are a primer for a student’s journey to compete in the regional Skill- sUSA construction program. The students can practice in our competitive setting to fine tune their specific craft, whether it be carpentry, electrical, masonry, plumbing, or welding. They're given a project and have two hours to complete it. They are judged on workmanship, adherence to safety guide- lines and how well they bring their project’s plans to life.” Dunham says the types of projects include brick walls, framed up and blocked out for a window, electric paneling with wir- ing systems for switches and plugs, plumbing utilizing both brass and plastic connections, masonry projects involving diagrams for a stone wall that the student must put together. All is very hands-on and translatable to today’s commercial construction needs. “Several regions have enough space at their venue to offer a blueprint reading competition, which is a big component of our industry. Students are given a set of commercial con- struction blueprints and challenged to find out the quantities and do a take-off and record results.” Does the competitive element add to the overall learning experience, I ask? “Yes! By having a time constraint and see- ing your fellow competitor beside you working hard, students | 62 FEBRUARY 2023diverse over the years. Dunham shared that it’s, “particularly exciting to see young women standing shoulder to shoul- der with their male peers on the award ceremony winners’ stages. These young ladies are excelling in areas that for many years were seen as only for men. Not only are they holding their own, but they are also often taking first place in a trade competition. They are demonstrating a propensity for being very detail-oriented and bringing a fresh perspec- tive to the project.” Despite not having come from a construction background, Dunham’s loyalty to the industry is undeniable. He became CEO of AGC Georgia in 1995. Having grown up in northeast Louisiana, he went to college as a pre-law student. “I had the gift of public speaking, thanks to my father probably, but I just loved advocacy and got a feel for the construction industry when given an opportunity to lead an AGC chapter in his home state in 1981. After over 40 years of service to the AGC organization, he’s become as passionate about the construction industry and workforce development as one can imagine. He shares that his elevator speech to help others understand the core mission for AGC Georgia is really easy: “one, we're here to help contractors be the best contractor they can be and two, to help build a better construction industry.” While it’s simple to explain, the action steps to deliver on these goals is where he feels AGC Georgia distinguishes itself in the marketplace and brings the most clout to its members. do get real life, on-the-job type training. They truly want to impress the industry judges and often times, a competitor will leave the day’s event with business cards from a judge or two. Making potential employment connections while still in high school is incredible. So many of these students are proving they can stand up to the pressure of performance and that goes a long way.” He also added that the learning just isn’t on the competition floor. Schools are encouraged to bring student observers. This group of students watches the competitions and are given time to speak to industry professionals who have hands-on display tables set up on the periphery of the venue. Professionals spend time with the observers promoting career opportunities of all types with their firm, including those in the office and opportunities that are pri- marily on jobsites. Another angle of the “learning experience” is for the parents and grandparents. Dunham shared that it’s particularly reward- ing to see a growing number of family members come to watch their students compete and speak with industry to learn for themselves about career opportunities. As mentioned earlier, DEI is an important focus for the asso- ciation. The Skills Challenges are an excellent time to share career paths with students from all backgrounds. Both the competitors and the professionals who are at the events promoting their firms’ opportunities have grown to be more | 63 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY MANUELA ARMINI T he pandemic and the related ongoing delays in the supply chain have made it quite hard for small, young construction companies to operate over the past three years. Success doesn’t always happen overnight and, with that in mind, smaller construction contractors might need time to gain a foothold in the market in order to grow and develop their business. However, there are always exceptions and in the case of NPSG Development, age truly doesn't matter. NPSG Development is a growing construction company that celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2022, but despite this, it is far from being the new kid on the block. With its 12 team members coming from a variety of construction sectors, the company has more than 200 years of combined experience under its belt. | 64 FEBRUARY 2023NPSG Development was founded in 2017 by its parent company NPSG Global and has since completed complex construction projects in the heavy civil, industrial, and com- mercial fields nationwide. While new additions to the con- struction market are nothing new, this company is different. Diversity is what sets NSPG Development apart. It is highly valued and sought after by NPSG President, Bobby Head. "My background has always been diverse when it comes to con- struction. I started out in Residential Construction and have completed ground up work, to anything as complex as major active operating room remodels. My General Superintendent has completed scopes such as large cold storage facilities to custom interior fit/finish projects," says Head. "We have a diverse background with people that can do everything from out of the ground large industrial warehouses to intricate, full-scale high-end restaurants." | 65 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONHead joined the company in 2020 as Director of Operations and was then appointed President in April 2022. Son of a residential home builder, he was born with the construction gene in his DNA. After briefly pursuing a career as a pilot, Head eventually fell back into the construction business and worked his way up the ladder. This 22-year-journey granted him extensive experience in managing large-scale industrial, medical, and civil projects. It is this rich and diverse experi- ence that ensure the company can offer its clients a bespoke experience that is unrivaled. For example, alongside its sister company, Advanced Sports Group (ASG), NPSG Development also provides full design and construction services for sports venues. Besides more specialized projects, the NPSG Devel- opment team has also built a wide array of facilities such as hotels, co-work office spaces, educational complexes, retail stores, and technology parks, just to mention a few. With a portfolio as broad as this, you would think that the company could perhaps suffer. By being a jack of all trades, could it be master of none? The answer, unsurprisingly, is a definitive ‘No’. When Head and his team are working on smaller commercial sites and tenant upfits, they apply pre- cisely the same process that is used for the company’s more complex projects. This uniformity ensures the highest quality CONGRATULATIONS NPSG ON YOUR CONTINUED SUCCESS! JOHN KELLY – 678-794-1963 JOHN@PROCOATPAINTERS.COM ATLANTA'S PREMIER COMMERCIAL PAINTING COMPANY across the board, regardless of the project. Whether the client needs interior work in an existing facility or the construction of a building from scratch, its standardized approach to man- aging projects allows NPSG Development's team to achieve the highest quality, safety, and customer satisfaction every time. "We can get really small and do tenant interior work, or go really big and do tilt wall, big warehouses. I have people on staff that can handle millions upon millions of dollars of project square footage. We can do it all." Flexibility, work eth- ics, and quality help the company create lasting partnerships with its customers. Nonetheless, NPSG Development's team has a predilection for big challenges, those projects that other construction companies wouldn't take on board. For example, the team is exceptionally skilled in performing construction work in active facilities without disrupting clients' operations. Head himself has significant experience working in active hospi- tals, where infection and contamination control regulations require the highest safety standards. When asked which projects he enjoys the most, there are no doubts. The thrill for NPSG Development is in creating things of worth, of value, of merit. “My dad was a residential home builder. I enjoy moving dirt, I enjoy creating things, taking a piece of clay, and creating something out of it. So that's the enjoyment I think everybody in this company gets," says Head. "We can take a raw piece of land, help you design the project, (and) build the project." | 66 FEBRUARY 2023To that end, NPSG Development's team seems to be in sync with Head, considering ground-up construction the most exciting part of their job. Taking an empty site, designing a building from scratch, and working on its development is the maximum expression of their combined expertise. When talking about the team, we talk, once again, about diversity. Head's colleagues come from many different backgrounds but share the same passion for quality work. As a president, Head highly encourages sharing different perspectives and approaches as an enrichment tool. The culture he is trying to build within the company is one of trust, mutual respect, and personal and professional development, where diversity changes old dynamics for the better. By way of example, Head explains how most of the staff have worked with the company since the very beginning and are there to stay. "I really pride myself on the fact that when you're on my team, I want you here for the long haul. I will always take care of you. I tell my people, I will take care of you first, before I take care of me, because if it wasn't for you guys, I'm not successful, I'm not going to win." Although NPSG Development's focus is on construction work, the services it provides to its customers go far beyond that. Conceptual design, site study, budgeting, permit assistance, and environmental compliance are only a part of what NPSG Development has to offer. Having a certified commercial drone pilot within its staff, the company also avails of the lat- est drone technology, which allows real-time site inspection and data collection. Head and his team are licensed to operate in over 30 states and can mobilize nationwide. While its HQ is located just outside Atlanta, NPSG Development can count on a broad network of trusted subcontractors, which allows it to carry out projects in different states concurrently. The end of the year usually sees a slowdown in warehouse work. Retailers are busy fulfilling orders for the festive sea- son, and any construction work tends to be postponed until the following year. This relatively quiet period gives Head and his team a chance to enjoy much-deserved holidays. "I have superintendents traveling away from their families. In November and December, they are at home, you know, that's their vacation. However, while family and a healthy work/life balance is of huge importance, NPSG Development remains working on other projects throughout the country. One of its most important commitments is a multi-step project based in Texas. The initial work required restructuring a portion of a parking lot and building a bridge crossing. On the same site, Head's team will replace one of the walls within an active warehouse with a series of dock doors. Despite the obstacles that a lot of companies nationwide have had to overcome over the last few years, NPSG Develop- ment's team seems strongly positioned to face any problems head-on. While 2022 comes to an end, the forecasts in the construction industry expect a 3% growth between 2023 and 2026. As the new year begins, it's not surprising that Head and his team are ready to take on new, bigger, and more com- plex challenges. With a wealth of expertise, experience and a passion for delivering top quality to its clients, it’s clear that this is a company to take note of. “The thrill for NPSG Development is in creating things of worth, of value, of merit.” | 67 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL A s the history books demonstrate, West Virginia has always been big business. While statistically it may not be the largest or the most populous state, its strategic location has ensured that it has been an interesting proposition at multiple times throughout the formation of the nation. With its stunning mountains and rolling hills, it is widely regarded for outdoor pursuits such as skiing, rafting, rock climbing and hunting. It is not just its visual and geo- graphical appeal that makes West Virginia such a draw, how- ever. The area is somewhat of a mecca for fossil fuels. The area is steeped with a rich heritage of mining and industry. Historically, salt mines and limestone have been key drivers of work and wealth in the state, but it was the second half of the 19th century when the real industry was to awaken. It had long been known that the state had a wealth of coal beneath the ground, but until that time, it had only been mined and burned independently. Investors and industrially minded peo- ple suddenly found West Virginia to be of huge importance and the mines that opened there fueled much of the Industrial Revolution. With all this in mind, it is understandable that the locals are fiercely proud of their roots in the industry. Predict- ably, they are also reluctant to change. With rising evidence around the need to transition to more sustainable fuels, this area of the country is digging its heels in. Having examined wind maps throughout the state, the U.S. Department of Energy has determined that West Virginia has significant wind opportunities. So, given that the potential is there, what is stopping industry from moving in? Current fig- ures show that coal still accounts for almost 93% of all energy generated in the state. In addition to that, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, it is the second largest coal producer in the United States and ranks fifth among the states in total energy production. Clearly, alternative fuels have an uphill battle. Notwithstanding the importance of the coal industry on jobs and revenue. | 68 FEBRUARY 2023“Having examined wind maps throughout the state, the U.S. Department of Energy has determined that West Virginia has significant wind opportunities.” | 69 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >