ABC Florida Gulf Coast

12/19/2022

While our physical office is closed, the entire team is still available to help via email!

12/18/2022

Wishing you all the light and love of Hanukkah this year.

12/16/2022

Our final event of 2022 took place on Wednesday evening in Fort Myers as our Young Professionals competed in teams constructing gingerbread houses and jingling away with top honors! Thank you to everyone who attended, our sponsors, and judges for helping to make the event merry and bright!

Thank you to Better Buildings, Inc for being our Premier Event Sponsor. Your continued support of ABC is much appreciated.

A big thank you is also warranted for our 2022 Program Sponsors: Atlantic Southern Paving and Sealcoating, B&I Contractors, Inc, CP Rankin Inc. - Roofing Experts, Milwaukee Tool, Contracting Solutions and Spectrum Contracting.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in 2023!

12/15/2022

Building America: The Merit Shop Scorecard

Florida ranks #1 for Construction!

For the fourth time, Florida claimed the top spot in Associated Builders and Contractors’ eighth annual Merit Shop Scorecard, a ranking of all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on policies and programs that strengthen career pathways in construction, encourage workforce development and advocate for fair and open competition on taxpayer-funded construction projects.

In addition to fostering fair and open competition in public construction work, Florida continues to reap the benefits of providing students with a multitude of career pathways, which in 2022 yielded a graduation rate of 96% for career and technical education program students.

Building America: The Merit Shop Scorecard, a project of Associated Builders & Contractors, provides a state-by-state look at construction industry environments around the country. See how the states fared!

12/14/2022

ABC lost one of our founders and industry leaders. Tommy Brown was instrumental in the creation of our chapter and was a fierce advocate for free and open competition. Our deepest condolences go out to Tommy's family and friends. Tommy Brown will always be a legend to us!

12/13/2022

Our Young Professionals committees, in both Fort Myers and Tampa, have been busy collecting toys over the past few months to benefit Adyn & Abby Lego'cy Toy Drive.

Adyn was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2016 and relapsed 11 times before losing his battle with Leukemia last year. His family was asked if we could continue collecting toys to help other children this holiday season and they graciously allowed us to continue.

The committees collected toys at ABC events during the past months and also set up boxes at offices of member companies down in Southwest Florida. All in all, the group collected almost 700 toys!!

On Monday, the donations were delivered to the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida and Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this holiday season a little brighter for very deserving children and families. We appreciate your continued support of ABC and our missions!

12/12/2022

Some of our Young Professionals, along with the ABC Chapter team, spent their Friday afternoon with Feeding Tampa Bay. Our group helped to prepare the Community Market for shoppers to visit and shop with dignity. It was a rewarding time getting to help our neighbors in need!

Thank you to Autodesk, Charles Perry Partners, Inc., Gaylor Electric, and The Williams Company for allowing your up-and-coming leaders to step out of the office to participate!

12/12/2022

Please help us welcome our newest chapter members for the month of December!

12/09/2022

Oh what a night it was! Our Holiday Social took place last night at The Florida Aquarium and was filled with fun, holiday spirit, and the best members around!

Thank you to all of our sponsors for making the event happen! We couldn't do any of this without your support!

We appreciate everyone who came out to spend the evening with us! It's been our pleasure to work alongside you this year and we look forward to another successful year in 2023!

12/09/2022

Polk County’s building boom highlights need for construction training programs

Polk County’s building boom highlights need for construction training programs

"We have had a mentality for the last 20 years of pushing everyone into college, and we haven’t really promoted people learning and working in the trades, and now we are feeling the effect of that," said Steve C**a, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors Florida Gulf Coast Chapter.

If you have a proclivity for fixing your plumbing, re-shingling your roof, or tiling your house yourself, you may be just what Polk County contractors are looking for - A potential employee.

12/07/2022

Our Fort Myers Holiday Social took place last night at Luminary Hotel & Co. and it was the perfect backdrop to celebrate the season and our members before the end of year! Thank you to everyone who came out. We are looking forward to another successful year in 2023.

Thank you to Tool, Mobile Mini, and Service Contracting Solutions for sponsoring the event! It would not have been possible without your support.

12/07/2022

Thank you to Summit Design + Build, LLC for hosting our final Coffee & Contractors for 2022. It was a great morning sharing information and networking.

We appreciate PrimeGroup Insurance Services, Inc providing the morning grub and starting the morning off right.

A high thank you to Dark Horse Coffee Company for giving our members the best coffee around month after month at these events!

Looking forward to hosting more of these events in 2023!

12/05/2022

Our annual Clay Shoot Tournament took place last Thursday at Tampa Bay Sporting Clays & Archery . It was a gorgeous day for competition, networking, and fun!

Tournament Winners:
1st Place 🥇- Ameripipe Supply
2nd Place 🥈 - Argos
3rd Place 🥉 - USI Insurance Services
Best Shot Male - Brian Jacinto, USI Insurance Services
Best Shot Female - Kathy Masucci, Graybar

Thank you to all the teams that participated and all of our sponsors! We appreciate your continued dedication and support to our chapter over the past year. Click here to see all the photos from the event: https://bit.ly/3h71mdP

11/29/2022

Florida Trade Academy Offers New Programs For Youths In The Community

ABC is proud to sponsor Florida Trade Academy!

“Florida Trade Academy fills an important gap in training the next generation of skilled workers,” said Steve C**a, CEO of ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter. “The program is structured to improve productivity, reduce turnover and lower recruitment costs for employers. It makes the students more employable as they begin working in their trade jobs having already completed basic training programs and OSHA requirements.”

This past October, Florida Trade Academy launched a pre-apprenticeship program to help open the door for untrained workers entering the construction industry.

11/24/2022

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🥧!

11/21/2022

Our final event of 2022 in Tampa took place last week at Magnanimous Brewing. In anticipation of Rivalry Week this weekend, we asked everyone to wear their team colors and bring the trash talk! We had so much fun and cannot wait for everything planned in 2023.

Special thank you to Mobilization Funding, LLCunding who provided the raffle prize for the evening! Our group raised over $1100 to purchase toy for the Adyn & Abby Lego'cy Holiday Toy Drive.

Nothing this year would have been possible without the generosity of our Program Sponsors. Thank you to Barcelona Crane Rental, Coastal Construction Products, Gaylor Electric, Manhattan Construction Group, Moss & Associates, Suffolk Construction, and Tri-City Electrical Contractors, Inc. supporting our industry's future leaders!

11/18/2022

11/18/2022

Our first event, post Hurricane Ian, happened this Wednesday in Fort Myers at the World of Beer - Gulf Coast Town Center! It was so nice to see our members and enjoy a night of brews and conversation. We can't wait to see everyone at the Fort Myers Holiday Social on December 6th.

Thank you to everyone who brought a toy for the Adyn & Abby Lego'cy drive! You are helping to make Christmas bright for some very deserving children. If you are interested in donating, please reach out to our office for more details.

11/17/2022

Last night our Sprinkler Fitter apprentices competed for an opportunity to represent our chapter at the 2023 National Craft Championships in Orlando. This wrapped up our Local Craft Competition and closed out .

We would like to thank all the judges who gave their time over the last two nights to score the competitors on their construction of project, layout, and safety. We appreciate your continued dedication to our program!

Thank you to Milwaukee Tool, Sunbelt Rentals , and White Cap for sponsoring the event!

11/16/2022

Night one of our Local Craft Competition is in the books! Our Electrical and Plumbing apprentices competed last night for an opportunity to represent our chapter in Orlando at the National Craft Championships.

All of our apprentices, instructors, and employer sponsors were invited to watch and cheer on their fellow classmates. We also celebrated by giving out shirts provided by Milwaukee Tool!

Thank you to Milwaukee, Sunbelt Rentals, and White Cap for sponsoring the event. Night two takes place tonight as our Sprinkler Fitter competitors take to the floor.

11/15/2022

Our annual Chili Cookoff event took place last Thursday, in spite of the weather! It was such a fun night of competition, creativity, and networking. Thank you to everyone who came out to make it one for the books!

A big thank you goes out to MILBURN LLC for hosting our event! Dave, Cookie and the whole Milburn team helped make it a success!

We also want to thank our Platinum and Gold Advantage Club Sponsors who allow us to put on these events. Your continued support throughout 2022 is unmatched!

Congratulations to this year's winners:

🥇- Rivero, Gordimer & Company, P.A.
🥈- HENSEL PHELPS
🥉& People's Choice - Belt Engineering
Best Display 🏆 - B*H Mechanical, LLC

Already looking forward to next year's competition! Check out more event photos here: http://bit.ly/3hLkmyq

11/15/2022

Contact our office for more information!

☎️: (813) 879-8064
📧: [email protected]

IT'S NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK! 👷‍♀️👷‍♂️

ConServ Building Services, LLC has a long history of partnering with our local ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter sponsoring apprentices, providing instructors for the classroom, and serving on organizational committees. We are pleased to help ABC in their mission, to reap the benefits of having a knowledgeable, highly qualified workforce, and to extend the expertise of our craftsmen to your project.

National Apprenticeship Week is an opportunity to highlight how apprenticeships are a proven and industry-driven training model, providing a critical talent pipeline that can help to address some of our nation’s pressing workforce challenges such as responding to critical supply chain demands and rebuilding our country’s infrastructure.

11/15/2022

We appreciate our partnership with B*H Mechanical, LLC and want you to know that we can help you find a long-lasting, lucrative career in construction!

IT'S NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK! 👷‍♀️👷‍♂️

B*H Mechanical, LLC has a long history of partnering with our local ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter sponsoring apprentices, providing instructors for the classroom, and serving on organizational committees. We are pleased to help ABC in their mission, to reap the benefits of having a knowledgeable, highly qualified workforce, and to extend the expertise of our craftsmen to your project.

National Apprenticeship Week is an opportunity to highlight how apprenticeships are a proven and industry-driven training model, providing a critical talent pipeline that can help to address some of our nation’s pressing workforce challenges such as responding to critical supply chain demands and rebuilding our country’s infrastructure.

*H

11/15/2022

Help us celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, November 14-20!

11/14/2022

Please give a warm welcome to our newest chapter members for the month of November. We are happy to have you as part of the Gulf Coast Chapter!

11/11/2022

Happy Veterans Day from all of us at ABC Florida Gulf Coast! Thank you to all those who have served and those currently serving.

11/10/2022

Hurricane Ian proved to be one of the most destructive and deadliest hurricanes to hit Florida in recent times. Life has been severely disrupted for many in SWFL.

Yesterday, we had the humbling experience of delivering almost $20,000.00 of relief in the form of checks to several employees from ABC member companies that have endured significant loss due to the hurricane.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the ABC Cares Foundation, Inc. to help our ABC member families/individuals recover from the devastation of the storm.

11/08/2022

Get out and vote!

11/07/2022

We are proud to support Mary Lee's House during the upcoming holiday season! More details will be coming regarding donation opportunities.

We want to say a big thank you to ABC Florida Gulf Coast for choosing us as the recipient of donations collected at their holiday social for the 3rd year in a row! ABC Florida Gulf Coast's donations of toys and clothing ensure that the children and families we serve have a happy holiday season.

11/07/2022

Here's to a great Monday, and an even better week!

11/03/2022

Friendly reminder that our Annual Chili Cookoff 🌶️ is happening next Thursday! You won't want to miss this fan-favorite event!

Taster prices will increase on Monday so be sure to register soon! All event details can be found by visiting the Upcoming Events link in our bio.

11/02/2022

Our will be collecting toys to benefit the Golisano Children's Hospital of SWFL and John Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Pete this month. The goal is to collect 1,800 toys this year and we need your help!

Scan the QR code on the flyer to view the Amazon Wish List. Donations will also be collected at the Fort Myers Happy Hour on Nov. 16th and the YP Rivalry Week Happy Hour on Nov. 17th in Tampa.

11/01/2022

Hello, November 👋! Be sure to check out all of our trainings and networking events happening this month. Click the link in our bio for all event details and registration info.

10/31/2022

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Halloween!

10/27/2022

Our Excellence in Safety Luncheon was held today to recognize our members who put safety at the forefront of what they do.

We appreciate Steve Lafferty, with the University of South Florida joining us and sharing insight on all the exciting things in the works on their campuses.

We rounded out the afternoon by celebrating those companies who achieved recognition through the ABC National STEP Safety Management System. Congratulations on your continued efforts to help keep our industry safe!

10/26/2022

Post-Ian Reconstruction Needs, Tight Construction Labor Market Add Up To Delays Nationwide

ABC in the news! Bisnow: Post-Ian Reconstruction Needs, Tight Construction Labor Market Add Up To Delays Nationwide

“It’s going to be an overwhelming challenge,” Associated Builders and Contractors Florida Gulf Coast President Steve C**a said. “It’s a perfect storm with the lack of skilled labor, plus supply chain challenges getting the materials and the components to build a project. This is something that we really haven't seen before.”

A tight labor market in construction will delay recovery from Hurricane Ian in Florida, with potential national implications.

10/26/2022

The October NEXGEN class focused on Politics in Construction. The day was filled with professional development, industry background and information, and conversations with legislators about how our industry is impacted by politics.

We cannot thank our speakers enough for giving their time and knowledge to the group and helping to make the day a success! Thank you to Tom Topping, Steve C**a III, David Turcios, Carol Bowen, Nick DiCeglie, Susan Valdes, Linda Chaney, and Jay Collins for being a part of NEXGEN!

As always, we have to tip our hats to our program sponsors who help make all of this happen: B*H Mechanical, LLC, Friedrich Watkins of Tampa, Gaylor Electric, GMF Steel Group, Guignard Company, Moss & Associates, Schaefer General Contracting Services, and Tri-City Electrical Contractors, Inc.

10/25/2022

ABC is proud to endorse Ron DeSantis for re-election. If you are interested in a yard sign for your home or office, please stop by the ABC office.

10/24/2022

Our annual Merit Shop Golf Tournament took place on Thursday morning at The Eagles Golf Club in Tampa and what a beautiful day it was out on the links!

45 teams competed, on two courses, and were joined by our amazing hole sponsors and gorgeous weather.

A big thank you to all of our sponsors who help to make these events happen! We can't do it without your support.

Congratulations to the winners! Enjoy your years worth of bragging rights, before we do it all over again!

10/21/2022

Governor DeSantis Speaks at Job Creators Endorsement Event in Tampa

Join us for the ABC of Florida endorsement of Governor Ron DeSantis.

Governor DeSantis Speaks at Job Creators Endorsement Event in Tampa