The beautiful Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, California is the site of the 2023 CAWV Midyear Meeting, which will be held February 3-8, 2023. The Program Committee is working to provide an abundant mix of business, sporting and social activities to truly make the 2023 meeting one you will not want to miss. The Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa sits on 360 acres in the Palm Springs desert. Located in the Coachella Valley, in the city of Rancho Mirage, the backyard experience features the best pool and waterslides in the desert. The recently renovated resort is ranked as one of the Top 50 Golf Resorts in North America and is home to a Pete Dye championship course. For more information including sponsorship opportunities, please contact Cheryl Clark at (304) 342-1166 or email cclark@cawv.org.
To obtain the 2023 Midyear Meeting registration packet, CLICK HERE.
For sponsorship information, CLICK HERE.
CAWV MIDYEAR MEETING 2022 RECAP
The 2022 CAWV Midyear Meeting was a great success, according to responses by members who attended this year’s meeting, held January 28 – February 2 at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Aruba. HHaMembers and guests participated in the business sessions, networking events and local activities held in conjunction with the meeting.
“I thank each member who attended the meeting,” said CAWV President Nate Orders. “We know it took perseverance by everyone traveling to Aruba. A number of members wish they could have attended but the ongoing pandemic has challenged us all,” he said.
The Monday General Business Session featured the CAWV’s workforce development task force that is working to enhance career and technical training programs to put more young people into high paying construction careers. Tia Reppert of Bear Contracting and chair the CAWV Education Committee, updated members on BUILD WV, which will be rolled out at the West Virginia Construction and Design EXPO that will be held March 23-24. Anthony Huey, president of Reputation Management Associates of Sarasota, spoke on how construction companies can find, hire, and retain a qualified workforce. Huey, who is a highly rated international communications consultant who provides pragmatic communications tools, spoke at the 2018 CAWV Midyear Meeting in Marco Island, Florida.
“What message do you want potential employees to remember when you talk to them about your company,” Huey asked attendees. “Your primary goal when recruiting is not to answer their questions about the job. Your goal is to engage them more effectively in order to give them a reason to go to work for you. How well you communicate helps with your primary purpose, whether you’re talking with a student in school or someone that’s already in the industry.”
Huey told members there’s another challenge contractors are facing today. “Retention of key talent is becoming more and more of an issue,” he said. “Have you communicated your plan for their future in your company in order for them to know they are a vital part of your company? Many times, key personnel will leave because a company owner hasn’t provided specifics on the purpose of their organization and how employees fit into that purpose.”
Huey’s presentation was interactive. He videoed members talking about their companies and why young people should go to work for them. He extolled members to express themselves by having “strength of statement” in order to give them “believability and credibility.” He said employers must have a tone of conviction that makes people want to come to work in their companies.
“Because some members had to cancel attending the Midyear Meeting due to COVID and travel restrictions, Anthony has graciously agreed to conduct a seminar for CAWV members so everyone can benefit from his insights,” said CAWV Senior Vice President James Ridgeway. “All members are looking to hire people but sometimes we don’t concentrate on retaining the people we have,” the Morgantown building contractor said. “Everyone at the Midyear Meeting benefited from Anthony’s comments. I encourage all CAWV members to listen and learn when the CAWV schedules the seminar.”
The Tuesday General Business Session featured construction projects. Rick Johnson, WV Paving, Inc., showcased construction of U.S. Route 35 which was completed in November 2021 following 53 years of development and construction. The final cost of the completed roadway is approximately $750 million. Rick detailed the last projects, a 14.6-mile section by Bizzack Construction and Kanawha Stone required 16.8 million CY of excavation, 7.3 miles of pipe, five bridges, and a $50.9 million paving project. “The four-lane paving project, consisting of two 12’ lanes, a 10’ shoulder and 4’ shoulder in each direction, required 564,500 tons of asphalt,” Johnson noted. “We used a paver which allowed us to pave a 28-foot-wide single pass which resulted in no longitudinal joints,” he told members.
How construction is performed in Aruba was shared by Matthijs Bijen, managing director of Aruba’s leading infrastructure construction company, Aruban Roadbuilding Company. “You can imagine the logistics of working on an island,” the Dutch-born civil engineering professional told members. “Getting equipment, material and labor is a challenge we address every day. Like you, we are seeing material prices going up. It is higher in Aruba because our transportation costs are going up as well.”
Bijen has been instrumental in many of Aruba’s largest civil construction projects such as highways, the Aruba airport, water and sewer projects, the new Barcelona Container Terminal and the island’s water desalination plant. “Labor force issues are increasingly becoming a challenge, especially skilled labor,” he shared with members. “I spend a lot of time training people. In my opinion, it’s the only way to get good people. We have to cross-train since we own and operate our equipment. We cannot rely on rental companies or subcontractors to provide their equipment,” he noted.
Bijen is a member of the board of the Aruban Trade and Industry Association. He outlined the nation’s funding source for roads and other infrastructure projects. “We pay taxes on our vehicles, but this money doesn’t always go to road maintenance,” he noted. “Aruba does have an infrastructure fund and we do get money from Holland. Even though Aruba is an independent state, we are still part of the Netherlands. However, if Holland lends Aruba money for projects, it must be repaid,” Bijen commented.
An update on the CAWV/Encova workers’ compensation program was presented by Encova’s Lisa Teel and Leslie Myles.
A moving tribute was held for Pat Parsons who is retiring after 43 years with the CAWV, the last 35 of those years serving as Executive Director of the Asphalt Pavement Association. A video tribute from members was shown during the meeting, along with comments from members in attendance. Pat was thanked for his service and dedication to the CAWV, APA and the entire construction industry (See the January/February issue of West Virginia Construction News for more on Pat’s service to the association and West Virginia’s construction industry.)
A golf tournament, a welcome night reception and President’s Banquet, both held on Hyatt’s beautiful beach, and the Highway/Heavy, Building and Utilities Division meetings, were all part of this year’s meeting. “I think everyone enjoyed this year’s meeting and I think everyone took something away from it,” said Senior Vice President Ridgeway. “Workforce development will be a major thrust for this year’s activities. We learned of all the work that is coming to West Virginia through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and it is clear that there will be many opportunities for young people to join the construction industry. The CAWV needs to be at the forefront in career development programs,” he said.
A complete wrap-up of the CAWV Midyear Meeting will be the March/April issue of West Virginia Construction News magazine. The 2023 CAWV Midyear Meeting will be held February 3-8 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, California. The 2024 Midyear Meeting will be held at Fiesta Americana in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.