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October 31, 2012  

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The Latest News from CAM - The Construction Association of Michigan 

CAMSafety Construction Safety Leadership Conference - December 5th

Ferris State University Announces Six New Inductees to the Michigan Construction Hall of Fame

CAM Construction Activity Index (CAI) Recap - A Decline in Business Conditions Persists in August 2012

Industry Mourns the Passing of Donald Eugene Greenwell, Sr.

CAM Tradeshow Reports Rapid Booth Sales

CAMTEC Offering a Wide Array of Classes Through December

GEM / Energy to Host Critical Power and Data Center Summit

CAM Connect with Detroit Lions Football - December 2nd

MIOSHA Available for Voluntary Worksite Inspections

Shrader Tire & Oil Hosts a Successful Delo Truck Experience

CAM Member Kerkstra Precast to Host 50th Anniversary Open House

CAM Magazine 2012 Project of the Year - Remember to Cast Your Vote Online

Join the All-New CAM Sporting Clays League!

The Big Buck Contest is Back

History of the Jack O' Lantern

conferenceCAMSafety Construction Safety Leadership Conference - December 5th      

 

The Construction Association of Michigan (CAM) has teamed up with the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) to provide the very best training for construction safety personnel in Michigan. This full-day conference is specifically designed for leaders in safety, regardless of the title on their business card. Owners, site superintendents, foremen, project managers, human resource personnel and safety managers will have the opportunity to select classes based on their level of knowledge: Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced.

 

Every year, thousands of workers are killed, disabled or injured on construction projects. Take advantage of this winter slow-down and attend this one-day training to sharpen your safety skills and develop your strategy for 2013.

 

Construction Safety Leadership Conference: to be held at the Marriott Detroit Livonia at Laurel Park, Wednesday, December 5, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. Cost: $100 by November 1st, or $125 after November 1st.  To see the full list of classes offered and to register, please click here.

 

Note: Register by tomorrow to receive our Early Bird special rate of just $100. Offer expires after November 1st!

 

 

ferrisFerris State University Announces Six New Inductees to the Michigan Construction Hall of Fame       

  

In a celebration held at Ferris State University's Granger Center for Construction and HVACR on Oct. 25, the Michigan Construction Hall of Fame welcomed six new inductees: 

Lawrence D. Clark, founder of the Lansing-area Clark Companies, was honored for his significant contributions to the concrete foundation industry and leadership in Delta Township area development, where he pioneered poured-wall and tilt-up concrete construction. The Clark Companies include Lawrence Clark Concrete Construction, L.D. Clark Excavating, the L.D. Clark Building Company and Builders Aggregates. Clark has served such professional organizations as the Concrete Foundation, Greater Lansing Home Builders, Michigan Concrete, Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation, and Tilt-Up Concrete associations, as well as Associated Underground Contractors and Central Michigan Associated Builders and Contractors. Recognized for his service to Delta Township and, nationally, as a concrete innovator, Clark has received the Murray Parker Memorial Award, the Tilt-Up Achievement Award, and eight separate Building of the Year Awards, as well as special recognition from Dow Chemical, Owens Corning and Con/Steel. 

Richard J. Cramer Sr. was honored for his pioneering uses of technology and leadership in the sheet metal, HVAC and construction industries. Building on his father's Flint, Mich. heating business, Dee Cramer Inc., using strategic planning and lean construction, Cramer took lead of the $3.5-million company in the late 1970s and elevated it to a $28-million enterprise. The firm reached $44 million in 2011. He also pioneered 3D coordination and building information modeling, helping to build the nation's first "virtual" projects at two General Motors facilities. Serving on the Construction Users Roundtable Tripartite Committee, he also has been president of the Flint Area Association of Sheet Metal Contractors for 20 years and led the formation of the first national Sheet Metal Industry Peer Group. Active in the Sheet Metal Contractors National Association and on more than 11 national committees, he has also served on the Michigan Board of Mechanical Rules and been a trustee of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 7 Zone 4 Pension Fund. Cramer is known for his service to the community and was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Downtown Flint Rotary Club in 2002. 

Brothers Arthur J., James O. and Ralph J. Fisher were honored for their development of the Fisher Companies - Fisher Transportation, Central Concrete, Central Asphalt, Bay Aggregates and Midland Engine - from Fisher Sand and Gravel, the business their parents, Ralph "R.J." and Zelda Fisher, began in Midland, Mich. in 1925. The Fisher Companies, grown by the brothers into a 400-employee operation with annual revenue of more than $100 million, provide heavy civil contracting and a variety of other construction-related services across the Great Lakes region, with each brother serving in a variety of leadership positions within one or more company divisions. The brothers also are known for their development of Mt. Pleasant's popular Bucks Run Golf Club on the site of a former Fisher Sand and Gravel pit. Collectively, they have provided extensive service to multiple community and professional organizations, including the Asphalt Paving Association of Michigan, Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors, the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, the Ready Mix Concrete Association, and both Michigan and national chapters of the Society of Professional Engineers. 

Karl O. Schelling of Jackson was honored for his extensive service to the Michigan housing industry and promotion of affordable housing development. Taking lead of his father's single-family home and light commercial construction business, Schelling Homes, Schelling incorporated the business as Schelling Construction Inc. and added multi-family unit, subdivision and low-rise professional office development. He went on to add Schelling Development LLC and Schelling Real Estate, developing projects including the Aviara Oaks subdivision, Professional Village office complex and Westbrook Estates. By age 30, Schelling had become the youngest president of the Jackson and Michigan Home Builders Associations. Advocating extensively for Michigan's housing industry in leadership roles within the Jackson, Michigan, and national associations of Home Builders, Schelling led critical legal action efforts for affordable housing development and has been awarded life memberships to each organization. Schelling was awarded the Detroit Metropolitan Convention and Visitors' Bureau's J. Lee Barrett Award for outstanding service in 1999. 

The Michigan Construction Hall of Fame is located in Ferris State University's Granger Center and serves as a permanent place for leaders of the Michigan construction industry to be recognized and appreciated. For more information, click here.

caiCAM Construction Activity Index (CAI) Recap - A Decline in Business Conditions Persists in August 2012  

Construction Activity Index
 
CAM's Construction Activity Index (CAI) is a monthly online survey sent to the CAM membership regarding their individual business situations. CAM's Consulting Economist, Don Wilson, has provided a recap of the past few months, where he reports that internal business conditions in the southeastern Michigan non-residential building industry weakened again, according to the most recent set of responses.

 

To read the complete recap with accompanying charts, please click here.

GreenwellIndustry Mourns the Passing of Donald Eugene Greenwell, Sr.  

 

Donald Eugene Greenwell, Sr., age 86, of Venice, FL, formerly Farmington Hills, passed away on October 16th following a sudden heart attack. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 38 years, Mary Ann Duffy Greenwell, in 1989.

 

Mr. Greenwell, is the son of the late Bernard and Blondina (Seal) Greenwell, and grew up on the east side of Detroit. After graduating from St. Anthony's Catholic high school he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was discharged with honor at the end of WWII.

 

He went on to study civil engineering at the University of Detroit ('50). Mr. Greenwell was a talented and brilliant civil engineer, starting as a co-op student at A.W. Kutsche, later purchased by A.Z. Shmina & Sons General Contractors, advancing to vice president of Estimating and also Operations. Many of the projects he helped build can be seen in the Detroit area today - including Detroit Science Center, Osborn High School, Ann Arbor Huron, Washtenaw County Courthouse, Crittenton Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital and Wayne State Engineering. He was particularly proud of the immense challenges constructing the UM School of Dentistry complex. Mr. Greenwell was widely respected amongst his peers serving in Engineering Society of Detroit, Associated General Contractors, and Builders & Traders (CAM).

 

Don and Mary Ann raised a family of 8 children, including Don (Jenny), Ann (Bob) Cameron, Mark (Lois), Susan Meconi, Brian (Linda), Jim (Patty), Tom, and Ellen Stone.  Mr. Greenwell leaves 21 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.  He is survived by sister, Carol Dannewitz, and brother-in-law, John Carlu, both of Warren.  He was predeceased by sisters Bernice (Richter) and Rita (Carlu) and brother-in-law Robert (Rick) Richter.

 

Mr. Greenwell remained healthy and active throughout his life. He will be deeply missed by family, friends and his professional colleagues. For those wishing to acknowledge Mr. Greenwell's passing, the family requests donations to the Father Solanus Guild.

tradeshowCAM Tradeshow Reports Rapid Booth Sales    

 

CAM is gearing up for its 2013 Michigan Construction & Design Tradeshow! Once again, the event will be held at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit on February 6, 2013.  Exhibit hours are from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

 

The day's events will also include CAM's 127th Annual Meeting, CAM Magazine's Special Issue Awards, Green Project Awards, and the 2012 Project of the Year Award.

 

Now is the time to reserve your booth space - nearly 70% of the booths are already gone!  

 

Some of the companies exhibiting in the 2013 show include: Ventcon; Construction Points Plus; William H. Scarlet & Associates; Cipriano Coating Technology; Oakland Metals; Benesys Inc.; Great Northern Sentry Co.; Bratic Enterprises, LLC; Mersino Dewatering Inc.; Unistrut Detroit; and many more.

 

Attendee online registration will be available soon through CAM's website.

 

For more information on exhibiting at this year's show, click here or contact Ron Riegel (248) 972-1000.

 

ALSO - don't miss out on the Training & Education seminars that will be offered at this year's Tradeshow! They include:

  • 10:00 am - Rebates, Incentives and Tax Credits
  • 2:00 pm - The Benefits of an Energy Audit
  • 3:00 pm - Industry Success Stories

Look for more seminars to be added in the coming weeks, including several on Green Building. For more information, contact Tracey Alfonsi, CAM Director of Education & Safety Services, (248) 972-1141.

camtecCAMTEC Offering a Wide Array of Classes Through December      

 

Registrations for Fall Classes for November & December are currently being accepted.

  • Contracts and Purchase Orders -T & W 11/6 & 11/7 (2 sessions/class)
  • Construction Liens - A Remedy for Payment on Private Projects against the Owner's Land - T 11/6 (1 session/class)
  • Preparing Docs to Preserve Construction Liens - W 11/7 (1 session/class)
  • Design Phase, Bidding and Proposals (Prerequisite-Blueprint Reading experience) - T, T & M 11/13, 11/20 & 11/26 (3 sessions/class)
  • Account Receivable Management & Collections - TH 11/15 (1 session/class)
  • Payment Bonds / A Remedy for Payment on Public Work Projects - T 11/20 (1 session/class)
  • Project Management & Supervision - T & W 11/27 & 11/28  2 sessions/class)
  • Certified Lead Renovator Training - F  11/30 (1 session/class)
  • Advanced Bonding - T 12/4 (1 session/class)
  • Project Accounting - T 12/4 (1 session/class)
  • Project Close-Out - W 12/5 (1 session/class)
  • Dispute Resolution for the Construction Industry - W 12/5 (1 session/class)
  • Estimating (Prerequisite-Blueprint Reading experience) - M, T & W 12/10 thru 12/12 & 12/17 thru 12/19 (6 sessions/class)

For more class information, please click here.

 

gemenergyGEM / Energy to Host Critical Power and Data Center Summit    

 

Members of the construction industry are cordially invited to join GEM / Energy Services, Inc. and key partners for an exclusive event to be held at the University of Toledo on Wednesday, November 7, 2012. The Critical Power and Data Center Summit will include an open dialogue with many end-users of combined heat and power technology, as well as prominent experts in the field of information technology and energy.

 

On this Summit, you will tour four combined heat and power installations within a five-mile radius. The Summit opens at 8:00 am at the University of Toledo and closes at 5:00 pm at the Huntington Center, downtown Toledo.

 

There is no fee to attend the Summit; however your confirmed reservation is required to secure your space. The Summit is open to the first 100 registrants. Lunch as well as transportation to and from the tour sites are included with your registration.

 

For complete information and to register for this informative and interesting day, please click here.

lionsconnectCAM Connect with Detroit Lions Football - December 2nd   

 

Join us for our last CAM Connect networking event of 2012, as we gather for a Detroit Lions tailgate party on Sunday, December 2nd. This event is FREE to all CAM members. It will be held from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm at a location near Ford Field (to be determined).

 

BBQ, beverages and live satellite coverage of the game will be available. There will also be a raffle for two sets of four tickets to the game (Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts) prior to game-time!

 

Please RSVP to help us determine food and beverage amounts. Sponsorships are also available - we are seeking a few more sponsorships for portable heat and event parking. Please contact Gregg Montowski at CAM (248) 972-1000 or click here for more information. Go Lions!

mioshaMIOSHA Available for Voluntary Worksite Inspections     

  

Michigan employers may request a voluntary MIOSHA inspection of their workplace (full or partial) without the attachment of fines or penalties. These free on-site consultations are conducted by occupational safety consultants or industrial hygienists through the Consultation, Education and Training (CET) onsite consultation program.

 

To request a consultation or workplace survey to be conducted at your facility, contact CAM's Director of Education & Safety Services, Tracey Alfonsi, at (248) 972-1141 or via e-mail.

shraderShrader Tire & Oil Hosts a Successful Delo Truck Experience  

 

Chevron Lubricants, maker of the Delo� brand of technologically advanced engine oils, lubricants and coolants, hosted a unique event at Shrader Tire and Oil that brought together Michigan and Ohio fleet professionals to demonstrate ways to reduce operating costs and improve vehicle efficiencies. One hundred and eighty fleet professionals attended the event, which was held on September 11 & 12.

 

The free event, held in partnership with Shrader Tire and Oil, offered attendees a chance to see and experience the 80-foot Delo Truck's education center, which provides insight into how the Chevron Delo product family helps maximize fuel efficiency, limit repairs, protect engines and gears and extend the life of machinery. Attendees also interacted with former Detroit Red Wings players Joe Kocur and Mickey Redmond, who signed autographs at the event.

 

Sponsored by Chevron Delo, the 80-foot Delo Truck is on the road visiting several of the premier regional Chevron marketers who distribute premium lubrication and provide services and value in a variety of industries, whether it be trucking, construction, mining, farming or manufacturing.

 

To learn more about Shrader Tire and Oil, click hereFor more information about Delo Events or to register for an upcoming event,

click here.

kerkstraCAM Member Kerkstra Precast to Host 50th Anniversary Open House   

 

All CAM Members are cordially invited to attend an Open House hosted by Kerkstra Precast, in celebration of their 50th Anniversary in business. Stop by the Kerkstra Facility on Thursday, November 1st, from 3:00 - 6:00 pm. Take a tour through the office and plant, and enjoy great food stations along the way. It will be a relaxed and fun afternoon of celebration and networking opportunities.

 

For more information, please click here.

cammagazineCAM Magazine 2012 Project of the Year - Remember to Cast Your Vote Online   

 

We are once again inviting the CAM Membership to cast their votes online for the CAM 2012 Project of the Year, based on the 12 projects that were profiled in the October 2012 Special Issue of CAM Magazine.

 

Votes will be accepted online now through December 1st. The winner will be announced at the CAM 127th Annual Meeting in February 2013, and a special crystal award will be presented to the winning project team of Contractor and Architect.

 

To cast your vote online now, please click here.

To view the October 2012 Special Issue online now, click here.

ClaysLeagueJoin the All-New CAM Sporting Clays League!   

 

CAM has formed an official Sporting Clays League. All interested CAM members are invited to join and participate in five late-season shoots.

 

The 5-week shooting schedule will take place on Fridays: November 2, 9, 16, 30 and December 7. Rotating courses; please bring your own shells. Following the final shoot on December 7, appetizers, beverages and awards will be presented.

 

If interested, please contact Gregg Montowski by November 1st (248) 972-1000. 

buckThe Big Buck Contest is Back  

 

It's Big Buck season and CAM is inviting its Members to send us their big buck photos for the 2012 CAM Big Buck Contest.

 

E-mail us a clear photo of you and your Big Buck, along with your name, company, where you got your deer (town & county), along with a short description of the hunt (time, location, field conditions, in a blind, etc.) and vital information about the deer such as rack measurements and number of points. We'll post your photo in the contest gallery on our Facebook page, and winners will be selected from a panel of qualified judges.

 

Each CAM Division - Saginaw and Bloomfield Hills - will award one Big Buck winner with a $50 Speedway gas card.   Between these two winners, one Grand Prize winner will be selected to receive an additional $100 Speedway gas card for having the Best Big Buck of 2012.  The overall winner of this contest will take home $150 in Speedway gas cards.

 

E-mail your Big Buck photo and information to [email protected] for CAM entries, or [email protected] for CAM Tri-Cities entries. Deadline for submission is December 9th, 2011. Contest winners and buck pole gallery to be presented on our Facebook page. For complete contest rules & regulations, click here.

jackolanternHistory of the Jack O' Lantern 

 

Every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating "Jack O' Lanterns" - the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack - originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities.

 

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

 

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COMING UP IN  

CAM MAGAZINE 

 

www.cammagazineonline.com 

 

JANUARY 2013

- CAM Tradeshow Issue

- Construction Tools

Advertising Deadline Nov. 21

 

FEBRUARY 2013

- "The Green Issue"
- Energy Efficiency
- Green Project Awards
Advertising Deadline Dec. 14
 
MARCH 2013
- Construction Safety
- Healthcare Construction
Advertising Deadline Jan. 31
 
APRIL 2013
- Masonry
- Concrete
- CAM Annual Report
Advertising Deadline Feb. 22
 
MAY 2013
- Roofing
- Renovation / Restoration
Advertising Deadline Mar. 29
 
JUNE 2013
- Glass / Glazing
- Carpentry
Advertising Deadline Apr. 26
 
JULY 2013
- Mechanical / Electrical
- Construction Management Education & Apprenticeship Programs
Advertising Deadline May 31
 
AUGUST 2013
- Construction Law
- Interiors / Finishes
Advertising Deadline June 28
 
SEPTEMBER 2013
- Insurance / Bonding
- Environmental
Advertising Deadline July 26
 
OCTOBER 2013
- Special Issue: Construction 2013 
Advertising Deadline Aug. 26
 
NOVEMBER 2013
- Metals / Steel
- Retirement Construction
Advertising Deadline Sept. 27
 
DECEMBER 2013
- Demolition
- Excavation / Site Work
- Michigan Construction Outlook 2014
Advertising Deadline Oct. 25
 
Advertising sales

and information contact Cathy Jones at 248-972-1115 or email at [email protected]

 

 

The Construction Association of Michigan (CAM) encourages you to forward this E-Newsletter to others and share the latest happenings at CAM.  CAM is committed to providing service, information and assistance to the construction industry. CAM exists to foster growth in the construction industry and encourage networking between its members and their public.

 Gregg Montowski
Construction Association of Michigan