ABC of Western Washington represents over 500 general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and industry professionals, both union and open shop, who are united in the beliefs that:
- Projects should be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, or owner's contractor of choice, regardless of labor affiliation.
- Union and open shop workers should be able to work side-by-side to provide the best project for the owner.
- Workers should have the choice of whether they wish to join a union or not.
- Workers should be rewarded on the basis of their individual skill and initiative.
A merit shop project provides the best value to the construction owner.
This is
ABC's Merit Shop philosophy.
Associated Builders & Contractors of Western Washington is the premier construction association supporting freedom of economic opportunity through political influence, financial growth, and effective personal and professional growth, led by an involved membership.
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association with 79 chapters representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with two million employees. ABC's membership represents all specialties within the U.S. construction industry and is comprised primarily of firms that perform work in the industrial and commercial sectors of the industry.
- ABC is the construction industry's voice with the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the federal government and with state and local governments, as well as with the news media.
- ABC's mission is the advancement of the merit shop construction philosophy, which encourages open competition and a free-enterprise approach that awards contracts based solely on merit, regardless of labor affiliation.
- Through its national office and chapters, ABC's objective is to provide its members with an organization to deal with issues on an industry-wide basis.
- ABC's activities include government representation, legal advocacy, education, workforce development, communications, technology, recognition through national and chapter awards programs, employee benefits, information on best practices and business development through an online contractor search directory.
ABC was founded in 1950 when seven contractors gathered in Baltimore, Md. to create an association based on the shared belief that construction projects should be awarded on merit to the most qualified and responsible low bidders. Their courage and dedication to the merit shop philosophy spread rapidly, and within time, ABC became the fastest-growing association in the United States. Today,
ABC is recognized as one of the leading organizations representing America's business community and the U.S. construction industry.
To learn more about ABC and what we stand for, click
here.
Associated Builders & Contractors of Western Washington advances the principles of free enterprise and merit in the construction industry and provides members, their employees and the construction industry with opportunities to succeed by promoting safe, quality, sustainable construction.
Les Sargeant Chair
United Systems Mechanical, LLC
Grant Larsen
Immediate Past Chair
Express Construction Co., Inc.
Erin VerHoeven
Chair Elect
Corstone Contractors, LLC
Jeremy Stendera
Vice Chair: Government & Labor Affairs
APEX
Larry Newton
Vice-Chair: Membership
Lovsted-Worthington, LLC
Ryan Haggard
Vice Chair: Professional Development
Haggard Electrical Contractors
Diane Keithly
Secretary/Treasurer
Keithly Electric Co.
Directors: Amanda Grindle Saybr Contractors, Inc.
Jeff Harding
Premier Builders
Steve Klimek
Redhawk Construction Co., Inc.
Dawn Lanz McMullen Electric, Inc.
Brian Mead Balancing Service Co.
Greg Nolten
Dochnahl Construction, Inc.
Brian PahlowNuprecon, LP
Karl PaulyGraham Contracting, Ltd.
Pam Stewart Synergy Construction, Inc.