The Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City (HCA) was founded in 1950 and consists of approximately 150 general contractors, specialty contractors, major suppliers, suppliers and affiliate members. Our members help build and maintain most of the region's critical infrastructure, including roads, highways, bridges and preparing sites for major commercial and public development, all with a commitment to making it better for you...

The Heavy Constructors Association (HCA) of Greater Kansas City, which advocates for transportation infrastructure and safety improvements on behalf of the area's road and bridge builders, announced today that labor leader Bridgette Williams will become part of its management team beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

 

Williams, who has led Kansas City's AFL-CIO as President of the chapter for the last 15 years, will serve as Deputy Director of the association. The HCA represents union contractors that build and maintain most of the private and public infrastructure in the area, including city streets, interstate highways, bridges, airports and water and sewer systems.

 

During her tenure with AFL-CIO, Williams helped boost participation by organized labor in major infrastructure and landmark construction projects in the area. As the first female and first African American to be elected President of a chapter of the AFL-CIO, she spearheaded policy changes aimed at providing more opportunities for minorities and women in construction.

 

As an organization committed to improving the safety and quality of life of everyone who lives and works in this community, we feel very fortunate to have Bridgette Williams join our team," said Heavy Constructors Executive Director Edward DeSoignie. "She brings a wealth of experience, talent, perspective and respect in the Greater Kansas City business and labor communities that will only make this organization stronger and more effective for our members."

 

DeSoignie said Williams in her new role with the Heavy Constructors will focus on management/labor initiatives and governmental and community relations. Efforts in 2010 will include working with federal, state and local governments to find funding solutions for critical transportation infrastructure needs.

 

"Pulling out of a recession starts with economic development, and economic development starts with construction," said Williams. "Construction is the one productive, good-paying American industry, with good benefits, that hasn't been outsourced. We must, and will do everything possible to keep families working."

 

For instance, DeSoignie said he and Williams will work with Kansas City to improve the city's construction project delivery system, in order to get already-funded, backlogged street, bridge, water and sewer improvement projects off the shelf so people can get work.

 

The Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City was founded in 1950 and has approximately 155 contractor and affiliate members who construct and supply materials for most of the area's major transportation infrastructure projects.

By Edward R. DeSoignie, Executive Director
The Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City 
 

A proposal surfacing at City Hall holds the promise of great benefits for our industry, our employees and our town.

As was reported in this morning's editorial in The Kansas City Star - http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/1572085.html - a proposed Capital Projects Management Department would speed completion of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of major construction projects such as roads and public buildings.

The Heavy Constructors Association has long advocated for improvements to the city's contracting process to eliminate inefficiencies and foster better construction management practices. Such improvements will enhance our ability to deliver high-quality, cost-effective projects to the citizens on a timely basis.

The Star noted the issues raised by local contractors and labor union leaders who don't like to or even refuse to bid on Kansas City, Mo. projects. Many times they would rather deal with other cities in the metro area that offer more streamlined construction regulations with less red tape.

The Star cited a consultant, Tshibanda & Associates, which said dozens of already-funded capital projects managed by various city agencies are behind schedule by as much as 30 months.

Instead of having to deal with different city departments that may not communicate well with each other, contractors should be able to go to one department that will move things forward efficiently and equitably.

This is especially true at a time when we are hunting high and low for projects that will allow us to keep our employees on the payroll - and perhaps even hire new ones. That, in turn, will spread positive economic ripple effects throughout our region.

Let's tell the folks at City Hall we think this is a great idea and that we want to see it happen. And soon. 

By Edward R. DeSoignie, Executive Director
The Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City 
 

I was flabbergasted after I read this letter to the editor of the Topeka Capital-Journal in the newspaper’s 10/24/09 online edition - http://cjonline.com/opinion/2009-10-24/letter_taking_issue

Derrick Sontag, with Americans for Prosperity-Kansas, wrote that “most economic research studies have not found that more highway projects lead to job increases in the economy overall.”

 

I’d bet that Mr. Sontag also is privy to some studies that prove beyond a doubt that the earth is flat. Yeah, right.

 

It is absolutely indisputable that highway improvements and other transportation improvements boost economic  development. This has been true since the days of ancient Rome, and even earlier.

 

It brings to mind what Vice President Joe Biden said last June, when he broke ground on the big U.S. 69 project in Overland Park.

 

“The impact of this goes well beyond the shovels we’re putting in the ground today,” the Vice President said. “There are companies that make the asphalt you’re going to be pouring. They will be employing more people. There are people who build the machinery you’re using, and repair it. They will be continuing to employ people.”

 

Mr. Biden also noted the cafes and restaurants that would benefit from patronage by construction workers.

 

According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 million of federal highway expenditure supports 30 jobs. That includes the construction jobs and spinoff jobs, such as the jobs created by companies that provide sheet steel for guard rails. Also included are the jobs that blossom when the construction workers and steel workers go out and spend the money they make.

 

The fact is that highway improvements can benefit the state’s economy in the short term and long term. In the short term, the construction jobs created by highway improvements generate wages that churn in the economy three times over. Longer term benefits can be realized if the project enables local business development  and reduces injuries and deaths that cause suffering at multiple levels, including a negative impact on the economy.

 

Mr. Sontag says “between 2002 and 2006, Kansas ranked eighth in highway spending per capita but only 33rd in gross state product growth.”

 

Folks, “gross state product” is a squishy measure that may not accurately reflect what is happening economically within a state. In fact, this argument holds up about as well as oatmeal filling in a pothole.

Lively, contentious debate is a wonderful thing. It expands our horizons and supports the foundation of our democracy. But anyone who says transportation improvements don’t contribute to the state’s economy is running on empty. 

By Edward R. DeSoignie, Executive Director The Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City

Back in the day, when transportation planners sat down to put together a list of road projects, about the only issues on the table were pavement conditions, traffic volumes and accident rates.

Those factors are still vitally important and must be carefully weighed. But Kansas has taken a progressive step forward by adding economic development considerations to the mix.

Say there are two road projects competing for funding. All things being equal, which project will lead to more business development, business expansion and more jobs?

This kind of thinking might be a bit jarring to transportation purists, especially old-school engineers. They might not see what transportation planning has to do with creating jobs that will support families years down the road.

But we live in a time when our infrastructure needs far outpace our infrastructure funding. And as we strive to emerge from the Great Recession, economic impact must enter into every decision we make.

Economic impact analysis looks at things like long-term jobs, regional GDP and growth in income expected to result from transportation projects.

As a member of the Transportation-Leveraging Investments in Kansas Task Force, I have been immersed in discussions of this topic for more than a year. The task force, appointed by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, is advising the Kansas Department of Transportation as it hammers out a new approach to transportation planning.

Here are some of the things I've learned through my participation in T-LINK:

• Every $1 spent on infrastructure puts $3 back into the economy, according to a Kansas State University study.
• The U.S. 24 State Avenue reconstruction to five lanes from 118th Street to K-7 employed 329 people at an average wage of $26.55 an hour. More than 170 companies provided products and services for the project.
• The Interstate 70-110th Street interchange in Wyandotte County - near the Kansas Speedway - generated 17,500 jobs and added economic value worth $186 million.
• The Interstate 435-Nall Avenue interchange in Overland Park - near the Sprint Nextel headquarters - generated 17,500 jobs and added economic value worth $4.1 billion.

Julie Lorenz, KDOT director of public affairs, told me that economic development now comprises 25 percent of project selection criteria. Of the remaining factors, 50 percent is based on engineering issues and 25percent is derived from regional priorities.

Balance is the key. For example, the evaluation process must be balanced to ensure fairness to rural areas, where road projects may not create as many long-term jobs as their urban counterparts.

With America's infrastructure and economy at a critical juncture, the people who create that infrastructure have launched a campaign to raise public awareness of the jobs they do.

You already may have seen the billboards, emblazoned with the faces of "heavy constructors." These are the faces of the people who make it possible for commuters to get to their jobs, and for food and other essential goods to be delivered where needed. They're the ones who don vests and hard hats, braving the elements as they crank up powerful pieces of equipment. They're laborers, operators, mechanics, truck drivers, masons, flaggers and crew supervisors - hard-working folks with good-paying jobs. They build our highways, streets, bridges, sewers and water systems.

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