Industry

Important Reminder for the New Tax Year Working as an employee it is easy to forget about paying Uncle Sam. Taxes are withheld from each paycheck before it ever even hits the bank account and not much thought is ever given to it. At least not until the coveted W-2 …

The Fire Sprinkler Industry Offers Many Opportunities When I was in second grade, I started a business creating and selling signs out of my basement. Granted, the only customers of my cleverly named “Sign Store” were my parents, baby sitter, and neighbors, but it was pretty legitimate for a company …

Join the American Red Cross to Educate Homeowners The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) and the American Red Cross have joined forces to educate homeowners about home fire safety and residential fire sprinkler systems. Since 2014, the Red Cross’ Home Fire Preparedness campaign has installed more than one million smoke …

Committee Spotlight: Apprenticeship & Education Education and training were the foundations upon which the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) was created in 1981. The individuals who gathered to form this association believed that education and apprenticeship training should be available to all members of the fire sprinkler industry—not just union …

One Chapter’s Road to Draft State Legislation Since its inception in 1992, the Virginia Chapter of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) has been proactive in fire sprinkler contractor licensing and has been instrumental in the development of current fire sprinkler licensing laws in Virginia. In 1993 a committee I …

This year, our association celebrates its 39th anniversary. Education was one of the bedrock ideals upon which we were founded; we formed this association in order to provide training to open-shop fire sprinkler contractors. The first part of our mission statement reads, “AFSA promotes the development of educational and training …

Donations Fund the Future of Fire Protection Each year, the Center for Life Safety Education (CLSE) and the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) jointly award the Thomas S. Waller Memorial Scholarship to one junior or senior enrolled in the Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology (FPSET) program at Oklahoma State …

AGC Survey Shows Firms ConcerNed About Worker Shortages and Quality Despite signs the overall economy may be slowing, most construction firms expect demand for their services and hiring will expand in 2020, yet even more firms are worried about their ability to find qualified workers to hire, according to survey …

Chief Economist Advises Overall “Wait-and-See” Approach Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu forecasts continued momentum for the construction sector next year but advised an overall “wait-and-see” approach based on leading and lagging indicators and economic uncertainties, according to a 2020 economic outlook published in Construction Executive magazine. …

Florida Tops Rankings for Second Year in a Row Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has released its 2019 Merit Shop Scorecard, an annual ranking based on state policies and programs that encourage workforce development, career and technical education, job growth, and promote fair and open competition for taxpayer-funded construction projects. …