Trade Associations - a Tool for Business and Personal Growth

by Kathleen Garrity

Trade associations are essential to the fabric of American business. Every industry and profession is served by multiple organizations. The construction industry, widely defined as developers, architects, engineers, contractors, suppliers, and professionals, has an alphabet soup of associations: AIA, ABC, AGC, BIAW, ACEC, MBA, NAIOP bar just to name a few.

A crucial question is how to decide which to join?

Before deciding where to spend your precious time and dues money think about what you want from an association that will help further your business and personal development. Trade groups provide a wide variety of services: business development, peer networking, education for you and your employees, safety services, leadership opportunities, group discounts, organized labor relations (collective bargaining and grievances), government and regulatory affairs’ advocacy, publications and Web sites, and an opportunity for community service.  Perhaps most important is the opportunity they provide to band together with like-minded people allowing you to look up from working so hard in your business and get a wider view of your world. No small thing.

First, look for an organization that provides you with a community of interest -- other people who care about what you care about, who share your values, concerns and challenges. Every organization has a unique culture or personality so take time to make sure the group you are considering joining “fits” you. Get recommendations from friends and colleagues. Attend a meeting. Meet the members.

Associations are in the service business, so check out their member service. Ask these key questions:  Is the staff responsive to your needs? Do they understand your business? Are the programs and services what you need and delivered to you in a way that makes them easy to use? Do you feel appreciated?

Another item to check is how well the association is run. Is it appropriately staffed with knowledgeable people? Are the finances in order and do they have reserves to weather downturns in the economy? Is the association progressive and trying new things, or just doing what it’s always done? Like your business, an association needs to stay current - if it isn’t changing, it can’t continue to meet your needs, because your needs are changing.

See if you can attend a meeting or event as a guest. What is your experience? Are you greeted and introduced around or left to fend for yourself? Do you like the people you meet? Is the meeting well-run?  Do you get a sense of both commitment and congeniality? 

It’s likely you may want to join more than one association. If you are looking to grow your business, you can’t do that by joining an organization of your peers; you need to look at an organization that has companies “higher up the food chain” than you are, where you are likely to find customers. If you are looking for education and shared experiences, then an organization of companies similar to yours is where you will likely find seminars and resources targeted to your specific area of interest.

In addition to helping with your company growth, associations provide a perfect opportunity for personal development. You can gain skills - leadership, group dynamics, how to run a good meeting, communication skills, among others -  that will serve you well in both corporate and personal settings.. Your chosen association should be a particularly safe place for you to develop these competencies, because as you are learning, you are trying them out on the association, not your own business. It is a great proving ground for company owners to send their “up and comer” employees to see how they handle themselves and experience growth and how they bring their experiences into the workplace.

Once you’ve decided which associations to join, how do you maximize your investment? Paying dues is just the first step. Invariably those who get the most out of association membership are those who invest some time, as well. Attend a new member orientation session. If one isn’t offered, ask the association to get together with you and provide information about all the association offers.

Too often a member joins a group for one service and never learns that the organization provides other services that could also be of benefit. When you have a good grasp of what the association does, figure out where you want to spend your time and energy. There are many options: committee member, task force participant, sponsor, instructor, and eventually director and officer. Make sure your volunteer assignment matches your interest or provides an opportunity to learn a new skill. The association staff can find a “job” that matches what you are looking for in time and skill, but be certain to take on only what you can handle.  You will find the time you spend is well worth it.

Association News Briefs

Washington Projects Win National Design Award

Chicago — The  historic Monroe Street Bridge in downtown Spokane, Wash., won the award as the Best Rehabilitated Bridge and the  S. 317th Street HOV Direct Access Bridge in Federal Way, Wash., won the award as the Best Owner-Designed Bridge in the 2006 Design Awards competition sponsored by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. 

The 896-foot-long Monroe Street bridge spans the 136-foot-deep Spokane River Gorge in downtown Spokane. The project required removing and replacing the deck system, spandrel arches and columns down to the main arches and the viaduct on the north end of the bridge.

 The design team worked closely with the State Historical Preservation Office and the local Landmarks Commission to develop historically and economically acceptable solutions for this five-year, $18-million project. After six deck systems were evaluated, precast concrete components were selected for use on the sub-deck structural system and the historically significant pedestrian railing.

 The precast structural sub-deck consists of prestressed concrete panels that were 19.6 feet long, 4 feet wide and 12 inches thick. High-performance concrete was used to cast the panels, giving early access onto the deck by heavy equipment, which accelerated other construction. The bridge superstructure was primarily replaced with cast-in-place concrete to meet historic criteria.

 The precast reproduction railings incorporate an intricate “chain” motif that had historical significance. Precasting this element was readily seen as the best choice to obtain a consistently accurate and quality replication while meeting the schedule.

The project was designed by David Evans & Associates in Spokane, Wash., with Wildish Standard Paving in Eugene, Ore., serving as the general contractor. Central Pre-Mix Prestress Co. in Spokane, Wash., produced the precast concrete components.

 The  S. 317th Street HOV Direct Access Bridge is a 128-foot, single-span bridge that serves as a “flyover stop” for regional mass-transit buses. The project was the first to use the PGSplice computer software program written by the Washington Department of Transportation. Tight right-of-way constraints and adjacent roadways created erection challenges for the designers.

The bridge features four 88-foot and four 35-foot, 72-inch-deep precast concrete trapezoidal girders that were post-tensioned together at the job site. The state typically uses cast-in-place concrete box girders or steel girders for this type of plan curvature, but the availability of the department’s software program allowed precast, prestressed post-tensioned trapezoidal spliced girders to be designed instead.

 The software analyzes spliced girders in accordance with AASHTO LRFD criteria while conforming to the constraints of local fabricators and contractors. PGSplice is an open-source software program that can be freely downloaded from WSDOT (www.wsdot.wa.gov/eesc/bridge).

 Temporary falsework bents supporting the precast components allowed the use of precast concrete construction over traffic locations traditionally built with cast-in-place concrete. The design ensured the state could achieve the durability, constructability and aesthetic appeal of precast concrete for a curved design.

 The project was designed by the Washington State Department of Transportation in Tumwater, Wash., with Icon Materials/Arvy Construction, a joint venture in Seattle, serving as general contractor. Concrete Technology Corp. in Tacoma, Wash., produced the precast concrete components.

 The project was one of 11 bridges to be named winners in the 2006 PCI Design Awards competition, which selects standout projects that made effective use of precast concrete components in a variety of building and bridge categories.

NAWIC Opens Entries For Annual Scholarship

Seattle – The Washington Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction now has scholarship forms available for all college sophomores, juniors and seniors enrolled in a program of study leading to a baccalaureate degree in construction, construction management, building science, architecture, civil, mechanical, structural or electrical  engineering at a Washington college or university.

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of academic performance, extracurricular activities, employment experience, evaluations, and a demonstrated interest in a construction career. Applications are reviewed by the Scholarship Committee of the NAWIC – Puget Sound Chapter #60. Finalists are          selected in May. Recipients are announced by the end of June with the award available for the next school term. NAWIC is an EEO organization and thus encourages all students to apply, regardless of race, gender, religion, disability, or ethnicity.

Applications are available on www.nawicpugetsound.org,  For more information contact Lucy Bodilly, Scholarship Chair, at (206) 378-4716.

Art Kjos of Clark/Kjos Architects Named ASHE Regional Leader

Arthur D. Kjos, Principal, was honored by his fellow members of the Washington State Society for Healthcare Engineering when they nominated him for the ASHE Regional Leader Award.

 Awards were presented to members from each of ten regions nationwide by ASHE President William Morgan at opening ceremonies for the Association’s 2006 annual conference in Boston.