MBI Summer Convention - Master Builders of Iowa

SPRING 2009 

THE ESSENTIAL RESOURCE FOR IOWA’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 

MBI Summer 

Convention 

Tax Provisions of the Stimulus Bill 

New MBI Website 

2009 Awards & Recognition 

MB EYE on the Future

ON THE COVER 

MBI Summer Convention................3 

On behalf of the MBI Convention 

& Travel Committee, we are 

pleased to announce plans for 

the 2009 Summer Convention, 

which is scheduled for July 9-12, 2009 

at Village West Resort, Lake Okoboji.

SPRING 2009 

PUBLISHED BY MASTER BUILDERS OF IOWA 

Features 

MBI Announces Launch of New Website...........5 

MBI’s goal for the website is to position it as the hub of communications and resource 

information for members, emphasizing essential resources that add value to MBI’s 

membership. 

7 

A Stimulating Time for Construction..................7 

AGC of America Chief Economist Ken Simonson maps out what the American Recovery 

and Reinvestment Act means for Iowa construction. 

Tax Tips From RSM McGladrey...........................9 

This article will highlight a number of the most relevant tax law changes included in the 

Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 

2009. These are changes that can be used by the contractor to reduce taxes in these 

trying times and plan for the future. 

MB EYE on the Future....................................... 11 

The class provides both a learning and social environment for participants to learn more 

about themselves, their industry and their peers in other MBI companies. In many cases 

the relationships develop into close personal relationships that involve families and may 

last a lifetime. 

Public Policy Reference Manual........................15 

The policies outlined in the Manual aid the membership and MBI’s lobbying team in 

deciphering positions on any and all policy proposals. In addition, the Manual is unique in 

that it provides a perspective on how a particular issue will impact your business. 

Awards and Recognition................................... 17 

Inspired by the MBI motto, the Build Iowa Award is presented annually to the individual 

who best exemplifies the tenets of our organization: Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. 

The honorees are judged by the way in which they have performed both within the 

construction industry and their communities. 

Workforce Development Economic Stimulus...21 

Considering the call for retraining the workforce to fit new trends in development, 

workforce development carries a large piece of the funding. However, failures to attract, 

retain, and retrain current, incoming, and dislocated workers with the new set of skills set 

of current construction trends could result in detrimental results for the industry. 

2009 Executive Committee...............................25 

The 2009 MBI Executive Committee was elected at the MBI Annual Meeting in February. 

Shearer News ................................................... 29 

Upcoming Union Negotiations – More questions than answers. 

11 

Departments 

Get Involved!..............................................1 

MBI’s Perspective........................................2 

Did You Know?......................................... 10 

Safety News.............................................. 16 

Safety Tip..................................................23 

Professional Profile.................................... 24 

AskMBI..................................................... 26 

AGC of America News.............................. 27 

Wordsearch............................................... 28 

Calendar of Events.................................... 31

Get Involved! 

MBI will soon be accepting 

nominations for the sixth class 

of MB “EYE” on the Future! 

Monica Worheide 

Director of Education & Professional Development 

Master Builders of Iowa 

In 2003, the Leadership Development Task Force, chaired by Mike Carroll, 

Hansen Company Inc., created the MB “EYE” on the Future leadership 

program to promote leadership within the construction industry. The ultimate 

goal of the leadership program is to instill a passion for our industry in 

our current and emerging leaders, while fostering a high level of industry 

involvement. It is the goal of MB “EYE” on the Future to discover and cultivate 

individuals to become industry leaders at the local, state and national levels. 

Over the last 5 years, 86 member employees have graduated from the 

leadership program and have sparked a new level of member participation in 

the organization, unseen in recent history. 

Strengthening the leadership in our industry is accomplished through 

leadership indoctrination provided by the Master Builders of Iowa through 

the leadership and organizational training program. The program educates, 

challenges and inspires participants to bring out their inherent quality to 

“point the way.” MB “EYE” on the Future gives participants a wide range of 

experiences and insights that focus on the issues and challenges facing Iowa’s 

construction industry. Over the years, the program has built a network with 

fellow participants, as well as past participants, that has increased Association 

participation in recent years. 

After completing the MB “EYE” on the Future program, the participants’ 

leadership roles within the Association continue. They are added to the 

MBI Leadership Pool. This “self assigned” leadership allows the individual to 

identify specific issues or tasks they are passionate about and become involved. 

Ongoing periodic leadership enhancement opportunities will be made available 

on an exclusive basis to members of the Leadership Pool. 

The annual process begins by the identification of emerging leaders in the 

industry, accomplished by the member firms nominating individuals from their 

company who are deemed by the top-level decision makers as potential leaders 

for our industry. You can nominate more than one individual from a company, 

but bear in mind that the selection committee will attempt to make the class 

as diverse as possible from the field of nominees. Once a nomination form is 

received, an application form will be sent to the nominee. A MB “EYE” on the 

Future nomination form is available on MBI’s website – www.mbionline.com. 

Once selections have been made, the class will meet on a Thursday/Friday, once 

a month, for six months, beginning in August. The cities and exact dates will 

be announced shortly after the class selections have been made. The cost to 

participate is $500, which will include meals. Participants are responsible for 

travel and lodging expenses. For questions, please contact Monica Worheide at 

(515) 288-8904 or mworheide@mbionline.com. • 

Important dates to note: 

• Nomination forms are due Monday, June 1, 2009 

• Nominee application forms are due Monday, June 22, 2009 

• First session for the 2009/10 MB “EYE” on the Future Class will be held August 20-21, 2009 

Des Moines Office 

Scott Norvell 

President/CEO 

InsideMBI Editor-in-Chief 

snorvell@mbionline.com 

Cindy Adams 

Construction Update Plan Room 

Operations Coordinator 

cadams@mbionline.com 

Fernando Aveiga 

Multicultural Workforce Specialist 

faveiga@mbionline.com 

Laurie Delmott 

Executive Office Director 

ldelmott@mbionline.com 

Amanda DeReus 

Staff Accountant 

adereus@mbionline.com 

Mona Dvorak 

Director - Electronic Plan Room Systems 

mdvorak@mbionline.com 

Kathy Heatherton 

Construction Update Plan Room 

Quality Assurance Coordinator 

kheatherton@mbionline.com 

Ryan Hoenicke 

Construction Safety Specialist 

rhoenicke@mbionline.com 

Chad Kleppe 

Director of Public Affairs 

ckleppe@mbionline.com 

Carla Long 

Construction Update Publication 

Editor & Safety Coordinator 

clong@mbionline.com 

Phil Mercuris 

Vice President of Safety Services 

pmercuris@mbionline.com 

Tania Ohde 

Membership & Marketing Coordinator 

InsideMBI Editor 

tohde@mbionline.com 

Eric Ramsey 

Network Operations Manager 

eramsey@mbionline.com 

Deborah Schulte 

Plan Room Reporter 

dschulte@mbionline.com 

1 INSIDE MBI

MBI’s Perspective 

DES MOINES OFFICE (cONT’D) 

Leon Shearer 

Labor Counsel 

lshearer@mbionline.com 

Allison Singleton 

Communications Coordinator 

asingleton@mbionline.com 

Monica Worheide 

Director of Education & 

Professional Development 

mworheide@mbionline.com 

Sioux City Office 

Patty Bortscheller 

Marketing Director of Expo / 

Plan Room Manager 

pbortscheller@mbionline.com 

Julie Knudson 

Assistant Plan Room Manager 

jknudson@mbionline.com 

Waterloo Office 

Julie Hartman 


jhartman@mbionline.com 

OMAHA OFFICE 

Jill Nyffeler 


jnyffeler@mbionline.com 

Elaine Payton 

Assistant Plan Room Manager 

epayton@mbionline.com 

Lisa Shockey 

Plan Room Coordinator 

lshockey@mbionline.com 

QUAD CITIES OFFICE 

Connie Patrick 

Plan Room Coordinator 

cpatrick@mbionline.com 

MBI’s Labor Philosophy 

By Scott Norvell 

President/CEO 


Basic craft negotiations are on the horizon and labor politics are front and 

center in the Iowa legislature. Very few subjects in the business world, 

construction is no exception, evoke such passion as labor issues. Constant 

conflict surrounds labor pursuits regardless of your choice to be union or 

non-union in some, or all, of your labor relationships. There is conflict for 

union contractors during wage and contract negotiations with their labor 

counterparts. The collective bargaining process is rarely easy, and more often 

very stressful, for both sides of the table. 

There is conflict for both non-union and quasi-union contractors as building 

trades union’s organizing attempts recapture market share and regain 

substantial losses in Iowa membership. Organizing pressure by labor to achieve 

their aggressive agenda is accentuated in a down economy, where high 

unemployment and sharp competition intersect at the bargaining table, city 

councils, school boards, county boards and the Iowa legislature. It can get, and 

does get, very ugly at times. 

There is also conflict at the public policy-making level from the local to the 

state legislative process. Public owners struggle with the wage and fringe issues 

lobbied by labor and the impact of those policies on the free market building 

budgets. The recent prevailing wage debate is an example of that conflict. 

School board debates over Project Labor Agreements (PLA’S) in Dubuque, Iowa 

City, Des Moines and Davenport are other examples. MBI’s policy on these 

issues favors public owner and industry interests over the interests of union vs. 

non union or vice-versa. 

So where does MBI stand? Are we union or non-union? The answer is we are 

both but not one or the other. Sound like a Bill Clinton answer? Let’s be clearer 

than Bill. The MBI serves only its contractor members and not any particular 

labor philosophy. We strive at all times to serve the needs of the industry and 

our labor relations services are rendered without regard to what the particular 

labor philosophy of our members happens to be … union, non-union, quasiunion 

or double-breasted. MBI is fortunate to have many members, some of 

whom choose to execute collective bargaining agreements, some who do not, 

and even some who choose to do a little of both. It may look like a confusing 

menu, but it really isn’t. The make up of most Iowa construction firms reflects 

the reality of the industry in Iowa, and is that nearly all construction is built by 

both union and non union firms working together in the interest of the owner 

in any number of combinations. 

Accordingly, you find MBI professionals and consultants representing 

management in union and non union situations alike. Whether it be collective 

bargaining, employee benefit administration, establishing separate gates, 

organizing activity, grievance administration, strikes, work stoppages, NLRB 

charges, hiring and firing consultation or any number of HR and labor issues, 

you will find MBI supporting its members be they union, non-union, or more 

likely, everything in between. You will find MBI representing the interest of the 

industry at city council, school boards, county boards and the Iowa Legislature, 

and even in the courts from time to time. 

Our only special interest is the commercial construction industry that serves all 

contractors of differing political views and labor perspectives. That is truly the 

spirit and strength of the MBI since its inception in 1912. • 

SPRING 2009 2

Cover Story 


Mark your calendar for July 9-12, 2009 – 

You don’t want to miss this year’s 

Summer Convention 

By Laurie Delmott 

Executive Office Director 


On behalf of the MBI Convention & 

Travel Committee, we are pleased 

to announce plans for the 2009 Summer 

Convention, which is scheduled for July 9-12, 

2009 at Village West Resort, Lake Okoboji. 

The meeting will begin on Thursday, July 9 th 

and conclude Sunday (morning) July 12 th . This 

MBI Summer tradition is designed as a casual 

business meeting, which offers members an 

opportunity to relax and enjoy family activities 

and to socialize with business colleagues 

and clients. Two mornings are scheduled 

with 1) a meeting of the members with 

focus on strategic planning initiatives, 

progress, new initiatives and results 

and 2) roundtable discussions with 

member leadership on important 

industry topics, concerns and 

initiatives. 

We ask that you make your hotel 

reservations as soon as possible as 

rooms are going fast and the release 

date for the MBI block is June 18 th . 

After this date, the rooms will be 

released and sold to the general public. 

To make your reservations, please 

contact Village West Resort directly at 

(712) 337-3223. 

A detailed brochure will be forwarded to 

all members in the near future containing 

registration information and a detailed 

program outline. If there are any questions, 

please contact Laurie Delmott – 

(515) 288-8904/(800) 362-2578 or email – 

ldelmott@mbionline.com • 

This year’s program promises to be 

a fun-filled, action-packed trip for all. 

Thursday evening will kick off with the 

Welcome Night Reception, which will 

include a carnival on the grounds for 

kids of all ages. There will also be a 

special night just for the kids with lots 

of games and prizes. Resort Event 

Staff will entertain children with a 

wide array of fun activities and prizes. 

These, plus many other fun social activities 

are planned. 

And of course, no Summer Convention 

would be complete without the Annual 

MBI Golf Tournament. Traveling 

trophies have been making the rounds 

in member companies for the last few 

years. Who will take home the trophy 

this year? 

SPRING 2009 

4

Feature Story 

MBI Announces 

Launch of New Website 

By Tania Ohde 

Membership & Marketing Coordinator 


MBI’s mission is to be the essential information 

resource for the commercial construction industry. 

The development of the new MBI website plays a key role 

in supporting the mission to make MBI the information 

hub for the construction industry, while at the same time 

enhancing communication, service and program delivery to the 

membership. The new site will emphasize essential resources 

that add value to MBI’s membership, all in one centralized 

location. We are confident that our new site will be a 

significant source of information, structured to assist members 

to enhance their business performance. 

The process of designing the new website began in July of 

2007 with the Membership & Communications Task Force as 

part of the Association’s new strategic plan. The task force 

is comprised of 24 MBI members who formulated new ideas 

to make MBI’s website more user-friendly. MBI’s goal for the 

website is to position it as the hub of communications and 

resource information for members, as well as non-members. 

Information delivery within the site has been categorized to 

reflect MBI’s core service areas, with the goal of adding new 

tools to enhance the performance of MBI members. Focus 

areas on the new website will include bidding and project 

information, government affairs, education and professional 

development, safety, H/R issues, industry relations, meetings 

and events, publications and news information sources. 

The goal is to have the site continually evolving with new 

information, products and services while continuously adding 

new features over time. 

The site has come a long way and we are seeing a great deal 

of changes from the old site, and members can expect to see 

more features added to the site throughout the coming year, 

some of which are outlined in the yellow box. If there are any 

questions about accessing the website or the new features, 

please contact MBI’s Communications Coordinator Allison 

Singleton – (515) 288-8904 or asingleton@mbionline.com. • 

Membership & Communications Task Force 

Brad Axdahl, TrueNorth, L.C., Construction 

Specialty Group 

Scott Bailey, Merchants Bonding Co. 

Curt Baker, The Waldinger Corporation 

John Baker, C.W. Suter & Son Inc. 

Jim Broich, Architectural Arts Inc. 

Jeff Claeys, Olympic Wall Systems Inc. 

Kirk Conklin, Seedorff Masonry Inc. 

Ray Conway, Proctor Mechanical Corporation 

Richard Felice, Forrest & Associate Inc. 

Amy Fetters, The Weitz Company 

Jay Freiermuth, Holmes Murphy & Associates, Inc. 

Nicholas Gehl, Neumann Brothers Inc. 

Jon Holmen, Russell Construction Co., Inc. 

J.D. Jones, Jones Window Systems 

Dave Leonhart, Cardinal Construction Inc. 

Bruce Lewis, L & L Builders Co. 

Barry McGee, Ahrold-Fay Rosenberg 

Kendall Meyeraan, Welker Construction Co., Inc. 

Nathan Mittag, Architectural Wall Systems Co. 

Gary Schmit, Henkel Construction Co. 

Rob Schwarzenback, Graham Construction Co. 

Vicky Strand, Stetson Building Products Inc. 

Mike Welter, Story Construction Co. 


New Components of the Site … Coming Soon! 

Register Online 

On the old MBI website, users were able to 

register for seminars, but only if using a credit 

card. For the new site, arrangements are being 

made that will allow users to register for seminars 

online and be invoiced for the fees, rather than 

needing payment up front by credit card. Look 

for this feature to be available in the Meetings & 

Events area of the website. 

‘Members Only’ Information 

A member log-in area is being re-worked so 

that all MBI members’ company information, as 

well as individual employee information, can be 

updated easily via the website. MBI members will 

also be able to access locked areas of the website 

while logged in. Once this feature is available, 

MBI members will want to access the site using 

their user name and password. If you are unsure 

of your login information, please contact Allison 

Singleton from the MBI staff. 

Find a Construction Professional 

A new, updated, easy to use version of “Find 

a Construction Professional” is being designed 

and will be launched in the near future. Find 

a Construction Professional is similar to the 

Green Book of Construction Professionals, 

which is a directory of all MBI members. This 

feature will allow visitors of the MBI site to 

locate a contractor, subcontractor, supplier or 

design professional that fits the specifications 

of their particular search. “Find a Construction 

Professional” was created to provide a valuable 

marketing tool for members to attract potential 

business partners. Once this feature is up and 

running, MBI staff will direct those calling in 

for company recommendations to visit the site 

to find a company that matches their specific 

construction needs. 

Member Announcements 

The member announcements area will be a way 

for member firms to acknowledge achievements 

made company-wide, or by their employees. 

Examples of these announcements would be 

safety achievements, awards, promotions, 

retirements, etc. This would not be an area 

to announce any bidding award information. 

Announcements would be submitted via the 

website to MBI staff, who would in turn review 

and upload to the website. 

Ask MBI 

Ask MBI is sent twice a month to MBI members that have 

chose to receive weekly news briefs from the Association. 

Soon, members will be able to ask their questions to the 

MBI staff online in the Ask MBI area of the MBI website. 

This area will also include an archive of all past Q & As. If 

you would like to start receiving the weekly news briefs 

(Ask MBI and FastTrack), please contact Allison Singleton 

from the MBI staff. 

New Feature – Photo Galleries 

The MBI website now has an area for 

MBI member event photo galleries. Be 

sure to check out the photo galleries 

after an event! Events currently in the 

photo galleries are: 

2008 Winter Conference & 

Freezer Classic 

2008 Summer Convention 

2008 Golf Classic & Smoker 

2009 Annual Convention & 

Iowa Construction Expo 

SPRING 2009 6

Feature Story 

A Stimulating Time for Construction? 

Ken Simonson 

Chief Economist, 

AGC of America 

Fans of oldies rock music, especially in Iowa, recently noted 

the 50th anniversary of “the day the music died,” when a 

plane carrying Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens 

crashed leaving Clear Lake. But for construction, the music 

died last September 15. 

That was the day after Lehman Brothers shut down, Fannie 

Mae and Freddie Mac went into a federal conservatorship, and 

the Reserve (money market) Primary Fund “broke the buck.” 

Collectively, those three incidents, which may sound as if they 

matter only to financial historians, meant that credit dried up 

for construction. 

Developers found their once-friendly banker had slammed 

shut the credit window on their fingers as they reached for 

the cash, sometimes even for the monthly draw on a project 

already underway. Banks holding now-worthless Fannie and 

Freddie preferred stock suddenly had to seek capital instead 

of lend it. And formerly credit-worthy state and local agencies 

suddenly found nobody trusted their AAA ratings enough 

to buy the bonds they needed to float to pay for highway or 

school construction. 

Since then, interest rates on commercial loans and tax-exempt 

bonds have come down just enough to make borrowing 

affordable for some projects. But the economic climate has 

deteriorated to the point that many projects no longer make 

sense. Why build an office building when 600,000 workers 

a month are losing their jobs? What need is there for a new 

shopping center when chains are shutting stores or going out 

of business altogether? Who will fill the beds and ballrooms 

in a new hotel when business and leisure travel are being 

cut? How many states can undertake new construction 

when they are slashing spending to meet a balanced-budget 

requirement? 

Whether because of tight credit or poor economic 

prospects, both public 

and private nonresidential spending are in retreat. Public 

construction rose 7% in 2008 but slumped more than 4% 

from November 2008 to January. Private nonresidential 

construction spending leaped 15% in 2008 but by January 

2009 had dropped back to year-earlier levels. From December 

to January, private nonresidential spending tumbled 4.3%, 

even more than the 2.9% drop in private residential spending. 

In the midst of this rout comes the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act, also known as the stimulus legislation. 

The law provides more money for construction—by 

far—than any previous legislation. The money should 

flow into many categories of construction, in all 

parts of the country, and soon. 

By AGC of America’s reckoning, at least 

$135 billion of spending is “constructionrelated,” 

meaning that it will go mainly 

into construction, although some may 

show up in architectural, engineering, 

site acquisition or materials spending. 

Roughly $48 billion will go to 

transportation—highways, 

transit, high-speed rail and 

airports. Another $30 to 

$38 billion will be for 

building construction, 

with governors having 

discretion over $8.8 

billion of that. Grants for 

weatherization, energy 

efficiency, high-speed 

Internet connections in 

rural and underserved 

areas, and spending 

to create a “smart” 

electrical grid will 


eceive $30 billion. Water, wastewater and environmental 

cleanup projects will receive $21 billion of grants and lowinterest 

loans. 

In addition to direct funding, construction will benefit from 

several specific tax provisions and from general economic 

stimulus. All firms can now expense, or immediately write 

off, 50% of the value of all equipment they place in service 

in 2009, on top of regular accelerated depreciation on the 

remaining 50%. Small businesses can write off 100%. Firms 

will less than $15 million in gross receipts and net operating 

losses in 2008 or 2009 can carry those losses back to as many 

as five prior tax years to get a refund 

of past taxes paid. Numerous bond 

and tax-credit provisions should 

add to demand for construction. 

And the higher spending power 

of individual taxpayers and state 

and local governments will add 

to demand for construction as 

the economy pulls out of its 

slump. 

Iowa will receive 

$395 million for 

transportation and 

$78 million for water 

projects. Another 

$667 million will 

be available for 

education, although 

most of that cannot 

be spent on 

construction. The 

Department of 

Housing and Urban Development will award Iowa up to $76 

million for community development and housing. 

Nationally, $1 billion of investment in nonresidential 

construction saves or creates approximately 28,500 jobs, 

according to a study conducted last year for AGC of America 

by Professor Stephen Fuller of George Mason University. About 

one-third of the jobs are direct construction jobs; one-sixth 

are in supplying industries such as quarries, manufacturing 

and services; and the remaining half are spread throughout 

the economy as workers and owners in the firms that receive 

direct and indirect funds spend their added income. 

An additional $1 billion in nonresidential construction 

spending in Iowa would add about $2.2 billion to the state’s 

Gross Domestic Product (GDP), about $675 million to personal 

earnings and create or sustain 23,000 jobs, of which 7,800 

would be on-site construction jobs located within Iowa. Iowa 

would also benefit from construction spending elsewhere, as 

the state’s contractors, manufacturers and service suppliers 

would win some of those funds. And the broader stimulus 

spending would gradually add to demand for new facilities. 

Iowa never experienced the huge construction boom seen in 

some coastal and Rocky Mountain states, nor has construction 

employment trailed off as much here. As of January, 

construction employment in Iowa was down 4% from a year 

earlier, compared to a national job loss of 11%. 

Nevertheless, stimulus spending will probably not be big 

enough or quick enough to prevent further construction 

declines. Nonresidential construction spending is likely to fall 

anywhere from 3% to 9% in 2009, depending how quickly 

stimulus money is turned into construction contracts. But 

stimulus will help shorten the decline in Iowa and throughout 

the nation, while producing lasting assets that will bolster the 

nation’s productivity. • 

SPRING 2009 

8

Feature Story 

Opportunities for Contractors Lie Buried 

in the Tax Provisions of the Stimulus Bills 

By Brian Worth 

Tax Managing Director 

RSM McGladrey 

The year 2008 and the start of 2009 have indeed been 

interesting times for all of us. Economic uncertainty rules 

the headlines and occupies the thoughts of the day. The 

challenges have caused the government to implement not one 

but two major pieces of economic stimulus legislation. Over 

500 tax law changes have occurred since the beginning of 

2008, many included in the two stimulus packages. 

This article will highlight a number of the most relevant tax law 

changes included in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 and 

the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. These 

are changes that can be used by the contractor to reduce taxes 

in these trying times and plan for the future. 

Buying New Equipment 

In recent history, economic stimulus has always involved 

the creation of incentives for companies to invest in new 

equipment. For those contractors that are in a financial 

position to make capital expenditures, it is a great time to 

use these incentives. 

The Stimulus Act reintroduced bonus depreciation. Bonus 

depreciation allows the taxpayer to expense 50% of the 

cost of qualifying property in the year of acquisition. The 

property must be new but an unlimited amount will qualify 

for the rules. An added benefit is that the qualifying property 

does not cause any adjustments under the Alternative 

Minimum Tax (AMT). The other 50% of the cost of the 

property is depreciated using the normal depreciation rules. 

The rules produce large depreciation deductions in the year 

of acquisition which can be used to reduce the tax that the 

contractor would otherwise pay. 

Example 1: A contractor puts $500,000 of new construction 

equipment and vehicles in service for the year. The bonus 

depreciation rules allow the contractor to take a special 

$250,000 deduction and then depreciate the other $250,000 

under normal rules, producing an additional $50,000 of 

depreciation. The total of $300,000 compares to $100,000 

under the rules in place before bonus depreciation was added. 

Also included were increased expensing limits for Section 179 

which allows qualifying assets to be written off in the year 

of acquisition in lieu of being depreciated. The Stimulus Bill 

increased the first year limit to $250,000. In the past, the IRS 

restricted the rules mostly to smaller companies by limiting 

the amount of assets which could be placed in service by 

the taxpayer and still qualify for Section 179. The new rules 

expanded the base of eligible taxpayers by raising the limit 

and allowing any taxpayer that puts less than $800,000 of 

qualifying assets in service to use the rules. 

As a better alternative to bonus depreciation, Section 179 can 

be used to expense either used or new property. The benefits 

of Section 179 and bonus depreciation can also be layered. 

Example 2: Continuing the $500,000 example above, a 

taxpayer could use Section 179 to expense the first $250,000 

of equipment. Next, they could use bonus depreciation to 

recover 50% of cost of the remaining $250,000 of equipment 

and finally use normal depreciation rules for the remaining 

$125,000. All together, the first year deduction would equal 

$400,000 of the total cost of new fixed assets in the year of 

acquisition. 

The Economic Stimulus Bill added these rules for years 

beginning in 2008. The American Recovery Act extended the 

rules to assets placed in service in years beginning in 2009. 

For planning purposes, it is important to determine the 

effects of Section 179 and bonus depreciation on current 

and future depreciation expense. There may be times when a 

contractor may not want to maximize the deduction in order 

to retain depreciation deductions for future years. Section 

179 is an elective section and doesn’t have to be used. Bonus 

depreciation will generally be used but a taxpayer may elect to 

not use it and instead use the regular depreciation rules. 

Carry Back of Net Operating Losses - 

Turning Lemons into Lemonade 

One of the most advantageous provisions in the American 

Recovery Act is the one allowing taxpayers to carry net 

operating losses back for up to 5 years to recover previously 

paid taxes. Under previous law, the maximum carryback was 

2 years. The new provisions allow a taxpayer with a qualifying 

loss to choose a carryback period of up to 5 years so they 

can choose 2, 3, 4 or 5 years. This allows the taxpayer to 

determine the carryback period which will allow them to 

recover the most in taxes from the carryback. 

The provisions apply to C corporations and individuals who 

own qualifying small businesses as either sole proprietorships 

or through partnerships and S corporations. The loss must 

relate to a business that has average annual gross receipts of 

less than $15 million for the three-year period that includes 

the current loss year plus the previous two tax years. For 

partnerships and S corporations, the determination of whether 

the gross receipts test is met is determined at the entity level. 

The IRS has just released Revenue Procedure 2009-19 which 

provides taxpayers with the information necessary to claim the 

benefit. 


S Corporations Avoidance of Built-in Gains Tax 

Currently, an S corporation can incur a corporate level builtin 

gains tax if appreciated assets are sold within 10 years of 

electing S corporation status. The American Recovery Act has 

eliminated the built-in gains tax for years beginning in 2009 

and 2010 for any S corporation that has been an S corporation 

for at least 7 years. This allows companies to sell appreciated 

assets without the concern of incurring both corporate level 

and shareholder level tax on the same transaction. 

S Corporation Shareholders of Small Businesses 

Can Reduce Estimated Tax Payments 

Most S corporation shareholders must make estimated 

payments against their expected individual tax to cover an 

amount equal to either 90% of the current year tax or 100% 

(or 110%) of the tax shown on their prior year tax return. 

The American Recovery Act allows the use of a 90% of prior 

year tax safe harbor for those individuals who have adjusted 

gross income of less than $500,000 and for whom more than 

50% of their 2008 income is from a qualifying small business 

(defined as having less than 500 employees). Although the 

provision does nothing to reduce the tax actually due for the 

year, the lower 90% threshold will ease cash flow burdens in 

2009 for those qualifying to use the rule. 

COBRA Premium Assistance 

Involuntarily terminated employees are allowed through 

COBRA rules to continue health insurance coverage previously 

obtained through their employers provided they pay the 

premiums for that coverage. The American Recovery Act 

temporarily subsidizes such premiums by 65%, crediting 

employers paying the subsidy through an offset of the 

company’s payroll taxes. Persons eligible for this subsidy are 

those terminated from September 1, 2008 through December 

31, 2009. 

Withholding Provisions Delayed 

The current law included a problematic provision affecting 

contractors that would have first been effective in 2011. The 

law would require 3 percent withholding on payments made 

by federal and state governments to contractors. The industry 

has fought the provision as being particularly onerous due to 

the negative impacts on contractor cash flow when otherwise 

considering normal profit margins and standard retainage 

requirements. 

The American Recovery Act delayed 

the provision until 2012. 

Take Advantage of Family Business Transfer 

Opportunities 

Although not provided by the stimulus bills, the current 

economy has indirectly provided opportunities for business 

transition planning. Many strategies for the transfer of family 

businesses work best in an environment of low interest rates 

and low valuations. The economy has therefore produced one 

of the most advantageous times in years for the transfer of 

businesses within families. 

good time to revisit succession planning. In addition, the 

introduction of legislation to eliminate the benefit of several 

popular transfer strategies as part of estate tax reform has 

increased the time sensitivity of completing the planning and 

implementation before any new law is passed, likely in the 

latter part of 2009.. 

Conclusion 

In the right situation, the tax provisions included in 2008 

and 2009 stimulus bills can provide great opportunities for 

the contractor. This may be by providing more favorable taxrelated 

cash flows for the acquisition of equipment or by 

providing a means to use current operating losses to recover 

cash from taxes paid in the past. Some time spent discussing 

the changes with your tax advisor should be well worth the 

investment. • 

Brian Worth is a Tax Managing Director in the 

Des Moines, IA office of RSM McGladrey. 

RSM McGladrey is a leading professional services 

firm providing accounting, tax and business 

consulting. RSM McGladrey operates in an 

alternative practice structure with McGladrey & 

Pullen, LLP, a partner-owned CPA firm that delivers 

audit and attest services. Together, the companies rank as the fifth 

largest US provider of accounting, tax and business consulting services 

with over 120 offices nationwide. It is the largest provider in Iowa 

and is the largest provider of such services to Iowa’s construction 

contractors. 

DID YOU KNOW? 

With the publication and distribution in 1946 of the 

Manual of Recommended Procedure for Competitive 

Bidding and Award of Building Contracts, for which the 

Iowa Chapter, American Institute of Architects, and the 

Iowa Engineering Society were co-authors, the public 

was furnished with a guide intended to provide the most 

economical means of arriving at a contract, excluding 

those projects for which a negotiated, noncompetitive 

contract was better suited. 

The document, the embodiment of earlier efforts by 

the Association to express the principles of fair business 

dealings, has been refined and reissued in several editions 

but continues to serve as the standard for the industry. 

It reinforces the statutory requirements for competitive 

bidding contained in the Iowa Code. • 

Interfamily sales, gifting and other transfers are all affected 

by the current environment which makes it a particularly 

SPRING 2009 10

Feature Story 

MB “EYE” on the Future - Class of 2008/09 Front row, left to right: Steve Marso, Whitfield & Eddy, PLC; Amy Boelk, Knutson 

Construction Services, Inc.; Aaron DeCamp, Olympic Wall Systems Inc.; Brian Haessig, Story Construction Co.; Matt Thompson, W.A. 

Klinger, LLC; Troy Hodapp, J.E. Dunn Construction. Middle row, left to right: Dave Lott, Point Builders, LLC; Josh Braby, Neumann Brothers 

Inc.; Luke Wilgenbusch, Architectural Wall Systems Co.; Joe Schmit, LaMair-Mulock-Condon Co.; Mike Cooper, The Weitz Company; Bryon 

Gant, Builders Sales & Service Co.; Kent Brcka, Henkel Construction Co.; Ryan Clausen, The Waldinger Corporation; Back row, left to right: 

Jason Rowe, Redstone Painting Co LLC; Tom Proctor, Proctor Mechanical Corporation; Tom Wengert, Baker Group; Ben Roush, Conlon 

Construction Co.; Darren Kent, Conlon Construction Co.; Rob McComas, McComas-Lacina Construction Co. LC; Patrick Sauter, King’s 

Material Inc.; Ryan Andresen, Russell Construction Co., Inc.; Adam Hahn, Knutson Construction Services, Inc. Not Pictured: Dan Drefke, 

Graham Construction Co.; Michael Ernster, Russell Construction Co., Inc.; Christopher Wheeler, Point Builders, LLC 

MB EYE on 

the Future 


The often referred to notion that sometimes a 

glimpse of an organization’s future can be found 

in its past certainly seems to apply to the MB EYE on 

the Future leadership class launched in 2004. MB EYE 

class participants develop lasting friendships, collegial 

respect, and very positive working and networking 

relationships with their classmates over the 6 months 

the class is in session. The class provides both a learning 

and social environment for participants to learn more 

about themselves, their industry and their peers in other 

MBI companies. In many cases the relationships develop 

into close personal relationships that involve families 

and may last a life time. 

Sound familiar? One of the primary functions that a 

trade association provides, and in particular the MBI, 

is an opportunity for close personal and business 

relationships to be nurtured in an environment of 

industry and volunteer leadership. The mutual respect 

that competitors sometime develop for one another 

fosters a stronger ethical fabric for the industry and 

allows for some “fun” to be part of the business 

along the way. Professional relationships spawned by 

MBI volunteer and leadership connections also foster 

a collective sense of industry, which is the backbone 

of an effective trade association. 

The history of MBI is dominated by a unique collection 

of talented, committed members, with a profound 

sense of responsibility to their industry and who are 

willing to give their time, talent and energy to the MBI. 

It comes as no surprise that these individuals and their 

companies, working together in this environment, 

receive a significant return of professional and personal 

development as well. And that is exactly what is 

going on in MB EYE on the future. Ask any of the 94 

graduates and most, if not all, will tell you that the 

experience has made a lasting impression on their 

perception of the Association, how it works and why 

there is an MBI. Most would hopefully also tell you that 

it has made a very positive impact on both their personal 

and professional lives. I guess that is the answer to the 

“What’s in it for me” question that we hear so often. 

Our thanks to all the MBI members who have had the 

vision to nominate their leadership talent for this very 

rewarding opportunity and all the leaders who are 

making it work. If you know of leadership candidates 

that might be interested in vying for a nomination, you 

may call Monica Worheide, Director of Professional 

Development at the MBI office. • 

-Scott Norvell 

In the Fall of 2003, during a strategic planning session, focus of discussion revolved 

around the topic of leadership needs and demands. Three questions were posed --- 

How do we identify new leadership? 

How do we strengthen the leadership? 

How do we sustain leadership? 

Through the Leadership Resource & Development Task 

Force chaired by Mike Carroll of Hansen Company, Inc., 

the questions posed above were answered: 

Identify New Leadership: Identifying new leadership for the 

organization will be accomplished by the member firms themselves, 

through a nomination procedure of individuals deemed 

by the top-level decision makers of the member firms as potential 

leaders for MBI. 

Strengthen The Leadership: Strengthening the leadership 

will be accomplished through leadership indoctrination provided 

by the Master Builders of Iowa as a leadership training 

and organizational training program (now known as MB EYE 

on the Future). 

Sustain Leadership: Sustaining leadership will be a function 

of the member firms continuing to identify potential leaders 

for the organization and nominating individuals for the leadership 

pool. 

The MB EYE on the Future Program has graduated 94 MBI 

member employees from its six month leadership course. Over 

a six month time period, the class meets for two days each 

month in a different geographical area of the state (comprised 

from where the participants are from). The program is made 

up of various components: 

1) Leadership Instruction 

2) Indoctrination into the Master Builders of Iowa 

3) Class Project 

4) Social network & friendships built for a lifetime 

Continued on page 5 

SPRING 2009 12

Feature Story 

MB EYE on 

the Future 

Continued from page 4 

Here is a sampling of what the 5 classes projects have 

produced so far: 

2004/2005 Class: This class focused their project on the MBI 

Summer Convention. There was a decline in attendance for the 

annual event and the class decided to survey the membership 

to see what changes could be made to help drive the 

attendance back up. Focus has now been directed to making 

the event more family oriented and numbers have risen in 

recent years. 

2005/2006 Class: This class is responsible for the development 

of the Iowa Chapter of the ACE Mentoring Program. To date, 

many of the class graduates participate directly with the ACE 

program or are advocates and supporters of the program. 

2006/2007 Class: This class developed themselves into a new 

MBI Task Force for the purpose of working on Membership 

and Communication issues, thus called the Membership & 

Communications Task Force. This group was utilized when 

the MBI Strategic Plan called for an overhaul on MBI’s 

Communication initiatives. This group is responsible for this 

new publication you are currently reading --- Inside MBI. They 

also created a new bi-weekly publication entitled ASK MBI. 

2007/2008 Class: This class wanted to produce a revenue 

generating event for the MBI-PAC. They developed and 

implemented The MBI Winter Conference and Freezer Classic. 

This is an annual event that includes a half-day educational 

seminar, followed by an afternoon of golf at the Copper Creek 

Golf Club. The 2008 and 2009 events have raised a total of 

$26,000 for the MBI-PAC. 

2008/2009 Class: This year’s class developed the concept 

for The Career Connection section of the new MBI website 

(www.mbionline.com). The class felt there was a great 

need for a resource that can be the one-stop for everyone 

interested in learning and job opportunities in our industry. 

The Career Connection website is the essential online resource 

for promoting career options and personal development 

opportunities in the construction industry. 

Here is what a few of the participants said after completing the 

course: 

“Leadership and speaking skills are very important to all levels 

of management, from the project level to company president. 

Leaders breed Leaders and this class is a tool to foster those 

skills.” 

Aaron DeCamp 

Olympic Wall Systems 

“This course goes a long way towards moving someone 

beyond what they learned in school to be a leader - someone 

who can not only do but who can lead, teach and persuade.” 

Mike Ernster 

Russell Construction 

“I learned quite a lot about myself in this program. I have 

become more aware of my communication skills and habits 

and have been given useful tools to keep improving these 

skills.” 

Tom Proctor 

Proctor Mechanical 

“I have greater self confidence by knowing that I am not alone 

on the island of “fear of public speaking”. I now have the 

skills, intelligence and all of the capability to do whatever I 

want and I am armed with the necessary tools and confidence. 

Confidence is like anything, you gain more with repetition and 

practice.” 

Brian Haessig 

Story Construction 

Transforming Traditional Contracts 

ConsensusDOCS contract documents benefit owners, contractors, design 

professionals, and surety associations – a true example of the industry working 

together! MBI members can order your ConsensusDOCS through MBI to 

receive a discount. To view sample documents, order documents or for more 

information, contact Allison Singleton at the MBI office – (515) 288-8904 or 

asingleton@mbionline.com. 


2005 

2006 

MB Eye on 

the Future 

Alumni 

2007 

2009 

Visit the MBI website to learn more about the past 

MB EYE on the Future classes and projects by going 

to the Education & Professional Development page. While 

there, download the nomination form to nominate 

a candidate for the class of 2010! 

www.mbionline.com 

2008 

SPRING 2009 14

Feature Story 

MBI Public Policy Reference Manual 

By Chad Kleppe 

Director of Public Affairs 


he latest edition of the Master Builders of Iowa’s Public Policy Reference 

T Manual is now available (revised January 2009). The policies you see in the 

Manual reflect those that have been established by the membership, developed 

by the membership and approved by the membership. As a member-lead 

organization, the Master Builders of Iowa strives to continue to advocate a probusiness, 

pro-construction philosophy at the Iowa Capitol, as well as at all local 

levels of government. 

The policies outlined in the Manual aid the membership and MBI’s lobbying 

team in deciphering positions on any and all policy proposals. In addition, the 

Manual is unique in that it provides a perspective on how a particular issue will 

impact your business. 

The MBI Board of Directors, the Government Affairs Committee, the MBI-PAC 

Committee and MBI’s public affairs professionals take seriously their role and 

responsibility in articulating a pro-business, pro-construction message and the 

Public Policy Reference Manual is another example of how MBI is the “Voice of 

the Iowa Construction Industry.” 

Copies are available upon request to MBI members. To request a copy of 

the updated Public Policy Reference Manual, contact Allison Singleton – 

(515) 288-8904. • 

10 th Annual Master Builders 

of Iowa Construction Golf 

Classic & Smoker 

Save the date and plan to attend! 

Monday, August 24, 2009 

Glen Oaks Country Club 

1401 Glen Oaks Drive 

West Des Moines 


Safety News 

Emergency Action Plan 

Are You Ready? 

By Ryan Hoenicke 

Safety Specialist 


Tn February 18 th , four men working on the roof of ADM in Cedar Rapids 

complained of difficulties breathing. All four men where taken to the 

hospital with life threatening symptoms. The employees were thought to have 

been exposed to either hydrochloric acid or sulfur dioxide, both of which can 

result in serious health complications up to, and including, death. Some of the 

complications may not be apparent for years to come. The question comes to 

mind, would your employee know what signs to look for when exposed to 

either of these two chemicals? 

This is just one of many serious near misses that happen every year resulting 

from contractors not adequately assessing onsite chemicals that are brought 

on to the jobsite and those that have been there prior to the project. With 

an increase of large manufacturing plants renovating or adding on to their 

locations, contractors are finding themselves on projects that either store 

chemicals or use chemicals in their processing operations. There are steps to 

follow when and if your company runs across a situation like this. 

1. Hazard Identification/Assessment 

The process of identification and assessment should be done prior to beginning 

work on the project. This is to include material handling, equipment, temporary 

structures, traffic, and onsite materials. Once these have been adequately 

assessed it is up to you to look at what could go wrong and the consequences 

of it happening. In most cases, employees don’t know they have been exposed 

until they start to have real problems. Training on indicating signs of exposure 

could prevent a fatal accident. 

2. Emergency Resources 

In most cases 911 is going to be the main resource. Something to be aware of, 

however, is that you will not know where your 911 call is being received. If it 

goes to a call center an hour away, they may not send the closest emergency 

crew, so being able to correctly identify the project address is important. You 

also need to keep in mind that not all emergency crews have the same funding 

and resources available. Confined spaces and high reach rescues, both of which 

are fairly common in construction, take specialized training and equipment. 

Calling the local fire department’s non-emergency line when beginning a 

project will give a good idea of the services that they can provide. 

3. Communication Systems 

A cell phone will be the most available option in most areas in Iowa, but there 

are a few dead areas. In these areas, a land line will be the valuable option. It 

is also key that everyone onsite knows the address of the project, or at least 

knows where it is posted. Designate personnel onsite that are to contact 911. 

They need to be calm under pressure and have the ability to take control of the 

situation. 

It’s important to have an emergency action plan in writing and that everyone 

on the jobsite knows what it is and what they are expected to do in the event 

of an emergency. • 

SPRING 2009 

16

Feature Story 

Awards & Recognition 

2009 Build Iowa Award 

The 2009 Build Iowa Award was bestowed to 

Mr. James Grabau at the 2009 Build Iowa Awards 

Program & Reception held February 2, 2009 at the Polk 

County Convention Complex in Des Moines, Iowa. 

Inspired by the MBI motto, the Build Iowa Award is presented 

annually to the individual who best exemplifies the tenets 

of our organization: Skill, Responsibility and Integrity. The 

honorees are judged by the way in which they have performed 

both within the construction industry, and their communities. 

Jim is a past Board member, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President 

and President of the Association in 1987. It was in Jim’s term 

of Presidency that MBI received the distinguished Associated 

General Contractors of America Chapter of the Year award. 

Jim is a strong advocate in recognizing education in the 

industry and has served on a number of MBI committees 

devoted to craftsmen and professional development in 

the industry. He served as a visiting assistant professor 

in 1976 for the construction engineering curriculum for 

Iowa State University, and to this day is a featured speaker 

at sessions for MB EYE on the Future leadership classes. 

Jim’s involvement does not stop at education. He has 

also served as Chair of the MBI Insurance Committee 

and Chair of the Government Affairs Committee. 

His contributions to his community are no less impressive. A 

Marine Corps Honor Man in 1966; a global ambassador for 

the Rotary Club Exchange to Australia in 1973; President of 

the Boone Jaycees; DMACC alumni award for outstanding 

community contributions; Leader/volunteer assisting in 

flood relief efforts in Grand Forks North Dakota in the 1993 

disaster; Church Elder, Trinity Lutheran Church; Sunday 

school teacher; Board Member–Boone County YMCA; Board 

member–Hawkeye Federal Savings Bank; President of the 

Boone Industrial Development commission; President of the 

Boone Chamber of Commerce; President of the Boone Golf 

and Country Club; and Recipient of the National leadership 

award presented by the Republican National Committee. 

Three projects reflect some of the company’s many 

notable achievements and are a few of Jim’s favorites … 

work at the Des Moines Area Community College, the 

Boone County Hospital Expansion and Renovation and 

the Iowa High School Athletic Association project. 

Congratulations Jim! 

Build Iowa Award Recipients 

Fred W. Weitz, The Weitz Company, Inc., Des Moines, IA 

W.A. Klinger, W.A. Klinger, Inc., Sioux City, IA 

Ken Gethmann, Gethmann Construction Inc., Marshalltown, IA 

Orville E. Crowley, Ringland-Johnson-Crowley Co., Des Moines, IA 

Reuben Schaefer, Henkel Construction Co., Mason City, IA 

Bob Gleeson, W.A. Klinger, Inc., Sioux City, IA 

Bill Seedorff, Seedorff Masonry, Inc., Strawberry Point, IA 

Woodrow “Woody” Buck, Story Construction Co., Ames, IA 

Ralph E. Emerson, Cardinal Construction Co., Ames, IA 

Louie H. Kuepper, Carl A. Nelson & Co., Burlington, IA 

Robert Maddox, Sr., Allied Construction Services, Des Moines, IA 

David Ward, Breiholz Construction Co., Des Moines, IA 

Robert M. McCline, Chris Hansen/McHan Construction, Sioux City, IA 

Norman Riis, Story Construction Co., Ames, IA 

Mike Conlon, Conlon Construction Co., Dubuque, IA 

Dave Holtze, Holtze Construction, Sioux City, IA 

Gerry Friauf, Rinderknecht Associates, Cedar Rapids, IA 

Dick Bulkeley, Oakview Construction Co., Red Oak, IA 

Darrell Ball, Ball Construction Services, West Des Moines, IA 

Richard Johnson, Story Construction Co., Ames, IA 

Jack Taylor, Taylor Construction Co., West Des Moines, IA 

Ron Sande, Sande Construction & Supply, Humboldt, IA 

Jim Grabau, R.H. Grabau Construction Co., Boone, IA 


Six years ago, MBI created the Masters Award to bring a 

sharper focus to the high degree of professionalism and 

skill in our industry. This award recognizes the exceptional 

efforts of a construction team in executing the process of 

completing a project. 

The criteria for this award focus less on the aesthetics of a 

project and more on the role of the constructor. There are 

four categories of criteria that are considered in judging the 

submissions for this year’s Masters Awards: 

1) Meeting the Challenge of the Project 

2) Innovation in Construction techniques, Equipment, 

Materials and State of the Art Advancements 

3) Excellence in Project Management and Jobsite Supervision 

4) Responsiveness to Client Needs 

The Masters Award 

A panel of judges consider the submittals. The panel consists 

of the following categories: 

• Two Regular member contractors 

• An Associate Member Specialty Contractor 

• An Associate Member Supplier 

• An Architect 

• An Owner 

Contestants compete in three categories: 

• Projects under $1 Million 

• Projects between $1 and $10 Million 

• Projects over $10 Million 

MBI and the panel of judges would like to extend their 

congratulations to all members that submitted applications. 

All entries are examples of exceptional teamwork applied to 

unique and challenging projects with outstanding results. 

Under $1 Million Category Winner 

Woodruff Construction LLC of Fort Dodge for their South Campus Gateway Project 

The South Campus Gateway project provides a dramatic campus entrance for Iowa State University. It consists of two illuminated 

twenty foot tall brick and cast stone towers, associated walls, signage and colorful plantings. The towers and walls mimic the 

building materials and historic character of the ISU central campus, as they beautify their surroundings and welcome 1.5 million 

visitors a year to Iowa State University. There were multiple logistical challenges, not the least of which was the rush of weekend 

football fans and throngs of commuters who pass by the entrance each day. ACAD drawings furnished by the project team, in 

conjunction with total station surveying equipment for site layout definitely helped. Work had to be planned and completed to 

allow for shut downs at 12:00 pm every Friday on home game weekends. On those occasions, work did not resume until the 

following Monday, which required backfilling open excavations and removing road demolition. Even the masonry contractor 

had to secure scaffolding and 

ensure that cavities were sealed to 

minimize hazards for pedestrians and 

tailgaters. All in all, the project met its 

goal of providing a dramatic campus 

entrance while overcoming all 

logistical and budgetary constraints. 

SPRING 2009 18

Awards & Recognition 

Continued from page 18 

$1-$10 Million Category Winner 

The Weitz Company, Des Moines for the Central College Scholte Hall Renovation Project 

Several building requirements make the Scholte Hall project a standout in its category. First, the building needed completely 

new mechanical and electrical systems to provide air conditioning and updated power and data capabilities for students. The 

building had to be handicapped accessible to meet ADA requirements and to cap off the stringent requirements of the project, 

construction needed to start on May 12 and end on August 11 th in order to accommodate the 300 students that it was intended 

to house. The Weitz Company removed some systems, abandoned others in place, and installed new heating and cooling 

equipment and piping. New chilled water lines and a new fire sprinkler system were installed. To meet ADA requirements, 

the company constructed new entrance vestibules at the north and south wing main entrances with appropriate ramping. 

Weitz demolished an existing canopy and security building to create an open courtyard with a stage area, stone benches and 

extensive landscaping. In the original plan, the 

project was to have been completed over two or 

three summers. However, cost/benefit analysis 

determined that completing construction in 

one summer would deliver the lowest cost 

and highest impact to the college. The project 

utilized the latest in innovative, value-added 

products: low-profile lighting fixtures, dual flow 

toilets and PEX piping for heating and cooling 

systems. Innovative methods and materials, cost 

savings, responsiveness to client needs … is there 

any wonder that the Scholte Hall renovation 

for Central College came out on top in the 

competition. 

Over $10 Million Category Winner 

Neumann Brothers, Inc., Des Moines for the Armed Forces Readiness Center at Camp Dodge 

For the Iowa National Guard, this project was the largest undertaking of its kind since World War II. The 33.7 million dollar 

project located adjacent to the front entrance of Camp Dodge embodies three buildings, parking for 624 cars, a 3 acre motor 

pool, a helipad, and a 3-acre detention pond/bio-swale. Two of the three buildings would have to be relocated. Also, the winning 

contractor would need to build a secondary 

road bisecting the 30-acre campus. 

Unfortunately, new soil borings indicated 

poor soil and the water table at a seasonal 

high, within 12 inches of the bottom of the 

footing elevation. Nevertheless, dewatering 

allowed Neumann to make their start date 

and gave them a chance to be in the ground 

before frost. The job specific safety plan 

for the project included weekly tool box 

safety talks and periodic inspections by 

the insurance carrier and OSHA. Neumann 

Brothers was serious about safety. With 

more than 73,876 man-hours in the project, 

Neumann experienced only one lost-time 

accident, totaling 96 hours. 


Outstanding Safety Achievement Award 

The 4 th Annual Outstanding Safety Achievement Award was 

presented at the MBI Awards & Recognition Lunch Program 

held in conjunction with the MBI Annual Convention. The 

award is given annually by the Master Builders of Iowa and 

Iowa OSHA. This partnership between the MBI and Iowa 

OSHA was established out of a liaison committee made up of 

representatives from MBI and Iowa OSHA, a product of MBI 

Strategic Planning. 

Member firms were given two categories in which to submit 

their entries. Many outstanding entries were received and 

rated by a panel of judges. Finalists were selected in each 

category and the winners were announced at the Awards and 

Recognition Luncheon. 

Specialty Contractor Member Category 

Winner: Seedorff Masonry Inc. 

Seedorff Masonry Inc., established in 1957, is a full service 

masonry contractor specializing in brick, concrete block, stone, 

cast stone, granite, pavers, and masonry restoration and 

repairs. SMI is currently working with a variety of public and 

private owners in the commercial, retail, medical, institutional 

and government sectors. Their primary markets include 

Iowa and Nebraska, with additional activity in Minnesota, 

Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, South Dakota and Kansas. 

Regular Member Category 

Winner: Merit Construction Co. 

Merit Construction Co. is an employee-owned commercial 

building contractor. They provide construction management 

services on a wide range of building projects. They manage 

the process of construction from conception to delivery and 

beyond. Estimating staff, project and field management are of 

the highest quality. 

11 th Annual Architectural Excellence Award 

Bill Dreyer, Architects 

Rudi/Lee/Dreyer of Ames 

was awarded MBI’s 2009 

Architect Excellence Award 

at the MBI 96 th Annual 

Convention. This award 

honors a design professional 

who has attained not only a 

mastery of their trade, but 

who also exemplifies the 

tenets of our Association 

… Skill, Integrity and 

Responsibility. 

Congratulations Bill! • 

Architect Excellence 

Award Recipients 

Alan Bowman, Environmental Design, Des Moines, IA 

Robert Carlson, Rohrbach Carlson, Iowa City, IA 

Kenneth Bussard, RDG Bussard Dikis, Des Moines, IA 

Robert Broshar, InVision Architecture, Waterloo, IA 

Tom Hayden, Shive Hattery Architects, Cedar Rapids, IA 

Scott Hatfield, SVPA Architects, West Des Moines, IA 

James Ruble, Ruble Mamura Moss & Brygger 

Sioux City, IA 

Kenneth Kendall, Retired Architect 

John Haila, Haila Engineering, Boone, IA 

Paul Reitz, Reitz Engineering, Des Moines, IA 

SPRING 2009 20

Feature Story 

Workforce Development Economic Stimulus 

By Fernando Aveiga 

Multicultural Workforce Specialist 


Mass layoffs involve 50 or more workers in a month 

from a single employer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics 

recently accounted the construction industry for 16% of 

mass layoffs events and 12% of associated unemployment 

claims during the current recession. Iowa has experienced 

a decrease in construction employment of 5.1% from its 

peak in February 2006. In times of economic decline, the 

Iowa construction industry may tend to reduce workforce 

development efforts because of either fewer workers or fewer 

resources to train. Obama’s stimulus package (the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act) includes $135-$144 billion 

for non-residential construction. As the stimulus package 

exerts to recover construction activity, workforce development 

programs need to pay close attention to the magnitude and 

the kind of training demand specific to the nature of the bill. 

The $135-$144 billion stimulus package for construction 

contains five major subdivisions of investment and these are: 

• $49 billion, Transportation, 

• $30-39 billion, Buildings, 

• $30 billion, Energy and Technology, 

• $21 billion, Water and Environmental, and 

• $4 billion, Workforce and Training. 

Funds (of the existing 8.8 billion) for k-12, higher education, 

and public safety construction, renovation, and repairs will 

be available to all governors on a discretionary basis. The 

non-residential/non-road builders expect that most of the 

transportation funds translate into highway, bridge and road 

investments. While this belief is correct, of the $389 million 

allocated for transportation in Iowa, 10% will invest on highspeed 

train and bus stations as well as airport construction 

and reparation. In addition, Iowa will receive about 80 million 

for the state’s energy, water treatment, weatherization, and 

environmental programs. New construction and training 

demand is set to initiate as soon as government agencies turn 

stimulus dollars into contracts. 

As the economic stimulus works its way through the economy, 

estimates indicate that 1 billion spent on the non-residential 

construction industry in Iowa translate to sustaining or creating 

23,000 jobs 1 . One common denominator in all items of the 

stimulus investment is the new environmental regulations 

coming alongside policy of the current administration. 

All these factors create high expectations for workforce 

development institutions. This set of regulations obliges 

workforce development programs to revisit curriculum that 

best assist workers and contractors to perform and comply 

with these new conventions effectively. 

Nevertheless, by far, the largest increase for workforce 

development investments hides within the stimulus package, 

which specifically allots about 3.5% to workforce development 

and safety. In Iowa, this percentage interprets to about 13 

million that permits the Iowa Department of Labor (IDOL) to 

fund the following training and employment services: 

• $6.3 million, Dislocated Worker Employment and 

Training, 

• $5.2million, Youth Build State Grants, and 

• $1.1 million, Adult Employment and Training State 

Grants. 

In addition, Senator Harkin’s website states that an extra $3.9 

million will assist Iowa Workforce Development to match 

unemployed individuals to “green job” openings. Additional 

$1.3 billion are available for State agencies at the national level 

in the form of competitive grants. The main grant programs 

are: 

• $500 million for grants focusing on training, research 

and labor exchange for “Green Jobs”, such as those in 

energy efficiency and renewable energy, 

• $250 million for training capacity building at community 

colleges and other training providers in high growth 

industries, 

• $250 million to address immediate Job Corps facility 

repairs and renovation, as well as support construction 

at the new Job Corps Center in Ottumwa, and 

• $200 million for National Emergency Grants to 

communities hit particularly hard by mass layoffs and 

other economic dislocations. 

Considering the call for retraining the workforce to fit new 

trends in development, workforce development carries a large 

piece of the funding. However, failures to attract, retain, and 

retrain current, incoming, and dislocated workers with the new 

set of skills set of current construction trends could result in 

detrimental results for the industry. The stimulus for workforce 

development is welcomed in this manner, as the task ahead of 

industrial educators is not easy. 

A greater discussion for the impact on the economic stimulus 

package has begun in Iowa. For construction, there is 

general agreement that the impact of the stimulus (for the 

non-residential/non-road builders) mainly involves Water, 

Telecommunications, and Clean Energy infrastructure. The 

share for the commercial and industrial side of construction 

could have been greater, but will still help to alleviate the 

current buttery state of the sector. For instance, Des Moines 

alone expects to create 410 new construction jobs and have 

1 

According to Dr. Stephen Fuller at George Mason University and Ken Simonson, Chief 

Economist with AGC of America 


population growth of over 6,000 people by 2010 emerging 

from recession to healthy growth at 2.2 percent 2 . The natural 

come back of the business cycles combined with the economic 

stimulus mainly explain this expected growth. 

There is little doubt that an infusion of federal infrastructure 

funding would have a direct stimulus effect by putting more 

contractors in need of hiring more workers. This will reduce 

the rate of mass layoffs the construction industry experienced 

in the last several months. The economy will recover and the 

Iowa construction industry will breathe job growth again. 

Today the current task in workforce development rests in two 

major challenges directly related to the industry’s mid and 

long term productivity. The first challenge lay on how quickly, 

high-quality curriculum adapts to train workers to comply in 

productive ways to the new industry trends and regulations. 

The second challenge deals with how effective our workforce 

development programs attract and retain workers for a career 

in the Iowa construction industry. After all, annual pay of Iowa 

construction workers is 19.6 percent higher than the average 

for all other private sector employees 3 . 

All of these challenges require a set of leaders that can rapidly 

move and adapt to changes in the economy as well as help 

increase the positive perceptions of our industry. In Iowa, 

we like to be ahead of the curve in industry leadership, high 

construction performance, and workforce development. This 

time around will not be the exception. • 

2 

Woods & Poole Economics, Inc. 

3 

Ken Simonson, Chief Economist, AGC of America 

Exhibit at the Iowa 

Construction Expo in 2010! 

February 2, 2010 

Polk County Convention Complex 

Des Moines, Iowa 

Visit the online Iowa Construction Expo! 

www.IowaConstructionExpo.com 

Contact Tania Ohde for more information 

(515) 288-8904 / tohde@mbionline.com 

A great opportunity to do great business! 

WINTER 2009 

22

Safety Tip 

How to Prevent Falls 

From a Ladder 

By Phil Mercuris 

Vice President of Safety Services, Master Builders of Iowa 

There are many ways to prevent falls from a ladder. With the right ladder and 

proper use, working above ground level should be no problem. Make sure you 

have the appropriate ladder and use correct technique for placement and climbing. 

Here are the top three suggestions for keeping safe on a ladder … 

1. Choose the right ladder for the job: Selecting the ladder that is best 

suited to accommodate the type of job you need to perform is very important. 

Portable ladders are designed as one-person equipment with the proper 

strength to support the worker, tools and materials. Ladders are constructed 

under three general classes. 

Type I – Industrial: heavy-duty with a load capacity not more than 250 pounds. 

Type II – Commercial: medium-duty with a load capacity not more than 225 pounds 

(suited for painting and similar tasks). 

Type III – Household: light-duty with a load capacity not more than 200 pounds. 

2. Properly place and secure the ladder: Use the one-to-four (1:4) ratio when using 

a ladder. To do this, place the ladder so its base is one foot away from what it leans 

against for every four feet in height to the point where the ladder rests. Place a portable 

ladder so that both side rails have secure footing. Provide solid footing on soft ground to 

prevent the ladder from sinking. Place the ladder’s feet on a substantial and level base, 

not a moveable object. Never lean a ladder against unsafe backing, such as loose boxes 

or barrels. When you use a ladder for access to high places, securely lash or otherwise 

fasten the ladder to prevent its slipping. Be especially careful on windy days. Extend the 

ladder’s side rails at least three feet above the top landing. 

3. Proper maintenance: Inspect ladders regularly. Stepladders and extension ladders 

should be inspected for broken or frozen joints or latches. Aluminum ladders should be 

inspected for cracks and broken welds. Aluminum ladders should also be inspected for 

rough spots and burrs before first use. Wood ladders should be inspected for cracked wood, 

splinters, and rot. Look for broken or loose hardware. Protect wood ladders with linseed oil 

or clear sealant. Never paint a wooden ladder – the paint may hide imperfections such as rot 

or cracks. 

Other Helpful Tips: 

• Place your ladder on a stable, even, flat surface. Never place a ladder on top of 

another object. 

• Don’t carry tools or materials in your hands while climbing a ladder. Place tools in 

a tool belt. Install a rope and pulley system to pull materials up to you. 

• When using an A-frame stepladder, make sure the brace is locked in place. 

• If climbing onto another surface, make sure the ladder extends at least three feet 

past the platform you’re stepping onto. 

• Always face the ladder when climbing or descending. 

• Keep both feet on the ladder – never put one foot on a rung and the other foot 

on a different surface. 

• Never stand on the top or the paint shelf of a stepladder. 

• When working with electricity, use a ladder made of wood or fiberglass. 

• If ladder placement is in a doorway with a swinging door, lock or block the door 

from opening into the ladder. • 

15 23 

INSIDE MBI

Professional Profile 

MBI committee and task forces are a derivative of the Association’s Strategic Plan and 

are responsible for generating the many services, new ideas and policies that reflect 

the needs of an ever changing industry and our collective membership. 

MBI members are appointed by the MBI Chairman of the Board to serve in the capacity of 

Committee Chair. We would like to recognize a few individuals who are retiring from their 

Chair position but have demonstrated great leadership over the past years. 

Mark Keairnes – served 3 years as Chair of the Association’s 

Associate Council. Mark serves as the Associate Council Liaison on 

the MBI Board of Directors as well as the MBI Convention & Travel 

Committee. Mark is graduate of the MB “EYE” on the 

Future Leadership Program, is the golf chair for the MBI Summer 

Convention and is a long-time supporter and participant at MBI 

meetings and events. 

Sherm Welker – served 4 years as Chair of the MBI Scholarship 

& Academic Advisory Committee. Sherm is President of Welker 

Construction Co. in Marshalltown, Iowa. He served a 4-year term 

on the MBI Board of Directors. Sherm is a strong supporter of 

the MBI scholarship program and is very committed to providing 

opportunities for deserving students. 

Mike Vesey – served 3 years as Chair of the Environmental Quality 

Task Force. Mike is the Regional Field Coordinator for Ryan Companies 

US, Inc. He is based out of their West Des Moines office. Mike 

has served as chair of this committee since its inception in 2006 

addressing issues regarding storm water discharge from construction 

sites as well as provides input on education, new services and 

guidance for ordinances and other issues. 

Chuck Martinek – served 3 years as Chair of the Safety 

Training & Program Development Task Force. Chuck, a Loss 

Control Consultant at LaMair Mulock Condon Co. in West Des 

Moines, is a strong advocate for a “safety strong” industry. Not 

only does he work on a committee that develops the safety 

training programs but he volunteers his time to teach them as 

well.Based on results of seminar evaluations over the years, 

Chuck is one of MBI’s top ranked safety speakers 

2009 MBI Committee 

Chair Appointments 

Convention & Travel 

Committee 

Dave Peters 

Peters Construction Corp. 

Waterloo, Iowa 

Education & Professional 

Development Task Force 

Guy Gast 

The Waldinger Corporation 


Environmental Quality 

Task Force 

Ben Roush 

Conlon Construction Co. 

Dubuque, Iowa 

Government Affairs 

Committee 

Gene Leonhart 

Cardinal Construction Inc. 

Waterloo, Iowa 

IT Forum / Users Group 

Shelly Krohn 

W.A. Klinger, Inc. 

Sioux City, Iowa 

Membership & 

Communication Task Force 

Casey Port 

Hubbell Construction Services 


Safety Training & Program 

Development Committee 

Mike Doucette 

Russell Construction Co. 

Davenport, Iowa 

Scholarship & Academic 

Advisory Committee 

Tony Hovenga 

Katelman Steel Fabrication 

Council Bluffs, Iowa 

WINTER 2009 24

Feature Story 

MBI’s 2009 Executive Committee 

At each Annual Meeting, the Board 

of Directors elect a Vice Chairman, 

Secretary and Treasurer, each to serve for a 

period of one year, or until their successors 

are elected and qualified. The MBI By-Laws 

require that the Treasurer shall automatically 

succeed to the Vice Chairman and then to 

Chairman of the Board. 

At the 2009 Annual Membership Meeting, 

an election appointed the following members 

to serve four year terms in the vacancy 

spots created by retiring members Mike 

Mike Christiason 

Chairman 

Carroll, Hansen Company, and Marshall Linn, 

Neumann Brothers, Inc., Steve Ferguson, 

Breiholz Construction Co., and Alan Koch, 

Henning Construction Co. 

Each year, the MB EYE on the Future class 

elects a graduating member to serve a 1-year 

term as their representative on the MBI Board 

of Directors. This year’s appointment goes 

to Mike Cooper, The Weitz Company, who 

replaces Jeff Claeys, Olympic Wall Systems, 

who served on the Board in 2008. • 

Mike Tousley 

Vice Chairman 

Doug Ohlfest 

Secretary 

Mike Gawley 

Treasurer 

Kent Pilcher 

Immediate 

Past Chairman 

2009 Board of Directors 

Mike Christiason 

Prairie Construction Co. 

Waterloo 

Chairman of the Board 

Mike Tousley 

The Weitz Company 

Des Moines 

Vice Chairman 

Mike Gawley 

Oakview Construction Co. 

Red Oak 

Treasurer 

Doug Ohlfest 

W.A. Klinger, L.L.C. 

Sioux City 

Secretary 

Kent Pilcher 

Estes Construction 

Davenport 

Immediate Past Chairman 

Scott Norvell 


Des Moines 

Steve Daxon 

Russell Construction Co. 

Davenport 

Steve Ferguson 

Breiholz Construction Co. 

Des Moines 

Guy Gast 

The Waldinger Corporation 

Des Moines 

Mike Hahn 

McComas-Lacina 

Construction Co. 

Iowa City 

Mark Keairnes 

LaMair-Mulock-Condon Co. 

West Des Moines 

Alan Kittleson 

Henkel Construction Co. 

Mason City 

Alan Koch 

Henning Construction Co. 

Johnston 

Mike Cooper 

The Weitz Company 

Des Moines 

MB EYE on the Future 

Representative 

15 25 


Q: 

Is prequalification of 

bidders on Iowa public 

works projects legal? 

SPRING 2009 

Answer: No 

The owner must avoid selecting contractors based on illegal 

criteria such as whether or not the contractor employees are 

union or non-union, local vs. non-local or other subjective 

criteria where political favoritism might come into the selection 

process. It is permissible for the owner to make post-bid opening 

objective judgments necessary to determine the contractor’s 

financial and performance qualifications to do the work outlined 

by the project plans and specifications. Any special qualifications 

needed to perform the work should be contained in the project 

specifications and bidders should be notified in advance that 

their inability to meet these special criteria may constitute a 

cause for their bid to be considered non-responsive in the final 

selection and award process. However, contractors should not 

be disqualified from bidding on the basis of those criteria. In 

order to provide the owner with the largest potential pool of 

bidders, owners should not “prequalify” bidders on the basis 

of immutable, arbitrary criteria. As stated in one case, “such 

discrimination (amounts to) the denial of equality of right and 

opportunity to which every bidder is entitled.”• 

SPRING 2009 

26

AGC of America News 

Chapter Diversity 

Award 

The AGC of America Diversity Award Program has 

been developed to reward AGC chapters that 

develop and promote diversity programs. The goal 

of the award is to communicate that AGC chapters 

support and are promoting the development of 

small, minority and women-owned businesses, and 

that AGC seeks to increase their participation in the 

industry and the association. Monetary awards are 

designed to assist chapters in developing diversity 

programs to promote diversity in the construction 

industry, and to assist diverse companies in 

expanding their business. 

We are proud to announce that the Master 

Builders of Iowa won the 2008 Special 

Recognition for Achievement in the Promotion of 

Diversity. MBI’s Multicultural Workforce Specialist, 

Fernando Aveiga submitted the Association’s 

entry in December of 2008 and was presented 

the award on behalf of the Association at 

the 2009 Annual Convention in San Diego, 

California this past March. • 

May - 2009 

ConstructioN 

Essentials 

Asbestos - is it 

MAking A CoMebACk? 

Contrary to what many people believe, asbestos is not and has never been 

banned in the United States. Asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard 

and is highly regulated; however is it making its way back into the 

workplace? Learn what you need to do in order to protect yourself. 

• Different classification of asbestos work 

• Multi-employer worksites – Who is responsible 

• When monitoring and assessments must be performed 

• Common materials found with asbestos 

• Methods of compliance 

May 6, 2009 

Sioux City 

Marina Inn 

510 E 5th St 

S. Sioux City, NE 

Class will be held 11:30 am - 1:00 pm 

in the following locations across the state: 

May 13, 2009 May 20, 2009 

Quad Cities Iowa City 

Radisson Quality Inn & Suites 

111 E Second St 2525 N. Dodge St. 

Davenport, IA Iowa City, IA 

Fee to attend is $10 per person (Lunch will be provided) 

May 27, 2009 

Des Moines 

Sheraton 

1800 50th Street 

W. Des Moines, IA 

What is LEAN 

Construction? 

Lean construction is about thinking lean in order to 

accomplish more with less and in less time, but more 

importantly, getting the job done in ways that provide 

greater value to the client by delivering exactly what the 

client wants. Lean construction starts with value as defined 

by the client, but goes further by eliminating waste in the 

construction process. 

Join MBI for a full-day conference 

presented by Ted Garrison on the 

The What, When, Where, Why 

and How of LEAN Construction 

May 28, 2009 

West Des Moines Marriott 

For questions, contact Monica Worheide 

at (515) 288-8904 or mworheide@mbionline.com. 

15 27 


Wordsearch 

Y M N H E L G G N I M M I W S S U 

G D Q M K B X K U B Q M D H V L G 

B U S S A G S Y U V T H T X U C L 

I F C I L A Y K U S F J E P V Z S 

K O K O B O J I R V V S Q R E V D 

Z A D U O Q U E N O I Z O N I V N 

F I S H I N G M C U W U T Y G N E 

H K A E F Y L N R Q N E H T Y Z I 

P R I Z E S F C M D R R R H E P R 

Y T F L O G B Y T T B E I I S V F 

P A L J H S L A A U K S R Z F K B 

I O W B T I B I R S M O M O R E O 

C B B C M L N P N B D R E A A W B 

N Q L A E M G A L U E T P C I E S 

I T F S E V F R A O S Q H X N V A 

C O M N I B P T D Z O B U S R R N 

C N T N S U A Y U T W P U E L O D 

BARBEQUE 

BEACH 

BOAT 

CRUISE 

ENTERTAINMENT 

FAMILY 

FIREWORKS 

FISHING 

FRIENDS 

GOLF 

LAKE 

OKOBOJI 

PARK 

PARTY 

POOL 

PRIZES 

RESORT 

ROUNDTABLES 

SAND 

SUN 

SWIMMING 

SPRING 2009 28

Feature Story 

15 29 


SPRING 2009 30

MBI Calendar 

February - November 2009 

Construction Essentials – 

The Basics Course 

In its second year, Construction 

Essentials is focused on providing 

MBI members a variety of classes 

in convenient locations across the 

state. Six Essential Construction 

Topics Presented by Industry 

Experts! Meetings will be held 

from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm and 

include lunch (webinars do not 

include lunch). Cost to attend 

each session is $10.00 per person 

(webinars are offered at no 

charge). Each topic is presented 

throughout a designated month 

in the following regions: Cedar 

Rapids (CR), Des Moines (DM), 

Iowa City (IC), Quad Cities (QC), 

Sioux City (SC) and Waterloo 

(WAT). 

May 

Asbestos – Is it Making 

a Comeback? 

Contrary to what many people 

believe, asbestos is not and 

has never been banned in the 

United States. Asbestos is well 

recognized as a health hazard 

and is highly regulated; however 

is it making its way back into 

the workplace? Learn what you 

need to do in order to protect 

yourself. 

(5/6 SC; 5/13 CR; 5/20 WAT; 

5/27 DM) 

September Topic TBD 

(9/2 SC; 9/16 IC; 9/23 QC; 

9/30 DM) 

October Topic TBD 

(10/7 SC; 10/14 CR; 10/21 WAT; 

10/28 DM) 

November Topic TBD 

(11/4 SC; 11/11 IC; 11/12 QC; 11/18 

DM) 

May 

MBI Regional 

Membership Meetings 

The purpose of these meetings 

is to inform the membership 

about important topics of 

information and to ensure MBI 

members are aware of all the 

opportunities afforded to them 

through their membership 

investment. All meetings will be 

held from 12:00 – 1:00 pm and 

a complimentary lunch will be 

provided. 

14 Sioux City 

15 Waterloo 

17 Davenport 

18 Cedar Rapids 

12 Dubuque 

19 Ames 

21 Des Moines 

May 14 – 15 

Green Building & 

LEED Certification 

LEED Certification and Green 

Building are becoming more 

and more prevalent in all 

aspects of the building industry. 

These seminars will give you a 

comprehensive knowledge base 

and tools to stay COMPETITIVE 

as what previously has been an 

option becomes more and more 

of a standard. Held in Waterloo, 

Iowa. 

May 28 

The What, When, Where, 

Why and How of LEAN 

Construction 

Lean construction is about 

thinking lean in order to 

accomplish more with less and in 

less time, but more importantly, 

getting the job done in ways 

that provide greater value to the 

client by delivering exactly what 

the client wants. Held in West 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

July 9 – 12 

MBI Summer Convention 

The MBI Summer Convention is 

a great opportunity meet with 

friends and colleagues from the 

industry! Held at the Village 

West Resort on Lake Okoboji. 

July 21 – 22 

Green Building & 

LEED Certification 

Same course offering as 

May 14-15 th training. Held in 

Omaha, Nebraska. 

August 24 

MBI Golf Classic & Smoker 

The Smoker brings together 

construction leaders from 

throughout the State of Iowa, 

providing a unique opportunity 

to mix business with pleasure. 

Come join your industry 

colleagues for a day of golf 

at the prestigious Glen Oaks 

Country Club, while also enjoying 

brunch, dinner beverages and 

cigars. 

August 27 

Estimating Academy 

With the cost of material, labor 

and equipment increasing, 

the role of the construction 

estimator is more important 

than ever. This one-day course 

will offer a variety of sessions on 

current topics, like: sustainability, 

green, LEED and alternative 

storm water detention, concrete 

structural/vertical, steel erection 

and advanced electrical 

estimating. Held in 

Des Moines, Iowa. 

For more information, or to 

register for any of the above 

events, go to www.mbionline. 

com or contact Laurie Delmott at 

515.288.8904/ 800.362.2578. 

15 31 


The purpose of these meetings is to inform the 

membership about important topics of information 

and to ensure MBI members are aware of all the 

opportunities afforded to them through their 

membership investment. All meetings will be held 

from 12:00 – 1:00 pm and a complimentary lunch will 

be provided. 

AgendA 

Mission Results 

I. Convene 12:00 pm with lunch 

II. Improving the Business environment 

• Iowa legislative Recap on Business/Construction Issues 

• Department of Administrative Services General 

Conditions Agreement 

• Iowa Construction Industry Forum Update 

• Regents Liaison Committee update 

III. Improving Member Performance 

• Construction Essentials Program 

• New Strategic Plan for Safety Services 

• New MBI Website 

• MBI Labor Relations Services 

IV. Adjourn 1:00 pm 

MBI RegIonal BusIness MeetIngs 

The purpose of these meetings is to inform the 

membership about important topics of information 

and to ensure MBI members are aware of all the 

opportunities afforded to them through their 

membership investment. All meetings will be held 

from 12:00 – 1:00 pm and a complimentary lunch will 

be provided. 

AgendA 

Mission Results 

I. Convene 12:00 pm with lunch 

II. Improving the Business environment 

• Iowa legislative Recap on Business/Construction Issues 

• Department of Administrative Services General 

Conditions Agreement 

• Iowa Construction Industry Forum Update 

• Regents Liaison Committee update 

III. Improving Member Performance 

• Construction Essentials Program 

• New Strategic Plan for Safety Services 

• New MBI Website 

• MBI Labor Relations Services 

IV. Adjourn 1:00 pm 

Mission stateMent 

Mission stateMent 

MBI’s mission is to be the essential resource for improving member 

performance and promoting a business environment favorable to the 

construction industry. 

MBI’s mission is to be the essential resource for improving member 

performance and promoting a business environment favorable to the 

construction industry. 

Spring 2009 

MBI RegIonal BusIness MeetIngs 

Spring 2009 

To sign up, or if there are any questions, please call 

Laurie delmott at (515) 288-8904 / (800) 362-2578 

or email ldelmott@mbionline.com. 

To sign up, or if there are any questions, please call 

Laurie delmott at (515) 288-8904 / (800) 362-2578 

or email ldelmott@mbionline.com. 

Meeting Schedule 

Meeting Schedule 

Region: Sioux City 

Date: May 4, 2009 

Time: 

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Marina Inn 

4th & B Street 

South Sioux City, NE 

Region: Sioux City 

Date: May 4, 2009 

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Marina Inn 

4th & B Street 

South Sioux City, NE 

Region: Waterloo 

Date: May 5, 2009 

Time: 

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Elk's Lodge 

407 E. Park 

Waterloo, IA 

Region: Waterloo 

Date: May 5, 2009 

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Elk's Lodge 

407 E. Park 

Waterloo, IA 

Region: Quad Cities 

Date: May 7, 2009 

Time: 

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Radisson 

111 E. 2nd Street 

Davenport, IA 

Region: Quad Cities 

Date: May 7, 2009 

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Radisson 

111 E. 2nd Street 

Davenport, IA 

Region: Cedar Rapids 

Date: May 8, 2009 

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Marriott 

1200 Collins Rd NE 

Cedar Rapids, IA 

Region: Cedar Rapids 

Date: May 8, 2009 

Time: 

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Marriott 

1200 Collins Rd NE 

Cedar Rapids, IA 

Region: Dubuque 

Date: May 12, 2009 

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Grand River Center 

500 Bell Street 

Dubuque, IA 

Region: Dubuque 

Date: May 12, 2009 

Time: 

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Grand River Center 

500 Bell Street 

Dubuque, IA 

Region: Ames 

Date: May 19, 2009 

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Gateway Hotel 

2100 Green Hills Drive 

Ames, IA 

Region: Ames 

Date: May 19, 2009 

Time: 

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: Gateway Hotel 

2100 Green Hills Drive 

Ames, IA 

Region: Des Moines 

Date: May 21, 2009 

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: WDM Marriott 

1250 Jordan Creek Pkwy 

West Des Moines, IA 

Region: Des Moines 

Date: May 21, 2009 

Time: 

12:00 - 1:00 pm 

Location: WDM Marriott 

1250 Jordan Creek Pkwy 

West Des Moines, IA


221 Park Street 

P.O. Box 695 

Des Moines, Iowa 50306 

(800) 362-2578 • (515) 288-8904 

FAX: (515) 288-2617 

Master Builders of Iowa Offices 


Cedar Rapids 

645 32nd Ave. S.W., Suite C 

Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 

Phone: (319) 369-4848 

FAX: (319) 369-4809 


Omaha 

4255 S. 9th Street 

Omaha, NE 68127 

Phone: (402) 593-6908 

FAX: (402) 593-6912 


Rock Island 


Rock Island, IL 61202 

Phone: (309) 788-9260 

FAX: (309) 794-3965 


Sioux City 


Sioux City, IA 51101 

Phone: (712) 255-9533 

FAX: (712) 255-9571 


Waterloo 

612 Mulberry 

Waterloo, IA 50703 

Phone: (319) 232-3621 

FAX: (319) 274-0986

MBI Summer Convention - Master Builders of Iowa

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