The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed a trend in the United States—a tendency of business leaders to organize into trade associations to more effectively cope with their common problems. The construction industry was no different. But soon enough, a need arose for a management voice that would serve the best interests of the construction industry.
In November 1918, AGC became that voice.
Beginning in Chicago with 97 charter members, the Associated General Contractors of America set out to develop, present, and implant unified positions and policies for the construction industry.
Now, the Associated General Contractors of America is the nation’s largest and oldest construction trade association that represents more than 33,000 firms, including 7,200 of America’s leading general contractors and 12,000 specialty-contracting firms. Over 14,000 service providers and suppliers are also associated with AGC through a network of chapters across the country.
Nebraska Chapter History
On February 26, 1923, the Midwest Grading Contractors Association voted to disband and their members agreed to affiliate with the Associated General Contractors of America, Central Branch. George Abel, Arthur Dobson, C.W. Roberts, R.C. Yant, and several others took an active lead in organizing the Nebraska Chapter, which came to fruition on June 11, 1927 at the Hotel Paxton in Omaha. Lincoln was selected as the association location with an estimated yearly budget of $10,000 and 23 charter members. The first elected officers included E.T. Kolterman as President and R.O. Green as Secretary (now the Executive Director position). By 1937, the chapter had 35 members, and by 1952, there were 57 members and 32 associates.
Over 90 years since its creation, the chapter consists of 70 contractor members and 116 associate members and operates on an annual budget of about $600,000. This dynamic chapter is rapidly meeting the many challenges and opportunities of the future.
Past Presidents Click here to view our full list of Past Presidents who have been strengthening the industry since 1927.
