CFMA - Valley of the Sun

Phoenix’s Hotel Palomar named a ‘hot’ new hotel Hotel Palomar was listed as one of the "hot new hotels" by TripAdvisor this year alongside destinations in Canada, Italy, Peru, Vietnam, and Spain. The hotel is located in Downtown Phoenix's CityScape area, an area emerging with nightlife, food, shopping and exciting events throughout the year. One TripAdvisor traveler told TripAdvisor that Hotel Palomar is "exactly what I'd design if I were dreaming up the ideal hotel," according to a news release. The hotel offers a complimentary wine reception, an outdoor pool and lounge amongst the beautiful desert-city skyline. Why do I mention this? Because the Hotel Palomar is the site of the 2013 VoS CFMA Executive of the Year Banquet ! Plan to join us Thursday, April 18 th as we honor the Construction Executive of the Year in the Valley’s newest AAA Four Diamond Award winner! For more information, check out: http://chapters.cfma.org/ValleyOfTheSun...

National Inane Answering Message Day When : Always January 30th Many people look at the title of this day and think ....huh!!? Some people think its a typo, and the day should read "National Insane Answering Message Day". However, it actually and truly is "National Inane Answering Message Day". First lets clarify the meaning of an "inane" answering message. We all get them on our answering machines. An inane message is a senseless or meaningless message, or a prank call. Or, it could be an insane message. So, National Inane Answering Message Day is a day to end those numerous, annoying inane answering machine messages. Trouble is.......how do you do that? In todays, world, caller Id is a great tool to accomplish this goal. This is a copyrighted holiday. It was created and is provided, courtesy of the great folks at Wellcat.com  

HAPPY FRIDAY! This has been tough week for everyone! Companies across the country are dealing with major work disruptions as approximately 60 million Americans are or have been or will be dealing with the flu. It is predicted that by the end of this flu season, 200,000 Americans will have been hospitalized and thousands will have died. Everyone knows having the flu is a pain, figuratively and literally. Here are a few common sense ideas for avoiding the flu: 1. Wash your hands , and your keyboard, and your desk, and your phone, and.... you get the idea. 2. Move more . Regular exercise isn’t just great for the parts of your body you can see. It might also help keep your immune system in tip-top condition. 3. Get more sleep . 4. Supplement your diet . There are several foods you can eat or supplements you can take to give your immune system some added power. 5. If you are sick, stay home . This year's flu strain is exceptionally virulent & a good way to avoid passing it to...

VoS CFMA 2013 PIONEER OF THE YEAR AWARD RECEIPENT ANNOUNCED! The 2013 Pioneer Award recipient has been involved in the steel fabrication and erection business in a number of capacities since 1958.  In 1976 he started a small father and son steel erection company. In just three decades, the firm has grown to be a leader in the steel fabrication and erection industry with about 1,500 employees, an expanding stable of subsidiaries and projects totaling more than $700 million annually.  The rapid ascent was born of a visionary strategy summed up in the firm’s credo: We Make It Happen. We would like to announce our 2013 Pioneer Award Recipient is Dave Schuff of Schuff Steel! Mr. Schuff served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company from its founding in 1976 to 1995. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us Thursday, April 18th at the Executive of the Year Banquet and help us honor Mr. Dave Schuff!      

1st VoS Social Event of 2013! ASU vs UofA! Even though we do not wish to talk about winning or losing here, or who beat whom and we just want to talk about the thrill of the game & the excitement of the fans.....oh, ok.....the score was 71-54 but that's all we are going to say about that! We would like to say a good time was had by all, including: the ASU Fan Club! Jill Zimmerman & her birthday boy Collin what a terrible shirt Mr. Bracy! game action! up close!

Picture yourself here: Don't miss all the fun! Mark your calendar now! The 2013 Executive of the Year Banquet will be held April 18th, 2013 at the Hotel Palomar! Watch this blog for more info!  

2012 Construction Executive of the Year Banquet 2012 Construction Executive of the Year ~ Karol George, President KE&G Construction with event co-chairs Debby Anderson and Ryan Evans Evening Emcee - Dave Pratt 2012 Best Under the Sun General Member - Jim Bracy 2012 Best Under the Sun Associate Member-Michelle Grider   See what you missed last year? Be a part of the fun and excitement this year! Save the date :     April 18, 2013 5:30 p.m.

                                                               SAVE THE DATE! APRIL 18, 2013 ~ The Construction Executive of the Year Banquet! You don't want to miss:  The Music!  The Fellowship!  The Fun!   Watch this spot & your e-mail for more info!

Workers’ Compensation: A Three-Headed Dragon for Employers Workers’ Compensation insurance has become a hot topic, as several recent changes have made this business expense more costly and cumbersome. Companies are facing three primary challenges:    1.        HARD MARKET – higher pricing from insurance carriers 2.        INCREASED (NCCI)   RATES – percentage growth varies by state 3.        EXPERIENCE MODIFIER RULE CHANGES   – adjustments in the primary-                    excess split point could increase experience modifiers & related costs   HARD MARKET For the last 8 years, most businesses have experienced a ‘soft market’, with decreasing insurance rates and increased capacity. In that marketplace combined ratios reached a 10-year high of 117% in 2011, th...

New Health Care Law Regulations Released On Dec. 28, 2012, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS released a  notice of proposed rulemaking  on the Affordable Care Act’s employer requirements which take effect on Jan. 1, 2014. The proposed regulations are meant to assist employers in complying with the law and will remain in effect until final regulations are released. The majority of the new regulations focus on the key concepts and definitions of “large employer”, “full-time employee”, and “tax penalties”. For a detailed analysis on the regulations from Ernst & Young,   click here . Read More