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Industry insights, workforce trends, business strategy, and leadership.
Conversations with builders, leaders, and influencers shaping construction.
Chapter updates, legislation, milestones, and member highlights.
Choose what fits your workforce needs. From apprenticeship to specialized, safety, and professional development training, our programs help you build a skilled, capable workforce.
Our apprenticeship programs help contractors build a skilled workforce through hands-on training, classroom instruction, and career pathways that prepare apprentices for long-term success.
Specialized training helps workers strengthen technical skills, stay current with industry standards, and perform safely and effectively on the jobsite.
Training and compliance resources help members navigate OSHA requirements, reduce risk, strengthen jobsite safety, and stay ahead of industry regulations.
Professional and leadership development classes help teams build communication, supervisory, and decision-making skills that strengthen and grow their businesses.
Safety certification courses equip workers and supervisors with recognized credentials that promote safer jobsites, reduce risk, and support compliance goals.
Technology and software training helps teams improve productivity, strengthen technical skills, and stay current with the digital tools shaping today’s construction industry.
ABC brings contractors together through peer relationships, networking events, and industry learning opportunities that foster connection and long-term support.
Nobody thinks about the lights until they stop working.
Tyler spent nine years in software before becoming an electrical apprentice at ABC San Diego. What he loves most about the trades is the finish line. The payoff comes the moment the work is done, and you can see what you built and the impact it has.
That`s the beauty of a career in the trades. Once you understand what goes into it, you see the world differently. A packed concert, a glowing skyline, a room full of people gathered under good lighting. You know the hands and the craft behind it.
Real, honest work, done by good people, that shows up in the world around us every single day. It`s people who light up our rooms, not just lights. 💡
#ABCMeritShopPride #TrustedExpertise #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SkilledTrades
Happy anniversary to our September members. Your work, your teams, and your commitment make San Diego`s construction industry stronger. 🛠️
#ABCMeritShopProud #ABCSDMembers #SanDiegoConstruction #ABCSD
68 years of blocked fish migration, undone in one project.
Wu & Associates submitted their Temple of Sinawava project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — restoring a section of the Virgin River in Zion National Park by removing a 1957 concrete dam, reopening roughly 80 miles of upstream habitat to native fish.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
Thank you to this year`s EIC sponsors:
Gold — Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical
Reception — PINNACLE INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY, INC., West Coast Group Benefits
Eagle Award — Helix Electric
Whiskey Tasting — Collins Plumbing, Inc.
Supporting — Aldrich, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #MarineConstruction #SanDiegoConstruction
450,000 square feet in 24 months.
Pacific Rim Mechanical submitted their biopharmaceutical campus project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — a $100 million, LEED Gold campus completed in just 24 months, with 400,000 incident-free labor hours through BIM, prefabrication, and aggressive fast-track execution.
Pacific Rim Mechanical is also one of this year`s Gold Sponsors, thank you for backing the chapter that celebrates work like this.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #MechanicalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
The most versatile crew on the jobsite may also be the safest one.
Cross-training is more than a way to fill gaps on the schedule. Research on multiskilling in construction shows that cross-trained crews are more productive and efficient, with higher engagement because people get to keep learning new skills. The study also shows a stronger safety baseline, with participating contractors reporting incident rates well below the industry benchmark.
When workers train across more of the job, safety becomes built into how the whole crew operates, and every worker goes home to their family at the end of the day.
Better performance and safer jobsites aren`t a trade-off. They`re built together.
🎧 A new episode of Coastlines to Cranes is out every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast.
#ABCMeritShopProud #CoastlinesToCranes #ChampionForGrowth #ConstructionSafety #CrossTraining
Down to the skeleton, then completely rebuilt.
I.E.-Pacific Inc. submitted their renovation of Building PM373 for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — a complete demolition down to the pre-engineered structural skeleton, modernized into a 12,000-square-foot NAVAIR facility with over $5 million in security upgrades.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #GeneralContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
The Safari Park’s biggest project in 109 years.
Pacific Building Group submitted Elephant Valley for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance`s 13.2-acre habitat and hospitality complex, built over three years inside an active wildlife park with seamless coordination to protect animals, guests, and operations.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #GeneralContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
Knowing your trade is half the job. Working with every other trade is the other half.
Carlos competed on the journeyman team at this year`s National Craft Championships, where journey-level professionals from different trades work together to complete one joint project. Carlos is confident in his plumbing skills, so once the whistle blew, it felt like another day on the job. The bigger challenge was working with a brand new crew, where planning together, communicating clearly, and deciding who goes first mattered just as much as the work itself.
That`s true on any jobsite. The trades depend on each other, and the job only gets done right when everyone can lead, adjust, and work as one crew under a deadline.
Get a glimpse of that talent right here at home. Our Local Craft Championships are coming up on November 7. It`s a FREE event where you can watch our apprentices compete for their shot at NCC.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SkilledTrades #CraftChampionships
An entire school campus, rebuilt from the ground up.
Bernards Bros. submitted their school campus rebuild for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — complete demolition and reconstruction of an 84,000-square-foot campus on 10 acres, including new athletic fields and a solar array with battery backup.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #GeneralContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
2,450 beds. One all-electric neighborhood.
HPS Mechanical submitted their work on UC San Diego`s Ridge Walk North Living and Learning Neighborhood for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — a 972,000-square-foot, all-electric residential community with over 2,450 beds, an E-Sports Center, and a Glass Blowing Workshop.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #MechanicalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
Looking for a Saturday plan the whole family will love? We`ve got one.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 7, when we open our Poway training facility for the Local Craft Championships! Top apprentices will race the clock in electrical, plumbing, pipefitting, and sheet metal, and you get to watch the skill up close.
Bring your family, friends, and work crew. Admission is free, and there will be prizes, games, and In-N-Out!
Doors are open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
🎟️ Reserve the date and get the details at on our website.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #LocalCraftChampionships #SkilledTrades
Dynamic RGB lighting brought a 100-year-old building back to life.
SJ Electric submitted their Botanical Building lighting project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — dynamic RGB lighting and wall-wash uplighting illuminating Balboa Park`s historic exterior, with a dedicated control system integrated into the park`s existing lighting network.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ElectricalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
A 37-story high-rise, powered by complex mechanical systems.
Atlas Mechanical submitted The Lindley for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — an 800,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified, 37-story mixed-use high-rise with 422 residences, luxury amenities, and ground-floor retail at the intersection of Downtown San Diego and Little Italy.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #MechanicalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
80,000 square feet of student wellness, including bouldering walls and a rejuvenation lab.
Helix Electric submitted the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — an 80,000-square-foot, three-story space combining fitness, recreation, gaming, counseling, and restorative spaces to enhance the student experience.
Helix Electric is also this year`s Eagle Award Sponsor for EIC, thank you for supporting merit shop work.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ElectricalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
Nearly 1 million square feet, powered by one project.
Bergelectric Corp. submitted their San Diego International Airport Terminal 1 Replacement project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — delivering more than $100 million in electrical infrastructure to help power nearly 1 million square feet of modernized facilities.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ElectricalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
A 166,000-square-foot hangar built for F-35Cs.
Alpha Mechanical, LLC submitted their P-201 Joint Strike Fighter AMH Complex project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — ground-up construction of a dual-squadron F-35C hangar across a 73-acre site, with full mechanical scope including process cooling, piping, and hydronic systems.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #MechanicalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
🎉 250 students showed up for this year`s LCC assessment! That`s a record turnout.
For our 50th anniversary, we wanted to find a way to give back and celebrate with our apprentices, so we ran a surprise raffle for LCC (something the students didn`t even know about when they signed up) for a chance to win a 65" Samsung TV.
Congratulations to our winner, Chase!
Mark your calendars and join us for LCC on November 7 to cheer on competitors and enjoy fair style fun with games, food, and giveaways. Kids are welcome, so bring the whole family out to support your trade!
👉 Learn more: https://abcsd.org/local-craft-championships/
#ABCMeritShopProud #TrustedExpertise #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SkilledTrades
Two city blocks, one electrical backbone.
@cacyelectric submitted their East Village Green project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — a single electrical system uniting two city blocks, delivering resilient, future-ready power to a recreation center, water features, and photovoltaic generation across a landmark public park submitted their East Village Green project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — a single electrical system uniting two city blocks, delivering resilient, future-ready power to a recreation center, water features, and photovoltaic generation across a landmark public park.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ElectricalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
Newport Bay just got nearly a million cubic yards clearer.
R.E. Staite Engineering submitted their Newport Bay Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — dredging approximately 983,000 cubic yards of sediment using a full dredging spread, with turbidity curtains protecting water quality throughout!
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins through the link in our bio.
Thank you to this year`s EIC sponsors:
Gold — Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical
Reception — Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits
Eagle Award — Helix Electric
Whiskey Tasting — Collins Plumbing
Supporting — Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #SanDiegoConstructionAwards
Have you ever watched a project schedule slip because one trade had to stop and wait on another? Shandon Harbour digs into exactly why this happens on this episode of Coastlines to Cranes.
A new multi-university study, commissioned at the national level through @abc_national and @simplarfoundation, is finally putting multi-skilling and cross-training in construction under a real research lens. Shandon breaks down what happens to productivity, employee engagement, and safety when workers are trained across trades instead of siloed into one.
Rewarding attitude, effort, and performance rather than time served is the merit shop model that opens a real path from apprentice to journeyman to business owner, and a good representation of why this kind of environment attracts high performers.
🎧 A new episode of Coastlines to Cranes is out every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast.
#ABCMeritShopProud #CoastlinesToCranes #ChampionForGrowth #SkilledTrades #ConstructionWorkforce
Every jobsite has judges: the inspector, the superintendent, the client. Competitions like this are a reflection of what it’s really like to be a trade professional.
Tyler instructs at ABC San Diego, and he’ll tell you the judges don’t change, just the setting. The same standards apprentices are judged on in competition: safety, workmanship, speed, and following the spec are the same ones waiting for them at work on Monday morning. That`s why instructors like him train students for those judges from day one, not just for the competition floor.
The one thing LCC and NCC offer that the jobsite doesn`t is a room full of people from other companies and other states, and the future opportunities that come with it. It`s exposure that lets you compare notes, see how your specialty gets done somewhere else, and figure out if there`s a path worth exploring beyond your hometown.
#ABCMeritShopProud #TrustedExpertise #ChampionForGrowth #SkilledTrades #ConstructionCareers
"I hate small talk." 😩 Trust us, we get it. Networking is not easy.
But when done right, networking is one of the most powerful business development tools out there! Join us September 18 for the Business Development Blueprint: A Practical Guide to Strategic Networking, led by Jennifer Hopper, ABC San Diego`s Community Affairs Manager.
You will walk away knowing how to work a room with confidence, identify the right people to meet, and turn conversations into real opportunities.
No more just tossing out business cards and hoping for the best.
👉 Register now through the link in our bio.
#ABCMeritShopProud #TrustedExpertise #ChampionForGrowth #NetworkingTips #BusinessDevelopment
September 13, 1976 is the day ABC San Diego first opened its doors, and today marks fifty years since.
Fifty years of opportunity. Fifty years of people building careers, building skills, and building the skyline we call home.
Here`s to the next fifty, built together.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ABCSD50 #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SanDiegoConstruction
Construction has the second-highest suicide rate of any industry in the country, according to the CDC, with male construction workers dying by suicide at almost twice the rate of the general working male population.
At ABC San Diego, we take care of our people with the same commitment we bring to jobsite safety. And the first step to protecting our workforce is making it okay to talk about.
ABC San Diego members have access to real mental health support resources, including on-site training. Contact us at info@abcsd.org to learn more.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7. Call or text 988.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ConstructionMentalHealth #SuicidePreventionMonth #BuiltOnFamily
Warning: scrolling through last year`s Excellence in Construction Awards photos may cause a sudden urge to book a table for October.
This year we`re going bigger with a gala to mark 50 years of San Diego merit shop pride.
Bring your company, bring a date, and get ready to celebrate the people and projects that build our city. Book a table of 8 and give your team a night that truly recognizes their hard work.
🥂 Reserve your table through the link in our bio.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ConstructionAwards #SanDiegoConstruction #ABCSD50 #ThrowBackThursday
Brighten your day by shedding light on the new requirements for nonresidential and multifamily projects! @energycodeace`s Nonresidential and Multifamily Lighting 2025 fact sheet is available for free and linked below or on their website. Use this fact sheet to understand the lighting design and control requirements of the current 2025 #EnergyCode.
🔗https://energycodeace.com/download/302124/file_path/fieldList/Fact+Sheet%3A+Nonresidential+and+Multifamily+Lighting.pdf
#lighting #lightingdesigner #lightingcontrols
Rising wages, mounting pressure, and an industry ready for change is how San Diego`s merit shop movement was born.
Some of the region`s most established contractors came together, choosing to build something new because the old way of doing business could no longer keep pace with a changing economy. It wasn`t an easy shift, but out of that pressure came real opportunity.
🎧 Listen to the entirety of Kevin`s story on Coastlines to Cranes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast.
#ABCMeritShopProud #CoastlinesToCranes #ChampionForGrowth #SanDiegoConstruction #SkilledTrades
The only way to be certain of your expertise is to put them to the test.
Kyle, a fifth-year pipefitter at ABC San Diego, competed at the last National Craft Championship. Walking into a field of competitors at that level was something new.
What he didn`t expect was how ready he already was. Years of training in ABC San Diego`s apprenticeship program and out on the jobsite showed up the moment it counted. Kyle realized he was standing among the best in merit shop trades, all there for the same reason: to compete, to win, and to push the industry forward.
We`re spotlighting more moments like this as ABC San Diego heads toward November`s Local Craft Championship.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ABCNationalCraftChampionship #SkilledTrades #TradeCompetition
Today is for the people behind the work. For our apprentices learning their trade. For our members running the job sites. For every craft professional out there who shows up before the sun does.
Fifty years of helping build this city with you, and we can`t wait to keep going. 🇺🇸
Enjoy your day off! Our office is closed today for Labor Day and will be back open tomorrow on 9/8.
#ABCMeritShopProud #LaborDay #SanDiegoConstruction #SkilledTrades #ConstructionLife #ABCSD
Are you on the Top Performers List?
The Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) designation tells the world you`re one of the best in the business! If you`re already investing in workforce development, safety, culture, and you`re licensed and covered, then you’re already doing the work. AQC is how you prove it.
We`ve helped ABC San Diego members become Accredited Quality Contractors for years, and we can help you too!
If you’re looking for a way to distinguish yourself from the competition, let`s get you on that list.
👉 See if your company qualifies ON OUR WEBSITE
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #TrustedExpertise #SkilledTrades #SanDiegoConstruction
Membership includes access to HR and compliance resources, group insurance programs, insurance and 401(k) options, contractor networking events, and business development opportunities that strengthen profitability and reduce administrative burden.
Through the ABCSD Insurance Trust, members get access to group benefits built specifically for the construction industry. From health, dental and vision to life and disability coverage, the Trust enables you to offer competitive benefits that attract and retain skilled workers. Strong carrier relationships and rate stability keep your costs predictable, and prevailing wage solutions help public works contractors stay compliant while making the most of their fringe dollars.
The ABC Retirement & Savings Plan gives members access to the same 401(k) plan offered to ABC chapters nationwide, now open to member companies. For most small and mid-sized contractors, offering a quality retirement plan means taking on significant legal, administrative, and compliance responsibilities. This plan removes that burden. By joining, you transfer plan management and fiduciary oversight to a team of experienced retirement professionals, so you can offer a competitive benefit that helps attract and keep good people. You still get full flexibility to design your plan around your company’s goals, without adding more work for your staff.
Construction is one of the most heavily regulated industries, and the rules keep changing. ABCSD helps members stay ahead with guidance and resources on the HR, labor and compliance issues that affect your business一from prevailing wage to safety regulations and employment practices. You also get access to attorneys, HR professionals, and fellow members who have navigated the same challenges, so you can get reliable answers quickly.
Some of the most successful business interactions happen face to face. ABCSD hosts events year-round that connect you with general contractors, subcontractors and industry partners across the region. From regional happy hours and lunch & learns to the Excellence in Construction Awards and our annual golf tournament, these events help you build relationships, find new project partners, and stay connected to the local construction community.
Membership gives you effective ways to raise your profile and reach the right audience. Through our Annual Partnership Program, event sponsorships and member spotlights, you can build brand recognition with the region’s contractors and position your business as a leader in the construction community. We also help amplify your webinars, promotions and opportunities to our growing member base through email, social media and podcast features, putting your message in front of the people who matter most to your business.
Membership comes with a range of resources that help your business grow and stand out. Earn industry recognition through programs like STEP, AQC and the Excellence in Construction Awards. Get listed in the national FindContractors directory to connect and work with other ABC Members. Take advantage of exclusive member and employee discounts on the products and services you use every day. It all adds up to real value beyond the day-to-day work.
ABC fights for contractors at every level of government.
Join contractors who are shaping our industry’s future
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