Tim Wies Named to 2008–2009 AWCI Executive Committee
Tim Wies, president of T.J. Wies Contracting, Inc. in Lake St. Louis, Mo., was appointed to the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry’s Executive Committee as its secretary-elect during last month’s Industry Executives’ Conference & Committee Week in San Diego. His term begins July 1, 2008. Wies will work his way up through the chairs of the Executive Committee to become AWCI’s president on July 1, 2011.
Wies started in the family business at a young age, and in 1994 started his own company, which now specializes in everything from drywall and fireproofing to acoustical ceilings, steel framing and exterior insulation and finish systems. Today the company employs nearly 300 people and sees $35 million in gross revenues. In 2005 and 2006, the company was named one of the Top 600 Specialty Contractors by Engineering News-Record. The company also has been nominated for ASA Midwest Council Specialty Contractor of the Year – Category A (Volume over $10M), which is voted on by the general contractors in the area who have won the ASA General Contractor of the Year awards, in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007; they won the award in 2004 and 2005.
In addition to being a member of AWCI, T.J. Wies Contracting, Inc. is a member of the Associated General Contractors, the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, the American Subcontractors Association, the Wall & Ceiling Contractors Association of Metro St. Louis, the Finishing Contractors Association and the Painting & Decorating Foundation.
In addition to naming Wies to the executive committee, John Rapaport, director of operations at Component Assembly Systems in Pelham, N.Y., was named to the AWCI board of directors as a contractor at-large, and Harry Lubitz of Lafarge in Herndon, Va., is the new supplier at-large on the board. Both will serve three-year terms beginning July 1, 2008.
New Committee Formed to Help AWCI Members with IT Issues
During AWCI’s Industry Executives’ Conference & Committee Week, held at the end of September in San Diego, it was decided that AWCI members would benefit from more information regarding information technology for their businesses. To help bring this information to AWCI members, the Construction Management Technology Committee was formed.
The goal of the committee is to establish guidelines for AWCI members to use in making educated decisions when purchasing software for their companies. The goal also includes an effort to develop and bring online systems with the capability to integrate all aspects of operations for contractors and make the systems available to all personnel involved with a project.
The committee is planning a seminar for AWCI’s 2008 convention in Las Vegas and is exploring several topics for a panel discussion involving the committee members and vendors of software products aimed at the construction industry. Stay tuned for future updates on the committee’s activities.
Industry Executives’ Conference & Committee Week Highlights
More than 145 industry leaders attended AWCI’s Industry Executives’ Conference & Committee Week at the end of September in San Diego. Education session topics included succession planning and dealing with an immigrant work force. Once the education sessions were concluded, the committee meetings started. All committee chairmen reported great attendance and good discussion at their meetings.
Now, here are the rest of the highlights:
Industry Night. Industry Night Sponsored by USG was a great success with more than 100 attendees present for socializing, a great Mexican food buffet, a recap of the golf tournament and viewing and participation in a new special event: The Foundation’s Casino Night. Casino Night saw more than 50 players at poker, roulette, craps and blackjack compete to be one of the top three finishers for prizes.
The big Casino Night winner was AWCI President Kevin Biddle (president of Mader Construction Co. Inc. in Elma, N.Y.) with $6,475. Biddle received a gift certificate good for $1,500 toward the purchase of a high definition television.
Craig Daley’s (president of Daley’s Drywall & Taping, Campbell, Calif.) $5,355 second place finish won him a 2008 AWCI convention registration pass plus a three day/two night stay at Bally’s in Las Vegas.
Terrie Miller (of Denver Drywall, Englewood, Colo.) came in third place with winnings of $4,825. She received a gift certificate good for a three day/two night stay at a Hilton property.
The children at the Under 16 table were also winners. They played cards, Operation and Connect Four, and all walked away with pockets full of chocolate coins.
Thank you to USG for sponsoring such a terrific evening, and thank you to our players and attendees for their participation. Because it was such a success, we’ll do it again at the 2008 conference in Hawaii!
The Spa Breakfast. The Spa Breakfast to Benefit AWCI Cares attracted 35 guests who enjoyed a pleasant morning outside in San Diego along with a mini spa-treatment of their choice. Door prizes were donated by AWCI Cares, Steve Baker/Baker Drywall, the City of San Diego and essence – the spa. This event was sponsored by Terrie Miller, Carol Kimmel Schary, Carol Baker, Carol Chambers and Leanne Poellinger. Essence – the spa also donated a portion of the total amount the spa received for treatments.
50-50 Raffle. A total of $12,100 in raffle tickets was sold in the Foundation’s 50-50 Raffle, with 50 percent of the sales benefiting the Foundation. The remaining 50 percent was divided among three winners drawn at the event. Thank you to all of our raffle buyers, sellers and winners for their support and participation.
First place went to Mary Brady (California) for $3,025. Brady donated her winnings to AWCI Cares.
Second place went to Joe Olivieri (New York) for $1,815. Olivieri donated half his winnings to AWCI Cares and half to the Annual Fund.
Nancy Burley (Florida) was the third place winner, receiving $1,210.
Golf Tournament. The 9th Annual Foundation Golf Tournament is where 60 golfers helped break in the newly opened Crossings at Carlsbad golf course. National Gypsum was the lead tournament sponsor of this event.
The Western Wall and Ceiling Contractors Association of Las Vegas sponsored the cigars, and the Association of Wall-Ceiling & Carpentry of New York was the beverage cart sponsor. Two new sponsorship opportunities were so well-received, both will continue in the future: the Painters and Allied Trades sponsored a 20-minute 19th hole mini-reception for all tournament players after the tournament, and Hilti sponsored the player photographs.
Thank you to Hope Nabity and Barb Wies for their mulligan ticket sales; they sold almost $1,000 in mulligans.
The tournament’s winners are as follows: Longest drive—Pete Wilhelms; Longest putt—Dan Weinstroer; Winning foursome—Jack Costigan, John Hinson, Gregg Miller and Mark Nabity; Overall Champion—Jack Costigan.
