WASHINGTON - The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) received a $90,000 grant from the Turner Foundation Inc., Atlanta, founded by Ted Turner. This is the second consecutive year that ABC received a grant from the Turner Foundation. The grant will be used to support ABC’s green building initiatives with a focus on expanding its green certification and training programs.

“ABC is pleased to have received this national recognition and support for our ongoing green building efforts for the second year running,” said Kirk Pickerel, ABC president and CEO. “It is clear the Turner Foundation sees the critical and expanding role that merit shop construction holds in enhancing green building and sustainability practices across the country. ABC welcomes the chance to continue to work with partners such as the Turner Foundation to engage, educate, and empower contractors to be good stewards of our environment.”

The grant from the Turner Foundation will be used to further expand the use and participation of the green building Toolbox Talks, 15- to 20-minute training sessions presented by supervisors to their field employees, which were funded by last year’s grant. ABC will develop workbooks to be used during the training sessions and will also develop content for craft professional green training to be delivered in classroom settings and online.

In addition, ABC will develop a series of green building webinars targeted to project managers, estimators, and the upper management of member firms to cover such topics as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, green building codes, and regulatory updates.

Publication date: 02/07/2011