Friday, Oct. 4
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
EDU1 – Construction Law Survival Seminar
Presenter: James D. Fullerton, Fullerton & Knowles, Attorneys at Law
Early Bird: $99
Standard: $140
It is essential for those engaged in all aspects of the construction industry to be thoroughly familiar with Construction Law to take advantage of all the protections and remedies available. Please join us for an intensive full-day seminar to help your company’s bottom line and make you more successful.
Manufacturing is a complicated business, and it’s getting more complicated every day. Working with contractors, the federal government and local and state municipalities requires basic knowledge of specific areas of construction law to protect your company and employees. Mechanic’s lien and payment bond rights provide building material suppliers greater protection than any other industry. You must understand these rights. Recent history has brought many bankruptcies from customers. Proper planning will protect your receivables and prevent preference claims later. This seminar will provide a practical understanding of state and federal law as it impacts the construction industry.
We will discuss contract terms, the battle of the forms, reviewing and revising contracts you receive from customers, doing business with disadvantaged business enterprises, change orders, delays and other claims, litigation and arbitration, along with mechanic’s lien and payment bonds.
This intensive session is led by James D. Fullerton, a construction law expert with more than 30 years of experience. As a special bonus for NPCA Convention attendees, each seminar participant will receive the 2019 edition of the Construction Law Survival Manual, a 700-page guidebook that includes contract forms, ready-to-use quotes, proposals, change orders, lien waivers and more.
Who should attend?
This seminar will provide valuable training in construction law issues for company owners, senior managers and executives who operate precast concrete companies or supply materials to the industry.
8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
EDU2 – Embracing the Younger Workforce: From Culture Clash to Competitive Advantage
Presenter: Robyn Tingley, GlassSKY Inc.
Get ready! It’s the newest and biggest generation in the workplace, primed to make a difference you can’t ignore. Millennials are poised to account for a whopping 75% of your employees by 2030. Learn what makes this powerhouse generation tick. Millennials are changing the way you should recruit, communicate, train and market your services. Proactively preparing for the largest generation in the workplace could give your business an edge. Hear what millennials are saying about how they want to be better engaged, supported and challenged, and learn how to tap into their valuable skills.
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
- Review demographics about new career starters and key defining characteristics including mental health risk factors, sense of belonging and confidence levels
- Identify how to dispel harmful stereotypes and be part of the solution
- Review research findings from surveys about workplace attitudes and what younger workers want in terms of workplace communication, professional development, performance feedback and sense of belonging
- Discover valuable skills and mindsets that younger generations bring to our workplaces like global diversity, collaboration and tech savviness
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
EDU3 – Principled Negotiations: Getting to Yes
Presenter: John F. Levy, MBA, CPA, Board Advisory
According to negotiation guru Chester Karrass, “In business as in life, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” Every transaction between two individuals is a negotiation. Often, we view negotiations as a competition with one side “winning” and the other “losing.” Principled negotiation is a better method that seeks to have both parties come out ahead. This session will examine best negotiation practices, providing participants with ways to “get to yes” faster and build lasting relationships.
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
- Recognize the various stages of effective negotiation
- Analyze your negotiation style and develop confidence in win/win
- Implement negotiating ideas to bring mutual satisfaction to all parties
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
EDU4 – Beyond 2020: Political, Economic and Tech Trends That Will Affect Your Company in the Next Three Years
Presenter: Gene Marks, The Marks Group
The most successful business executives, owners, managers and leaders have this one thing in common: they are always looking ahead. They’re executing their plans for the current year. But they’re also thinking of the years to come. How will they navigate their company through potential economic downturns? What impact will the 2020 elections have on their company and industry? What investments should they make? What technologies should they consider? If you’re a business leader then it’s your job to also think ahead because you have people who are relying on you for their livelihoods: your employees, your customers, your partners, your suppliers… and all of their families. They are counting on your leadership to ensure that your company will grow and prosper through whatever challenges the universe throws at you! That’s a lot of responsibility. But Gene Marks can help. Using the most current events and up-to-date information, Gene will share with you the latest political, economic and technology trends that will impact your business this year and beyond 2020 and actions for meeting those challenges. Remember: smart business leaders are making their plans for beyond 2020. Are you?
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify updates on tax and regulatory information that will help you minimize your tax bill
- Learn technologies that will fuel your company into the next decade
- Recognize potential growth opportunities for your business
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
EDU5 – Keynote Luncheon
The HERO Effect: Being Your Best When It Matters the Most!
Featuring: Kevin D. Brown, Author, Speaker and Consultant
Luncheon registration required for admission.
In a fresh and entertaining style, Kevin shares ideas, strategies and principles that will inspire and equip participants to show up every day and make a positive difference. At the heart of Kevin’s message is a simple, yet powerful philosophy for life that drives every thought, every action and ultimately every result we achieve both personally and professionally. Your team will be motivated to reach beyond what is required and do something remarkable!
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
EDU6 – The HERO Effect: Bonus Session
Presenter: Kevin D. Brown, Author, Speaker and Consultant
After his HERO Effect keynote presentation, Kevin will deliver a bonus working debrief where he answers your questions and dives even deeper into how world-class organizations and leaders create a culture of heroes at every level.
This bonus session is designed to help participants:
- Achieve greater results by eliminating “ordinary” thinking and mastering the habit of excellence
- Own the moments that matter (and they all matter) by taking responsibility for your attitude, your actions and your results
- Create meaningful relationships and deliver an extraordinary experience for every “customer” at work or at home
1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
EDU7 – Crucial Conversations: Effective Tactics for Setting Expectations and Holding Employees Accountable
Presenter: G. Terry Harris, FACI, GCP Applied Technologies
Sometimes managers will let employees and co-workers avoid accountability because they dislike confrontation. However, a lack of individual accountability creates an unhealthy workplace atmosphere. A lack of accountability sends a message to the rest of the staff that lower standards are acceptable. The team may begin to resent low-performing employees and managers because they may shoulder more work to make up for their teammate’s deficiencies. If you don’t address issues as they arise, the team may perceive it as favoritism or weakness, which can be demotivating for everyone. This interactive session includes tactics on how to have difficult conversations with employees, address poor performance, consider the employee’s feelings, and follow through and follow up to ensure the employee is performing as expected.
At the conclusion of the course, you will be able to:
- Set clear expectations for employee performance
- Have the difficult conversation without being confrontational
- Confront the problem and address poor performance as quickly as possible
- Clarify the conversation and follow up to ensure expected performance
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
EDU8 – Is It Time to Sell?: How Smart Business Owners Are Preparing Their Business for Sale and What You Need to Know to Increase Your Company’s Value
Presenter: Gene Marks, The Marks Group
It doesn’t matter whether you plan to sell your business next year or 10 years from now. The more important questions are: “What is your business really worth today?” And, “How can you increase its value every year?” You should be thinking this way all the time. You should be building value all the time, because one day you may want to sell your company. Or a potential buyer may appear with an offer. You want to be ready. You want your business to be as valuable as possible. This presentation will help you focus on what you need to do: go build value in your company and position it to be sold… next year, or 10 years from now. Gene explains why so many business owners will be selling their businesses over the next few years and how you can capitalize on that trend. He’ll take you through the reasons why business owners sell and what smart buyers are looking for. He’ll give you the essential tools you’ll need to know how to value your business like a professional appraiser. You may not like what he tells you, but most importantly, you’ll walk away with critical, real-life tactics for operating your company at its highest level. Maybe you’ll want to sell it someday, or maybe you won’t. In either case, don’t you still want to be as profitable as possible?
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify key questions to ask yourself about your company and its future
- Evaluate how to increase your company’s value
- Analyze critical things every buyer looks for when pricing a company
- Discover key things to consider about succession planning
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
EDU9 – Workforce Strategies That Work: A Panel Discussion
Panel Discussion
The future of manufacturing is on the precipice of a large workforce void. A higher starting wage may be a good recruiting tactic for your plant, but salary alone is not enough to keep employees in what will become more and more an employee-driven marketplace. During this panel discussion, you’ll learn what NPCA members are doing to attract, train and retain the best local talent. This session will conclude with a Q&A during which you can obtain answers to your workforce-related questions from precasters who are at the forefront of workforce development initiatives.
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
- Develop or improve your workforce development strategy
- Discover methods to attract, train and retain local talent
Speaker Bios
James D. Fullerton is the president of the law firm of Fullerton & Knowles, P.C., which has attorneys licensed in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia, and is a Martindale Hubbell Peer Rated Lawyer AV Preeminent. Jim represents owners, lenders, design professionals, suppliers, subcontractors, general contractors and other members of the real estate and construction industries region-wide. He advises on all real estate and construction law issues; public procurement and bidding; contract formation and disputes; defects in labor and materials; design defects in plans and specifications; inefficiency; impact and delay claims; mechanic’s lien and bond rights; litigation; arbitration and mediation in public and private projects; joint ventures; bank and lender representation; commercial transactions and loan closings; sales contracts and leases. He is counsel to the Board of Directors of the Virginia Precast Concrete Association and to the Board of Directors for the Central Atlantic Precast Concrete Association.
Robyn Tingley is the founder of GlassSKY Inc., a social enterprise focused on diversity and leadership. She trains audiences around the world and helps companies implement diversity initiatives, specializing in programs for women and millennials, the two fastest-growing groups in the workforce. Her new book, 10 Essentials for the Motivated Millennial, and her career advice have received praise from global senior executives and are featured in Dow Jones, Oxford Business News, Fast Company, CBS and monster.com. Robyn was named to the Women Worth Watching list of top female executive trailblazers in Europe, the 20 Most Powerful & Influential Women in California, and by WXN as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.
John F. Levy, MBA, CPA, is the CEO of Board Advisory, a consulting firm that assists public companies, or companies aspiring to be public, with corporate governance, compliance, financial reporting and financial strategies. He has nine years of experience with three national public accounting firms and has served as CFO of both public and private companies. John currently sits on the boards of three public companies, serving as vice chairman of one company and audit committee chair of another. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Gene Marks writes regularly for The Hill, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Forbes Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine and Fox Business. He has authored five books on business management geared toward small- and medium-sized companies, including his most recent, The Manufacturer’s Book of Lists. Nationally, Gene appears regularly on MSNBC and Fox News as well as The John Batchelor Show and SiriusXM’s Wharton Business Channel, where he talks about the financial, economic and technology issues that affect business leaders today. Through his keynotes and breakout sessions, Gene helps business owners, executives and managers understand the political, economic and technological trends that will affect their companies and – most importantly – the actions they can take to continue to grow and profit. Gene owns and operates the Marks Group PC, a highly successful 10-person firm that provides technology and consulting services to small- and medium-sized businesses.
Kevin D. Brown’s unconventional path to business and personal success has taught him that winning in business and in life requires anything but conventional thinking. With a street-wise aptitude and a never quit attitude, he worked his way from the front lines in business to the executive boardroom. For nearly two decades Kevin was a sales and marketing executive who helped grow a little-known family business into an industry giant with annual revenues reaching $2 billion. After a career in franchising, Kevin decided to retire from corporate America and pursue his passion for bringing The HERO Effect message to as many people and organizations as possible. Kevin is on a mission to help people and organizations embrace a simple philosophy that separates world-class organizations and high-performance people from everybody else. He is passionate about helping people expand their vision, develop their potential and grow their results.
G.Terry Harris is the director of technical services for GCP Applied Technologies concrete division. He has 40 years of experience in ready mix, precast, block and admixtures. He is an active participant in ACI, ASTM, NRMCA and NPCA, and has served on numerous committees with these organizations.
