News from associated
builders and contractors

The year 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of Associated Builders and Contractors. We have many events planned throughout the year, with formal affairs at our 2025 ABC Convention, throughout ABC Legislative Week and during our ABC Leadership Institute. We encourage you all to join us.

I’m not sure where the industry would be without ABC’s uncompromising commitment to merit, to fair and open competition, and to providing opportunities for all to choose how they want to achieve their career dreams. There are so many stories that capture moments of truth in our history—from the story of how seven Baltimore-based company leaders founded ABC in 1950; the tactics used to intimidate member companies (and their employees) from competing and constructing buildings; to the present, with 89.3% of construction workers choosing the merit shop. We will share many of these stories throughout the next year.

While 2025 is a time to reflect and celebrate, we are still on the journey. We have much work to do to preserve and advance these principles, for the betterment of the individual, the industry and the nation.

To company members, our volunteer leaders and our staff: We are the authors of our future. If not the Associated Builders and Contractors, then who?

We are the voice of the merit shop and we accept the responsibility for making that voice heard!

FOUNDING FATHERS

ABC thanks these seven founding members for their trailblazing efforts in securing a future for the merit-shop construction industry:

Philip W. Cloyes
Selby, Battersby Co.

Edward P. Colwill
Colwill Construction

Edward H. Dickinson
Colwill Construction

Charles A. Knott
Henry A. Knott Inc.

Charles Mullan
Mullan Contacting Co.

Ernest W. Schultz
E.W. Schultz & Sons

Clifford K. Wells, Jr.
C.K. Wells Jr. & Associates