FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ABC Mississippi Hits 50th Anniversary Milestone Still Serving the Commercial Construction Market
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI (MAY 10, 2023) – ABC Mississippi Chapter celebrates 50 years of serving the commercial construction industry. In the 1960s, a group of Mississippi contractors decided to meet at the Monte Cristo Motel in Grenada, Mississippi. The purpose of the meeting was to propose the idea of an association to represent the commercial construction industry for the state of Mississippi. This purpose would be to discuss mutual concerns, resolve differences, and explore improvements in the industry as well as improve relationships between general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. The individuals present at this meeting were Joe Staub, J.O. Cook, Jimmy Crane, Lee Watson, E. Henry, Glenn Perry, J.T. Harrell, and Jimmy Pryor.
Thus, was formed the Mississippi General Contractors Association. As this group prospered, the idea of joining a national association became a topic of conversation. They investigated multiple options, ultimately deciding on Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) primarily due to their “Merit Shop” philosophy, equality of membership, and emphasis on craft training.
In 1973, ABC National welcomed the Mississippi Chapter to their association. At this time, national membership represented approximately 4,500 companies. Receiving the charter at the ABC National Convention in Freeport, Bahamas, were Bill and Nancy Yates, Pete and Alice Perry, Jack and Janice Laws, Joe Staub, Buddy Prude, and Jimmy Pryor.
Over the past 50 years, ABC Mississippi has grown to become one of the largest and most well-respected ABC chapters in the United States. ABC National now serves over 22,000 national members through 68 chapters. ABC Mississippi continues to represent the best-of-the-best in the Mississippi commercial construction market. The leadership of the chapter throughout the first 50 years has served as a definitive snapshot of top-tier construction leadership in our state.
ABC Mississippi 2023 chair, Robert Smith with Glass, Inc. in Meridian, Mississippi, stated “Our chapter has nearly 500 member companies and 10 of these have been members all 50 years, 42 over 40 years, and 140 over 20 years. This long-term support is a testament to the importance members place on workforce and safety training, political advocacy, and networking for the construction industry in Mississippi. It is my honor to follow in the footsteps of so many great leaders as we celebrate 50 years.”
Whether it be legislative representation, education opportunities, safety training, business development, or multiple business incentives, ABC Mississippi has held true as the “must-belong” association for any company involved in the construction industry. ABC continues to serve membership under the value proposition of helping members develop people, win work, and deliver work safely, ethically, and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which they work.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information on this press release, contact Lee Nations, President & CEO of ABC Mississippi at 601-944-0421 or via email at lee@abcmississippi.org.