Leading the Way in Construction Since 1920

Alabama AGC was charted on January 1, 1920.

The association adopted the tagline “Skill, Integrity, Responsibility.”

Members are first introduced to a Code of Ethics for the construction industry.

The stock market crashes. Members vote to establish affiliated bureau memberships of suppliers, equipment and materials.

George Hutcheson Denny Stadium, home of the University of Alabama football, is built.

The first national construction census is taken. Earlier in the year, signs of an economic depression outweigh optimism in AGC newsletters.

J.B. Rawls became the Alabama AGC’s Executive Secretary. After this milestone, the Alabama AGC grew stronger and more organized. While the Alabama AGC had no permanent staff, J.B. Rawls assembled a successful plan room and news bulletin business. Since then, the growth has been continuous and healthy, and the chapter comprises the entire state of Alabama.

Auburn University’s stadium, then known as Auburn Stadium, hosted its first game on November 10.

The 1940s were dominated by World War II. Resources, including a labor force, were scarce. Construction was halted, and all energies were directed toward defense efforts. To keep defense production running smoothly, labor unions made the promise not to strike during wartime.

On February 20, 1941, in just 10 hours, nearly 1,000,000 people walked through the 3,389-foot-long Bankhead Tunnel beneath the Mobile River. The $4 million construction project continues to shave seven-and-a-half miles off the former Cochrane Bridge route.

When Moss-Thornton and A.E. Burgess cut the roadway through Birmingham’s signature Red Mountain, the development of the city’s suburbs was put on a faster track than ever. The job, costing $1.4 million, began on January 29, 1963, and was finished on June 30, 1964.

AGC of America founded the AGC Education and Research Foundation to boost interest in the construction field by providing opportunities for education through scholarships.

The Alabama AGC hired 24-year-old Henry T. Hagood, Jr., as its first full-time employee. His first assignment was the associate program, one of the many innovative ideas that substantially grew the chapter.

Talladega Superspeedway opens as Alabama International Motor Speedway. Built at a cost of more than $4 million, it is the biggest, fastest and most competitive motorsports facility in the world. Drivers have established records for both speed and competition at Talladega.

A 135-day strike shut down construction. During this time, most contractors were dependent on a union workforce. AGC worked to help contractors open shop operations.

AGC of America initiated National Associate Membership, opening this association to distributors, suppliers and other members of the industry.

Most contractors were open shop, and union influence never recovered.

CompTrust, the workers’ compensation program, began, marking a turning point for the Alabama AGC. The fund officially started with $600,000 in premiums. CompTrustAGC succeeded because it utilized a strong safety and drug testing program to help companies improve their safety records. Led by administrator TW Pugh, members poured into the AGC in record numbers, and the fund experienced significant growth.

With the addition of Mobile, Alabama AGC became a statewide chapter. The state was divided into eight geographic sections, where monthly meetings were held, and each section was represented on the Statewide Board of Directors.

After the September 11th attacks, AGC of America donated $500,000 to the children of the construction-related workers who perished.

Alabama AGC moved into its 40,000-square-foot Statewide Headquarters. National AGC President James D. Waltz visited the building and presented Alabama AGC with a national certificate.

 Alabama AGC had become one of the state’s most successful workers’ compensation funds with $25 million in premiums. AGC has led the way in the non-residential construction workers’ compensation field ever since.

Since 2010, the Alabama Construction Recruitment Institute has invested over $1 million annually in recruitment and image enhancement through the Go Build campaign.

Billy Norrell, the former executive director of the Alabama RoadBuilders Association, accepted his new role at AGC. He succeeded long-time CEO Henry Hagood, who retired after more than four decades on the job. Norrell is only the third full executive in Alabama AGC’s 100-year history.

AGC passed the Craft Training Act and has received nearly $6 million in training grants since 2017. This crucial piece of the workforce puzzle, which is paid for by contractors, is the perfect complement to ACRI in its efforts to build a statewide workforce system for the non-residential construction industry.

Eddie Stewart, with Caddell Construction, became the first Alabamian to serve as AGC of America National President.

Today, Alabama AGC is the largest and most financially sound non-residential construction trade association in Alabama — with 1,000 members, $110 million in assets and offices in Florence, Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile.