“There will be a lot fewer hardhats on America’s highway, bridge and transit improvement projects if Congress doesn’t fix the Highway Trust Fund soon,” said Pete Ruane, American Road & Transportation Builders Association president and coalition co-chair. “The livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers and their families depend upon Congress finding a long-term and sustainable solution to financing the nation’s surface transportation network.”

Ruane and Sandherr said the coalition is launching the campaign to escalate its efforts to ensure members of Congress understand the need to address the pending Highway Trust Fund revenue shortfall that, if left unaddressed, is predicted to threaten the Federal Highway Administration’s ability to reimburse states for already approved federal-aid projects later this year and prevent any new highway and public transportation investment in fiscal year 2015.

Federal highway investments support more than half of all U.S. road and bridge capital improvements each year, and the loss of that investment in 2015 would jeopardize hundreds of thousands of jobs in the construction and related industries, the coalition co-chairs noted.

Horses 4 Heroes

AGC’s annual community service project opened a new facility for Las Vegas-based Horses 4 Heroes at Tule Springs Ranch north of the city. Volunteer contractors from local AGC chapters completed $80,000 in improvements to the corrals and stables, and gave $20,000 in cash to the group, which offers riding and animal-care programs for veterans, first responders and their families.

Construction charity organization AGC Charities Inc., led by Martin-Harris Construction, built a new riding center, “mare motel” and petting zoo as part of its series of renovation projects known as Operation Opening Doors.

The new facility will allow Horses 4 Heroes to offer riding and animal care programs for significantly more veterans, first responders and their families. Since it was founded in 2006, the local charity has been operating out of the back yard of its founder, Sydney Knott.

AGC Charities teamed up with Las Vegas-based Martin-Harris Construction, which volunteered to serve as lead contractor and oversaw the management of the entire project and solicited donated materials and services. “One of the reasons this project was so appealing is that it serves veterans and first responders from the local community,” said Guy Martin, Vice President of Martin-Harris Construction and president of the Associated General Contractors of Las Vegas. “As contractors that have benefitted from the local community, we have an obligation to give back and help improve the lives of those who work so hard to protect ours.”

“We are extremely humbled by the generosity of AGC Charities and its members,” said Sydney Knott, the founder and CEO of Horses 4 Heroes. “If it hadn't been for Guy Martin and his team of volunteer contractors, we would not have been able to get this new facility built.”