FMI Hosts Free Industry Webinars Monthly Megatrends for the Engineering and Construction Industry

FMI has teamed up with Computer Guidance to produce a series of webinars over the next eight months. Each webinar will involve a 30 to 40 minute presentation from an FMI consultant or investment banker followed by Q&A.

This can be a great, and cost-free, way for you and your board members to hear an informative FMI presentation and help in your decision on which program or programs you would like FMI to present to your members. These webinars will take place at 1:00 EDT/EST on the following dates covering the following topics:

• May 15 -- Lee Smither -- Ten Megatrends for the Engineering and Construction Industry
• June 18 -- Brian Moore -- Trends in the Heavy/Highway Industry
• July 15 -- Randy Stutzman -- Trends for Specialty Contractors
• August 21 -- Stuart Phoenix -- Business Continuity (High Availability/Disaster Recovery)
• September 18 -- Landon Funsten -- Mergers & Acquisitions Trends
• October 23 -- Ken Wilson and Sean Taylor -- Talent Development and Compensation
• November 20 -- Tom Alafat or Vanessa Winzenburg -- Leadership Development
• December 11 -- Cynthia Paul or Scott Humrickhouse -- Business Development

To register and contact me if you have any questions, send emails to jhartloff@fminet.com or call 919.785.9247.

DID YOU KNOW: Effective June 1, 2008, all applicants for a Residential Builder or Maintenance & Alteration Contractor licenses must complete 60 hours of prelicensure education courses.

Also, beginning January 1, 2009, all Residential Builders and M & A licensees must participate in a certain number of hours on continuing competency. The number of required hours is determined by the number of years that the individual has held a license as a Residential Builder of M& A Contractor.

If licensed six years or less, three hours of continuing competency activities per year and a total of 21 hours of continuing competency activities in each three year license cycle.

If licensed more than six years, three hours of continuing competency activities during a three year cycle will be required.

DID YOU KNOW: Fines for employing undocumented workers rise 25 percent – A final rule published by the Department of Homeland Security in late February increases fines by 25 percent for employers that violate federal immigration laws. The maximum civil penalty for multiple violations is now $16,000 – up from $11,000 – and the maximum penalty for a first violation is $3,200.

Penalties are assessed on a per-worker basis. For example, an employer that knowingly employed, or continued to employ, five undocumented workers would be subject to five separate fines.

A chart detailing the increased penalty schedule is available here.