Seventy-five years ago, a handful of builders made a simple, courageous bet: If America preserved free enterprise, fair and open competition, and the right to reward merit, our industry would raise its game — and our communities would rise with it. That bet became Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). It is still paying dividends today — both nationally and here in the Rocky Mountains, where our chapter is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

At ABC Rocky Mountain, we see proof every day that open competition is not a talking point — it’s a performance system. When every contractor can bid, when public owners choose based on value and responsibility, and when workers are free to chart their own path, the market rewards what works: safety, skill, quality and innovation. In a true marketplace, the bar doesn’t just move; it moves up for all contractors and workers in the industry.

This belief isn’t new, and it isn’t narrow. ABC’s founding principles — merit-based awards, respect for employers and employees alike, and opportunity for all — were designed to serve an industry and a country, not a faction. They’re as relevant in Denver and Cheyenne as they were in Baltimore in 1950. And they animate our chapter’s work: developing people, defending choice, growing the next generation and telling the story of an industry that provides great economic opportunity.

Free Enterprise Raises Standards

Open competition doesn’t mean lowest common denominator; it means highest achievable standard. In a fair market, cutting corners is punished, not rewarded. Political connections and cronyism do not have the upper hand. The builders who consistently win do so because they outperform — with safer jobsites, better project controls, stronger training programs and a culture of continuous improvement. That’s why ABC champions programs like STEP and world-class craft training (exemplified by our partners at CITC). Culture is a competitive advantage, and safety and skill are the clearest markers of professionalism.

Merit shop is often mischaracterized as anti-worker. The opposite is true. Merit shop is pro-worker because it is pro-opportunity and for everybody. It allows a craft professional to advance based on skill, credentials and performance — unhindered by affiliation or political bosses. It respects every individual’s right to choose whether to join a union or not. It welcomes union and nonunion contractors to compete on the same field (and to be members of ABC). That is fairness. That is freedom. In practice, it’s how our members attract more people into rewarding careers in the trades.  

A Community That Advocates and Builds

Our industry is comprised of people who pour the foundations of hospitals and schools, who modernize water systems and energy infrastructure, who deliver housing and workplaces that make this region livable and prosperous. When policymakers hear from us, they hear from job creators, problem solvers and community builders.

Advocacy matters because rules matter. The way Colorado and Wyoming write procurement policies, define workforce pathways, structure licensure and regulate safety and employment practices all shape project delivery in the field. We do not show up at the Capitol just for fun (nor was that the motivation behind me serving in the State House and Senate); we advocate because the decisions made there raise or lower the economic opportunities in our industry. We show up because a level playing field is not self-enforcing — it has to be defended.

That’s why ABC invests in education, coalition-building and, yes, political engagement. It’s why we partner broadly with employers, educators and civic leaders. It’s also why I joined ABC after a career as a lawmaker. The message has to be continuously delivered.

The Merit Shop Way as the Industry Way: Open to All, Focused on Excellence

One of ABC’s most powerful truths is also one of its simplest: We are open to all who support free and open competition and who commit to excellence. We are open to general contractors and specialty contractors, suppliers and associates, union and nonunion, large firms with national footprints and second-generation family businesses, and entrepreneurs and start-ups. What unites us is neither uniformity nor conformity, but our dedication to standards and principles.

Those standards are visible on the job. They look like pre-task planning, near-miss reporting and leadership that treats safety as a value, not a metric. They look like earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship and upskilling that creates mobility and raises wages. They look like transparent contracts, realistic schedules and a relentless expectation of quality. They look like responsibility — to clients, to coworkers, to the public we serve.

The payoff is real. Safer teams go home whole. Skilled teams solve harder problems. Honest schedules save owners money. Firms that outlearn their peers win work — not because someone anointed them, but because the market recognized their value.