Contractors pursuing large private-sector projects in the Carolinas are facing higher prequalification expectations as developers and institutional owners place greater emphasis on safety performance, workforce stability and operational accountability before awarding work.
That shift is driving increased attention toward the Accredited Quality Contractor credential offered through Associated Builders and Contractors, a national contractor certification program focused on corporate responsibility and construction management performance.
The AQC credential evaluates contractors across five operational categories: quality, health and safety, talent management, craft and management education, and community relations.
ABC said the credential is available exclusively to contractor members that maintain STEP Safety Management System Gold, Platinum or Diamond status and meet additional requirements tied to financial stability, workforce development and operational performance.
The organization noted that contractors participating in the program range from small specialty firms to multibillion-dollar builders operating across nearly 30 NAICS classifications.
Construction owners across the Carolinas are continuing to raise qualification standards as large-scale projects tied to data centers, advanced manufacturing, healthcare and logistics expansion reshape regional construction activity.
Developers and institutional clients are increasingly requesting evidence of workforce training, quality management systems, safety programs and financial capacity earlier in the procurement process.
The trend is especially pronounced in North Carolina’s technology and life sciences corridors, where hyperscale data center development and advanced manufacturing investment are intensifying scrutiny around contractor staffing, schedule reliability and risk management.
Healthcare and research projects in the Raleigh-Durham market are also driving demand for contractors with documented commissioning procedures, safety performance metrics and structured workforce development programs.
ABC said the AQC credential is designed to consolidate many of those evaluation categories into a single annual accreditation framework rather than relying on project-specific recognition programs.
The construction labor shortage remains a major issue across both Carolinas, pushing owners and contractors to place greater emphasis on workforce retention, leadership development and apprenticeship participation.
ABC said the credential’s education and talent management requirements are intended to encourage long-term investment in craft training, supervisor development and employee retention strategies.
The organization also emphasized the role of its STEP Safety Management System, which serves as the safety foundation for AQC eligibility. Contractors pursuing the credential must maintain upper-tier STEP participation levels and document measurable safety performance indicators.
ABC said contractors using structured safety management systems continue reporting significantly lower incident rates than broader industry averages.
The organization added that the credential also incorporates community engagement and corporate responsibility requirements as more owners evaluate contractors on broader organizational culture and workforce practices.
While large national builders continue to pursue formal accreditation programs, ABC said smaller contractors represent a significant share of AQC participants.
According to the organization, most participating firms report annual revenue below $20 million, highlighting growing interest among regional and specialty contractors seeking additional differentiation in competitive procurement environments.
The 2026 AQC program includes separate pricing for new applicants and annual recertification, with applications scheduled to close in October.
For owners and developers, the growing use of contractor accreditation programs may help simplify prequalification and reduce operational risk when evaluating bidders on increasingly complex projects.
Contractors with formal safety, workforce and quality management credentials may also gain an advantage as owners continue emphasizing schedule certainty, workforce reliability and accountability in procurement decisions.
The broader trend suggests that contractor evaluation is moving beyond price and bonding capacity alone toward more comprehensive assessments of organizational performance and workforce capability.
Originally reported by ABC Carolinas
