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ITASCA, IL — In an industry where margins are tight, talent is scarce, and technology is evolving at breakneck speed, construction company owners face a critical question: How do we stay ahead?
The answer might just be found on November 6 at the Westin Chicago Northwest, where the Illinois Construction Summit 2025 promises to deliver the insights, connections, and competitive advantages that forward-thinking builders are seeking.
Co-hosted by CO Summit, Associated Builders and Contractors of Illinois, Lumber, BuilderFax and Construction Owners Club, this isn't just another industry conference. It's Illinois's biggest construction gathering of the year, and it's designed specifically to address the real-world challenges keeping construction executives up at night.
For construction company owners, time is money. So why should you carve out an entire day from your schedule? The summit offers something increasingly rare in today's fragmented business landscape: a concentrated dose of actionable intelligence across every critical business function, from safety culture and financial management to AI implementation and workforce development.
"Most business owners unknowingly give away tens—or even hundreds—of thousands of dollars each year," notes one of the summit's featured speakers on hidden profit strategies. It's this kind of bottom-line impact that makes the event essential for owners serious about scaling their operations.
The day kicks off at 8:30 AM with a job fair and expo, immediately putting attendees in front of potential hires in a market where skilled labor remains the industry's most precious commodity. But it's the programming that follows that truly sets this summit apart.
Greg Sizemore, Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Workforce Development at ABC, will deliver the breakfast keynote on building a strong foundation of health and safety. This isn't just about compliance checkboxes. Sizemore, who chairs the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention and serves on OSHA's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, brings insights from the highest levels of industry leadership.
Construction Owners who implement these principles will see measurable results—incident rates drop, insurance costs become more manageable, and they build the kind of workplace culture that wins competitive bids and keeps their best people from walking.
How many construction company owners truly understand what their financial statements are telling them?
Aaron Mills, founder and CEO of Daaxit and a veteran of managing contractors with up to $90 million in annual revenue, will break down the income statements and balance sheets to reveal hidden landmines and opportunities. His session promises to teach construction owners how to translate complex financials into a few key performance indicators that drive profitable decision-making.
When you've helped guide companies to recognition on Crain's Chicago Business Fast 50 and INC's 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies lists, people listen.
Perhaps no topic is more critical—or more confusing—for construction company owners today than artificial intelligence. The summit dedicates multiple sessions to demystifying AI and making it actionable for companies of all sizes.
Lou Perez, co-founder of Lumber and a construction industry veteran whose family roots trace back to the Oregon Trail, presents on AI and digital solutions for next-generation talent. His platform uses AI-powered technology to transform workforce management, addressing the payroll headaches, compliance risks, and operational inefficiencies that plague contractors daily.
Zach Giglio, CEO of GCM and a Wharton-certified AI strategist, will give both a presentation and an afternoon hands-on workshop. The morning session provides the foundational knowledge and practical strategies needed to integrate cost-effective AI solutions. The afternoon workshop gets tactical, with interactive exercises covering AI use cases in field reporting, project tracking, and team communication, plus critical guidance on data privacy and security. For owners worried about getting left behind in the AI revolution, this double-session format offers both the why and the how.
Girish Ramachandra, Head of LumberCare, tackles one of construction's most persistent compliance nightmares: prevailing wage. His session on Agentic AI's impact on prevailing wage compliance shows how intelligent, autonomous systems can detect risks, ensure accuracy, and recommend next steps without constant human intervention. This isn't just about compliance—it's about freeing up your team to focus on building instead of paperwork.
Technology matters, but construction remains fundamentally a people business. The summit addresses human capital from every angle.
DeAnna Thomas, Vice President of Human Resources at ABC with 25 years of HR experience, will present "The Magic of Managing People: The Good, the Bad, and the Challenging." For construction owners struggling with difficult employee conversations, performance issues, or simply creating a workplace where people want to stay, this session offers practical frameworks backed by deep expertise.
Adam San Juan will tackle the generational divide that's creating communication breakdowns in many construction companies. With up to five generations working side by side—from Baby Boomers to Gen Z—understanding how to adapt management and communication approaches isn't optional anymore. San Juan will share insights from his 25 years of experience and published works on human dynamics, providing the playbook for turning generational differences into organizational strengths."
Construction companies are notorious for buying software that never gets fully adopted. Theo Halstead, CEO of The Rollout Crew and a former United States Marine Corps leader with 30 years of executive IT experience, will address this challenge head-on in "From Frustration to ROI: Making Construction Technology Actually Work."
His field-tested playbook covers diagnosing problems before buying solutions, getting field and office teams aligned, and tracking results that prove the investment paid off. For construction owners who've wasted money on technology that collected digital dust, this session alone could recoup the cost of attendance many times over.
Brian Keller, CEO of QBC with over 45 years in construction and 25 years in business strategy, will present a session on implementing the latest technology and the consequences of falling behind. His interactive demonstrations and discussion of emerging game-changing technologies provide concrete next steps for modernizing operations.
Construction is inherently risky, but smart owners know how to minimize exposure. The summit offers multiple sessions on protecting profitability.
Phil Hayes, Senior Vice President and National Construction Practice Leader at AssuredPartners, will talk about how underwriters assess risk and how companies can strategically position themselves for better pricing. Understanding how to present your company to generate multiple bids and leverage carrier competition can save substantial money annually.
John Walker, a Court-Designated Sole Arbitrator for the Cook County Circuit Court, will provide practical strategies in "Minimize Risks, Maximize Profits - Construction Contracts and Lien Waivers." His session covers preserving payment rights, defending against claims, keeping cash flowing, and minimizing disputes at project closeout—all critical skills for protecting margins.
For prevailing wage complexity, Meghan Schoen, Director of Client Relations at Lumber, will offer a dedicated session on mastering certified payroll through technology and practical guidance that reduces stress and improves accuracy.
Kristi Pronovost, Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy at ABC, will deliver a session on"Strategic Marketing: Transform Your Approach To Maximize Visibility and ROI." Her focus on AI-driven content generation, omnichannel strategies, and easy-to-implement digital tools provides accessible paths for companies of any size to elevate their visibility and attract leads. In an industry where many companies still rely on word-of-mouth alone, strategic marketing expertise can unlock entirely new growth channels.
Jeff Risch, ABC Illinois's Chapter Labor Counsel with extensive experience in both private practice and in-house counsel roles, will present a session on "Labor & Employment HR and Legal Compliance."
With labor laws constantly evolving at local, state, and federal levels, this session identifies key mandates Illinois construction employers must adopt. Risch shares sample policies and HR checklists designed for efficient compliance—the kind of practical tools that prevent expensive mistakes.
For construction owners thinking beyond day-to-day operations, Kathryn Dreitzler, Director of Innovation and VDC at ARCO Construction, will lead a candid group discussion on building innovation-focused cultures. Her session addresses the real challenges: securing buy-in, overcoming resistance to change, measuring impact, and establishing resilient frameworks that deliver tangible value.
It's a rare opportunity to learn from someone who successfully transitioned from architecture to technology assessment and startup leadership before driving innovation initiatives at a major contractor.
Katie George from the ACTE Trade and Industrial Advisory Council presents on embracing technology for workforce efficacy, exploring how virtual reality, augmented reality, and AI-driven solutions are bridging the gap between education and industry. For owners concerned about the long-term talent pipeline, understanding these emerging training methodologies is essential.
Dillon Mitchell, a Professional Electrical Engineer who's completed $1 billion in commercial construction projects, offers "Oh The Places You'll Go In Construction," walking through the possibilities that construction careers offer. This perspective helps owners better articulate career pathways when recruiting and retaining talent.
The summit also shines a spotlight on companies and individuals making extraordinary impacts through multiple award categories: Workforce Champion Award for organizations empowering skilled trades talent, Tech Trailblazer Award for innovators integrating cutting-edge technology, Safe & Sound Jobsite Award for companies prioritizing comprehensive safety, Faculty Excellence Award for educators inspiring future professionals, and NextGen Builder Award recognizing exceptional student interns.
At $175 for ABC Illinois members and a competitive rate for non-members, the investment is modest compared to the potential returns. Consider what just one insight could deliver: a financial strategy that reclaims tens of thousands in hidden costs, an AI implementation that cuts administrative time by 20%, a safety culture improvement that reduces insurance premiums, a technology rollout that actually achieves adoption, or a hiring strategy that fills those critical open positions.
Click here to register for this event
The connections made during the job fair, expo, and networking breaks often prove equally valuable. In an industry built on relationships, having a room full of fellow construction professionals, potential collaborators, software providers, and industry experts creates opportunities that extend far beyond the event itself.
The Illinois Construction Summit 2025 runs from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Westin Chicago Northwest, 400 Park Blvd, Itasca. With title sponsor Acumatica and gold sponsor Rollout Crew backing the event, and organizing support from Lumber, ABC Illinois, Builderfax, Construction Owners Club, and Melodymocktail, this summit brings together the best minds and most innovative companies serving the construction industry.
For construction company owners facing the compounding challenges of talent shortages, technological disruption, regulatory complexity, and competitive pressure, this summit offers something increasingly rare: concentrated, actionable intelligence delivered by practitioners who've been in your shoes.
The question isn't whether you can afford to attend. It's whether you can afford not to.
For tickets and more information, visit the Illinois Construction Summit 2025 registration page. ABC Illinois members receive preferred pricing.
Click here to register for this event
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