VOICEThe The official magazine of The Construction Users Roundtable Register For Upcoming CURT Events https://www.curtevents.com Issue 2, 2025 Safety Health & Wellness Workforce Talent Solutions Technology & Productivity Off-Site & Modularization … and Counting Standing on its Pillars for 25 Years StrongThe Construction Users Roundtable 3 VOICE The The official magazine of The Construction Users Roundtable :M OQ[\MZ. WZ=XKWUQVO +=: <-^ MV\[ P\\X["___ K]Z\M^ MV\[ KWU Issue 2, 2025 °IVL+W]V\QVO ;\IVLQVO ;INM\a 0MIT\P ? MTTVM[[ ?W Z SNWZ KM < ITMV\ ;WT]\QWV[ < MKPVWTW Oa 8 Z WL]K\Q^Q\a 7N N;Q\M 5WL]TIZQbI\QWV WVQ\[8QTTIZ[NWZ AMIZ[ ;\ZWVO LEADERSHIP 5 This Issue’s Experts 7 A Message from CURT’s Chairman of the Board THE COVER 8 CURT Celebrates the Past: Where We’ve Been and What We’ve Accomplished 11 Building a Legacy: Recollections from Past CURT Presidents 14 CURT Looks Beyond: Navigating the Next Decade of Construction 18 Challenges and Opportunities in 2025: The State of the Construction Industry According to Owners 21 Thank You to the Members That Have Made 25 Years Possible! 22 Index to Advertisers LEADERSHIP Your Subscription Your Way! Scan this QR code or email distribution@matrixgroupinc.net to subscribe or update your existing subscription information. Note, The VOICE is free for representatives of CURT member companies. FEATURES ON THE COVER: This issue’s cover is a tribute to CURT’s core pillars – the guiding forces that have shaped its journey over the past 25 years. These foundational principles have not only kept CURT on course, but have also laid the groundwork for new pillars (including Lean Project Delivery, Construction Sustainability, Procurement & Contracting, and Construction Research) that further promote innovation, collaboration, and continued progress across the industry.Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld FEB 02, – FEB 04, 2026 Prepare for a seismic shift at the 2026 CURT National Conference. This isn't just another industry event; it's a launchpad for groundbreaking strategies, unparalleled connections, and a revolution in performance. Dive into cutting-edge education, forge alliances with the brightest minds, and be the catalyst for industry-wide transformation. Ignite the Future of Construction! DON’T JUST WATCH THE FUTURE UNFOLD - BUILD IT. REGISTER TODAY! Insightful panels and presentations on the latest approaches to enhancing productivity and efficiency in construction projects. A candid discussion on contractor and vendor expectations from major industry owners. Leading companies’ top executives share their perspectives on capital delivery, modularization, and overcoming industry challenges. Expert analysis of the economic factors shaping the construction landscape, including the impact of regulations and policies. Orlando, FloridaThe Construction Users Roundtable 5 Thank You to the Contributors who Shared Their Expertise This Issue. THIS ISSUE’S EXPERTS Mike Criscitiello was President of CURT from 2014 to 2015. He is retired from Praxair, Inc., where he was a Senior Project Manager for over a decade. He is now Managing Owner of MC Construction Solutions, LLC, where he helps clients develop and implement project and construction management solutions. Peter Dumont is the President of Threecore, LLC. Peter has over 30 years of domestic and international engineering and construction experience developing and executing capital projects globally. He has worked in all phases of delivery from early planning through detailed engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance on assets up to $30 billion in capital cost. Jim Ellis is the current Chair of CURT. He is retired from Microsoft Corporation and he has over 40 years of experience in business, operations, project management, and more. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Ellisian, a global consulting and technology company dedicated to helping organizations develop safe, sustainable, and efficient capital projects. Stephen Ayers was President of CURT from 2015 to 2017. He served as the 11th Architect of the Capitol and has dedicated his career to public service. Ayers is currently President of The Ayers Consulting Group, LLC. Jason Campbell is Director, Labour Relations, for AECON Group Inc. He has nearly 40 years of experience of tradesperson, project management, and labor relations aspects of the ICI, maintenance, and power sectors. Mike Conley was President of CURT from 2010 to 2012. He is retired from DuPont, where he spent over 40 years as an Engineering Manager. Eric Grubb is Director of New Footprint Construction for Ford Land, which is the real estate arm of the Ford Motor Company. Grubb is responsible for building the new Ford Motor Company BEV Assembly Plants and Battery Plants in Kentucky and Tennessee. He has spent the past 25 years with Ford Land, 12.5 of which he spent working in China and Spain. Karl Kocsis is Vice President/ Chief Labor Relations Officer for the United States Steel Corporation. He is responsible for Corporate Labor Relations, Plant Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, Corporate Medical, as well as leading the Human Resources organization and heading their overall metrics cost reduction initiative. Egon Larsen was President of CURT from 2008 to 2010. He is retired from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., where he spent almost 40 years in various roles. He is an experienced construction specialist with expertise in Six Sigma, continuous improvement, and contract negotiation. Anthony Monte is Engineering Group Manager, ME Body Execution, for General Motors Company. He has worked at General Motors for over 25 years and has over 35 years of experience in construction and tooling installation. Greg Sizemore is President of CURT. Greg also devotes his time and knowledge by teaching Construction Law, and Leadership & Decision Making at the University of Cincinnati and the Northern Kentucky University Law School. Brian Watkins is Director, Facility & Operations, Los Alamos National Laboratory. Brian has been working in the commercial and nuclear construction and operations field for 30 years.Lookingtogrowyournetworkandexploresolutionsinthe constructionindustry?Joinusin-personatthenextCURTevent, September15th-18th,inCincinnati.Choosefromavarietyof sprintteamstodivedeepintokeyindustrytopicsandcollaborate withprofessionals.Don'tmissoutonthisgreatopportunity! EVENTSCHEDULE NAPLES NOVEMBER10TH-12TH,2025 CINCINNATI SEPTEMBER15TH-18TH,2025 ESG&Sustainability Technology&Productivity Procurement&Contracting LeanProjectDelivery TalentSolutions OffSiteConstruction/ Modularization ConstructionResearch Safety Unabletoattendin-person,butstillinterestedinjoiningasprint team?Virtualmeetingsareheld,too,atregularintervals.Contact RonnaDuBro,DirectorofMembership&MemberServices, rdubro@curt.orgor513-981-2773 ORLANDO FEBRUARY2ND-4TH,2026The Construction Users Roundtable 7 WORDS OF WISDOM A Message from the CURT Chairman of the Board. CURT Reflects on 25 Years of Progress W ow…. 25 years have passed in the blink of an eye. The Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) was founded in 2000 with a clear mission: to serve as a home for construction owners to collaborate, share best practices, and raise a unified voice to address the industry’s most pressing challenges. Since joining CURT in 2008, I’ve experienced firsthand the value of bringing together a diverse consortium of people and ideas. I’m incredibly proud of how CURT has fostered meaningful collaboration across multiple industries and companies. When we gather – regardless of background or affiliation – we focus on solving shared problems and collaborate to develop needed solutions that matter to our industry and members. That kind of unity is rare, and it’s one of CURT’s greatest strengths. As we reflect on the progress made over the last quarter century, I want to take a moment to acknowledge CURT’s contributions, as well as the member organizations and stakeholders who make this great work possible. It’s remarkable to see what we’ve accomplished – advancing safety, developing workforce solutions, improving quality and efficiency, driving technology and innovation, and codifying cross industry and regional best practices. Tools like the Construction Safety Blueprint, the Construction Labor Market Analyzer, and the Safety Benchmarking Portal have had a significant impact on project outcomes. I’ve seen the evolution of lean principles and the shift toward offsite construction, both of which are making worksites safer and more efficient. We have recently launched sustainability as a key focus area, which will remain a key driver for many of our member companies given the focus on Net Zero carbon goals. Looking back, it’s fair to say our industry has come a long way since 2000! But our work is far from over. As leaders in capital project construction, we must continue to add value to the industry, and we must be willing to course-correct when needed. If something isn’t working, we need to rethink and refine our approach to ensure we’re delivering stronger, more effective value-driven results for the future. The pace of change in construction is accelerating, and CURT must remain agile, focused, and forward-thinking. Maintaining discipline and staying true to our mission will be key to delivering solutions that support safety, sustainability, efficiency, productivity, quality, and profitability. By doing so, we fulfill our commitment to creating value for shareholders, not just in the United States, but around the globe. After 50 plus years of diverse experience and a great career, people sometimes ask why I’m still so engaged in CURT rather than enjoying retirement. The answer is simple. When I was young, my father taught me: “If you borrow something – or take responsibility for something – always return it in better condition than you found it.” That philosophy continues to guide me. I remain committed to CURT because I want to help leave the construction industry in a better place than where I found it. Over the past two decades, my belief in CURT’s potential has never wavered. I haven’t given up, and I’m as determined as ever to contribute to its continued success and lasting legacy. We will overcome our challenges – as long as we take them one step at a time and stay focused on actions that create measurable value. That’s how we move the needle and build a better future for construction: together. CURT is an enabler, and we need to continue to focus on developing solutions that matter for our members. If something isn’t working, we need to rethink and refine our approach to ensure we’re delivering stronger, more effective value- driven results for the future. ‘ ‘8 Helping owners achieve the most productive use of every capital dollar. 2009: The first Workforce Development Award is given, and other leading- practice workforce- development programs are launched. 2006-2008: Ricardo Aparicio is President (General Electric). 2004: The original Owners’ Safety Blueprint, and Safety Benchmarking Portal are launched. 2004-2006: Tom Weise is President (Intel). 2002-2004: Bill Tibbitt is President (Johnson & Johnson). 2000-2002: Steve Satrom is President (Air Products & Chemicals). November 2001: First National Conference. FEATURE Where We’ve Been and What We’ve Accomplished. Celebrates A Timeline of Accomplishments the Past CURT 2000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012 Balancing BIM: VO IC E Th e The official magazine of The Construction Users Roundtable Spring 2008 INSIDE: 3XPT: Group Takes Process Transformation to the Next Level ACE Gets an A+ Design and Construction in a Digital World How to Start a New LUC CURT Member Profiles An Owner’s Guide to the Benefits (and Obstacles) of 3D, 4D and BIM Design SPECIAL ISSUE: National Conference Re-cap 2006: The VOICE magazine launches. 2008-2010: Egon Larsen is President (Air Products & Chemicals). 2010-2012: Mike Conley is President (DuPont). 2000: CURT is created. The first Safety Award is given. 2010: CURT’s logo is re- designed for the first time and the International Committee hosted its first overseas event in Shanghai, China.The Construction Users Roundtable 9 2013: CURT’s Young Professionals Initiative launched. 2022: CURT and CII host first joint Conference. 2024: The Owners’ Safety Blueprint re-launches as the Construction Safety Blueprint. 2020: CURT shifts gears to connect with members with virtual events throughout the pandemic. 2019: The Labor Risk Management Program is launched. 2019- present: Jim Ellis is Chair (DuPont). 2017: The Project Excellence Award is added to CURT’s Awards lineup. 2015-2017: Stephen Ayers is President (Architect of the Capitol). 2012- 2014: Art Goehry is President (Johnson & Johnson). P rior to the fall of 2000, construction industry owners had little representation other than at the Business Roundtable, a powerful CEO-driven organization within Washington D.C. Here, construction owners were part of the Business Roundtable’s Construction Committee, which was tasked with identifying new ways to get a better return on investment on construction projects. However, as the Business Roundtable evolved to become much more public policy-focused and less industry-focused, so much so that its Construction Committee no longer fit the overarching mission of organization, the decision was made to sunset the Construction Committee of the Business Roundtable, leaving construction owners without a voice. At the time, Greg Sizemore was an advisor to the Construction Committee and, with it being sunset, he – along with a handful of construction and engineering executives from major corporations across the United States – seized the opportunity to develop something new: the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT). “The unions had labor representation and contractors had their own specialty groups like the Associated General Contractors and the Associated Builders and Contractors – but the owners had absolutely zero place to hang their hats, to share challenges, and to unite for and against initiatives,” says Sizemore, CURT’s President. “I found there was a desire across industry sectors, but particularly in the manufacturing space, to come together and share best practices and address the key issues that were commonplace across industry. That was my motivation for starting the Construction Users Roundtable.” CURT was built upon this simple motivation and, in the 25 years since its founding, the organization has grown into a robust network of construction leaders, including owners, contractors, associations, and service providers, all working together to address industry challenges. Sizemore believes that whenever an organization starts out, it needs to “sail” on what he calls the “Seven Cs”: 1. It needs a champion to lead; 2. A compelling cause ; 3. Have a critical mass of participants; 4. Focus on creative solution development; 5. Have an outlet to communicate; 6. Be cost effective in the development of the solution; and 7. Generate cost savings for the end users. “CURT has been able to deliver on all seven of those “Cs” for our members over the last 25 years, and we will continue delivering on them long into the future,” says Sizemore. CURT also has four pillars that underpin everything it does: Safety, Health & Wellness; Workforce Talent Solutions; Technology & Productivity; and Off-Site & Modularization. Sizemore refers to these pillars as values – not priorities – because, while priorities can shift over time, values never do. He says, “Even though the four overarching themes may have evolved and expanded in the years since we started out, these values continue to form the basis of what CURT supports as an organization today.” This commitment to building a strong foundation for CURT has paid dividends for the organization over the years. From the ‘Great 2025: CURT celebrates 25 years! By Paul Adair, Staff Writer 2013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 Y E A R S 2018: The Productivity Calculator is launched. 2014-2015: Mike Criscitiello is President (Praxair). 2017-2018: Pete Dumont is President (Pentair). 2024: CURT's logo is re- designed! 2021: CURT hosts its National Conference virtually.Next >