ACEC Means
Business

The ACEC/FedEx ThinkPad Giveaway! Be automatically entered to win an IBM ThinkPad G Series Notebook Laptop with a Pentium 4 processor, when you purchase $100 worth of publications or more at the ACEC bookstore, or sign up for the FedEx discount program through ACEC by June 30. To sign up for the FedEx discount program, or to order ACEC publications from our newly designed website, visit www.acec.org/fedexgiveaway. No purchase is necessary. You must be an ACEC member to enter. Online Seminar QBS—Why Value Outweighs Cost in Selecting Engineering Services, with ACEC VP Jeffrey Beard June 23 — 1:30pm–3:00pm EDT What is QBS? How does it work? This session is a perfect primer for those involved in the business side of engineering. Understand why emphasizing qualifications as the prime selection criteria can substantially reduce the overall time—and money—to complete a project. For more information or to register see www.acec.org or call Cortney Coxon at 202-682-4338. Market Forecast Series Don Basham of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers July 15 — 12:30pm–1:30pm EDT Washington, D.C. or Online Don Basham, P.E., Chief, Engineering and Construction, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will provide an overview of the Corps' missions and programs. Basham will give ACEC members advice on the most profitable way to do business with the Corps. Discussion will center on the Corps' military and civil works program, the use of Design-Build, anti-terrorism design, and sustainable design. For more information or to register see www.acec.org or call Cortney Coxon at 202-682-4338. Save the Date! Business of Design Consulting Seminar October 20-23 — Chicago, IL This is an intensive four-day leadership program for up-and-coming design professionals. For more information or to register see www.acec.org or call Cortney Coxon at 202-682-4338.

900 Attend "Outstanding" Annual Convention; CNN's Carlson, Sports Celebrities, Big Hit! Stephen and Lisa Heape of Charleston, S.C. brave single-digit temperatures atop Pikes Peak, one of the ACEC/PAC events. More than 900 members and guests enjoyed a world-class Annual Convention in Colorado Springs, highlighted by noted guest speakers, sports celebrities, and the Council's first "Diversity Summit." "I thought it was outstanding—one of the best general business conferences around," said Christopher Swan, CEO of RSMR, in Chicago. Highlights of the Annual Convention: Dr. William Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering, addressed the need for more diversity in the engineering workforce. New ACEC Chairman Bill Howard addresses Convention attendees. CNN's Tucker Carlson offered humorous, yet poignant insights on the 2004 race for the Presidency. New ACEC member and former Olympic Gold Medalist Richard Fosbury, chronicled the origin of the "Fosbury Flop." Former NFL Hall of Fame Kicker Jan Stenerud and PGA Pro Mark Carnevale participated in successful ACEC/PAC golf events. 42 educational sessions—the most ever for an ACEC Convention—focused on critical business practice issues. Bill Howard began his tenure as 2004-2005 Chairman, succeeding 2003-2004 Chairman Eric Flicker. The Board of Directors approved a new three-year budget to maintain momentum in achieving the Council's strategic goals. CNN's Tucker Carlson (right) with 2003-'04 ACEC Chairman Eric Flicker.

ACEC Wins A/E Tax Reduction In Senate; Focus Now Shifts To The House Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) introduced ACEC- supported tax amendment. ACEC and its industry allies won a major tax victory in the Senate in May with passage of an ACEC-backed amendment to the JOBS Act (S. 1637) that extends a significant tax reduction to A/E firms. Companion legislation in the House (H.R. 2896), which also covers A/E services, has been cleared by the Ways and Means Committee and now awaits consideration by the full House. The House bill lowers the corporate tax rate for large corporations to 32 percent, with similar rate reductions for smaller corporations. The Senate bill creates a tax deduction for A/E services income. In the House bill, the cut is limited to corporations, while the Senate bill would apply to all businesses. ACEC is working to ensure that the final package extends tax benefits to all businesses. Both the House and Senate bills seek to repeal a current tax benefit for exporters that was found to be in violation of international trade rules by the World Trade Organization (WTO). To head off sanctions from the European Union (EU), Congress is working to complete work on this legislation before it adjourns in the fall.

FLSA Reforms Survive House Challenge Rep. Jim DeMint (R-SC), introduced ACEC's FLSA reform legislation. At the urging of ACEC and its business allies, the House of Representatives in May rejected another attempt—this time by Rep. George Miller (D-CA)—to prevent the Department of Labor from implementing the final regulations that will update the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final regulations establish new standards for classifying employees as exempt and non-exempt from the Act's minimum wage and overtime requirements, subsequently making the regulations easier to follow, and protecting businesses from unfair enforcement actions and lawsuits. In related news, Rep. Jim DeMint (R-SC) introduced ACEC's FLSA reform legislation in House. The bill, H.R. 4396, is modeled after S. 237, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and seeks to further clarify the exempt status of specific positions within engineering firms.

ACEC Tells Conferees To "Stick With $318B"; Citizen Lobbyists 'Action Alert' Forthcoming Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) heads Senate Conferees. ACEC is renewing its call for increased transportation funding after a crucial agreement was reached in late May that enabled House and Senate conferees to begin work on a final six-year transportation bill. In letters to House and Senate conferees, the Council is urging them to stick to the $318 billion funding level that was adopted by a wide margin in the Senate, as opposed to the $275 billion approved by the House and the President's $256 billion. ACEC is also preparing a grassroots campaign targeted at conferees. Members will be asked in the coming days to contact their respective House and Senate members who were appointed to the conference committee to explain the importance of increasing the nation's investment in infrastructure. "This is a critical point in the process with billions of dollars and the nation's deteriorating infrastructure at stake," said ACEC President David Raymond. "We're focusing on those House and Senate members who will make the final decision, which means it will be vitally important for every ACEC member who has a Senator or Representative on the conference committee to contact them immediately."

Copyright © 2004 by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photographic, or other means without the prior written permission of ACEC.

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