Over the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has required us to mask up, stay 6’ apart from others, limit in-person interactions, and make adjustments to our daily lives and schedules to limit the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, the virus has gone on to claim more American lives than U.S. soldiers killed in World War II. Many of us personally know of someone who either died from COVID or at the very least, became ill from exposure.

The pandemic has taken lives, livelihoods, and upended our communities.

Many people working in the service economy (restaurants, travel, hotels, etc.) have lost their jobs and watched their savings evaporate, putting them in great financial hardship. Though construction is deemed an essential business, Conco was not immune to the effects of COVID. Projects were delayed, put on hold, or canceled, causing us to lay off good people until business returns to normal. We’ve had colleagues contract the virus, and we mourn with those who have lost loved ones.

After a year of struggles and heartache, a national vaccination program is underway.

Mass vaccination sites are popping up throughout the country, driving up the immunization rate. As of early April, just over 22% of the American population has been fully vaccinated. However, skepticism about the three available vaccines is among the highest in the construction industry. A recent poll finds that only 54% of construction workers plan to get the vaccination.

From all accounts, the vaccination program is working well.

The United States is currently vaccinating more than 3 million people a day. This has resulted in a significant drop in positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths associated with COVID. We’re not out of the woods, but from all indications we’re headed in the right direction. To protect those around us, including family, friends, co-workers and the general public, we need to remain vigilant and do our part. We can empower our fellow colleagues and workers to get vaccinated with the resources provided by the Roll Up Your Sleeves initiative.

The majority of Conco’s senior management has already rolled up their sleeves to take the vaccine.

The sooner COVID is put behind us, the sooner we can return to our normal life. We each have the right to make our own choices, and Conco understands that choosing to get vaccinated can be a deeply personal choice. We encourage our employees, suppliers, and clients to get the facts and make an informed decision.

Let’s get back to work!

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The International Code Council will soon vote on proposed code changes that among other things, would allow tall wood buildings to be built up to 18 stories, despite a lack of rigorous scientific or in-the field fire and structural testing.

Why should these TALL WOOD proposals for mass timber construction be stopped?

UNTESTED: Wood-industry funded tests performed in the U.S. and Canada were completely inadequate, failing to examine real-world structural risk factors, potential firefighting safety impacts from weather, and material-related risk factors to public health and safety.

UNPROVEN: While non-combustible concrete and steel have been used for centuries to build tall buildings and structures, mass timber products, like cross-laminated timber, are unknown and unproven construction materials. View the Scientific Rebuttal below or download the PDF here.

UNSOUND: Common sense knows, and history shows, that TALL WOOD buildings are high-risk and dangerous to public health and safety when it comes to natural and manmade disasters like hurricanes and wildfires.