Dear Members, 

I am honored to be serving as your chairman of the ABC Maine Board of Directors! I’d like to thank the dozens of chairs that have served before me over the past 40 years — all of whom fought for the merit shop philosophy. Our company has been involved with ABC Maine for decades, and I have been directly involved with ABC Maine for over 16 years on the Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee. 

Politically, it was another challenging session, battling a lot of bad proposed bills and continued questionable leadership concerning due process. Nonetheless, ABC Maine, its staff, its lobbyist and its volunteer members will continue the fight for all of us. Great work, team!

ABC Maine is celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2025, and what a celebration it will be! There are amazing events recognizing all of the people involved in the decades-long success of this chapter. 

I’d like to personally thank ALL the current and previous board members, presidents and staff members for their leadership over the past 40 years. And equally as important, I’d like to thank every single member for supporting this great organization — THANK YOU!

One of ABC’s mottoes is “The Voice of the Merit Shop.” What does that mean to me? It’s the belief that construction projects should be awarded on merit to the most qualified and responsible low bidders — that’s it. It is the belief in open competition and free enterprise, not carve-outs and special provisions in law. Nationally and locally, ABC fights to protect these principles and beliefs. I’ve seen ABC Maine do it firsthand in Augusta, and I’ve now seen ABC National do it in Washington, D.C.

All these efforts are not only done by the board of directors and staff but also through various committees and individual efforts. As mentioned earlier, there is a Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee — Glenn Adams with Sargent Corp is currently the chair of that committee. There is also the Membership Committee, tied with the Recruitment and Retention Committee, chaired by Nate Boutin with Graybar Electric; The Environmental, Health & Safety Committee is chaired by Janette Giles of N.S. Giles; and finally, the Workforce Development Committee is chaired by Cody Dube, an ABC Young Professional Graduate with Langford & Low.

Through the board of directors and these committees, we support ABC’s values and mission. If you would like to participate and further support this great association, please reach out to any board or staff member — we’d love to have your involvement.  

As we reflect on the 40th Anniversary of ABC Maine and then look forward to 2026 and beyond, I look forward to continuing the legacy and efforts put forward by previous leaders of this great association. 

Thank you for being a member of ABC Maine and supporting this worthwhile organization. I look forward to seeing all of you at an event sometime soon. I hope 2026 will be a safe, healthy and prosperous year for you and your companies.

Larry