LB Water Service Inc. CEO Shawn Pulford is scheduled to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business for a hearing titled, “Honoring the Nation’s Small Business Heroes.”

LB Water is an industry leader in supplying waterworks-infrastructure solutions to cities, counties, municipalities and businesses throughout the mid-Atlantic region. It employs 225 people and has locations in Selinsgrove, Chambersburg, Ephrata, Ebensburg, Stoneboro, and Oakdale, Pennsylvania; Frederick, Maryland; and Richmond, Virginia. It is a 100% employee-owned company. LB Water also operates two affiliated companies, Stormwater Solution Source and 540 Technologies.

WHEN:                 Wednesday, May 8, beginning at 10 a.m.

WHERE:               Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building

                                Washington, DC 20515

WHY:                    The Small Business Administration (SBA) has designated May 5-11 as its National Small Business Week. To honor all of America’s entrepreneurs, the House Small Business Committee is saluting “Heroes of Small Business,” those leaders who exemplify the determination, hard work, and creativity that showcases the American entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurs from across the country will testify on their small business success stories. The Committee will examine the important role these firms play in creating jobs, growing our economy, and investing in our local communities.

WHO:                   Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez, Ranking Member Steve Chabot, Rep. John Joyce (PA-13) and the rest of The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business; Shawn Pulford, CEO of LB Water Service Inc. and other LB Water Executives; owners and executives from other invited small businesses from throughout the United States.

Insurance Associates (a Marsh & McLennan Agency Company) is proud to announce that they are expanding our dedicated claims team with the addition of Jennifer Wood. Jennifer comes to the agency with substantial experience that will allow her to champion clients’ workers compensation needs.

Jennifer has over twenty years of experience handling workers’ compensation claims. Prior to Insurance Associates/MMA, she worked with several major insurance carriers as an investigative case manager, lost time adjuster and resolution/litigation specialist. She has also worked for a large defense workers’ compensation firm as a paralegal. Jennifer’s prior experience as Senior Workers’ Comp Advocate at a large Baltimore, MD agency further enhances her strengths as a champion for our clients. At IA/MMA, Jennifer is responsible for ensuring that w/c claims are managed appropriately from first report through settlement. She holds regular claim review meetings with clients to assist them in reducing their reserves and costs while collaborating with our carriers to facilitate excellent claim resolutions and service. Jennifer holds her MD Property & Casualty license. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her son, traveling, bike riding and kayaking.

The Washington DC Infrastructure Academy, a training program announced by Mayor Muriel Bowser, endorsed by local area utilities such as DC Water, PEPCO, and Washington Gas (all NUCA of DC Members!), is starting several new classes that have the potential to benefit DC area Utility Contractors.

A CDL Drivers class is beginning January 22 with 20 registered students.  The last class had a 90% graduation rate, with 10/20 students obtaining their CDL license, so the pool of trained CDL drivers is growing!  NUCA of DC representatives are in discussions with DCIA representatives to develop ways to help these graduates get the crucial on-the-job experience that is needed for our members to be able to hire these drivers.

Similarly, TWO auto mechanics courses will be taking place this training period, with one having already started and one starting on January 28.

A PEPCO-endorsed electrical worker course will be starting on February 4, and lasting 22 weeks.  The graduates of this course will be trained in both underground and overhead electrical work.

Future courses under development include water and gas pipefitting.

The current partial government shutdown is now the longest in modern history, and as it enters its 28^th day, its impacts are increasing. This is a brief update on the situation, what lawmakers have done, and how this all might be resolved.

The shutdown has already affected infrastructure projects. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) delayed releasing funding for the Federal-Aid Highway Program, and as a result, Oklahoma delayed bids for some new projects. While FHWA released additional funding shortly after these reports surfaced, there is still a good deal of uncertainty for state transportation agencies that are trying to plan out their projects.

In addition to the consequences the shutdown is having on construction and infrastructure, there are also concerns about the effect it may have on the economy more broadly. The White House’s Council of Economic Advisers has revised their estimates and found that the shutdown is having a larger impact on the economy than they initially anticipated. Other economists have expressed concerns that a prolonged shutdown could push the economy toward a recession. This is not to say that the shutdown as it stands now will cause a recession, but that when combined with other factors, a protracted shutdown could certainly have a negative impact.

The shutdown is also taking Congress’ time and attention away from other priorities, including infrastructure. The longer the shutdown remains unresolved, the longer it will take for Congress to move on to other issues.

Our elected political representatives – both congressional and executive – remain dug in to their positions. Trump has insisted that $5.7 billion for border wall funding be included in any spending legislation and many Congressional Republicans have stood with him on this request. Congressional Democrats have remained united against Trump’s demand.

It’s not clear how the impasse will end. Negotiations between Congressional leadership and the President are essentially non-existent. There was a bipartisan group of Senators that was trying to find an agreement to temporarily reopen the government so that border security could be considered in Congress, but these efforts failed. This week, the House again passed legislation to temporarily fund and reopen the government, but the Senate refuses to take up this legislation.

It seems likely that the shutdown will only end when it has a significant impact on Americans, with the most likely candidate being related to something like air travel delays or cancellations. TSA agents continue to be responsible for conducting airport security, even though they had their first missed paycheck last Friday the 11^th. Some agents have begun to call out because they are unable to afford transportation or childcare while they are required to work without pay. The more disruptions the shutdown causes, the more Americans will feel its effects, and Congress and the White House could really feel pressure to make a deal.

We will continue to keep you updated on the shutdown and any effects we are seeing on our industry.