The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) will host a conference call on Feb. 28, 2 to 3:30 p.m. ET, to discuss the outlook for construction in 2006, including predictions for materials shortages and prices. AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson will be joined by Jared Blum, president and CEO, Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association, and Michael Carliner, staff vice president for economics, National Association of Home Builders. The speakers will examine whether hot segments like factory, hospital, retail and highway construction will continue to do well, single- and multi-family housing will fade, and other categories will catch up. They will also answer questions such as: Is there an end in sight to cost increases? Will the proposed agreement on Mexican cement meet America's needs?

To participate, contact Dasha Brock at 703.837.5408 or [email protected].

AGC is the largest and oldest national construction trade association in the United States. It represents more than 32,000 firms, including 7,000 of America's leading general contractors and more than 11,000 specialty-contracting firms. More than 13,000 service providers and suppliers are associated with AGC through a nationwide network of chapters. For more information, visit www.agc.org.