Whereas founded in 1968, Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter is recognized as the leader of the merit shop construction industry and one of the oldest organizations representing the commercial construction industry in Florida for 55 years; Whereas Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter is a member of a national association that is proud to represent over 22,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with 2,000,000 employees; Whereas Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter is the single largest provider of apprenticeship education in the State of Florida, educating nearly 700 apprentices annually; Whereas the mission of Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter is the advancement of the merit shop construction philosophy, which encourages open competition and a free-enterprise approach that awards construction contracts based solely on merit, regardless of labor affiliation; Whereas Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter represents the profession responsible for the construction of commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals, office buildings, sports venues, factories, energy production plants, water systems, waste disposal and treatment facilities, roads, bridges, and other public and private facilities that are the foundation on which the economy of Florida stands and grows; Whereas Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter activities include government representation, legal advocacy, communications, education and training, construction safety programs, technology, recognition through national and chapter awards programs, employee benefits, and business development; and Whereas members of Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter set the industry standard for producing cost-effective, high-quality construction by highly trained workers that benefit the general public: Now, therefore, be it