ABC Mississippi President Lee Nations, left, congratulates Meridian businessman Robert Smith, president of Glass Inc., on his leadership role for 2023 as chair of the Mississippi chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors.

The Mississippi chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and one Meridian businessman credits its longevity to the dedication chapter leaders give to the state’s commercial construction industry.

“Our chapter has nearly 500 member companies and 10 of these have been members all 50 years,” ABC Mississippi 2023 Chair Robert Smith, president of Meridian-based Glass Inc., said in a news release from ABC Mississippi.

Another 42 companies have been members more than 40 years and 140 of them for more than 20 years, he added.

“This long-term support is a testament to the importance members place on workforce and safety training, political advocacy, and networking for the construction industry in Mississippi,” Smith said. “It is my honor to follow in the footsteps of so many great leaders as we celebrate 50 years.”

The idea for a statewide organization came about in the 1960s after a group of Mississippi contractors met in Grenada and proposed the idea of an association to represent the state’s commercial construction industry, according to the news release. This group saw a statewide association as a way to discuss mutual concerns, resolve differences, explore improvements in the industry and improve relationships between general contractors, subcontractors and supplies.

As a result, the Mississippi General Contractors Association was formed. In 1973, the group joined Associated Builders and Contractors, a national construction industry trade association, which at the time represented 4,500 companies across the country. Today, ABC has more than 22,000 members in 68 chapters across the country.

Leadership of ABC Mississippi over the past 50 years has included some of the state’s top executives in the commercial construction market. The association represents the construction industry in legislative matters, as well as promotes workforce and safety training, business development and networking.

“As I look back at all the past chairmen, I see a long list of Mississippi’s top construction professionals that have worked tirelessly to not only grow their own companies into some of our nation’s very best but also given freely of their time and resources to better the construction industry,” Smith wrote in his 2023 chairman message to the association. “Many of the past chairmen have been influential in my own career over the past 40 years and I’m thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to learn from them.”

Smith said, in his message, ABC Mississippi will celebrate its 50-year milestone throughout the year and honor past leaders who have helped the organization become one of the top chapters in the nation.

“50 years is quite an accomplishment for any business or marriage, and most certainly for ABC Mississippi,” he wrote.