Members: Get to Know Your Industry

Our member-exclusive events offer member companies and their employees the perfect opportunity to further establish their network within the construction industry.

These social and networking events represent a huge added benefit to membership, with exciting and varied events to participate in and show your support for MBEX.

  • Check out the full 2024 Events Calendar as events are being added throughout the year. Dates & times subject to change for listed events.

All of our events are sponsored in part by The Builders Group (TBG).  Thank you, TBG!

March

03.19.2024 What’s a MEWP?

Join Minnesota OSHA Compliance at its next online-only Construction Seminar to hear presenter Jay Tyrrell, Northern Safety LLC, discuss MEWP-related training, inspections, ANSI, and why crews and operators are complaining about the new equipment.
 

DATE: Tuesday, March 19
TIME: 7:00am
LOCATION: Online only
COST: Free
 


Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) have many generic and interchangeable nicknames: aerials; aerial work platforms; access equipment boom lifts; scissors; and more. MEWPs can also be deadly and introduce specific safety hazards.

 

ABOUT CONSTRUCTION SEMINARS
Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Compiance's free Construction Seminars feature a presentation about a specific construction safety or health topic --- with time for questions, answers, and input.

The Construction Seminars are set up for interaction with the audience, leading to better understanding of the topic and more practical learning, and providing a safe environment for participants to ask real worksite questions and get real worksite safety and health solutions.

03.20.2024 Reading Construction Documents

All construction professionals, regardless of working in the field or in the office, must know how to read blueprints, specs, and construction plans.
 

• Dates: Wednesday, March 20 & Thursday, March 21, 2024
• Time: 10:30am - 1:30pm CST
• Location: Online via Zoom
• Instructor: Troy DeGroot with UChapter2
• Pricing: MBEX Members - $329*  |  Non-MBEX Members - $460
 

Designed to quickly familiarize students with the basics of reading and understanding construction documents, this 2-part online program is perfect for: apprentices, entry-level tradespersons, project coordinators, assistant project managers, new project managers, estimators, specialty sales representatives, entry-level architectural or engineering designers, or anyone in career transition looking for a refresher.

From navigating title block information to combing through specification documents, participants will learn how to navigate a project and understand the material and construction requirements. Learning objectives include an introduction to construction documents, understanding industry document standards, drawing navigation, and the importance of specialty plans.
 



*Work for a Member Company? That makes *you* an MBEX member and qualifies you for the member pricing. Not sure if your company is an MBEX member? Email Ashlee and she can verify your company's status. 

 

Meet the Instructor
With over 20 years in the industry, Troy DeGroot has cultivated a deep understanding of the requirements of customers, the needs of end users, common goals of management, and the capacities of the technology. He had led many companies through successful software implementations and training. Having served as the BIM Manager for a large multi-discipline engineering firm, he provides a broad understanding of the industry and the evolution of technology. Read Troy's full bio

03.21.2024 MBEX Online Plan Room Demo

Join us for a free live online walk-through of our digital platform to learn the basics, refresh yourself on its offered tools, or to explore if our plan room would benefit your business.
 

DATES:
• Thursday, March 21 - Now Open for Sign-Up
• Thursday, April 18
• Thursday, May 16
• Thursday, June 20

TIME: 9:00am - 10:00am
COST: Free
LOCATION: Online via Zoom
 


From the Deskpad to setting up filters, to project information to bidders lists, this is a one-hour session is a great introduction to our Online Plan Room. There will be time at the end of the presentation for question and answer. Registrants must be signed up by 12:30pm the day before (Wednesday, March 20) to receive Zoom link and other information.

 

ABOUT THE MBEX ONLINE PLAN ROOM
MBEX's modern and innovative online plan room is designed to bring its members the latest in Minnesota's commercial construction project news and bidding opportunities as well as projects from Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. MBEX's team of reporters work hard behind-the-scenes to post complete project details along with viewable files (dependent on a members' level of access). They coordinate project details with the architects, engineers, project owners, and construction managers to create a smooth viewing process for members. Once posted, bidders can easily access the project scope, view plans, specs and addenda, download files, order prints and download needed documents. Bidders can also manage email notifications for timely notices of newly posted projects, new filter results, and addenda notifications on tracked projects.

03.27.2024 Q1 Construction Economic Update & Forecast

Sign up for this 60-minute presentation, followed by 30 minutes of live Q&A, hosted by Construction Executive
 

DATE: Wednesday, March 27
TIME: 1:00pm CST | 2:00pm EST
LOCATION:  Online
PRESENTER:  Anirban Basu, chief economist for Associated Builders & Contractors
COST:  Free!
 


Crafted with commercial contractors in mind, Basu’s presentation will offer up-to-the-minute economic data, including the cost of labor and materials, top market sectors and regions and the Fed’s ongoing efforts to engineer a soft landing for a tumultuous economy. Basu will also provide his thoughts as to if and/or when we’ll actually see a recession and how that may affect construction.

Questions may be submitted in advance when you register for this webinar.

03.28.2024 DOT Hazardous Material (HazMat) & Hazardous Waste Management (EPS / RCRA) Training Seminar

Join Safety-Kleen for their offered DOT / RCRA Compliance Training: DOT Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Training and Hazardous Waste Management (RCRA) Training.
 

DATE: Thursday, March 28
TIME: DOT Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Training: 8:00am-11:15am  |  Hazardous Waste Management (RCRA) Training: 11:30am-12:30pm
LOCATION: Online
COST: $400 / person
Download Seminar Flyer
 

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HAZMAT TRAINING:
This half-day DOT seminar will teach employees the proper prepping, packaging, placarding, and labeling required to ship Hazardour Materials. Every employee involved in shipping, transporting, or handling hazardous materials must receive training to be certified; the training must be repeated at least every 36 months; and the training must be updated whenever there is a regulation change affecting an employee's job duties.

Who Should Attend? Employees who:
1.) Load, unload or handle hazardous materials;
2.) Design, manufacture, fabricate, inspect, maintain, mark, recondition, repair or test a package, container or packaging component that is represented, marked, certified, or sold as qualified for use in transporting hazardous material in commerce;
3.) Prepare hazards materials for transportation;
4.) Are responsible for safety transporting hazardous materials; and
5.) Operate a vehicle to transport hazardous materials.
 

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RCRA TRAINING:
This half-day seminar will teach employees how to identify harzardous waste, proper waste management of hazardous and universal waste, how to complete manifests accurately and emergency preparedness and release reporting.

Who Should Attend?
1.) Waste handlers;
2.) Emergency responders;
3.) Enrionmental managers; and
4.) Anyone with a basic knowledge of hazardous waste requirements seeking an update and refresher on current hazardous and universal waste requirements.
 

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OTHER DETAILS
All training materials will be provided. At the completion of the training, participants will receive their certificate of completion for 3-years of RCRA training.

Register for the training through the link above. Safety-Kleen also asks that for anyone who registers, please flil out this sign-in-sheet and send to them. If you are signing up multiple people, please fill out the form with each person's information included.

For additional information on the seminar program or to enroll, please contact Michael Fisher: (612) 283-7007 or Michael.Fisher@safety-kleen.com.

April

04.02.2024 MBEX POWER: Making It In a Male-Dominated World

The MBEX Women's POWER series is back in 2024 with a 4-part workshop series featuring the knowledge and expertise of Nicole Middendorf (more about Nicole below). First up: Making It In a Male-Dominated World.

DATE: Tuesday, April 2
TIME: 3:00pm - 5:00pm
LOCATION:  In-Person - McGough Construction (Roseville, Minn.) | Virtual - Microsoft Teams
COST: Free
 


The number of women in male-dominated industries, like construction, engineering, and finances, is barely gaining traction. Nicole herself never planned on being in a male-dominated industry, and Nicole wants to accelerate that change of seeing more women in those male-dominated spaces.

This workshop will be an open discussion on diversity & inclusion, and how we can bring more women into male-dominated careers. Join POWER for this learning opportunity on how to empower more women for more success.

 

What is the MBEX Women's POWER series?
POWER, or Professionals Offering Women Engaging Resources, aims to empower women through educational events tackling the unique challenges they encounter on the job, by fostering connections, and elevating professional and personal journeys. From working on the jobsite, to in-office positions, and everything in-between, each workshop is open for ALL women working in construction to attend. Friends and allies of women in construction are also welcome to join in.

In 2024, the upcoming POWER workshops are revisiting familiar topics from our inaugural line-up, but this time around, each workshop will be guided by the incredible Nicole Middendorf, CEO of Prosperwell Financial and the visionary behind the Live It List.

 

Who is Nicole Middendorf?
Nicole is a financial expert, a knowledge junkie, a survivor, a single mom, and a born coach. In 2003, she boldly ventured out from Morgan Stanley to establish her own wealth management firm, Propserwell Financial. She’s also the author of five books, as well as a world traveler, a philanthropist, and a pro when it comes to public speaking. She is also the visionary behind the Live It List, a different take on one Bucket List.

Nicole believes the world needs more people—especially women—to be financially savvy, wholly independent, happy and living a life of balance. Through her writing, public speaking, coaching program and work, Nicole wants to be the one who supports them on all levels. Learn more about Nicole Middendorf

04.17.2024 MBEX Spring Social

An annual social, this MBEX event provides members the opportunity to mingle, network, and deepen their connections with other industry professionals.
 

• DATE: Wednesday, April 17
• LOCATION: TPC Twin Cities (11444 Tournament Players Pkwy, Blaine, MN 55449)
• SCHEDULE: 3:00pm - Doors open, drinks & networking  |  5:00pm - Program, raffle winners & door prizes
• TICKETS: $50  |  Includes ticket to the event, delectable food stations, two complimentary beverages, and an automatic entry to win door prizes. Registration will close at noon on April 16, 2024.
• SPONSORSHIPS: Become a Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze sponsor of the event! Other opportunities include sponsoring the Wine & Spirits Pull and door prizes. View further details inside the registration form.
 


ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us for an evening out with other local construction business owners, executives, and industry professionals, and gain several chances to win exciting door prizes or indulgent bottles of wine or spirits.
 

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
We will also be joined by special guest speaker, Timothy O'Neill, DEED's regional analyst for the seven-county Twin Cities region of Minnesota.
 

WINE & SPIRITS PULL
Back by popular demand at this year's Spring Social is our Wine & Spirits Pull!

Attendees can purchase a mysteriously-wrapped package where inside they'll find either a bottle of wine or spirits that is potentially of much greater value than the purchase price. All funds from the Pull go to support the MBEX / TBG Construction Scholarship.
 

50/50 RAFFLE
We will also have our traditional 50/50 cash raffle where the winner takes home half of the winnings and the other half goes directly into the MBEX Scholarship Fund as well. Remember, we give out ~$20,000 to students annually!


 

May

05.14.2024 MN Construction Crew’s 10th Annual Construction Career Hiring Event

Presented by Construct Tomorrow, this event is an opportunity providing contractors a chance to meet / interview individuals that are looking for employment.
 

DATE: Tuesday, May 14
TIME: 8:00am - 11:00am
LOCATION: Carpenters Local 322 (730 Olive St., St Paul, MN 55130)
COST: $0 - Union JATC Booths only | $225 - Contractor Booths
 

LEARN MORE


This is an in-person event at Carpenters Union Hall. All vendors will receive a table and two chairs.

Application Table Space will be available on-site for individuals to ill out applications if vendors choose to bring them.

For questions, please contact John O'Phelan at john.ophelan@ramseycounty.us.

June

06.04.2024 Bluebeam 1: Baseline Basics

Whether you're opening Bluebeam Revu for the first time, or you've used it for years, this class will ensure a higher baseline knowledge.
 

DATE: Tuesday, June 4
TIME:  10:30am - 12:30pm CST
LOCATION: Online
PRICE: MBEX Member - $110 | Non-MBEX Member - $165
INSTRUCTOR: Troy DeGroot, UChapter2
 


Attendees will learn interface navigation including menu dropdowns, toolbars, various tool panels, keyboard shortcuts and a few recommended settings. While learning various markup and measurement tools, several tips & tricks will be shared to increase speed and accuracy. 


Learning Objectives:
• Interface Navigation
• Calibration & Measurements
• Introduction to the Markups List


About Bluebeam Revu
When it comes to AEC industry software, Bluebeam Revu is one of the most popular, quickly growing to over 2 million users worldwide. With functionality for Design Review, Estimating, Collecting Field Data, and others, Bluebeam is not your average PDF software.

06.05.2024 Bluebeam 2: Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Basic)

With Revu’s intuitive measurement tools and customizable interface, we can turn your highlighters into a data rich takeoff tools.*
 

DATE: Wednesday, June 5
TIME:  10:30am - 12:30pm CST
LOCATION: Online
PRICE: MBEX Member - $110 | Non-MBEX Member - $165
INSTRUCTOR: Troy DeGroot, UChapter2
 


We’ll start out going through the standard measurement tools and settings, then move into various customization options and discuss the results in the Markups List.

*MANDATORY PRE-REQUIITE: Student(s) must have taken Baseline Basics to enroll in this course.
 

Learning Objectives:
• Introduction to Viewports
• Measurement Tips & Tricks
• Custom Estimating Tools


About Bluebeam Revu
When it comes to AEC industry software, Bluebeam Revu is one of the most popular, quickly growing to over 2 million users worldwide. With functionality for Design Review, Estimating, Collecting Field Data, and others, Bluebeam is not your average PDF software.

06.06.2024 Bluebeam 3: Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Advanced)

Did you know you can export to an Excel spreadsheet, or even link directly to that Excel template file full of formulas you’ve been using for years?*
 

DATE: Thursday, June 6
TIME: 10:30am-12:30pm
LOCATION: Online
PRICE: MBEX Member - $110 | Non-MBEX Member - $165
INSTRUCTOR: Troy DeGroot, UChatper2
 


After finishing the Bluebeam Takeoffs & Estimates (Basics) course, we’ll move into creating custom columns, embedding formulas, and information organization.

*MANDATORY PRE-REQUISITES: Bluebeam 1: Baseline Basics & Bluebean 2: Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Basics)


Learning Objectives:
• Custom Estimating Tools - continued from Material Takeoffs & Estimates (Basics)
• Collecting Rich Data with Custom Columns
• Reports and Exporting Data


About Bluebeam Revu
When it comes to AEC industry software, Bluebeam Revu is one of the most popular, quickly growing to over 2 million users worldwide. With functionality for Design Review, Estimating, Collecting Field Data, and others, Bluebeam is not your average PDF software.

06.26.2024 MBEX POWER: Women, Money & Happiness

Join MBEX POWER and Nicole Middendorf for a lively workshop where Nicole will share tips and tricks to help women become savvier and smarter with their finances.
 

DATE: Wednesday, June 26
TIME: 7:00am-9:00am
LOCATION: The Coven (St. Paul)
COST: Free!
 

We know that men and women are different in many ways, but have you considered how they handle money differently as well? Women juggle a lot, and while managing the present is crucial, planning for the future is just as essential.

This fun and empowering workshop will leave attendees with actionable steps to kickstart one’s journey towards financial happiness, all while uncovering the intriguing secrets of how men and women approach money.

 

What is the MBEX Women's POWER series?
POWER, or Professionals Offering Women Engaging Resources, aims to empower women through educational events tackling the unique challenges they encounter on the job, by fostering connections, and elevating professional and personal journeys. From working on the jobsite, to in-office positions, and everything in-between, each workshop is open for ALL women working in construction to attend. Friends and allies of women in construction are also welcome to join in.

In 2024, the upcoming POWER workshops are revisiting familiar topics from our inaugural line-up, but this time around, each workshop will be guided by the incredible Nicole Middendorf, CEO of Prosperwell Financial and the visionary behind the Live It List.

 

Who is Nicole Middendorf?
Nicole is a financial expert, a knowledge junkie, a survivor, a single mom, and a born coach. In 2003, she boldly ventured out from Morgan Stanley to establish her own wealth management firm, Propserwell Financial. She’s also the author of five books, as well as a world traveler, a philanthropist, and a pro when it comes to public speaking. She is also the visionary behind the Live It List, a different take on one Bucket List.

Nicole believes the world needs more people—especially women—to be financially savvy, wholly independent, happy and living a life of balance. Through her writing, public speaking, coaching program and work, Nicole wants to be the one who supports them on all levels. Learn more about Nicole Middendorf

August

08.19.2024 MBEX POWER: Balance vs Blend - How to Have Blend (Not Balance) in Your Life

Say goodbye to the concept of balance and embrace the idea of a fulfilling blend.

DATE: Monday, August 19
TIME: 2:00pm - Workshop | 3:15pm - Happy Hour
LOCATION: Prosperwell Financial (Minnetonka)
COST: Free!

 

Nicole has been a single mother since her daughter was six months old, and her son was two. She learned the art of juggling motherhood and running a business, and she firmly believes that every woman can have it all.

Join us for this POWER workshop where attendees will leave with practical ideas to find that perfect blend of professional and personal that they’re dreaming of. 

 

What is the MBEX Women's POWER series?
POWER, or Professionals Offering Women Engaging Resources, aims to empower women through educational events tackling the unique challenges they encounter on the job, by fostering connections, and elevating professional and personal journeys. From working on the jobsite, to in-office positions, and everything in-between, each workshop is open for ALL women working in construction to attend. Friends and allies of women in construction are also welcome to join in.

In 2024, the upcoming POWER workshops are revisiting familiar topics from our inaugural line-up, but this time around, each workshop will be guided by the incredible Nicole Middendorf, CEO of Prosperwell Financial and the visionary behind the Live It List.

 

Who is Nicole Middendorf?
Nicole is a financial expert, a knowledge junkie, a survivor, a single mom, and a born coach. In 2003, she boldly ventured out from Morgan Stanley to establish her own wealth management firm, Propserwell Financial. She’s also the author of five books, as well as a world traveler, a philanthropist, and a pro when it comes to public speaking. She is also the visionary behind the Live It List, a different take on one Bucket List.

Nicole believes the world needs more people—especially women—to be financially savvy, wholly independent, happy and living a life of balance. Through her writing, public speaking, coaching program and work, Nicole wants to be the one who supports them on all levels. Learn more about Nicole Middendorf