WASHINGTON – Safety and innovation were recurrent themes at the 2018 North American Iron Workers/IMPACT Conference in Orlando, Florida, February 11-14. The conference set a new attendance record with more than 1200 attendees this year. Themed “Safer, Faster, Stronger,” it served as a platform to share innovative ideas and build partnerships.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Feb. 21, 2018) – Shapiro & Duncan announced that it has been recognized by The CEO Report during their 2018 annual awards ceremony at the Blind Whino South West Arts Club in Washington, D.C., for its continuous dedication to creatively cultivating and developing a successful culture in a collaborative fashion. The award ceremony championed companies who work harmoniously with employees to develop a positive and productive work environment.

CHICAGO, Ill. (Feb. 21, 2018) – Ryan Specialty Group LLC announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the assets and operations of New Day Underwriting Managers LLC (New Day), a specialty intermediary with offices in Hamilton, New Jersey. New Day will become part of R-T Specialty, LLC (RT Specialty), the wholesale brokerage unit of Ryan Specialty Group (RSG).

WASHINGTON (Feb. 26, 2018) — The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $1 trillion equipment finance sector, showed their overall new business volume for January was $6.9 billion, up 10 percent year-over-year from new business volume in January 2017.

WASHINGTON (Feb. 26, 2018) – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has produced the first-ever Small Firm Compensation Report, dedicated to the unique needs and structure of small architecture firms. The report includes data on compensation trends and employee demographics at small firms, which are defined as those legally structured as sole proprietorships (regardless of number of employees) and architecture firms with fewer than three architectural staff employees.