[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 31 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E345-E346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING JIM WALTZE ON BECOMING PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATED 
                     GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 10, 2004

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like today to 
congratulate Jim Waltze, the CEO of construction industry leader 
Griffith Company, on being selected as president of the Associated 
General Contractors of America. Mr. Waltze is a visionary leader in an 
industry that is one of the pillars of our economy.
  Jim Waltze started in contracting at the age of 21, and in 1973 at 
age 28 he joined the Griffith Company, one of the top major 
construction firms in Southern California. His career at Griffith has 
been marked by regular promotions--to Chief Estimator in 1975, vice 
president/district manager in 1977 and executive vice president in 
1986. He was named president of the company in 1992, and added the 
titles of chief executive officer and board chairman in 1997.
  Under his leadership, Griffith Company has taken on some of the 
largest port projects in Southern California, including the $37 million 
Seaside Project for the Port of Los Angeles and the $71 million Pier T 
Project for the Port of Long Beach. He has been the driving force for 
innovation at the company, setting up a company wide strategic planning 
process and the development of divisions for specialty structures, 
underground projects and materials. The company has been a pioneer in 
computerized estimating and project management systems.
  The contributions of Jim Waltze go beyond the success of his company, 
however. He has been involved for most of his career in organizations 
that promote the economic health and high standards of the contracting 
industry. He has been a board member of the Associated General 
Contractors of California for two decades, and was elected to the 
National Board of Directors for the Associated General Contractors of 
America in 1987.
  The positions Jim Waltze has taken on with the AGC range from the 
Chairman of the

[[Page E346]]

Highway Division in 1995 to an active involvement in the group's Young 
Constructors Forum for students coming into the profession. He served 
from 1999-2001 as co-chairman of the National Quality Initiative, 
established by the Federal Highway Administration to ensure that the 
construction and maintenance of our interstates and national highways 
meets the highest possible standards. He has been an active member of 
the Transportation Information Program and Transportation California, 
groups that strive to ensure adequate resources are available for our 
state and federal highway systems.
  Jim Waltze has served for the past two years as vice president and 
senior vice president for Associated General Contractors of America, 
and he will be installed on March 12 as the chairman of the national 
group. The contractors of California are proud to be represented by one 
of their own this year.
  Mr. Speaker, the general contractors of America build our highways 
and airports, ports and dams, our military installations, government 
buildings and skyscrapers. Their dedication to excellence has helped 
our nation be the world's leader in quality construction, indeed in our 
quality of life. Visionary leaders like Jim Waltze continue to push the 
drive for excellence and innovation that will keep America the world 
leader into the future. Please join me in congratulating him and 
wishing him well as he takes the reins of the Associated General 
Contractors of America.

                          ____________________