50 Years of Advocacy: Standing Up for the Merit Shop

For 50 years, ABC Heart of America has worked to ensure that every contractor has the opportunity to compete, win work, and build their business based on value, performance, and people. That commitment has never changed. It is who we are.  

From day one, our members have believed in a simple principle: everyone should have the freedom to build and work without being boxed out by politics or special interests. As we celebrate our anniversary year, that belief continues to guide us in all we do.  

ABC Heart of America is the leading advocate for the merit shop in Missouri and Kansas. We are active where it matters: in city halls, state capitals, and on Capitol Hill. We show up when others hesitate. We move first because our members lead passionately and because the future of open competition depends on it. 

We fight for fair and open competition. We support policies that help contractors grow and expand their workforce. We push back against mandates that drive up costs, limit opportunity, and make it harder for people to work. We defend workforce programs built around freedom of choice and employer leadership so more people can start meaningful careers in the trades. At every level of government, we make the case that the merit shop benefits workers, taxpayers, and the communities they serve.  

Our advocacy is effective because it is member-driven. The Government Affairs Committee sets priorities and gives contractors a seat at the table when decisions are made. Members participate directly by meeting with lawmakers, speaking at hearings, opening their job sites for tours, and sharing their stories. That personal involvement is foundational, as policymakers need to hear from the people on the ground who are building, creating jobs, and serving their communities. 

We also recognize that ideas alone are not enough. To win, we have to engage politically. That means building relationships, supporting leaders who understand our values, and raising resources through our PAC efforts. It is not always easy work, but it is necessary. When bad policy is in motion, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.  

Our mission is to protect an industry that feeds families and strengthens our states. Across Missouri and Kansas, we continue to defeat the adversaries of free markets and limited government with facts, solutions, and persistence. Every time merit shop contractors speak up, we make it harder for special interests to control the rules that govern our work. Every time you show the real faces behind our industry, you remind people that this is not about politics. It is about builders. It is about small businesses and family companies. It is about the many men and women who get up every day and put their skill to work across our communities. 

Our story is one of progress. We have won key legislative fights. We have protected open competition. We have built a pipeline of talent and helped hundreds of apprentices launch careers. We have kept government from getting in the way of innovation and investment. None of this happened by accident. It happened because members stayed engaged. 

Looking ahead, we will keep doing what works. We will promote good ideas, champion commonsense reforms, and support policies that let businesses grow and people work. We will stand firm against efforts to mandate who contractors can hire or how they run their business. We will work to expand opportunity and make sure every person has a fair shot at success in the trades. 

We are proud of the last 50 years. But we are even more excited about what comes next. Our region is growing. Major projects are reshaping our communities. And the need for steady leadership is stronger than ever. ABC Heart of America will continue to lead from the front. We will continue to fight for the merit shop. And we will continue to focus on people: family business owners, apprentices building their futures, workers building our nation, and communities who rely on this industry.  

This anniversary year is a celebration of our members. Current and past merit shop leaders are the reason we stand where we do today. Their belief in free enterprise and fair, open competition has kept our industry strong. Their willingness to show up, speak out, and lead has made all the difference in our advocacy.    

Thank you for the work you do every day and will continue to do.  

For the Merit Shop,  

Marcos Zelada-Rodas