Jeffrey Nielsen’s background has aptly prepared him for his new role as chapter president of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Greater Houston.
Construction has always been part of Nielsen’s life, whose father was a civil engineer. In addition to this new role with ABC of Greater Houston, he has spent the past 20 years as executive vice president of the Houston Contractors Association, representing members of the association for the City of Houston, Harris County or any of the surrounding jurisdictions on issues relating to the civil construction industry.
“My dad always enjoyed tinkering around with stuff, so I sort of picked it up from him, and I have always been interested in ABC,” Nielsen said, calling the association “one of the ‘big dogs’ on the block” due to both its local and national scope and influence.
Academically, the Houston-born Nielsen attended Lee High School and then the University of Houston, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in political science. His connections at Houston City Hall led him to ABC of Greater of Houston.
ABC of Greater Houston oversees the construction of high-rises, strip malls “and everything in between,” Nielsen said. The association works to keep plants and refineries in the Houston Ship Channel running, while also acting as a mediator between the construction industry and the public. It represents the industry by bringing the strength of all of its members to bear, Nielsen said, by negotiating industry-related issues such as “how policies and procedures are set, how bidding is done, and things of that nature.”
Nielsen’s primary function with ABC of Greater Houston is to help the association represent the commercial and industrial construction industry, fighting to uphold free enterprise principles and protect every company’s right to fair and open competition.
“We represent the interests of the contractor, set standards for our industry, keep competition fair, and protect the health and safety of our employees,” he said. “My job is to keep ‘my eye on the prize’ and make sure that the association runs as smoothly as possible.”
Nielsen’s biggest objective as ABC of Greater Houston’s new leader is to increase the association’s membership while ensuring current members remain satisfied.
“We can do that by providing outstanding customer service to all of our members,” he said.
Another challenge in this regard is the upkeep of public engagement, ensuring the association and its members receive proper exposure.
“I want to see all of the events we put on ‘kicked up a notch,’” he said.
In his brief time since March 2022 as ABC of Greater Houston’s president, Nielsen said he has already learned three essential truths: the importance of flexibility, the idea that anything can be improved upon and there is always a more efficient way to do something.
“We need to be able to bring the next level of service to our members. We need to be fresh, new, innovative, and we need to be constantly reviewing every aspect of what we do to make sure we stay current.”
While overseeing the continued rapid expansion of industry in Houston and simultaneously keeping the industrial market healthy, Nielsen’s ambitious goal is to make ABC of Greater Houston “the largest and most powerful chapter in the nation,” he said. “I want us to be No. 1.”
Membership “is always a challenge,” Nielsen explained, so he intends to prioritize “finding new ways to keep members happy with the value ABC of Greater Houston offers.”
Public engagement will also be a prime focus for Nielsen, as he aims to keep ABC of Greater Houston’s objectives “front and center with elected officials ... we need to have relationships with them at the city, state, county and federal levels.”
