PALO ALTO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / November 3, 2026 / The Illinois Construction Summit 2026 takes place Thursday, November 5, at the Westin Chicago Northwest, 400 Park Blvd, Itasca. The one-day event brings together contractors, construction owners, and industry experts from across Northern Illinois to share what is working on the job site and in the back office.
Itasca, Illinois, is the latest stop on the Construction Summit series, a nationwide lineup of regional events that brings construction leaders together in their own markets.
The summit is built for the people who run construction businesses: owners, executives, project leaders, and the teams that keep crews paid and projects compliant. Attendees will hear from industry experts, meet with solution providers on the expo floor, and connect with peers facing the same labor, compliance, and growth challenges.
Lumber and ABC Illinois are organizing the event, with Construction Owners as an official media partner.
"Lumber was built by people who came from construction, so we know the best ideas in this industry don't come from a slide deck. They come from contractors who've solved the same problems you're facing," said Shreesha Ramdas, CEO and co-founder of Lumber. "Illinois builders are dealing with tight labor, prevailing wage and union payroll complexity, and more pressure on every margin. This summit brings them together to share what's working, from the job site to payroll. We're proud to help bring it to Northern Illinois," said Shreesha Ramdas, CEO and Co-founder of Lumber.
The program runs from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM CT and covers leadership, safety, the economy, finance, workforce, and compliance. Featured sessions include:
- Lunch keynote: From Revenue to Results. Three general contractors representing small, medium, and large firms share how they manage cash flow, job profitability, change orders, and risk: Aaron Mills, Founder and CEO of DAAXIT; Chanelle Stum of Tu Construction; and Tim Burke, Vice President at RWE Design Build.
- Volatility Anyone? Scenarios for the Construction Sector. Chris Kuehl, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Armada Corporate Intelligence, on what the sector looks like through the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
- Prevailing Wage in Illinois: Compliance Challenges and the Role of AI Agents. Nigel Coelho, Head of Agentic Compliance at Lumber, on Illinois certified payroll requirements, what auditors look for, and how to stay audit-ready.
- Building Leaders at Every Level. Joel Thames, Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Workforce Development at ABC National.
- Total Human Health. Joe Xavier, Senior Director of Health and Safety at ABC National, on a whole-person approach to construction safety.
- OSHA Updates for 2026. Matthew Horn, Equity Partner at Amundsen Davis, on enforcement trends and managing an inspection.
Additional sessions cover recruiting and the workforce gap, HR's role in managing risk, and financial literacy for construction professionals. The day opens with registration and breakfast and closes with a cocktail hour. The full agenda is on the event page.
Event details
| Event | Illinois Construction Summit 2026 |
| Date | Thursday, November 5, 2026 |
| Venue | Westin Chicago Northwest, 400 Park Blvd, Itasca, IL 60143 |
| Tickets | Register through ABC Illinois |
| Event page | co-summit.com/northern-illinois-il |
Exhibitors can showcase their solutions and meet qualified decision-makers from across the region. Construction leaders and subject-matter experts interested in speaking can apply through the speaker form.
Join us in Itasca. If you build, run, or support a construction business in Illinois, we'd like to see you there. Spend a day with the contractors, owners, and experts shaping the industry, and leave with ideas you can put to work on Monday. Register on the event page.
Want to attend as our guest? Lumber has a limited number of free passes. Email marketing@lumberfi.com with your name, company, and role, and we'll send yours over.
About Lumber
Lumber is an integrated workforce platform built for construction. Founded by construction veterans, Lumber brings payroll, HR, and field productivity together in one end-to-end workflow, from field to back office. Its payroll covers union payroll, prevailing wage, certified payroll, and tax filing, and LumberAI agents handle work like union CBA checks, prevailing wage compliance, and time sheet review. Learn more at lumberfi.com.
SOURCE: Lumberfi
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire