The Utility & Transportation Contractors Association of New Jersey (UTCA) held its 49th annual convention and trade show Sept. 18 through Sept. 21 at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.
On Friday, Sept. 19, equipment dealers and construction services companies met with Garden State contractors (and contractors from neighboring states) during the trade show in the Grand Exhibition Center. The Annual Awards Luncheon began at noon, where the Larry Gardner Memorial Award was presented to Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC, a law firm based in Philadelphia, Pa. Each year, this award is given to a UTCA member who has demonstrated outstanding service to the association.
The Awards Luncheon’s keynote speaker, sponsored by Penn-Jersey Machinery and Tilcon, was JB Bernstein. He is the CEO of Access Group, an athlete management firm and chief marketing officer of Seven Figures Management, a sports marketing and athlete representation firm. Bernstein is best known for setting up an Indian reality TV contest called “The Million Dollar Arm.” The winner received a prize of $100,000 with an opportunity to win a $1 million bonus round afterward. Additionally, the winner received formal training in the United States with the possibility of being selected as a pitcher for a Major League Baseball team. The two 2008 winners, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Kumar Patel, were signed to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bernstein’s involvement with Singh and Patel led to the film, “Million Dollar Arm” and was portrayed by Jon Hamm.
