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Each year, the Murphy family piles into a rented limo bus for a Christmas adventure. Where they’re going is always a surprise.
“My parents rent a limo bus so we can all ride together,” says Thomas “Murph” Murphy, who counts among his immediate circle two parents, four siblings, nieces, nephews and two children of his own. With a family that now numbers 26, logistics alone could be daunting—but the Murphys have made it work for decades.
The tradition began in the early 2000s, after Murphy’s grandmother passed away and left the family a small inheritance. “My parents said, ‘We can give everybody gifts, or…,’” Murphy recalls. Instead, they chose a shared experience—a waterpark trip that proved such a hit it became an annual ritual. Since then, Christmas has brought theme parks, surprise destinations and even a rented Buffalo Sabres practice rink for a full-family hockey game.
“For us, family’s so important,” Murphy says. “Getting together and doing something like that is way more memorable than a gift someone may never use.”
That emphasis on relationships is central to who Murphy is—and how he plans to lead. Vice President at Scottsville, New York’s PCG Inc., Murphy will serve as ABC’s 2026 national chair. Before you get to know him in that role, he says it helps to understand his foundation.
“I live by four things,” Murphy says. “Faith, family, PCG and ABC.” At the center of them all is faith.
KEEP THE FAITH
About a year and a half ago, Murphy and his girlfriend, Cheryl Marie, were leaving church when their pastor noticed Murphy’s ABC shirt and stopped to ask what the letters stood for. “I explained that we start every national meeting with a prayer,” Murphy says.
A few days later, the pastor called back—this time to ask for help with a church expansion project. While the work wasn’t something PCG handled directly, Murphy offered his support as both a man of faith and a merit-shop advocate. He helped review bids and worked with the construction team to find the right fit.
One bidder was an ABC member Murphy knew well. When the contractor learned the project was for Murphy’s church and that the church hoped to work with an ABC member, they committed not only to the job but to making it affordable.
“I’m happy to say the project was finished in December 2025,” Murphy says. “It’s amazing how important relationships between ABC members can be.”
Those relationships mirror Murphy’s approach to faith: fully committed. He believes that same all-in mindset has guided his career and his service to the association.
At the time of writing, Murphy was—quite literally—in a limo with his family, heading to another mystery Christmas adventure. Next on his calendar, however, is a nationwide journey to ABC chapters across the country, bringing with him the same family-first energy.
After all, Murphy says, “What is ABC if not a family?”
OPPORTUNITY ABOUNDS
Murphy’s work ethic took shape early. At 13, he biked to his first job as a golf-course caddy. Landscaping followed, then an opportunity with a general contractor. While in college, another door opened through a ready-mix concrete company—and Murphy walked right through it.
“I went out and got certified to test concrete and became the youngest certified person in New York state at the time,” he says.
For three years, Murphy balanced concrete work with his business administration studies at the State University of New York at Fredonia. After graduation, he took a detour into sales with a food distribution company—a move that didn’t last.
“My godfather told me, ‘You’re too excited about construction. You need to go back,’” Murphy recalls.
He did just that, returning to the concrete industry and working his way from sales to operations to general manager. In 2007, another opportunity arose at PCG, where Murphy led the aggregates division and helped build a state-of-the-art plant.
“I spent nine years dealing with permit modifications, legislators and the governor,” he says. “That’s where ABC really helped me.”
STANDING IN THE HALL OF FAME
Murphy’s ABC involvement began almost immediately after joining PCG, an ABC member since 2005. His service has included two terms as chair of ABC Empire State, roles as chapter secretary and Northeast region vice chair, service on executive and government affairs committees, time as an ABC PAC trustee and repeated stints as a chapter chair mentor.
Along the way, he’s earned recognition, including induction into Who’s Who of America and placement on City & State New York’s Construction Power 100 list in 2023. But one honor stands above the rest:“Outside of being national chair, that’s the biggest honor I’ve ever had,” Murphy says of his induction into the ABC Empire State Hall of Fame.
Still, accolades aren’t his motivation. “Peer recognition is nice,” he says, “but it’s not my driving goal. When people feel they can reach out to me and trust me—that matters most.”
Murphy credits ABC with tangible benefits for PCG, from STEP and AQC to political advocacy. He even modeled PCG’s strategic plan after ABC’s. “That tells you how strong our ties are,” he says. “Now it’s my turn to give back.”
AMBITION AHEAD
As national chair, Murphy plans to advance ABC’s STEP and AQC initiatives—programs that have significantly benefited PCG, an AQC and STEP Diamond member. He also brings a perspective shaped by doing business in New York, where union dynamics are a daily reality. “I want people to talk to me about union organizing,” he says. “Talk to me about how project labor agreements affect us.”
Murphy is equally focused on political advocacy. “I want people to know we’re using our PAC dollars to support those who support the merit shop philosophy,” he says.While the national chair schedule is demanding, Murphy prioritizes meaningful engagement. “I’ll go where I’m needed most,” he says.
Support comes from home, too. His girlfriend, a project manager in the construction industry, understands the demands of the role. “She gets ABC,” Murphy says. “We can talk construction, and that’s pretty cool.”
And the support runs even deeper: Murphy recently welcomed his daughter, Carley, a newly graduated physician assistant, and her longtime boyfriend into his home. “They can live rent-free,” he says with a laugh, “as long as they do the cleaning, mowing and snow blowing.”
His eldest son, Jake, is building his career in Rochester. “I’m very proud of who my kids have become,” Murphy says.
As Murphy prepares for his official debut at ABC Convention 2026 in Salt Lake City, there’s still more to know about him: He’s a devoted Buffalo Bills fan, a fitness enthusiast with a full home gym, a Harry Potter devotee sorted into Slytherin—and, when there’s an Irish pub nearby, an avid kayaker.
Thomas Murphy wears many hats, but one constant remains. With a career built on faith, family and opportunity, he’s ready to lead ABC the same way he lives his life—fully committed, relationships first.
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The post Family First: ABC’s 2026 National Chair Thomas Murphy first appeared on Construction Executive.
