NRMCA Highlights Value of Residential Concrete at International Builders Show

NRMCA’s Build With Strength initiative sponsored a 20x30 exhibit and three separate education events at this year’s International Builders Show held in Las Vegas from January 31 through February 2. All showcased the unique advantages concrete can provide as a viable alternative to stick frame construction. Attendance at the show returned to levels not seen since 2008, reports NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Donn Thompson.

In the Building System Council Lounge, Jerry Reimer, founder and CEO of the Omaha-based development and property management company Urban Waters, helped builders and developers understand the business advantages of working with insulating concrete forms and concrete floor systems. He highlighted the ease of making the switch from stick built to concrete exterior walls and floors throughout his single- and multi-family to rent buildings.

Thompson and his NRMCA colleague Lionel Lemay also participated in a Coffee and Conversations Networking Event – Learn Concrete Construction which provided an opportunity for attendees to find answers to their questions about working with concrete for single- and multi-family applications. Vocational training, large scale contemporary development and aesthetic options were among the topics discussed during the interactive session.

On the last day of the show, Reimer was once again featured as part of a panel discussion titled Let's Debate! The Pros & Cons of Stick vs. Systems Built, sharing the stage with representatives from panelized stick, cold formed steel, modular and structural insulated panel systems. He offered a practical contrast based on the less complicated process concrete offers, an approach more workable for builders of all sizes and levels of sophistication. He credited Build With Strength with providing the support he needed to make a smooth transition to ICFs.

For more information, contact Donn Thompson at dthompson@nrmca.org.