NRMCA’s Mullings Retires After 50 Years

Last week’s NRMCA Annual Convention 2024 in Tampa, FL, marked the end of an era with the retirement of NRMCA Executive Vice President, Operations and Compliance, Gary Mullings. For the last 50 years, Mullings has been a constant staple of the Association and ready mixed concrete industry. His imprint has been far-reaching and responsible for much of the industry's growth and heightened profile. Mullings was celebrated through several standing ovations at committee meetings, member tributes, toasts, awards and gifts. At the Safety, Environmental and Operations (SEO) Committee meeting and the Board of Directors’ meeting, videos were shown to highlight his time in the industry and how much he has meant to so many, for so many years. The videos can be accessed here and here.

Mullings was also honored with the renaming of the NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship (NMDC) champion’s trophy, now known as the Mullings Cup, to be awarded to future First Place winners. The annual Joseph E. Carpenter Award, given to an individual in recognition of a lifetime devotion, dedication and contribution to the ready mixed concrete industry in the fields of safety, environmental and operations, was also renamed the Carpenter-Mullings Award to align with their respective achievements.

Finally, in addition to numerous gifts from individual members and companies, Mullings was given a trip for him and his wife, Linda, to play golf at the world-famous Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill golf courses in California, followed by a week’s vacation in Hawaii. This retirement gift was made possible through the numerous and generous contributions made by NRMCA member individuals to thank him for his dedication, passion, friendship, humor and unforgettable memories.

In his time at NRMCA, Mullings served as the staff liaison to the SEO Committee, which oversaw issues pertaining to fleet and plant operations as well as compliance issues dealing with environmental and safety. His primary responsibility was the Association’s regulatory compliance efforts with federal agencies such as OSHA, EPA and FMCSA. Mullings also oversaw the Association’s Workforce Development and Education Division, Fleet Benchmarking Program, Driver of the Year Program, Green-Star Plant Certification, Environmental Excellence Program and Safety Contest and Benchmarking Program.

During Mullings’ early career years with NRMCA, he was the manager of the NRMCA Research Laboratory in College Park, MD. He authored numerous technical papers and trade publication articles. Mullings attended the University of Maryland and is a Certified Concrete Technologist, a principal instructor and primary developer for the NRMCA Technical Short Course on Concrete and Aggregates, NRMCA Safety Course, NRMCA Dispatcher’s Forum, NRMCA Environmental Course and NRMCA’s Plant Manager Certification Course. He was the 2009 Joseph E. Carpenter Award winner and the recipient of the 2014 Richard D. Gaynor Award for excellence in research, engineering and standards. He was also the recipient of the 2015 NRMCA’s Chairman Award for outstanding service to the concrete industry.

Mullings is a member of the American Standards of Testing Materials (ASTM), the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the National Safety Council and the ATA Maintenance Council. He has also been a frequent speaker for numerous state DOT, state associations and national industry meetings.

He and Linda reside in Cloverly, MD. When he’s not golfing, he regularly spends his free time with his two daughters, their husbands and their three grandchildren.

NRMCA and its members thank Gary Mullings for his contributions to the industry and the Association, his friendship, dedication and passion, and congratulate him on a well-earned and deserved retirement.

The staff contact is Kevin Walgenbach.