Patience and Persistence Leads to Pervious Paydirt

If you don’t believe that promotion is a long-term effort, just talk to Jim Murray from NRMCA producer member Rowe Materials in Fredericksburg, VA. Murray is chairman of the Northern Virginia Concrete Advisory Council’s Paving Committee. In January of 2011, Murray joined Hessam Nabavi, director of industry services for the Virginia Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (VRMCA) in hosting a presentation for a large Spotsylvania County developer. Nabavi had invited NRMCA Senior Director of National Resources Phil Kresge to make a presentation on pervious concrete to the developer’s real estate team. While there was an expressed interest from the developer, there was no immediate adoption of pervious concrete for any projects in their pipeline.

With a mix of patience and persistence, Murray remained in contact with the developer and continued to promote the benefits of pervious concrete for stormwater management and sustainable development. He is now happy to report that the developer has included pervious concrete in its plans for a commercial/residential mixed-use project in Fredericksburg. Though total square footage for the project is not yet available, it is known that an 8,000 square foot pervious concrete parking lot has been incorporated into the plans.

It has been said that good things come to those who wait, but 90 percent of being successful is just showing up. Murray credits the presentation by Kresge as having planted the seed for the switch to pervious concrete. But he also reminds others of the need to continually nurture the promotion effort.