The European Ready Mixed Concrete Organization (ERMCO) 27th Annual Congress was held earlier this month in Istanbul, Turkey, and as an affiliate member of ERMCO, NRMCA was invited to attend and participate in the proceedings. NRMCA Chairman of the Board Allen Hamblen and staff member Tien Peng represented NRMCA, and updated the membership of the important role of concrete in North American economic recovery.

The Congress was structured in four sessions: sustainability of concrete solutions; contribution of concrete to society; advances in concrete production and use; and marketing and management. The keynote speaker was Professor Surendra P. Shah, distinguished emeritus professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. Peng also delivered two papers, "Enhancing Community Resiliency With Ready Mixed Concrete" and "Product Transparency: North American Experiences Towards EPDs, CSRs And HPDs For Concrete" to the international audience of 350 industry professionals.