The early bird deadline for NRMCA’s Annual Convention is this Friday, January 31. Register now to save $100 off of your registration fees. Note: Registration to the 2014 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Trade Show is included in your NRMCA Annual Convention registration fee. The NRMCA convention will be held March 1-3, 2014, at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. To make your hotel reservations, please contact the hotel directly at 1-855-435-0005 and reference group code: SNRMA4 or NRMCA 2014 Annual Convention to receive the NRMCA discounted room rate. The room block is almost sold out, so if you are attending the convention, make your hotel reservations now!

This year, our keynote speakers include Ken Simonson, chief economist for Associated General Contractors of America. We’ll get his take on current economic conditions and look ahead for strategies to face the coming challenges. We’ll hear from Francesco Biasioli, renowned civil engineer and secretary general of the European Ready Mixed Concrete Association about the sustainability movement. Also, we will learn about Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and their future for our industry from Kirsten Ritchie, director of sustainable design for Gensler, a global architecture and design firm. Finally, we’ll also conduct our annual Members’ Meeting and honor at the annual Awards Breakfast those people who embody the NRMCA vision of enriching, empowering and inspiring every day.

NRMCA Producer member Argos announced last week that it has agreed to purchase the South Georgia- and Florida-based cement and ready mixed concrete assets of NRMCA Producer member Vulcan Materials Company for $720 million. The assets to be acquired in the transaction include a cement plant in Newberry, FL, 69 ready mixed concrete plants with a fleet of 372 mixer trucks and an annual production capacity of 4.3 million cubic yards; and 13 concrete block production plants with a capacity of 109 million units per year. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval in the U.S. and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014. With this additional capacity, Argos will become one of the leading producers of cement in the southeast United States and among the 20 largest cement companies in the world, the company said.

 

Cementos Argos S.A. (OTCMKTS: CMTOY US and CMTRY US) is a Colombia-based company engaged in the production of cement, aggregates and concrete products. The company operates cement and concrete production plants located throughout Colombia, Central America, the Caribbean and the United States. The Argos USA operation currently includes 238 ready mix plants, two cement plants, one grinding facility, and 10 cement terminals, located throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Vulcan Materials Company is the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates, a major producer of asphalt mix and concrete and a leading producer of cement in Florida.

Source: Argos USA news release.

A fire that engulfed most of a seniors' residence in a Montreal neighborhood would probably have caused more damage and fatalities had the flames not hit a firewall, authorities say. The 3-story residence was built in 1997 and, five years later, the owners constructed a 2-story wing. The original building and the new wing were separated by a firewall. During the fire, the older part of the residence burned down while the addition was largely spared.

NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge and Art Crouse from NRMCA Producer member Berks Products recently met with representatives from Hillwood Investment Properties to discuss concrete pavement options for projects in the Northeast region. They provided Hillwood executives with a pavement recommendation for their West Hills Business Center project from NRMCA’s Design Assistance Program (DAP). Additionally, they answered questions about both conventional and Roller-Compacted Concrete pavement.

The Hillwood development director said he has used concrete pavement on many other projects across the country and he prefers concrete in most cases. The West Hills project was originally designed in asphalt on recommendations from local geotechnical engineers. He agreed to forward the DAP recommendations to the geotech for review.

Hillwood Investment Properties, a full-service industrial real estate development and acquisition company, is a subsidiary of Dallas-based Hillwood Development Company. Founded in 1988 by Ross Perot, Hillwood Development Co. is ranked today as one of the top industrial, commercial and residential real estate developers in the country.  As such, it has developed 34.2 million square feet, leased 34 million square feet and acquired 17.7 million square feet across 12 U.S. markets.

Kirsten Ritchie, principal and director of sustainable design for Gensler, the largest global architecture and design firm, is set to speak March 2 at the NRMCA Annual Convention in Las Vegas. Based in San Francisco, Ritchie works with some of the world's leading organizations to enhance the environmental performance of their buildings and operations. Previously, Ritchie, who is a civil engineer, was the director of the Environmental Claims Certification Program at Scientific Certification Systems, where she gained extensive experience certifying green materials. She also has also worked closely with top international companies to generate globally recognized standards for environmentally preferable and sustainable products. Among her association work, Ritchie was the operations chair for the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3), a joint collaboration of the San Francisco business community, San Francisco Department of the Environment, the Bay Area Council and the United Nations Global Compact.

She is a much sought after guest speaker who offers her vision and insight into environmental topics affecting today's competitive eco-sensitive landscape. Ritchie holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from University of California, Berkeley and California State University, San Jose, respectively.

The Winter edition of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, is now available online, including a number of timely and informative articles available only online, including Highlights of the 2013 NRMCA Industry Data Survey which analyzes 2012 data. This is one of NRMCA's most popular, and important, surveys - enabling ready mix companies the ability to measure their performance across a wide variety of platforms against their counterparts.

NRMCA has named Garland Sorrells of Southern Concrete Materials the Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year for 2014. A panel of industry judges selected Mr. Sorrells as the top driver from a group of outstanding applicants from all across the United States. Sorrells, whose home plant is located in Ashville, NC, was honored for his career achievements, safety record, professionalism, driving competency and customer service skills. He has worked for Southern Concrete Materials for more than 30 years and is the 2013 Carolina’s Ready Mixed Concrete Association Safe Driver of the Year. Gary Gresh, Southern Concrete Materials’ vice president of safety, wrote," Mr. Sorrells, a second generation concrete worker, is a 51-year heavy truck operator, has driven over one million road miles and boasts zero chargeable accidents on North Carolina roads, is the 'go to' guy for sensitive pours and customers, and is regularly seen and heard mentoring young and new mixer drivers".

Along with the winner, a runner-up was also selected by the judges. He is 23-year veteran mixer driver Hector Aguilera of CEMEX from Fairfield, CA. CEMEX Area Manager Steven Alexander wrote, "Hector was recognized by California Highway Patrol for saving a life when he blocked an erratic moving vehicle whose driver was suffering a seizure from a stroke."

As third-place finisher, the judges selected Mike Vinyard, 22-year veteran of CEMEX from Ontario, CA. Operations Manager Travis Johnson wrote, "Working together with our corporate wellness manager, Mike was the focus of a video about early detection of prostate cancer. Mike is an inspiration to all of us and has volunteered to help drivers and their families who are battling cancer."

As the winner of the 2014 award, Mr. Sorrells will receive a $5,000 check from the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau. As runner-up and third place, Mr. Aguilera and Mr. Vineyard will each receive $500. The 2014 Driver of the Year winner, second and third place finishers will be honored at NRMCA’s Annual Convention, Monday, March 3, in Las Vegas. The Chicago-based trade magazine Concrete Products is a cosponsor of the Driver of the Year program.

For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

This past Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) further extended the comment period for its proposal to overhaul the current permissible exposure limits (PELs) for "respirable" crystalline silica. Previously scheduled for Monday, January 27, comments are now due in 15 days on Tuesday, February 11. OSHA has not however, changed its public hearings start date of Tuesday, March 18. 

Click here to view OSHA’s extension notice. Click here to view the corresponding Federal Register notice. Click here to view the ready mixed concrete industry’s issue fact sheet. Click here to download template comments. The proposed rule, factsheets, frequently asked questions and comment submission information can be found at www.osha.gov/silica/.

NRMCA will host its first 2014 Plant Manager Certification class in Oklahoma City, March 25-28. Even though the class is two months away, half the seats are already filled. The next class not until August (in metro Washington, DC), so don't delay.

The concrete plant manager's position is the heart of the operations' aspect of a ready mixed concrete production facility. Every plant has one. Duties differ only slightly from plant to plant. It is of utmost importance that a plant manager understands the essential aspects of Product Knowledge, Plant Safety, Environmental Regulations, Plant Operations and Business Principals. The certification exam is designed to recognize those who have the specific skill levels in these areas. This certification can be found in many job requirement specifications in Army Corps of Engineers’ projects as well as state and local DOTs. 

The 2014 International Mixer Driver Championship will be held during the 2014 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, March 5. NRMCA is accepting driver applications through Friday, January 31. Who is eligible to apply? Winners of NRMCA’s National Mixer Driver Championship from 2011 through 2013, International Drivers and "At-Large" drivers. Entrants will be notified by Wednesday, February 5, of acceptance as a driver; official invitations will be sent shortly afterward.

Over the past decade, the green building movement has grown at an unprecedented rate. According to McGraw-Hill, the green building market is by far the fastest growing building segment and is forecast to expand to over 50% of the total building market by 2016. The US Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating system has steadily transformed the marketplace and has done so again with the newly released LEED v4. The new reporting requirements in LEED v4 will likely change the way companies do business and companies that take the initiative to understand the requirements and obtain the necessary documentation will gain a competitive advantage.

To understand these new requirements, take advantage of the education session at CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas on March 5 titled "New Reporting Requirements in LEED – What Will It Take to Grow Your Business" (Recycling and Preservation Track). The session will provide an overview of the new MR Disclosure and Optimization credits, the reports required by product manufacturers, including EPDs, CSRs and HPDs and what they mean for the concrete industry. This session will help participants learn how to turn their environmental practices into increased demand for their products and services. Attendees will also learn how to position their companies to be market leaders in the green building movement.

Media articles on Congress, transportation infrastructure, regulation, taxes and other subjects, each of which relate to the ready mixed concrete industry, are updated each week by NRMCA's Government Affairs staff. To access the most recent compilation of articles for the Week of January 20 - 24, 2014, please click here.

Earlier this month, the President signed the $1.1 trillion spending measure which will fund the federal government. It passed the Senate 72-26 on January 16 and the House 359-67 on January 15. This year’s bill consists of all 12 individual appropriations bills which fund the entire government through September 30. Construction spending at the Department of Transportation and the Army Corps of Engineers is increased over previous years and sequestration levels. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor have been held to lower budgets. A number of key policy riders were included such as the provision intended to stop the NLRB’s implementation of "e-Card Check" and giving Congress additional oversight over EPA’s review of mining permits.

More detailed breakdowns of key agencies can be found in the Omnibus Highlights document here. For more information, contact Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org or 240-485-1156.

NRMCA is sponsoring 70 education sessions at CONEXPO-CON/AGG, March 4-8 in Las Vegas, that will help concrete producers and contractors take full advantage of new market opportunities and meet the challenging demands of the construction business. The following 13 sessions will be presented or moderated by NRMCA staff (bold):

8:30-9:30 a.m. - "Control and Prevention of Concrete Cracking"

Presented by Tim Cost. Moderated by Colin Lobo.

1-2:30 p.m. - "Federal Employment Law Boot Camp"

Presented by Vickie Tyminski and Chip Wildman. Moderated by Eileen Dickson.

1-2:30 - "Concrete Overlays for Highways, Local Roads, Streets, and Parking Lots"

Presented by Michael Ayers and Jon Hansen. Moderated by Amy Miller.  

3-4 p.m. - "Concrete Pavement: How to Get the Biggest Bang for the Buck in Street and Local Road Applications"

Presented by Brian Killingsworth. Moderated by Glenn Ochsenreiter.

3-4 p.m. - "EORB Defined: Success, Challenges, and Embracing the Change"

Presented by Henry Prentice and Glen Bramer. Moderated by Eileen Dickson.

10-11:30 a.m., "New Reporting Requirements in LEED-What Will It Take to Grow Your Business?"

Presented by Lionel  Lemay and Tien Peng. Moderated by Doug O’Neill.

1-2:30 p.m. - "Design and Construction of Concrete Parking Areas"

Presented by Tim Cost and Amy Miller. Moderated by Jon Hansen. 

8:30-9:30 a.m. - "Driver and Job Site Safety – Something We Can All Live With"

Presented by Lee Hoffman, Lance Morgan, and David Conklin. Moderated by Eileen Dickson.

10-11:30 a.m. - " ‘Crack’ the Code on Your Concrete Delivery Ticket"

Presented by Ken Hover. Moderated by Colin Lobo.

1-2:30 p.m. - "Ten Tremendous Tales of Pervious Concrete"

Presented by Matt Offenberg. Moderated by Amanda Hult.

3-4 p.m. - "Recent Advances in the Design and Construction of RCC Pavements" 

Presented by Wayne Adaska, Brian Killingsworth, and Corey Zollinger. Moderated by Phil Kresge.

3-4 p.m. - "Federal Drivers’ Hours of Service Regulations in the Construction Industry"

Presented by Kevin Walgenbach. Moderated by Eileen Dickson.

10-11:30 a.m. - "Screen test: Performance Screening of Concrete materials and Proportions Using Thermal Testing"

Presented by Tim Cost. Moderated by Brian Killingsworth. 

Three registration packages are available: A one-person pass to all 120 sessions for $395; a one-day, one-person pass to choose among 30 sessions is $195 or each session is individually priced at $65.

NRMCA will host a 90-minute Webinar on Wednesday, February 19, aimed at providing ready mix sales managers with the critical skills of effective sales management that can help build a top performing sales team. This session is filled with tips and techniques to benefit both new and experienced ready mix managers. The fee is $50 per participant.

Topics include:

• Creating a sales "game plan" to "get, keep, and grow" business;

• Sales Coaching and Leadership basics;

• Motivating your ready mix sales team; and
* Evaluating sales performance and hiring potential top performers.

NRMCA's January Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, February 4, feature two timely and popular items from the publications catalog:

Cold Weather Concrete Driving Training Video - This short ready mixed concrete driver training DVD gives information on adjusting mixes for use in cold weather, provides drivers tips on how to properly deliver concrete in cold weather and offers suggestions that delivery professionals can make to customers with regard to placing concrete in cold weather. Include this video as part of your weekly driver meeting.

Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots - Save $100 by purchasing a 25-pack set of the Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots and receive a FREE copy of the Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots Flip Book. Normally a $179 value, now only $79 for a limited time.

• Guide to Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots - This 64-page book provides information for decision makers and practitioners about selecting, designing and constructing successful concrete overlays on existing asphalt parking lot pavements.

• Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots Flip Book – This flip book provides a primer to an industry promoter, concrete sales person and concrete contractor on the proven technology of using concrete to overlay and renew existing asphalt parking lots. Packed in 20 pages, in a popular flip book format, including presenter notes, this flip book touches on: "How and Why" concrete overlays work, "Rules of Thumb" for evaluating and exiting parking lot and determining concrete thickness, "Best Practices" for placing concrete overlays, and "Quick Case Studies" of successful projects.

February 6–7, Medellin, Colombia

International Concrete Sustainability Conference, Latin America

E-mail: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

February 10, Webinar 

Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part 2 is February 17)

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 11, Free Webinar

Concrete Buildings Redefined

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

February 11, Free Webinar

New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

February 11–12, Online Course

Designing Jointed Concrete Pavement for Streets and Parking Areas

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

February 11–13, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP III: General Business Knowledge

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 17, Free Webinar

Design Assistance Program and Joint Plan Assistance Program

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

February 18, Webinar

Understanding Asphalt

Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690

 

February 18–20, Silver Spring, MD

Dispatcher Training Forum

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 19, Webinar

Sales Management 101 for Ready Mix Sales Managers

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

February 24–27, Webinar

LCA of Concrete Structures

Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535

 

February 25, Free Webinar

Design Assistance Program and Joint Plan Assistance Program

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

February 25, Nashville, TN

Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program

Email: Darla Sparkman, dsparkman@tnconcrete.org

 

March 1–3, Las Vegas 

NRMCA Annual Convention

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

March 3, Webinar

The Quantifiable Advantages of Concrete Parking Lots

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

March 3, Webinar

Introduction to Concrete Pavement Analyst Program

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

March 4–8, Las Vegas

CONEXPO-CON/AGG

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

March 12, Free Webinar

STEPS™ A Long Term Career Tool for the RMC Industry

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

March 17, Webinar

Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

March 18, Webinar

Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

March 18–20, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

March 25, Webinar

Concrete Overlays for Streets and Local Roads and Parking Lots

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

March 25–28, Oklahoma City

Plant Manager Certification Course

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

 

April 7, Webinar 

Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part 2 is April 14)

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

April 16, Webinar

Building the Customer Relationship... in the Post-Recession Economy

Email: Eileen Dickson, 240-485-1164

 

May 6, Webinar

Soils 101

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

May 12–15, Boston

International Concrete Sustainability Conference

E-mail: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101

 

May 21, Webinar

Personal Leadership and Coaching

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

June 17, Webinar

Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

July 8, Webinar

Understanding Asphalt

Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690

 

August 19, Webinar

Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs

Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382

 

August 20, Webinar

Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

September 10, Webinar

Re-Entrepreneuring: 7 Strategies for Rebuilding Your Business in the New Economy

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154

 

November 19, Webinar

Sales Performance Assessments and Review for Ready Mix Sales Managers

Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154