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Buildings
 Last week, NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Frank Mruk attended the Northern New England Concrete Association (NNECA) Holiday Gala and Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth, NH. (Seen here, left to right, are Tim Latham, NNECA Board president and GM of Torromeo Industries/Kingston Ready Mix; Comedian Juston McKinney, Curtis Coleman, NNECA treasurer and president of Coleman Concrete; Frank Mruk and and Jon Kuell, NNECA executive director.) The event was hosted by Kuell with entertainment provided by McKinney. Event sponsors included Coleman Concrete, St. Marys Cement, Votorantim Cimentos, Chris Saint-Gobain, Heidelberg Matials, Sika, Dragon Cement, EM EcoMaterial Technologies and MAPEI. The Build With Strength program is a leader in supporting concrete excellence in design. For more information, contact Frank Mruk at fmruk@nrmca.org. 
SEO
Earlier this week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published rates for the percentages of the annual number of drivers employers who shall be randomly tested for both alcohol and controlled substances throughout 2025. Those rates remain unchanged from prior years: employers of drivers with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) will need to randomly test 10% of those drivers for alcohol and 50% of those drivers for controlled substances throughout 2025. According to FMCSA, “the Administrator must increase the minimum annual random testing percentage rate when the data received under the reporting requirements for any calendar year indicate that the reported positive rate is equal to or greater than 1.0 percent.“ The most recent data available places the positive rate above the threshold, thus the rates will remain at 10% for alcohol and 50% for controlled substances for 2025. Click here to review the DOT’s rates. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach.
Don’t miss the sponsorship opportunities for NRMCA's 19th Annual National Mixer Driver Championship. Review what’s available and lock in your spot today. For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins at jjenkins@nrmca.org. 
Association & Industry News
Former chairman of the NRMCA Board of Directors T. Michael Kaney died on December 13 at the age of 86. A lifelong resident of the Tampa, FL, area, Mr. Kaney was a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor's Degree in civil engineering in 1961. He then served in the Army Corp of Engineers from 1962-1964. Mr. Kaney worked for Florida Mining & Materials and predecessor companies from 1956 until his retirement as vice president. Throughout his career he was active in NRMCA, serving as Board chairman from 1995-1996. In 2013 he was awarded the Chairman's Award, since renamed the Robert A. Garbini Award, for extraordinary dedication and service to NRMCA. Mr. Kaney was also a member and president of the Florida Concrete & Products Association and president of the Concrete Institute of Florida. Other affiliations included the Florida Transportation Builders Association and Florida Lime Rock & Aggregates Institute.
The deadline for Early Bird registration for the NRMCA 2025 Annual Convention has been extended to Friday, January 10; register by close of business to save $125 off the regular registration fee. The convention will be held March 4 - 7 at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, AZ. Please note that NRMCA has introduced a third pricing tier for the event. On-site registration will be at a higher rate, so we encourage you to register early.
CONCRETEPAC sponsorship opportunities are now open. Your company has the chance to become an overall sponsor, swag sponsor or auction item sponsor/donor. If you company has sporting event tickets, vacation homes, access to exclusive golf courses, etc. please considering donating them to the CONCRETEPAC Hollywood Under the Stars Dinner & Auction being held on March 6 in Tucson, AZ, in conjunction with NRMCA’s Annual Convention. CONCRETEPAC sponsorships are used to underwrite the cost of CONCRETEPAC’s well attended events and can be made with corporate dollars. These events consistently sell out and are a great opportunity to showcase your brand in front of the top decision makers in the industry. Click here for more information and here to sign up for sponsorships online. The staff contact is Heather Houck. 
CONCRETEPAC’s Hollywood Under the Stars Dinner & Auction will take place on Thursday, March 6, at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass in conjunction with NRMCA’s Annual Convention. Please join us for a fun night as we pay tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood while enjoying dinner and a couple of French 75’s. The night will feature an open bar, dinner, live entertainment, access to the live and silent auction and CONCRETEPAC’s annual door prize drawing where you will have the chance to win a 2025 Polaris Xpedition XP or $30,000 cash. Space is limited and this event WILL SELL OUT so don’t delay. For information on how to register, contact Heather Houck.
Each year NRMCA administers a number of awards programs; deadlines for many of them occur early in a new year, so please consider nominating an applicable employee for the following awards:
Pavement
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) Concrete Parking Lots and Site Paving 330 Committee is excited to announce the publication of ACI SPEC-330.1-24, reports NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, Amanda Hult. The committee had spent months revising the specification to provide an updated document for the construction of concrete parking lots and site paving. Click here to access the document from the ACI website. For more information on ACI 330 Committee work, contact Amanda Hult. 
Learning & Development
School is in session! Your 2025 NRMCA annual course calendar has been published. We’ve made a few changes based on feedback from members (which you can review here). Please note these new features:
If you’d like to learn more about the learning and development portfolio, please read the January newsletter. You can also subscribe to the Workforce Development Committee roster to receive newsletters and meeting invitations directly to your inbox. Lastly, please be sure to check E-NEWS next week for an update on NRMCA sales training in 2025. 
Calendar
2025 February 3 - 7, Dallas March 4 - 7, Tucson, AZ March 18 - 21, Oklahoma City *Sold Out March 25 - 28, Honolulu April 8 - 11, Orlando, FL October 10 - 14, Orlando, FL |
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