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Association & Industry News
The estimated ready mixed concrete produced in January 2019 is 23.4 million cubic yards, 11% higher than that in January 2018. The estimated production in the U.S. for 2018 is 359 million cubic yards. Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. More detail is available to NRMCA members here. 
SEO
The 2019 Fleet Benchmarking Survey is filled out by industry fleet managers and/or financial managers early each year, based on data gathered from the previous calendar year’s performance. This year’s form includes new questions on mixer drum composition, idle time and types of fuel being used. The Fleet Benchmarking Survey is used to establish industry benchmarking norms and procedures. Information gathered from the survey is published in a full report in Concrete InFocus magazine each autumn. A shorter Executive Summary of the survey is also made available to all. The deadline to submit entries to Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org has been extended to Wednesday, May 1. Click here for more information and to download the 2019 Fleet Benchmarking Survey. NRMCA’s Annual Safety Award acknowledges the significant contribution that safety work practices gives to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry as a whole. The NRMCA Annual Safety Award is presented to an individual or company whose actions represent the very highest in the advancement of safety in the ready mixed concrete industry. The award program is generously sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB).
NRMCA’s Commitment to Environmental Excellence Awards competition offers producers national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound management practices in their operations. The program salutes companies that have not only met, but surpassed governmental compliance measures and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through plant and staff investment. Any NRMCA member company producing ready mixed concrete from a fixed plant location in the U.S., its territories or Canada is eligible to enter. Awards will be determined upon individual plant merits. Winning entrants will be honored at the Awards Luncheon at NRMCA‘s ConcreteWorks this October in Kissimmee, FL. Winners will also be featured in a 2019 edition of NRMCA’s Concrete InFocus magazine and Concrete Products magazine. All entries and photos must be e-mailed to gmullings@nrmca.org by Friday, July 26. Click here for more information on and to download the entry form along with staff contact. Does your facility need to report to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Program? Have you run the calculations to determine if your facility does? Do you know what the requirements are and/or how to report if necessary? Now’s the time to obtain answers to all of these questions. Remember, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) TRI Program “tracks the management of more than 650 toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment.“ Specifically, “U.S. facilities in certain industry sectors must report annually how much of each chemical is released to the environment and/or managed through recycling, energy recovery and treatment.” This information is then submitted annually to EPA and compiled in the TRI. Facilities that handle toxic chemicals, including ready mixed concrete plants, are required to calculate the quantities that were handled and if any quantity is over an allowable threshold, that chemical and amount need to be reported under the program. Should a facility need to report, the reporting deadline is July 1, 2019. Click here for more on the program, listed chemicals, potential for reporting and when/how to report. You may also contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. 
Last Wednesday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee opened a forum to solicit stakeholder input to help formulate an infrastructure bill; it then announced that it would hold a Member Day on Wednesday, May 1, to hear from Members of Congress about their priorities for the bill. NRMCA expects to participate in both of these opportunities. There are a number of open questions surrounding the politics and practicalities of an infrastructure bill, not the least of which is whether any proposed legislation can gain broad bipartisan support within the committee. The committee is likely to consider a bill in late May or early June; leadership hopes to consider it on the floor of the House before August. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org. We are requesting that you let NRMCA Government Affairs know which Members of Congress you have relationships with – whether you went to college with them, have a presence in their district, play golf together on occasion or contribute to their campaign. This knowledge will help us leverage the industry’s clout and guide us in setting up meetings with Members of Congress. If you have a relationship or connection with a Member of Congress, please contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org and let him know. 
Pavement
The NRMCA-ASCC Joint Paving Committee has posted a parking lot tool kit in the public domain of the ASCC Website, reports Jon Hansen, senior vice president of local paving and NRMCA liaison to the ASCC Board of Directors. The items in the took kit are a collection of relevant material from NRMCA and ASCC, along with some new tools developed by the Joint Paving Committee. One new item that will be of interest is a new parking lot specific pre-construction check list. With all these items being in the public area of the Website, you do not need to be either an ASCC or NRMCA member to access the information. Click here to check out the parking lot tool kit. For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org. NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Phil Kresge recently presented at a lunch and learn at the Lynchburg, VA, offices of Hurt and Proffitt Engineering. The program was also attended by Hurt and Proffitt’s Blacksburg, VA, office via an internet connection. The lunch and learn was sponsored by the Virginia Ready Mixed Concrete Association and was coordinated by VRMCA Promotions Director Hessam Nabavi. Kresge’s presentation, ACI 330: The Gold Standard for Concrete Parking Lot Design, was well received, with plenty of open discussion during and after the program. Immediately following the presentation, one of the engineers contacted one of his clients regarding two projects currently in design and informed that he would be providing concrete pavement designs. With offices in Lynchburg, Blacksburg, Roanoke and Wytheville, Hurt and Proffitt provides multi-discipline planning and design services, including site, civil and geotechnical engineering, throughout much of Virginia. For more information, contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org. Government Affairs
The Third Annual Cement and Concrete Fly-In was held April 9-10 in Washington, DC. Hosted by the Portland Cement Association and the North American Concrete Alliance, the event brought more than 140 industry executives and professionals from 12 associations to the nation's capital. The collective lobbying efforts of the group resulted in more than 130 meetings with Members of Congress and staff; advocating on issues important to the cement and concrete industry, including infrastructure, climate, resilient construction and trucking. More than 30 representatives of NRMCA companies attended the Fly-In, talking to representatives, senators and their staffs about the issues impacting the ready mixed concrete industry. Thank you to the dedicated NRMCA members who attended and represented the industry on Capitol Hill. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org. The Annual Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-In is taking place May 14-15 in Washington, DC. If you have not yet registered, please do so by clicking here and securing your place. The TCC Fly-In will be an opportunity for targeted NRMCA meetings with Members of Congress critical to the decision-making process and influential in the jurisdictions and committees in which we are actively pursuing priorities. Perfectly timed to coincide with the consideration of an infrastructure bill in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, this Fly-In will allow us to be in Washington at the most impactful time. Please consider attending and contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org with questions or for assistance. 
Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. April 30, Salt Lake City May 1, Charlotte, NC May 14 - 16, Portland, OR November 11 - 15, Baltimore December 10 – 13, Orlando, FL 
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