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Association & Industry News
Early bird registration is open for NRMCA’s 2020 Annual Convention, scheduled for March 7-9 at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas. NRMCA’s Annual Convention is the venue to explore industry trends and network with your peers. The convention is co-located with the Portland Cement Association and the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association’s annual conventions; special discount pricing is available to those who are members of all three associations. In addition, these events immediately precede the CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show and convention attendees receive significant discounts on show registration and seminar tickets when they register for the show at the same time via the link listed below. NRMCA has contracted a block of rooms at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas at a discounted rate of $319/night plus applicable taxes with a daily resort fee of $25/night plus applicable taxes. We encourage you to register for the convention and, once registered, you will be directed to make your hotel reservations. The reservations cutoff date is Tuesday, February 11, 2020, or whenever the room block sells out, whichever occurs first. The room block is reserved for attendees of the NRMCA 2020 Annual Convention. Click here to access the event registration link and more information on the convention itself. For more information, please contact Senior Director of Meetings Jessica Walgenbach at 703-706-4852. The estimated ready mixed concrete produced in September 2019 is 35 million cubic yards, 12.6% higher than that in September 2018. The estimated production in the U.S. for 2019 through September is 281 million cubic yards, 3.6% higher than that during the same period in 2018. Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. More detail, including production by state for the 3rd quarter of 2019, is available to NRMCA members here. 
SEO
Last week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced “that it is increasing the minimum annual percentage rate for random controlled substances testing for drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) requiring a commercial driver’s license (CDL) from the current rate of 25 percent of the average number of driver positions to 50 percent of the average number of driver positions, effective in calendar year 2020.” As per a 2001 rule titled, ‘‘Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing’’ (66 FR 43097), the “FMCSA 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. Based on the results of the 2018 FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Testing Survey the positive rate for controlled substances random testing increased to 1.0 percent. Therefore, the Agency will increase the controlled substances minimum annual percentage rate for random controlled substances testing to 50 percent of the average number of driver positions.” FMCSA estimates the change will cost the trucking industry, as a whole, an increase of roughly $50 to $70 million annually due to more drivers needing to be tested. The increase from 25% to 50% testing rate for controlled substances became effective January 1, 2020. The annual alcohol random testing rate of 10% remains unchanged. Click here to review the notice. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. 
Buildings
This Build With Strength activity report summarizes activity in state and local legislation for the remainder of 2019. Locations of interest are municipalities throughout New Jersey and Massachusetts along with the cities of Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Click here to access the advocacy report. For more information, contact John Loyer at jloyer@nrmca.org.
Build With Strength (BWS) has partnered with the Commonwealth of Kentucky - Office of Energy Policy to host three events pertaining to Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) construction for energy and disaster resilience. Titled “A Pathway To Energy & Disaster Resilience: An ICF Symposium And Training Event,” BWS is hosting events beginning in late January for Kentucky-based construction professionals. Each event will offer a view on building construction risks and opportunities as human and economic losses from disasters increase, with the overarching goal of supporting and advancing resilience in future construction. It will describe why and how innovative concrete systems like ICFs are helping transform the way we can build energy and disaster resistant buildings. The first event is scheduled for January 29, 2020. Details, including an agenda and registration details, can be found here along with dates and locations for the remaining two events. The Kentucky event is free; it's being sponsored by Kentucky's Office of Energy Policy. Registration priority will be given to professionals with a Kentucky mailing address. For more information, contact James Bogdan at jbogdan@nrmca.org or 412-420-4138. 
Government Affairs
NRMCA is still accepting entries for its 2020 Kids' Art Contest, sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau. The theme for this year’s contest is “Safety.” The contest is open to children up to Grade 12 who have a relationship to an NRMCA member.
Entries should be mailed or delivered to Taylor Drzewicki, NRMCA, 66 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 250, Alexandria, VA 22314. For more information please contact Taylor Drzewicki at tdrzewicki@nrmca.org or 703-706-4836. 
Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. January 8, Free Webinar January 14 – 16, Nashville, TN January 21 – 24, Cincinnati *Sold Out January 27 – 31, Ontario, CA January 28 – 30, Orlando, FL January 28 – 30, Dallas January 29, Louisville, KY February 6, Omaha, NE February 11 – 12, Orlando, FL February 20, Castle Hayne, NC February 25 – 28, Miami March 7 – 9, Las Vegas March 10 – 14, Las Vegas March 17 – 19, Dallas March 24 – 27, Boston April 28 – May 1, New Orleans September 27 – 29, Aurora, CO December 15 – 18, Phoenix 
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