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Association & Industry News
NRMCA congratulates the 35 rising-star executives selected for the 2021 Developing Industry Leaders (DIL) program: • Mike Acton, territory manager, Master Builders Solutions USA, LLC, Beachwood, OH Click here to learn more about the program. For more information, contact Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org. NRMCA is looking for individuals to serve on the Board of Directors. While serving on the Board requires both commitment and energy, it is a rewarding opportunity to give back to the industry. The Nominating Committee encourages nominations from diverse backgrounds to ensure the Board is reflective of the Association’s membership. The basic requirements, in addition to a willingness to be an active and engaged participant, stipulate that each candidate must be committed to promoting NRMCA programs and working in the best interest of its membership and the industry as a whole while operating in accordance with NRMCA’s Strategic Plan and Vision 2030 objectives. The Board provides strategic direction, fiduciary oversight and governance of the organization’s operations. Employees of NRMCA Producer members in good standing are eligible to serve. Click here to review the NRMCA Board Job Description. To nominate a candidate, please complete and submit this form to Heather Houck at hhouck@nrmca.org. Self-nominations are accepted. The deadline for nominations is Friday, July 23. NRMCA’s Member to Member (M2M) benefit program continues to provide more value to its members and is pleased to announce the newest program partner, the Amalgamated Life Insurance Company, to the growing list of M2M providers. Amalgamated Life Insurance, founded in 1943, is a provider of comprehensive insurance solutions operating in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Working closely with employers, plan sponsors, brokers and benefit consultants, Amalgamated Life offers an extensive suite of group insurance and voluntary benefits. Click here to view the updated M2M webpage where you can explore all offerings. Neither membership in NRMCA nor participation in the M2M Benefits Program can in any way be construed as an endorsement, explicit or implicit, of any company, product or service by the Association. NRMCA accepts no responsibility in any dispute between supplier and customer. The M2M Benefits Program is intended solely as an informational service. Participating companies are responsible for insuring all M2M Benefit information is correct and up-to-date. For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins at jjenkins@nrmca.org. 
Engineering
NRMCA is offering its one-day course Improving Concrete Quality, intended for concrete producers, ingredient material suppliers, engineers and testing labs, online between June 3 and 17. Improved concrete quality can benefit all stakeholders in a concrete construction project. This course will address the following questions:
Course instructors are Kevin MacDonald, Ph.D., FACI, Beton Consulting Engineers LLC, and Karthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E. at NRMCA. Producers will learn readily implementable steps to manage variability and attain a more consistent product; ingredient suppliers will learn how material variation affects concrete variation; engineers will learn the opportunity for improving quality through specifications and testing lab professionals will learn to measure and improve testing quality. Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will earn 8 professional development hours, a certificate of completion and credits toward NRMCA’s STEPS program. Click here for more information, including registration link and staff contact. NRMCA is now accepting applications for the Excellence in Quality Award contest. A company must be an NRMCA Producer member in good standing to participate. Companies can enter as a company or a division. Applicants are asked to respond to a multiple-choice type application form that generates their scores. Companies or divisions that achieve a score of 75% or greater will be recognized at NRMCA's ConcreteWorks, scheduled from September 30 - October 4 in Kissimmee, FL (metro Orlando). There are several advantages to participating in this award program: The quality award requirements have been tightened this year and attachments will be evaluated more critically. Click here to access the quality award webpage that includes a link for the Excel file (before starting the survey, please download the file to your computer and save it using a different file name; company/division name). Applications which include the completed Excel file and required attachments must be e-mailed to Karen Bean at kbean@nrmca.org by Wednesday, June 30. For more information, contact NRMCA Vice President, Technical Services, Karthik Obla at kobla@nrmca.org. SEO
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published the final withdrawal notice of the Independent Contractor Rule promulgated under the Trump Administration; a rule which was supported by NRMCA. Commenting on the withdrawal, DOL Secretary Marty Walsh stated, “By withdrawing the Independent Contractor Rule, we will help preserve essential worker rights and stop the erosion of worker protections that would have occurred had the rule gone into effect. Legitimate business owners play an important role in our economy but, too often, workers lose important wage and related protections when employers misclassify them as independent contractors. We remain committed to ensuring that employees are recognized clearly and correctly when they are, in fact, employees so that they receive the protections the Fair Labor Standards Act provides.” While the rule is now officially rescinded, and which NRMCA submitted opposing comments, NRMCA will be looking toward what potential replacement rules or related actions DOL may take in the rule’s place. Click here to read the DOL press release and here for the withdrawal notice. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. 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 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. The award may be presented to an individual whose single action or long-time commitment to safety and health in the ready mixed concrete industry exemplifies superior performance in the field of safety. Examples of the award winner could be a ready mixed concrete truck driver whose actions were lifesaving. Other examples could include plant managers, safety managers and company officials who have outstanding long-time dedication to safety and health in the ready mixed concrete industry. Other examples would be an individual’s involvement community safety activities. Criteria for selection of the individual or company may include evidence of the following:
Nominations shall be made by submitting a detailed explanation for why the individual or company should be considered for the award. The explanation should focus on highlighting the criteria listed above. Submissions should include necessary supporting documents, a high-resolution electronic image of the nominee (if an individual), or a high resolution company logo and any other relevant images. Entries must be e-mailed to gmullings@nrmca.org by Friday, June 25. Click here for more information, including staff contact. 
Buildings
Build With Strength has sponsored the Concrete Academy on BNP Media’s Continuing Education Center. BNP Media publishes Arch Record magazine and, as part of the sponsorship, it will promote the Concrete Academy to its readership. The Concrete Academy explores the emerging topic of concrete and Net Zero buildings, including innovations, specifications and designing with concrete for Net Zero. The concept of Net Zero buildings, which aims to improve the negative environmental impact of the built environment, is a key component of the discussion on concrete sustainability. Across the world, concrete is one of the most popular building materials due to its affordability and durability. In addition, concrete is often used because of its thermal mass, or ability to store heat energy, which can reduce energy use in buildings. However, increasingly concrete manufacturers are discussing the sustainability issues associated with concrete production, specifically around the reduction of CO2 emissions. Click here to see the seven courses offered. For more information, contact Lionel Lemay at Llemay@nrmca.org or 847-922-7995. As a leading Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Program Operator for the concrete industry, NRMCA recently verified two EPDs by Lehigh Cement. Each EPD reports the impacts of four different bulk and packaged cement products produced at the company's plant in Union Bridge, MD. Verified cement products include Type IL, I/II, III and Masonry. Lehigh Cement’s EPDs were developed by Climate Earth and independently reviewed by Industrial Ecology Consultants. Lehigh continues to expand its product offerings that have EPDs across the U.S. To date, the North American ready mixed concrete industry, including material suppliers, has invested into more than 85 verified EPDs with more than 38,000 products/mixes and is the leading material industry that reports environmental impacts. NRMCA-verified EPDs can be found here. Integral to the Build With Strength campaign, NRMCA promotes Strength Through Transparency for member and industry competitiveness in the green building marketplace and the trends toward product and company transparency. For support, training, sustainability strategy planning or program development, please contact James Bogdan at jbogdan@nrmca.org or 412-420-4138. Washington, DC, city officials have released Resilient Design Guidelines which suggests ways to make both new and existing buildings more resilient. The primary focus is on climate change and, in particular, the increased risks due to flooding and increased temperatures. The recommendations that could impact the concrete industry include increased reliance on passive energy measures such as thermal mass, using flood and mold resistant materials, and increasing termite protection. Build With Strength is a coalition led by NRMCA that promotes concrete building systems through communications, project promotion, education and advocacy. To learn more about these programs, please contact Scott Campbell at scampbell@nrmca.org or 502-552-5034.
Pavement
On May 1, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) adopted a specification titled Special Provision for Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR) With Cement or Cement Slurry. For well over three years, Theron Tobolski, assistant executive director of the Illinois Ready Mixed Concrete Association, lead a task force of industry experts working with IDOT officials to develop this specification, reports NRMCA Vice President, Local Paving, Don Clem. The task force included representatives of PCA, academia, construction, ready mixed concrete and cement companies in addition to NRMCA's Clem. This important development allows for cement slurry to be delivered in a ready mixed concrete truck for full-depth reclamation projects, a rapidly growing market segment. Clem, Tobolski and everyone on the task force thank James Krstulovich, PE, IDOT engineer of concrete & soils, for his leadership in serving as chairman of the DOT task force for this effort. For more information, contact Theron Tobolski at 708 473-0117 or ttobolski@irmca.org or Don Clem at dclem@nrmca.org. 
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Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. May 14 – 24, Online Course *Sold Out June 2, Webinar Series June 3 - 17, Online Course June 15 – 17, Smyrna, TN August 3 - 5, Smyrna, TN September 29 - October 3, Kissimmee, FL November 9 – 11, Dallas 
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