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Association & Industry News
The Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) co-hosted a panel discussion at New York Climate Week on Tuesday, September 20. The event marked the industry’s committed participation in the global conversation to dramatically cut carbon emissions and reach carbon neutrality. GCC of America President and PCA Chairman Ron Henley, president and CEO of Votorantim Cimentos North America; PCA Vice Chairman Filiberto Ruiz and PCA President and CEO Mike Ireland participated. Panelists showcased the industry’s decarbonization progress since launching the Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality in October 2021 and discussed next steps to accelerate efforts. Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General for Climate Action and Just Transition Selwin Hart delivered the keynote speech. Other participants included GCCA President and Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch, GCCA CEO Thomas Guillot and Executive Director of Federacion Interamericana del Cemento Maria Jose Garcia. For more information, contact Remi Braden at RBraden@cement.org. 
NRMCA's Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year Award, now in its 27th year and sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB), acknowledges the significant contribution of ready mixed concrete truck drivers to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry. As a salute to these key members of the concrete production and delivery team, the award recognizes the driver’s career achievement, safety, professionalism, competence and customer service skills in a manner that will enhance the industry and public image of the career of Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional. The 2023 Ready Mixed Concrete Truck Driver of the Year Award winner will be honored at an awards presentation ceremony at NRMCA’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NV, in March 2023. Applications must be e-mailed by December 31 to DOY@nrmca.org. Click here to download the nomination form and for more information. You may also contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.
Buildings
NRMCA recently verified a system-level Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program for Trio Ready-Mix in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The EPD was developed in consultation with and based on a software tool by Athena Sustainable Materials Institute. The software tool integrates LCA impacts within batch operating software to generate EPDs when desired. The software, underlying life cycle data for each plant and EPD were reviewed and verified by Labeling Sustainability, a new EPD program verifier in NRMCA’s EPD program. Public access to the EPD is available on the NRMCA EPD webpage and is listed as NRMCA EPD: 20065 Trio Ready-Mix. This EPD reports the impacts for ready mixed concrete produced at one plant location in Victoria, British Columbia. For more information, contact Matthew Lemay at mlemay@nrmca.org. 
Government Affairs
Last month Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) visited NRMCA member Strata Corp.’s Detroit Lakes facility in Minnesota to gain a clearer understanding of aggregate and concrete materials production; discuss industry concerns and how federal policies and legislation might better improve the business climate in Minnesota and across the country. The day’s event was hosted by Strata Corp., ARM of Minnesota, and NRMCA.
SEO
Last week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking requesting feedback on whether the agency should require all commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) “to be equipped with electronic identification (ID) technology capable of wirelessly communicating a unique ID number when queried by a Federal or State motor carrier safety enforcement personnel.”
Last weekend, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced a new office within the agency, the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. This new office will “advance environmental justice, enforce civil rights laws in overburdened communities, and deliver new grants and technical assistance.” Specifically, the new office with a staff of over 200 and spread across all EPA regions, “will engage with communities with environmental justice concerns to understand their needs, as well as Tribal, state, and local partners; manage and disburse historic levels of grants and technical assistance; work with other EPA offices to incorporate environmental justice into the agency’s programs, policies, and processes, as allowed by law; and ensure EPA funding recipients comply with applicable civil rights laws.” Click here to review EPA’s press release and here for more information on the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. The NRMCA staff contact is Kevin Walgenbach.
Pavement
NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Phil Kresge and Ohio Concrete Association’s Central/Southeast Promotion Director Lisa Weaver-Moon recently met with Randy Painter, sales manager at NRMCA Producer member Buckeye Ready Mix, to visit two jobsites currently being supplied by Buckeye that are 100% concrete pavement. Together they discussed strategies to leverage these projects with other developers. Following the tour, they were joined by Jessica Anderson, president of Buckeye’s sister company, Anderson Concrete, in a meeting with project executives from design-build general contractor Pepper Construction and from Van Trust Real Estate. Kresge and Weaver-Moon highlighted the benefits of concrete pavement for industrial applications as well as the services provided by the Ohio Concrete Association and NRMCA’s Pave Ahead team. Kresge suggested that, in the highly competitive industrial real estate market, incorporating concrete pavement on its projects would position Van Trust ahead of its competitors. For more information, contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org. 
Business Advancement
With mixed forecasts about construction and materials costs for 2023, ready mixed concrete sales teams will be challenged to work within a contractor’s project management system. As a result, the Certified Concrete Sales Professional (CCSP) Module II provides a valuable tool. It will meet December 6 - 8 in metro Dallas, just the right time to get seriously focused on the coming year. The curriculum ties directly to what a sales reps should know that impacts a producer’s business, including learning about a contractor’s estimating methods, bidding process, design, supply procurement, project planning and scheduling. Click here for detailed information and the registration link. The Workforce Development Committee will meet Thursday, September 29, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, CO. It's being held in conjunction with NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks and National Mixer Driver Championship, September 29 – October 3.There will be many networking opportunities and the committee is sponsoring 4 (of 16) ConcreteWorks sessions that should be of professional interest: October 1
October 2
For more information, questions or comments, contact Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org. The Workforce Development Committee’s Retention Task Group has produced two, one-page checklists your frontline supervisors can use to help them communicate better with new direct reports. The checklist apply the Harvard Business School philosophy of planning ahead what you will say, and how you say it; thereby solidifying personal connections. Communicating sincerely and early, helps supervisors understand what makes employees tick as well as how to appeal to their particular goals, motivations and interests. The mutual trust not only builds retentions, it increases quality performance. At the end of the day, it delivers more concrete. Click here to download your copies of Employee Check in 2 Weeks and Employee Check in in 60 Days (scan down to Human Resources Best Practices). For more information about the incredibly committed work the Workforce Development Committee is doing, contact Eileen Dickson. Calendar
Please note that e-mail and direct registration links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's website. September 29 - October 3, Aurora, CO October 14 - 15, Chicago October 18 - 20, Charlotte, NC *Sold Out October 18 - 21, Dallas *Sold Out November 1 - 3, Bowling Green, KY November 7 - 11, Baltimore-Washington Area November 8 - 10, Louisville, KY *Sold Out November 15 - 17, Phoenix November 29 - December 1, Orlando, FL December 6 - 8, Dallas December 13 - 16, Kansas City, MO December 14, Nashville, TN 
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