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Association & Industry News
Now is the time for your company to shine while generating awareness around your brand through NRMCA’s 2023 annual sponsorship program. With several sponsorship opportunities available for member companies, NRMCA also has specific opportunities for our upcoming Annual Convention being held March 10 -13 in Las Vegas in conjunction with CONEXPO-CON/AGG. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for our fall event, the ConcreteWorks Conference and Expo and the National Truck Mixer Driver Championship. ConcreteWorks is NRMCA's most highly attended event of the year and the driver championship is a must see for all ready mixed concrete fans! Click here for sponsorship opportunities; please note that they are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. So act now to join the growing list of members who support NRMCA through annual sponsorship. For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins at 703-706-4865 or jjenkins@nrmca.org. 
Engineering
Longtime and leading industry researcher and educator Michael Thomas died on December 30, 2022. Mr. Thomas was a professor of civil engineering at the University of New Brunswick and a prolific and highly respected researcher in the field of cement science and concrete durability. Much of his research focused on the benefits of using fly ash and other supplementary cementitious materials to impact the durability of concrete. He made significant contributions to the research literature and standards for concrete materials. Notably for NRMCA, Mr. Thomas along with Kevin Folliard developed the NRMCA Concrete Durability Course that was first offered in September 2008. There have been 25 offerings of this course since then with about 500 total attendees. He possessed a good balance between science and practice and explained complex content with humor and simplicity. Mr. Thomas's research, education and efforts in the standards arena have made a big difference to the concrete industry, said NRMCA Executive Vice President, Engineering, Colin Lobo. SEO
A near record of 26 of the best mixer drivers from across the U.S. are in the running to be named the 2023 NRMCA Driver of the Year. Judging will be conducted over the next two weeks. The Driver of the Year Award 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 Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional. The award program is cosponsored by Concrete Products magazine.
Late last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) jointly released a long-anticipated rewrite of the definition of “waters of the Unites States” or more commonly referred to as WOTUS. The new rule aims to expand the jurisdiction of EPA and the Corps over bodies of water within the United States, which is counter to the NRMCA-supported, Trump-era 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule which the agencies have since vacated. While EPA and the Corps have attempted to inject clarity into the WOTUS definition, by implementing WOTUS definition tests of “relatively permanent” and “significant nexus,” the agencies have only created more confusion and regulatory uncertainty about the rule’s application. Likely complicating the final rule further is the fact that currently the Supreme Court is deliberating on the case Sackett vs. EPA which is anticipated to have a significant impact on how the Agency can test for what waterways meet the definition of WOTUS. The court is set to rule on the issue in the coming months, possibly affecting this latest final rule. NRMCA continues to analyze the rule and its anticipated impacts on ready mixed concrete production operations. The final rule is slated to take effect 60 days after it’s published in the Federal Register. Click here to review the EPA/Corps press release and here to review the rule and supporting materials. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. 
Buildings
NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Frank Mruk, FAIA was recently elected president of the American Institute of Architecture Rhode Island Chapter for 2023; his term began January 1. Mruk (seen here at right along with Nicholas Koulbanis, AIA, SMAA at left and Joeb Moore, Joeb Moore & Partners, center. Photo courtesy of Brandon Dupont) ended last year as chairman of the 2022 New England Design Awards event titled Zen and the Art of Design in New England which was held at the South Street Landing Power Plant Building in Providence, RI. REX architect Adam Chizmar, project leader for the new Brown University Performing Arts Center, was the keynote speaker and J. Shia exhibited some of her art bikes which were recently featured in The New York Times. The chapter also hosted the RI Design Awards in December at the Shepards Run Vineyard in South Kingstown, RI. These events brought together over 240 architects and sponsors to celebrate design excellence in New England. The NRMCA Build With Strength program is a leader in supporting design excellence in New England. For more information, contact Frank Mruk at fmruk@nrmca.org.
Registration is continuing for NRMCA’s 2023 Spring Safety Course being held April 18 - 20 in Oklahoma City. This 2.5-day course teaches participants about OSHA safety compliance, beginning with why safety is so important and details the reasons why an effective safety program actually saves money through loss prevention and control. Participants learn about the new silica rule, electrical safety, machine guarding, fall protection, hazard communication, confined spaces, personal protective equipment, emergency action plans, maintenance shop safety, chute handling, fleet safety and much, much more. Click here for location details and registration information. For more information, contact Gary Mullings or Kevin Walgenbach. 
Calendar
Please note that e-mail and direct registration links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's website. January 10 - 12, Indianapolis *Sold Out January 10 - 13, Nashville, TN January 24 - 27, Charlotte, NC *Sold Out January 24 - 27, Manchester, NH February 6 - 10, Orlando, FL February 14 - 16, Dallas February 21 - 23, Nashville, TN March 10 - 13, Las Vegas, NV March 14 - 18, Las Vegas, NV March 21 - 23, Nashville, TN March 21 - 24, Columbus, OH *Sold Out March 28 - 30, Dallas April 18 - 20, Nashville, TN April 18 - 20, Oklahoma City April 18 - 20, Los Angeles April 25 - 27, Manchester, NH May 23 - 25, Manchester, NH June 20 - 22, Manchester, NH 
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