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Association & Industry News
As weather finally turns warmer all over the country, skaters are hitting their favorite skateparks. Help woo them toward the concrete industry by utilizing the resources available from Skate4Concrete, a new project sponsored by the Concrete Advancement Foundation. By making skaters aware of how the concrete industry contributes to the parks where they skate, they can find a connection, and possibly a career path. The resources available from the Skate4Concrete site are numerous, including learning about the sustainability of concrete; types of jobs in the concrete industry; available job opportunities and more. Share these resources widely to make sure all who may be interested can access them. Resources for companies include a Skate4Concrete media kit and information to pass on regarding concrete certification. Look out for community events in your area where you may be able to connect with skaters and help make them aware of how concrete relates to one of their favorite pursuits. For more information about this or other work sponsored by the Concrete Advancement Foundation (formerly known as the RMC Research & Education Foundation) please visit our website or contact Executive Director Julie Garbini or Senior Director Jennifer LeFevre. 
NRMCA recently verified a system-level Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Tennessee-based ready mix producer Smyrna Ready Mix. The EPD was developed in consultation with Climate Earth and based on its CarbonCLARITY software tool which integrates life cycle analyis impacts within batch operating software to generate EPDs when desired. The software tool was verified by Industrial Ecology Consultants with the underlying life cycle data for the plant and EPD reviewed by Ecoform, a verifier in NRMCA’s EPD program. Public access to the EPD is available on the NRMCA EPD webpage as NRMCA EPD: 20092 Smyrna Ready Mix. This EPD reports the impacts for ready mixed concrete from Smyrna Ready Mix's plant in Irving, TX. Also available in the same directory are seven additional plants the company has in New York, developed in partnership with Climate Earth previous to this publication. For more information on the EPD verification program, contact Matthew Lemay at mlemay@nrmca.org.
SEO
Late last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a favorable 8-1 decision for industry in the case Glacier Northwest vs. International Brotherhood of Teamsters which hinged on whether a union should be held liable for property damage due to unionized employees going on strike. The issue centered on a Pacific Northwest concrete producer, Glacier Northwest, that brought the case in which it lost 16 truckloads of concrete due to a union work stoppage. The producer sued the union, claiming it was responsible for the lost concrete and, after losing in state court, the case eventually prevailed before the Supreme Court.
Don’t forget, the National Mixer Driver Appreciation Week takes place July 31 - August 4. To help celebrate our industry’s drivers, visit the Appreciation Week Store which includes polos, t-shirts, hats, beverage tumblers, coolers and more. The store will remain open through the end of today, Wednesday, June 7. Orders will be shipped by July 15 and arrive by July 31, just in time for Appreciation Week. For more information, contact Gary Mullings or Kevin Walgenbach. 
NRMCA represents a broad range of ready mixed concrete companies across the United States and our success is a direct result of the skills and expertise of our professional staff working in conjunction with our Board of Directors. Director nominees must be committed to promoting NRMCA programs and working in the best interest of its membership and the industry at large. The Board provides strategic direction, fiduciary oversight and governance of the organization’s operations while operating in accordance with NRMCA’s Strategic Plan and Vision 2030 objectives. 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 28. Buildings
The Concrete Innovations session scheduled for next week will focus on concrete mix optimization through proven approaches, existing materials, new technologies and advanced systems such as artificial intelligence (AI) to improve concrete performance while reducing carbon footprint. Register now for Concrete Innovations Learning Session 12: Wednesday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time.
Visit www.concreteinnovations.com for upcoming sessions. For more information, contact Lionel Lemay at llemay@nrmca.org or 847-922-7995.
More than 160 attendees were at the recently held Structural Engineers Association of Michigan Annual Conference where they heard a Build With Strength presentation outlining ways to leverage strategies for lowering concrete’s carbon footprint. NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Donn Thompson discussed how design and construction teams can implement 10 practical, real-world strategies to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint. “Interest in lower carbon concrete continues to grow as more and more sustainably-minded major corporations expand operations across Michigan and the rest of the country,” said Thompson. “The information presented has been well received because each proposed step is practical and easily achievable today.” Emphasis on leveraging the expertise of local concrete producers early in the design process, as well as stressing the greater flexibility and optimization possible with performance-based specifications, were just two of the strategies featured at the conference which was held on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing and featured nationally recognized exhibitors and presenters. NRMCA has consistently partnered with the Michigan Concrete Association to participate in this statewide event each year. Click here for a copy of an NRMCA publication outlining all 10 steps for improving the sustainability of concrete. For more information, contact Donn Thompson at dthompson@nrmca.org. 
Pavement
The NRMCA Pave Ahead team in conjunction with the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) has developed a new flyer, Texturing of Concrete Parking Lot Pavements. The flyer is the result of the efforts of the NRMCA/ASCC Joint Paving Committee. “Many of our contractor partners had expressed concern over the expectations that their customers had regarding the finish of their concrete parking lots,” said NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Phil Kresge. “They thought that the parking lot would have a smooth, finished surface, similar to that of a nicely floated sidewalk or even a highly polished floor. This flyer explains the need for texturing of the parking lot surface, and hopefully, tempers their expectations.” The flyer is available for download under the Concrete Parking tab at paveahead.com/resources. For more information, contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.
NRMCA’s Think First monthly safety initiatives feature different industry-specific safety items relevant to seasons, current topics or industry concerns. The initiatives are meant to be shared, used as a training tool, printed, posted or distributed; all of which are encouraged. This month’s issue is titled Truck Mixer Drum Cleaning, shown here. 
Learning & Development
Calendar
Please note that e-mail and direct registration links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's website. June 20 - 22, Manchester, NH September 29 - October 3, Nashville, TN October 11 - 13, Centennial, CO October 17 - 20, Denver November 7 - 9, Charlotte, NC *Low Capacity November 14 - 16, Dallas November 28 - 30, Orlando, FL December 12 - 15, Orlando, FL December 12 - 14, Denver 
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