NRMCA e-news

Association & Industry News

Concrete Pavement Conference Set to Begin in Late August

The 11th International Conference on Concrete Pavements (ICCP) will be held August 28 - September 1 in San Antonio, TX. If you haven’t already registered, please register for the conference, then make your hotel reservations at the Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk. The special conference hotel room rate of only $179 per night expires on Friday, August 5.

Click here for all conference information and registration options.

New Resource Enables Potential Employers to Recruit CIM Students, Prospective Graduates

A new Web page was recently added to the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) Web site for one-stop shopping for potential employers to reach recruitment coordinators at all four CIM universities and share their job descriptions and advertisements for both full-time positions and internship opportunities. Now is a great time to post advertisements to recruit December graduates and spring 2017 interns.

Click here to learn more.

Build with Strength to Hold Seminar in Alabama on Design Strength of Concrete

Build with Strength has teamed with the Alabama Concrete Industries Association to present its seminar for architects, engineers, builders and developers. During "A Day of Concrete Knowledge" offered on both Wednesday, September 7, in Huntsville and Thursday, September 8, in Birmingham, the presentation will focus on performance in buildings. Building materials play a big role in energy use and deciding the safety and resiliency of the built environment. Through design solutions demonstrated in this workshop, designers, architects and engineers can focus on strength rather than disaster response, resulting in investments that are secure and generate long-term value to the owners.

This presentation will explore emerging trends in housing and development; innovations in concrete construction; case studies that showcase building value generation; economical design of concrete wall and floor systems; and how to utilize free resources to design structures. The program offers architects and engineers two hours of professional learning credits, along with four hours of additional concrete-related topics.

For more information please contact Michael Wymant at mwymant@nrmca.org or click here.

Government Affairs

CONCRETEPAC Seeks Feedback on Future Fundraising Efforts

CONCRETEPAC staff is working on plans for fundraising at this fall’s ConcreteWorks and future planning for 2017. The events around Annual Convention are the largest gathering of NRMCA members and the biggest fundraisers of the year for CONCRETEPAC. To that end, we want your feedback on what you liked this year, what you didn’t like and how we can improve in the future. Please consider completing a brief survey (five questions) and thank you in advance for your comments.

For more information, contact Cara Gavagan at cgavagan@nrmca.org.

Conduct a Plant Tour with Your Members of Congress During August Recess

Congress has adjourned for August recess, so it's the perfect opportunity to meet with one or all of your Members of Congress to highlight issues impacting our industry such as the Timber Innovation Act. During these questionable economic times and with mounting regulatory proposals, your Members of Congress need to hear from you. Contact information for your Members of Congress can be found here for the Senate or here for the House. As well, guidelines for conducting a successful plant tour can be found here.

For information on how to schedule and conduct a plant tour with your Members of Congress or information on federal policy specific to the ready mixed concrete industry, please contact Jill Landry at 240-485-1156 or jlandry@nrmca.org.

Latest Edition of Concrete Capitol Connection Now Available Online

The August 2016 issue of Concrete Capitol Connection is now available online. The issue includes updates on timber legislation in the House, Waters of the U.S. legal proceedings and other action affecting the ready mixed concrete industry.

Click here to read more.

Buildings

Environmental Groups Criticize LEED Changes

Greenpeace USA, joined by Natural Resources Defense Council, Rainforest Action Network, Stand (formerly ForestEthics), National Wildlife Federation, Dogwood Alliance, Healthy Building Network and the Sierra Club signed a statement regarding the recent surprise move regarding certified wood products by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the organization in charge of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

The groups criticized the USGBC for potentially opening the door to recognize and give credit to wood products certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the weaker certification scheme that is backed by the logging industry. For years, SFI was rightfully not recognized under LEED. As the groups say in the statement, SFI is "an industry-governed and financed greenwash system that seeks to pass off environmentally destructive industrial forestry as somehow ‘sustainable.'" To recognize SFI would mean that LEED would recognize the replacement of complex forest ecosystems with monocultures, and logging that harms water quality and jeopardizes already imperiled fish and wildlife. SFI also does not require the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples when logging on their lands. (You can download the full Greenpeace statement here.)

Build with Strength is a first-of-its-kind program for the concrete industry, designed not only to support our members, their businesses and the hard-working men and women of the concrete industry, but also to change the way people think about concrete construction versus direct competitors like soft-wood lumber. NRMCA has resources to help members and state affiliates advocate for resilient and sustainable construction, including model legislation, talking points, public relations and other key strategies.

To learn more about how NRMCA can assist in state advocacy, please contact John Loyer, senior director of state and local government affairs, at 703-675-7603 or jloyer@nrmca.org.

OES

Registration Deadline Extended for Mixer Driver Championship

NRMCA has extended the deadline to submit registrations for this year’s NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship taking place on Sunday, September 18, during this year’s NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks being held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN. The registration form and payment for entering drivers into the championship will now be due Monday, August 8.

Click here for the driver registration form. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

OES Committee to Hold Education Sessions at ConcreteWorks

At the NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks 2016 being held September 18-20 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, TN, there will be a number of education sessions of note. Specifically, NRMCA’s Operations, Environmental and Safety Committee will be hosting the following sessions:

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) – What’s Required and What Are Other Producers Doing?

Monday, September 19, at 2 p.m.

As many already know, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has finalized a rule to require drivers of commercial motor vehicles to use ELDs to comply with hours of service regulations. What is less known are the specific requirements and what others are currently doing to reach compliance by the end of 2017. This session with give an in-depth look at the specifics and highlight experiences from NRMCA Producer members that are currently engaged in compliance efforts and other that have already completed the transition. How it works, what to expect and the potential pitfalls, to name a few issues, will all be discussed.

Help Wanted: Driver Recruitment & Retention

Monday, September 19, at 3:15 p.m.

Producers, state associations and NRMCA have gotten very focused in their efforts to recruit and retain mixer drivers. Long haulers and other short haul carriers are equally as focused as the shortage of good candidates builds. Ready mix companies and state executives report recruitment and retention is not only about pay but also life style and being treated respectfully. How does that measure with your experience? Share your wisdom and challenges. Hear what others are doing. Learn about the 2nd Annual Recruitment and Retention Survey results. We’re all in this together.

EPA’s Waters of the U.S. Rule and Why You Should Worry About It

Tuesday, September 20, at 10 a.m.

An update on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent rule to expand EPA’s jurisdiction over control of bodies of water within the United States. Does it impact ready mixed concrete plants or operations? What will it cost? When should I expect changes? Answers to these questions and more will be provided and discussed during this session.

OSHA’s New Silica Rule – Coming to a Ready Mixed Concrete Plant Near You

Tuesday, September 20, at 11 a.m.

Earlier this year, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) finalized a new rule increasing regulation of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. This new regulation holds considerable impacts for ready mixed concrete operations and expensive, continued compliance costs. Demonstrated by an NRMCA Producer member, this session will cover what compliance will likely look like for the ready mixed concrete industry.

Click here for more information on the OES education sessions at ConcreteWorks or contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org, Kevin Walgenbach, kwalgenbach@nrmca.org or Eileen Dickson, edickson@nrmca.org.

Education & Training

Registration Continues for Annual Concrete 101 Class

Between October 4-7, NRMCA's Engineering Department will teach its annual introduction to concrete fundamentals at the RMC Research & Education Foundation Center in Silver Spring, MD. The class is appropriate for those who need a broad overview of technical and operations essential, typically sales reps, dispatchers, administrative/home office and mid-level staff as well as those in an executive function whose jobs do not relate to concrete per se, but who should have knowledge of the industry. This class is NOT appropriate for technical ready mixed concrete personnel.

For those working toward their NRMCA STEPS® CCPf certification in Sales and Marketing Track, this is a required class. For others working toward CCPf certification in other STEPS tracks, the class is the qualifying prerequisite or acts as an elective. As a result, this class can quickly fill to capacity – it is NOT too early to register.

Click here for more information, including registration options and staff contact.

Calendar

A Look Ahead

*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

August 17, Free Webinar

Health Product Declarations (HPDs) Contribution to LEED v4

Email: jbogdan@nrmca.org, 412-420-4138

August 24, Little Rock, AR

Concrete Value and Innovations Seminar

Email: Brandy armca@att.net, 501-663-8335

August 24, Orlando, FL

NRMCA Gulf Coast Regional ConcreteWorks

Email: twaugh@nrmca.org, 240-485-1132

September 18 - 20, Nashville, TN

NRMCA's ConcreteWorks 2016