NRMCA e-news

Pavement

Book Your Fall Parking Lot Boot Camp Now

In the midst of summer construction, it’s hard to be thinking about a slowdown in work when the construction season moves into the fall and winter months. But now is the perfect time to be booking you and your contractors for an upcoming Concrete Parking Lots Boot Camp. Available dates fill up in the fall and winter months, so the sooner you book your Boot Camp, the better chance you have to get a date that fits your schedule.

To receive the information packet on NRMCA's Concrete Parking Lots Boot Camp, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org or any local paving team member.

Maryland University Receives Grant for Pervious Concrete Research

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has received a grant to prepare a white paper on pervious concrete for the Chesapeake Bay Trust, reports NRMCA Vice President, Local Paving, Phil Kresge. The proposal, prepared by UMBC Senior Research Scientist Stuart Schwartz, emphasized targeting information for each of the professional communities of practice (designers, planners, engineers, reviewers, general contractors, suppliers, installers, construction inspectors and grounds managers doing maintenance) who each have to understand the important aspects of their piece of the process to ensure successful use of pervious concrete.

"We also propose to organize information at basic, advanced and expert levels so people can find the information they need, as well as have access to more detail and background if they desire," Schwartz said.

Kresge will work closely with Schwartz and the UMBC team to incorporate information from NRMCA’s Pervious in Practice publications and the Pervious Concrete Pavement Maintenance and Operations Guide.

For more information, contact Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.

Association & Industry News

Last Week to Submit Nominations for NRMCA Board of Directors

NRMCA is looking for good men and women to serve on the Association's Board of Directors. While serving on the Board requires both commitment and energy, it is a rewarding opportunity to give back to the industry. NRMCA represents a broad range of ready mixed concrete companies across the United States and its success is a direct result of the skills and expertise of the professional staff working in conjunction with Board members. 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.

Nominees are vetted by the Nominating Committee which consists of the current chairman, the immediate past chairman and past chairmen of the Board for the previous seven years who are still in active in the industry. The selected slate of nominees is then presented to and elected by the general membership and will begin serving three-year terms immediately following the 2018 annual convention. Nominees should have the following attributes:

Current NRMCA producer member in good standing;
Hold key decision making responsibility within his or her company;
Inherent leadership, management and interpersonal skills;
Ability to participate in and sustain collaborative group efforts;
Commitment to attend and participate in two Board meetings each year and fulfill the duties and responsibilities as referenced in the Board Job Description;
Serve on NRMCA committee(s) of his or her choice;
Annually support the association's Political Action Committee (CONCRETEPAC) and the RMC Research & Education Foundation;
Attend and participate in promotion programs in his or her region; and
Actively recruit new members and help to retain existing members.

Any NRMCA member can submit a nomination and individuals are also free to nominate themselves. Click here for a list of current NRMCA Board members along with the year that his or her term expires. Please note that members who have served three-year terms and are going off the Board in 2018 are not eligible for re-election until 2019. The exception to this is Board Members who are filling an unexpired vacant seat. Those individuals are marked with an asterisk. Help build NRMCA’s future by nominating a strong industry leader today! Nominations are due by Friday, July 14.

For more information, contact Heather Houck at hhouck@nrmca.org.

Government Affairs

NRMCA Urges Members to Host Plant Tours in August

Each August, Members of Congress recess to their districts for a month of local activities. Congressional staff are already planning the legislators' schedules and those schedules should include you! One of the best ways to build relationships with your Member of Congress is by hosting a plant tour; an opportunity to spend time with your congressional representative and lay the foundation for advocating for the ready mix industry. Members of Congress love these because they are educational and activity-based (they make great photo opportunities) while providing them not only an opportunity to learn about issues facing local businesses, but also to meet many of the employees at the plant.

If you are interested in hosting your Member of Congress for a plant tour, please contact Andrew Tyrrell for more information. He will help you contact your congressional office and offer guidance on how to host a plant tour.

Buildings

Fire at Wood Frame Apartment Complex in Oakland Is Latest in Series of Large Blazes

A fire last week in Oakland is the third major apartment fire in the past year in that city and the fifth in Alameda County, CA, which includes Oakland. This massive Four Alarm fire broke out at a large wood frame apartment complex under construction in the city's Lake Merritt district, forcing the evacuation of several hundred residents from nearby buildings. The fire spread ash and smoke throughout the neighborhood, and was visible in San Francisco and to commuters throughout the region.

This year, there have been a number of notable wood framed apartment fires across the U.S., including those in Dorchester, Lawrence and Lowell, MA; East Hollywood, CA; Waterbury, CT, Emeryville, CA; St. Petersburg, FL; Arlington, VA; College Park, MD; Overland Park, KS; Raleigh, NC; and Maplewood, NJ. There have been dozens over the last few years. Cities and towns like New York, Chicago, Maitland, FL; and Sandy Springs and Tucker, GA, have taken proactive steps to preemptively ban the use of combustible materials, such as wood, in this type of construction.

Through the Build With Strength initiative, NRMCA has resources to help members and state affiliates advocate for resilient and safer construction, including model legislation, talking points, public relations and other key strategies. To learn more about how NRMCA can assist in state advocacy, contact NRMCA Vice President, State and Local Government Affairs, John Loyer at 703-675-7603 or jloyer@nrmca.org.

OES

Federal Transportation Officials to Publicize Transition to Electronic Logging Devices

This past Monday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a nationwide tour focused on "public education and outreach geared towards helping commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers transition to electronic logging devices (ELDs)." In six cities across the U.S. through November, "FMCSA subject matter experts will lead driver-focused presentations and panel discussions on ELD implementation." The ELD Implementation Tour is in anticipation of the upcoming compliance date of December 18, 2017, after which eligible CMV drivers will need to install and use ELDs to comply with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. While the tour will certainly answer the numerous lingering questions regarding compliance with the ELD rule, NRMCA urges all ready mixed concrete producers to review the industry issue papers on ELD compliance specific for ready mix drivers. To review the industry issue papers regarding ELDs, click here and here.

The FMCSA ELD Implementation National Tour dates are:

• July 13-15 – Iowa 80 Truckstop Jamboree (Walcott, IA)

• August 24-26 – Great American Trucking Show (Dallas)

• September 25-27 – North American Commercial Vehicle Show (Atlanta)

• October 14-15 – California Trucking Show (Ontario, CA)

• October 21-24 – American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition (Orlando, FL)

• November 6-8 – Women in Trucking Accelerate! Conference & Expo (Kansas City, MO)

Click here to review the FMCSA tour information and here for more information on the ELD rule. You may also contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

2017 National Mixer Driver Championship Seeks Drivers

This year’s NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship will take place on Sunday, October 1, during NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks being held at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, TX. The registration form for drivers looking to participate in NRMCA’s National Mixer Driver Championship 2017 is now available. Please note that the registration form and payment for entering drivers into the championship are due Friday, August 18.

Click here to access the registration form, driver schedule and other important information about the championship and ConcreteWorks 2017. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org.

Sponsorship Opportunities Available for National Mixer Driver Championship

Is your company represented at this year’s National Mixer Driver Championship? This year’s program brings an enhanced sponsorship program. With the continued growth of the championship program, the sponsorship opportunities for members and non-members have been expanded, so please review these new sponsorship program opportunities. NRMCA encourages you to circulate these opportunities within your company and to any outside vendors you deem appropriate.

Enhanced sponsorship opportunities include full course naming rights, first place trophy naming rights, breakfast of champions, championship lunch, course challenges and many more.

Click here to review this year’s sponsorship program. For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins, Gary Mullings or Kevin Walgenbach.

Entry Forms Now Available for 2017 Environmental Excellence Awards

NRMCA’s Commitment to Environmental Excellence Awards competition offers producers national recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment and maintaining sound management practice in their operations. The program salutes companies that have not only met, but surpassed governmental compliance measures and demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through plant and staff investment. NRMCA member companies producing ready mixed concrete from a fixed plant location in the U.S., its territories or Canada is eligible to enter. Awards will be determined upon individual plant merits. Winning entrants will be honored at the Awards Luncheon at NRMCA‘s ConcreteWorks this October in Dallas and also be featured in a 2017 edition of NRMCA’s Concrete InFocus magazine as well as Concrete Products magazine.

Entries and photos must be e-mailed to Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org by Friday, July 28. Click here for more information, staff contact and to download the entry form.

Registration Continues for Fall Safety Course in October in Denver

Registration for NRMCA’s Fall 2017 Safety Course is now open; please note that this course has a limited number of seats and will sell out very soon. The course will take place October 17-19 in Denver. 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 electrical safety, machine guarding, fall protection, hazard communication, confined spaces, personal protective equipment, fire fighting and evacuation, maintenance shop safety, chute handling, fleet safety, pre-trip inspection and more.

Click here for location details, registration options and staff contacts.

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.

September 18 - 20, Salt Lake City

Concrete Durability Course