NRMCA e-news
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
NEWS LINKS
PROMOTIONS
Presentations sponsored by Lafarge Cement were recently held in Baton Rouge, LA, and New Orleans to promote the many values concrete streets and local roads (SLR) provide. Organized by Mark Niemuth of Lafarge with input from the Concrete and Aggregates Association of Louisiana (CAAL), the seminar stressed: • Concrete’s ability to compete on first cost; NRMCA’s Vance Pool presented the information to groups composed of cities, private engineers, contractors and industry members. Besides Niemuth and Pool, the industry was represented by Charles Cox of Lafarge, and Bill Temple and Brandon Hayes of CAAL. "It is grassroots-led promotion and follow through that can make a big difference in the SLR market," Pool noted. Louisiana joins a growing number of states that recognize the importance of moving forward to promote in the SLR market. ACPA, NRMCA and PCA are all providing tools to help get started. If you have any questions contact your regional national resource director to help. For more information, contact Vance Pool at vpool@nrmca.org. A recent inquiry to the NRMCA national resource directors has prompted another national client project hunt. "We recently were asked if Costco has used either pervious concrete and/or plain concrete for any of its store parking lots," said Senior National Resource Director Jon Hansen. "We do not have any in our developing database, so we are putting the call out to our members." If you are aware of a Costco with concrete parking lot paving, please contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org. Nominations are open through Friday, January 13, for NRMCA’s Promoter of the Year Award and Lifetime Achievement Award for Promotion both to be presented during NRMCA’s Annual Convention in Savannah, GA, March 4-6. The NRMCA Promoter of the Year Award will recognize the contributions of an outstanding industry advocate who worked effectively in 2011 to maximize concrete's share of the construction materials market, spread concrete innovation and advanced the positive image of the industry's quality, value and professionalism. The lifetime award is given to a ready mixed concrete professional distinguished by a career that has demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication and achievement in support of concrete promotion and industry advancement. ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
The Manufacturers, Products & Services (MPS) Division of NRMCA is still welcoming nominations for the 2012 Concrete Cares Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions in community service by an NRMCA producer member company. With ready mixed concrete plants in almost every community in America, NRMCA member companies are making a real difference. From Earth Day celebrations, to organized volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs, local schools and recreation departments, to raising awareness for breast cancer screenings, ready mix producers are at work every day in their communities. The Concrete Cares Award aims to recognize these efforts and shine a national spotlight on the positive impact ready mixed concrete companies have in hometowns across the nation. A donation, in the name of the selected honoree, will be made to the charity of their choice. The award will be presented at NRMCA’s Annual Convention, March 4-6 in Savannah, GA, during the Association’s annual awards breakfast. To read about the 2011 Concrete Cares honoree, Irving Materials – Tennessee, log on to the NRMCA Members Only section of the Web site and check out the article from Concrete InFocus. All ready mixed concrete producers who are members of NRMCA are eligible for nomination. To submit a nomination for consideration, please use the form linked from http://www.nrmca.org/products/awards/concretecares.asp and forward the nomination form and supporting materials to Kathleen Carr-Smith, senior vice president, membership and communications, via e-mail at kcarrsmith@nrmca.org or mail to 900 Spring Street, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. Nominations must be received by Friday, January 6, for consideration. ENGINEERING
The popular NRMCA Concrete Technology Training and Certification Program (2012 Regional Short Course) is scheduled for February 20-24 at the Brookhaven College/EMGI in Dallas. The course provides a fundamental understanding of concrete, aggregates and concrete making materials; requirements in industry codes and standards and proportioning concrete mixtures. Attendees have the opportunity to obtain four industry-recognized certifications: ACI Grade I Field Testing Technician, ACI Flatwork Finisher Certification and NRMCA Level 2 and 3 Concrete Technologist certification. These industry certifications are essential for technical service personnel with suppliers of materials to the concrete industry and with concrete producers. Registration for the course will close at a pre-established attendee limit due to space restrictions. Interested persons should register now. For more information and/or to register, visit http://www.nrmca.org/Education/Certifications/TechnicalShortCourse.htm. OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
The NRMCA 22nd Annual Mentor Driver Workshop will be held January 31-February 1 in Portland, OR. This industry’s staple workshop teaches a senior mixer driver and his/her supervisor how to schedule and conduct short, weekly training sessions that use an industry-specific curriculum that reinforces safety and environmental compliance as well as operations and technical information that specifically relates to a driver's job execution. Because of limited space, registration cut off is soon so please act now.
For more information, view http://nrmca.org/Education/Mentor-Driver_Program.htm. Late last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published its contentious and long-awaited final Hours of Service (HOS) rule. Specifically, the rule: • Limits the use of the 34-hour restart provision to just once a week covering "at least two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m."; The compliance date for the 34-hour restart change and the mandatory 30-minute break is July 1st, 2013. For the "on-duty time" change and the "egregious violation" provisions, the effective date is Monday, February 27. *While NRMCA continues to review the new rule, it should be known that the HOS provisions of importance to the ready mixed concrete industry, including the 24-hour weekly clock reset for construction materials deliveries, the 16-hour short-haul exception, the 100 air-mile logbook exemption and the current intrastate tolerance guidelines, remain unchanged by the new rule. And although the new HOS rule applies to interstate commerce (crossing state lines), as with many other regulations set at the federal level, most states adopt the new regulations making them effective in those states as well. Some states eventually adopt the new regulations on their own terms or risk losing federal transportation money. Please check with your state association to determine if and/or when your state will adopt this new rule. For more information, contact NRMCA's Gary Mullings or Kevin Walgenbach at gmullings@nrmca.org or kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. 
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
The National Labor Relations Board has agreed to postpone the effective date of its employee rights notice-posting rule at the request of a federal court in Washington, DC, hearing a legal challenge regarding the rule. The Board’s ruling states that it has determined that postponing the effective date of the rule would facilitate the resolution of the legal challenges that have been filed with respect to the rule. The new implementation date is Monday, April 30. Most private sector employers will be required to post the 11-by-17-inch notice on the new implementation date of April 30. The notice is available at no cost from the NLRB through its Web site, www.nlrb.gov, which has additional information on posting requirements and NLRB jurisdiction. EDUCATION &TRAINING
The American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) is the world’s largest and premier association dedicated to workplace learning and performance development. ASTD links learning and performance to individual and organizational results. Annually, it releases a report on the state of adult workplace training; it is an excellent benchmark for NRMCA members. PRODUCTS & SERVICES
NRMCA's January Internet Spotlight, good through Tuesday, January 31, is the Concrete Floors and Moisture book. This book discusses sources of moisture, drying of concrete, methods of measuring moisture, construction practices, specifications and responsibilities for successful floor projects. This edition incorporates a brief discussion of terrazzo issues, additional references on drying times of lightweight concrete, an extended discussion of issues with ASTM F1869 moisture emission testing, and updates to the sources of supplies and standards. Order online today from this link - http://my.nrmca.org/scriptcontent/BeWeb/Orders/ProductDetail.cfm?pc=2PEB119 - and receive 50% off. Internet Special $20, plus shipping. Please use Discount Code ISJAN12 to receive the online discount. CALENDAR
January 10, Free Webinar January 12, Webinar |