NRMCA e-news
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
At the recent NRMCA Members’ Meeting in Las Vegas, Association members elected Henry "Ric" Suzio of The L. Suzio Concrete Company of Meriden, CT as chairman of the Board of Directors for 2014-15. Mr. Suzio is joined on the leadership team by newly elected vice chairman Allen Hamblen of CalPortland Company, Glendora, CA and Ted Chandler of Chandler Concrete Co., Burlington, NC, who was elected secretary/treasurer. Each office carries a one-year term and will conclude at the close of the 2015 Annual Convention. Mr. Suzio, Mr. Hamblen and Mr. Chandler are joined on the NRMCA Board of Directors by 21 newly elected board members.
Click here for a full list of NRMCA’s Board of Directors. 
NEWS LINKS
With the federal Highway Trust Fund projected to be unable to support any new highway, bridge and public transportation improvements in fiscal year 2015, a national coalition of associations and labor unions has launched a campaign to help educate Congress about the connection between local jobs and federal highway and transit investment. "Hardhats for Highways" is aimed at encouraging transportation construction firms and their employees to contact their U.S. representative and senators and let them know how many local jobs depend on federal transportation funding, officials with the Transportation Construction Coalition said. "Members of Congress need to understand how many people back home are counting on federal transportation investments," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the coalition's co-chair and chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America. "Investing in roads and bridges not only makes our broader economy more efficient and vibrant, it puts a lot of men and women to work in every part of the country." Learn more at www.HardhatsforHighways.org.
Source: AGC SmartBrief e-newsletter for March 10, 2014
NRMCA Producer member Argos has purchased the South Georgia- and Florida-based cement and ready mix assets of Vulcan Materials Company for $720 million. The assets acquired in the transaction include:
• Over 700 employees;
• An integrated dry-process cement plant in Newberry, FL, with an installed capacity of 1.6 million tons per year;
• Two grinding facilities and marine terminals in Tampa and Port Manatee, FL, with a combined installed capacity of 1.85 million tons per year;
• 69 ready mix concrete plants with a fleet of 372 mixer trucks and an annual production capacity of 4.3 million cubic yards; and
• 13 concrete block production plants with a capacity of 109 million units per year.
As a result of this acquisition, Argos estimates a production increase of 3.5 million metric tons of cement and 4.3 million cubic yards of concrete per year within Florida, totaling 6.6 million metric tons of cement and 17.1 million cubic yards of concrete per year produced within the U.S. With this additional capacity, Argos is now one of the leading producers of cement in the southeast U.S. and among the 20 largest cement companies in the world.
Source: Argos press release
PAVEMENTS
NRMCA’s pavement engineer Amanda Hult will host a 1-hour Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs Webinar on Tuesday, March 18, beginning at noon Eastern time. This Webinar will provide technical guidance on concrete floors and moisture. Topics to be discussed include sources, examples and potential effects of moisture, concrete drying, moisture and pH testing, floor coverings and vapor retarders, and barriers. Attendees will receive 1 PDH for completing the course.
Register here or contact Amanda Hult at 720-648-0323 or ahult@nrmca.org for more information.
PROMOTIONS
It is widely accepted that concrete pavement represents a minimal percentage of the total parking lot market segment. "Much of NRMCA’s effort is focused on parking lot promotion," notes NRMCA Senior National Resource Director Phil Kresge. "We have developed numerous tools to support our members’ sales teams within their local markets."
"Concrete parking lot construction, both new projects and overlaying existing asphalt lots, represents the largest immediate results' opportunity for increasing concrete production," adds Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen. "But it seems that many frontline sales people within ready mix producer companies do not know how to prospect, prepare a bid proposal, handle objections or close the deal."
To address this need, NRMCA has developed "Selling Concrete Parking Lots Boot Camp" - a focused course designed to get your frontline salespeople up to speed quickly so they can start getting immediate results. Selling Concrete Parking Lots Boot Camp is a 10-hour, hands-on program that will train sales people on: •How to use NRMCA tools such as Design Assistance Program (DAP) and Concrete Pavement Analyst (CPA) in their sales calls.
•Partnering with a contractor to pursue new business.
•Prospecting for new business using simple, fast methods.
The course is provided by NRMCA to members and contractors in-house at actual cost. This is not a general sales course presented by outsiders to the concrete industry, but a detailed, focused plan for your company to expand its parking lot paving market. It is taught by Hansen and Kresge who together have more than 50 years of construction promotion and sales experience.
For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org or Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.
ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS
Earlier this month at its annual convention held in Las Vegas, NRMCA announced a number of award winners, including the following:
At its recent annual meeting held in conjunction with the NRMCA 2014 Annual Convention in Las Vegas, the Materials Division elected Rusty Winters of Capitol Aggregates, Inc. as its new chairman. Mr. Winters will serve as division chairman and a member of the NRMCA Board of Directors for three years until the conclusion on the division’s annual meeting in 2017. The division also elected Matt McGlone of BASF Admixtures as its vice chairman for a term of three years.
The NRMCA Materials Division represents materials suppliers to the ready mixed concrete industry and its Board of Directors advises the NRMCA Board on matters of concern to its members. For more information, contact Kathleen Carr-Smith, senior vice president, membership and communications, at 240-485-1145 or kcarrsmith@nrmca.org.
The Spring 2014 edition of NRMCA's quarterly magazine, Concrete InFocus, is now available online. This latest issue includes a number of timely and informative articles available only online, among them Corporate Suite - Mileage Myths by NRMCA Vice President, National Resources, Jon Hansen who discusses how to put common sense to work when debating the fuel-saving advantages of rigid pavement. Look for more highlights of online articles in upcoming editions of E-NEWS.
OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR
Trent Slavens of NRMCA Producer member Irving Materials, Inc., Greenfield, IN, has won the 2014 NRMCA International Mixer Driver Championship held last week in Las Vegas in conjunction with the 2014 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show. The second ever international event included U.S. and South American champions.
"This was a great event with the stiffest of competition," said NRMCA Senior Vice President of Operations and Compliance Gary Mullings. Eight drivers, including current and former national champions as well as top national finishers, competed for the title "Mixer Driver of the World". The champion was selected based on a cumulative score derived from competition in a driving challenge course. Awards were presented for the top two finishers, with all other drivers tied for third. A Roseville, IN, resident, Slavens has been working for Irving Materials, Inc. for 18 years. He currently drives a Terex five-axle, front discharge mixer truck. He is the 2010 Indiana state champion and the only two-time NRMCA National Champion, winning the event in 2010 and again in 2012. The second place trophy went to Larry Lowe with NRMCA Producer member GCC. He lives in Sallisaw, OK, and has been driving for GCC for 13 years. Lowe currently drives a Kenworth five-axle truck with a McNeilus rear discharge mixer. He is a three-time Arkansas state champion and was the winner of NRMCA’s National Mixer Driver Championship in 2011. The top international driver was Enrique Arturo Garcia Ramirez who drives for Mixto Listo. Ramirez hails from Guatemala City, Guatemala. Also competing was Todd Brown, Manatts, Inc., Newton, Iowa; Billy Byrd, Sr., VCNA Prairie Material, Bridgeview, IL; Chris Daniels, Irving Materials, Inc. Lebanon, TN; Jason Nelson, MMC Materials, Inc. Greenville, MS and Charles Lee Vaughan, Humboldt Ready Mix, Inc., Winnemucca, NV.
For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org. 
SUSTAINABILITY
A number of states have seen legislation opposing the use of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system. Ohio, Washington and Kentucky are a few recent battleground states that resulted in various outcomes. In February, the Ohio State Senate approved passage of Resolution SCR 25 that discouraged the use of the latest version of LEED, claiming the criteria used to select building products unfairly discriminates against Ohio products and materials. The legislation was heavily supported by the chemical industries. The Ohio House will now consider the bill.
Earlier last month, Washington State Senate Bill SB6341 called for a revision of state green building practices to support the preferential treatment of wood. In contrast to the Ohio bill, it did not make it out of Senate committee review due to tremendous opposition. This initiative was overtly supported by timber interests which can potentially damage the local concrete industry by legislating material selection. And the Kentucky Legislature is currently considering HB520, a bill that redefines the green building mandate to recognize certain forest industry certification programs not recognized by the LEED building rating system among other criteria. Similar to Washington’s SB6341, this bill intends to benefit local industries operating in the state.
NRMCA has developed a strategy to stem the adoption of more Wood First legislation. Affiliates and members aware of similar legislation in your states should contact NRMCA as soon as possible so that we can provide assistance.
Click here for more information on Wood First or contact NRMCA's Tien Peng at 206-913-8535 or tpeng@nrmca.org.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Congratulations goes to Earl Brinker, president and CEO, Irving Materials, Inc. for winning the coveted door prize at the CONCRETEPAC BACK the PAC Appreciation Reception and Dinner with Live and Silent Auction during NRMCA’s Annual Convention held earlier this month in Las Vegas. He will have his choice of a 2014 Mercedes Benz CLA 250 Coupe or $30,000.
Over the course of the week, several events were hosted and over $150,500 was raised to benefit CONCRETEPAC, the ready mixed concrete industry’s leading Political Action Committee that supports federal candidates running for election who will champion a pro-ready mixed concrete, pro-business legislative agenda. CONCRETEPAC currently boasts the balance of over $590,000 in reserves.
CONCRETEPAC thanks the following sponsors for supporting its convention events: Ash Grove Cement, CalPortland Company, Capital Concrete, Inc., Central Concrete Supermix, Inc., Centre Concrete Company, CEMEX, Cemstone Products Company, Chaney Enterprises, Concrete Supply Company, Command Alkon, Delta Industries, Inc., Dolese Bros. Company, Essroc Ready Mix, The Euclid Chemical Company, Ferrara Bros. Building Materials Corporation, Grace Construction Products, Holcim (US) Inc., Irving Materials, Inc., Lafarge, Lehigh Hanson, The L. Suzio Concrete Company, Inc., McInnis Cement, Metro Ready Mix Concrete Materials, Northeast Solite Corporation, Ready Mix USA, The Silvi Group Companies, Inc., Sioux Corporation, Titan America LLC, Virginia Ready-Mixed Concrete Association, U.S. Concrete, Inc., United Materials LLC, VCNA Prairie Material, Inc. and Vulcan Materials Company. It was a very successful week for CONCRETEPAC. Thank you!
For more information, contact Kerri Leininger at 240-485-1159 or at kleininger@nrmca.org.
On March 6, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that its "persuader rule," which would expand the reporting requirements for labor relations consultants helping employers fight their employees' attempts to start a union, will not be issued in March as previously announced. A Bloomberg news service reported that there were few details about why the deadline was shifted, only that the next regulatory agenda would have a new date for the publication of the final rule. This announcement came just two weeks after a letter from 54 trade associations including NRMCA was sent to DOL requesting a further delay in the rule. You can read the letter, which outlines in detail the concerns with the rule, here.
The persuader rule has been a source of controversy since it was proposed in 2011, with DOL receiving more than 9,000 public comments on the matter. Issuance of a final rule has been delayed several times. In January 2012, the DOL predicted it would issue the final persuader rule in April 2012. In its most recent regulatory agenda, the DOL said the rule would be published this month.
As proposed, the rule would expand the reporting requirements under Section 203(b) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act for labor relations consultants and the employers that hire them to stymie their employees' unionization attempts. The rule would apply when the consultant engages in persuader activities that go beyond the plain meaning of advice, even if the consultant has no direct contact with workers.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org or 240-485-1156.
The nrmcavoice.com Web site now features a brand new 2014 Voter Resources page. This new page is your Get-Out-The-Vote tool that you can use to stay informed about upcoming state and federal elections and make sure you have everything you'll need to make an informed decision at the polls this year. The Web site’s Voter Resources include:
• A full listing of state and federal elected officials and candidates broken down by state;
• Localized voting information that matches the user’s home address to his or her federal and state district elected officials and candidates;
• Voter registration links; and
• Important dates, including primary and general election dates as well as absentee ballot and early voting information and deadlines.
Click here to see what the 2014 election looks like in you district now. For more information, contact Elizabeth Fox at efox@nrmca.org or 240-485-1156.
EDUCATION &TRAINING
As the season clicks into high gear, are you sure your sales reps are focused to maximize their efforts? So much has changed in the post recession economy, especially in the construction industry. Finding new contacts, working on new sales strategies with current customers, understanding new directions taken by contractors as well as possibly new buying criteria can only maximize a producer’s efforts. Ask your sales staff, "Do we really know our most important customers as well as we need to - enough to be sure of getting and keeping their business?"
In this Webinar, sales reps learn to reassess their relationship with key customers and how to ask the right "20 Questions" that help GET, KEEP and GROW sales. For a healthy bottom line, it can no longer be, "Just get the order and we’ll figure it out." Now, more than ever, it’s about building a partnership with a contractor that is healthy for both sides of the sales equation. Click here to learn more and to register.
The following series will be offered throughout 2014:
Personal Leadership and Coaching: May 21 - Click here to register. Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps: August 20 - Click here to register.
Re-Entrepreneuring: 7 Strategies for Rebuilding Your Business in the New Economy: September 10 - Click here to register. Sales Performance Assessments and Reviews ... for Ready Mix Sales Managers: November 19 - Click here to register. CALENDAR
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.
March 17, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete: Another Choice for Pavement
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 18, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
March 18–20, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP IV: Professional Sales Skills Workshop
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
March 25, Virginia Ready Mixed Concrete Association - Leesburg, VA
Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program
Email: Hessam Nabavi, hessam@vrmca.com
March 25, Webinar
Concrete Overlays for Streets and Local Roads and Parking Lots
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
March 25–28, Oklahoma City
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
March 27, Nashville, TN
Tennessee Concrete Association Pervious Concrete Contractor Certification Program
Email: Darla Sparkman, dsparkman@tnconcrete.org
April 1, Webinar
Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
April 3, Webinar
Overlays for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
April 7, Webinar
Designing & Specifying Pervious Concrete (Part 2 is April 14)
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
April 8, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
April 10, Webinar
SLR Concrete Construction & Repair Basics
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
April 15, Free Webinar
New Radical Material and Resources Reporting Criteria in LEEDv4
Email: Tien Peng, 206-913-8535
April 16, Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
April 16, Webinar
Building the Customer Relationship... in the Post-Recession Economy
Email: Eileen Dickson, 240-485-1164
May 6, Webinar
Soils 101
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
May 8, Webinar
Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
May 12–15, Boston
International Concrete Sustainability Conference
E-mail: Lionel Lemay, 847-918-7101
May 21, Webinar
Personal Leadership and Coaching
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
May 29, Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 3-5, Silver Spring, MD
Concrete Durability Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
June 5, Webinar
Overlays for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 10, Webinar
Roller Compacted Concrete for Streets & Local Roads
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 13, Webinar
Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 17, Webinar
Concrete Pavement Jointing Plans
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
June 19, Webinar
Utilizing MIT Research Results
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
June 26, Webinar
SLR Concrete Construction & Repair Basics
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
July 8, Webinar
Understanding Asphalt
Email: Brian Killingsworth, 830-438-2690
July 15, Webinar
Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
July 30, Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion & Advocacy Overview
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 12-15, Silver Spring, MD
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
August 14, Webinar
Streets & Roads Team Building & Situation Analysis
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 19, Webinar
Controlling Moisture in Concrete Slabs
Email: Amanda Hult, 303-953-2382
August 20, Webinar
Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
August 21, Webinar
Streets & Roads Promotion for DOTs, Counties & Municipalities
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 10, Webinar
Re-Entrepreneuring: 7 Strategies for Rebuilding Your Business in the New Economy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
September 12, Webinar
Winning Initial Streets & Roads Projects in Counties & Municipalities
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
October 14, Webinar
Streets & Roads Elected Official Advocacy
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
November 19, Webinar
Sales Performance Assessments and Review for Ready Mix Sales Managers
Email: Shawnita Dickens, 888-84-NRMCA, x1154
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