NRMCA e-news

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

NRMCA Mourns Loss of Two Industry Leaders

With deep sadness, NRMCA reports the loss of two of our State Affiliate Association leaders – William Arent of the Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association and James Langlois of the Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council.

William Bill "Gator" Linwood Arent, 68, died January 22, 2016, at CMC Main in Charlotte, NC. He was born May 3, 1947 in Maryland to the late Avery Raymond Arent and Virginia Grace (Alley) Arent. He is survived by his loving wife, Becky Arent; daughter, Elizabeth Pittman and her husband Michael of Delray Beach, FL; daughter, Catherine Arent of West Palm Beach, FL; son, William Arent and his girlfriend Sarah of Charlotte, NC; sister, Louise Drain and her husband Jeff; nephew, Jeffery Drain; grandchildren, Logan, Baron and Maxen. He is also survived by his beloved dogs Bocephus and Bella. Bill loved his family and was a true family man.

He served the Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association for 32 years, during which time his efforts were recognized by NRMCA in 2012 as State Association of the Year. Bill also served on NRMCA's Board of Directors from 2004 through 2010. He will truly be missed by all that knew him. Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 29, in the chapel at Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home, Huntersville, NC. The family will receive friends following the service at the funeral home.

James Roland Langlois, 70, of Middletown, beloved husband of Dianne (Current) Langlois, died unexpectedly on Sunday, January 24, 2016. Born on January 2, 1946 in Melrose, MA, he was the son of the late Louis and Genevieve (Kurkowski) Langlois. In 1969, Jim married Dianne and together they raised their son, Bartholomew James Langlois. Jim worked in the cement and concrete industries for 47 years, most recently as executive director of the Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council. Jim was in his 32nd year as an assistant men's ice hockey coach at Wesleyan University. A 1968 graduate of St. Lawrence University where he lettered in hockey, Jim coached Wesleyan's women's ice hockey team from 1980-84 before joining the men's ranks in 1985. He also has coached in the Middlesex Youth Hockey Program and at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford. Jim was also an avid golfer and tied for third in the 19th Super Senior Championship at Heritage Village Country Club. Along with his wife, Jim is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Bart and Kate Langlois and their two children and several nieces and nephews.

Family and friends may call on Friday, January 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Doolittle Funeral Home, 14 Old Church Street, Middletown. Funeral service and burial will be private. Also, a brunch reception to share memories and stories with family, friends, colleagues, and golfing buddies will be held Saturday, January 30, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Wethersfield Country Club, 76 Country Club Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim's memory may be made to The First Tee of Connecticut, 55 Golf Club Road, Cromwell, CT 06416.

Both men will be truly missed.

PAVEMENTS

Denver Design Firms Host Luncheon Seminar on Parking Lot Overlays

On the tails of the successful Pinehurst Country Club parking lot overlay project completed in 2015, the principal of Intergroup Architects in Denver brought knowledge of concrete overlays in house to his staff and selected customers last week. Arranged by Peter Deem with the Concrete Pipe Association and formally with Holcim Cement, the seminar drew 17 people who attended the luncheon meeting which featured presentations by NRMCA's Jon Hansen, senior vice president, local paving, and Amanda Hult, senior director of local paving. Also attending and representing the concrete industry was Don Clem, executive director of Portland Cement Association's Rocky Mountain Region.

"The idea of a free DAP (Design Assistance Program) and LCCA (Life Cycle Cost Analysis) for a project was of huge interest to those attending," Hansen said.

For more information, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org or Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org.

Event Planned to Celebrate 125th Anniversary of First Concrete Street in U.S.

In 1891, an 8-ft wide section of Main Street in Bellefontaine, OH, in front of the Logan County Court House became the first use of concrete in the United States on a road or street application. A segment placed in 1893 on Court Street - adjacent to the original pavement and on another side of the Court House Square - remains in service today( see pic below) and stands as a testimonial to the longevity and durability of concrete as an engineering construction material. To put the age of this in perspective, this was just 17 years after Custer’s Last Stand and one year before Henry Ford began experimenting with his quadricycle!

To commemorate this 125th anniversary of the first concrete pavement in the U.S., a celebratory event and field trip is planned for April 25 in cooperation with the National Concrete Consortium (NCC) spring meeting in Columbus. The program begins at the Hyatt Regency - Columbus with a series of invited presentations on Historical Highlights of Concrete Pavement Technology Developments in the U.S. and Canada, as well as Best Practices for the Design and Construction of Long-Life Concrete Pavements. Following the presentations, a site visit to the Bellefontaine project is planned.

There is no cost to attend this event, and it does not conflict with any formal NCC activities. Anyone interested in attending can indicate on this Doodle link by February 15. Pre-registration will be available once the National Concrete Consortium registration is posted.

For more information, contact Shiraz Tayabji at stayabji@gmail.com, Kurt Smith at ksmith@appliedpavement.com, Larry Scofield at lscofield@acpa.com of the Task Force on Preservation of Artifacts from Historic Concrete Pavements or NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, Phil Kresge at pkresge@nrmca.org.

BUILDINGS

NRMCA Hires Sustainability Practitioner

James Bogdan has joined NRMCA as senior director, sustainability initiatives. Mr. Bogdan, who is based in Pittsburgh, will help position NRMCA members to meet new requirements in the green building standards such as LEED and Green Globes. Sustainability initiatives include product sustainability and transparency, supply chain sustainability, and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. Most recently, Mr. Bogdan led corporate sustainability initiatives for a leading New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed wholesale distributor of electrical, lighting and maintenance products where he evolved the sustainability program to align with growing stakeholder interests of assessing supply chain environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks. Prior to that, he was manager, market sustainability initiatives for a NYSE-listed global coatings and glass company where he developed and implemented strategies to influence architect, engineer and contractor (AEC) specifications with a focus on the green building market. As a professional with 25 years of experiences, Mr. Bogdan also provided environmental, health & safety (EHS) consulting expertise for an architectural and engineering firm.

Mr. Bogdan earned a bachelor of science degree in environmental science from Slippery Rock University, a master of science degree in environmental management from Duquesne University and has completed a MBA Essential certificate program through the University of Pittsburgh. He has earned certifications such LEED-AP, Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) and Certified Sustainability/CSR Practitioner.

Contact James Bogdan at JBogdan@nrmca.org or 412-559-1524.

ASSOCIATION & INDUSTRY NEWS

Ready Mixed Concrete Production Statistics Updated Through November 2015

The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete produced in November 2015 is 26.8 million cubic yards, 12.4% higher than that in November 2014. The production through November is estimated at 312 million cubic yards, 3.4% higher than that during the same period in 2014.

Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. NRMCA members can view additional details here.

ENGINEERING

Concrete Durability Course Set for June in Maryland

The next NRMCA Concrete Durability Course is scheduled for June 6-8, 2016, at the RMC Research & Education Foundation Center next to the NRMCA office in Silver Spring, MD. The course is taught by Michael Thomas, University of New Brunswick, Kevin Folliard, University of Texas at Austin and NRMCA Engineering staff. The course provides a fundamental understanding of the nature of cement and concrete as they relate to durability of concrete. Topics will cover cracking, alkali aggregate reactions, sulfate attack, corrosion of reinforcing steel, freeze-thaw durability and other aspects. A group exercise will be facilitated to walk attendees through ConcreteWorks software that can be used to develop concrete mixtures for durability and to evaluate the potential for temperature-related cracking.

The course also discusses the durability provisions in the Building Code - ACI 318-14 and how specifications can be structured to address durability. Comprehensive reference material is provided as course notes that is an excellent resource to concrete producers and associated technical personnel. The course concludes with a comprehensive exam on the subject matter covered. Those with NRMCA Level 3 Certification will obtain the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 4 Certification when passing this exam. However, it is not essential to have attended the NRMCA Technical Short Course to attend the Durability Course.

This course provides required learning units toward the technical track of the NRMCA STEPS certification program. Please register early if you wish to attend.

Click here for registration options, more information and staff contacts.

OPERATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY & HR

FMCSA Schedules Webinars on Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) Rule

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will hold two Webinars to help educate those covered under the Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) rule. Specifically, the ELD rule, finalized back in December, requires all commercial motor vehicles to install and use ELDs as means for complying with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. The compliance date for the ELD rule is December 18, 2017. FMCSA stated that these "webinars will give industry participants an overview of the rule and implementation plan, and explain how the first phase of its implementation will impact enforcement."

The first Webinar will take place on Wednesday, January 27, and will include an overview of the rule and FMCSA’s implementation plan. The second, on Thursday, February 11, will discuss covered carriers’ transition to ELDs and further awareness about the rule.

Click here to learn more and/or to register. Click here to learn more about the ELD rule. For more information, you may also contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

NRMCA Urges All Members to Take Regulations Enforcement Survey

NRMCA has crafted a second annual member survey to gauge regulatory action within the industry in order to determine regulatory trends on specific issues, issue types and in geographic regions. This information, while strictly confidential, will help NRMCA to better tailor its actions to address and/or combat any such issues, and to keep a finger on the pulse of when, where, how and why regulatory agencies are targeting and/or levying enforcement actions against the industry.

NRMCA urges you to take the survey at your earliest convenience. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

Reminder: OSHA 300A Summary Logs Must Be Posted by February 1

Remember, staring Monday, February 1, employers must display their OSHA 300A Log where their employees have access to it. The summary log needs to stay posted until April 30, 2016.

Click here for more information on OSHA recordkeeping requirements. Click here to access OSHA 300A forms and instructions. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

NRMCA Advocacy News Roundup Updated Through January 22

Media articles on Congress, transportation infrastructure, regulation, taxes and other subjects, each of which relate to the ready mixed concrete industry, are updated each week by NRMCA's Government Affairs staff. To access the most recent compilation of articles for January 18 - 22, 2016, please click here.

If you would like to receive this weekly updated link in a separate e-mail, or if you have questions or comments about the roundup, contact NRMCA’s Jill Landry at jlandry@nrmca.org.

EDUCATION &TRAINING

Once the season is rockin’ and rollin’, log on for information and insight that will drive your business while helping you manage your staff. The price is a bargain and you lose no time being away from the action in your market.

• Webinar #1: Sales Management 101... for Ready Mix Sales Managers - Tuesday, March 1, noon - 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. In this 90-minute Webinar, you will learn the critical skills of effective sales management that can help you build a top-performing sales team. This session is filled with tips and techniques to benefit both new and experienced ready mix managers.

• Webinar #2: Personal Leadership and Coaching - Tuesday, May 10, noon - 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. This 90-minute Webinar is designed for every ready mixed concrete manager – sales, service, dispatch, admin and executive – any manager who wants to become a more effective leader and coach.

• Webinar #3: Recruiting & Hiring Top Performing Ready Mix Sales Reps - Tuesday, October 11, noon - 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. Hiring is the #1 challenge of every ready mix sales manager. In this 90-minute Webinar you will learn how to spot potential top sales performers and how to identify the warning signs of a possible "wrong hire".

• Webinar #4: Sales Performance Assessments and Reviews...for Ready Mix Sales Managers - Tuesday, December 6, noon - 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. How do you know if your sales rep is performing at the top of his or her ability...and if not, what you can do to help him or her? In this 90-minute Webinar you will learn to identify the specific "barriers" that may be holding back your sales reps and how to create a personal coaching and motivation strategy to improve performance.

Click here for more information and registration options.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

January Internet Special Highlights Concrete in Practice Series

The NRMCA January Internet Spotlight, which will be good through Tuesday, February 2, is the CIP100 (20 collated sets of Concrete In Practice topics 1 – 43). A longtime industry wide standard, Concrete In Practice is a series of 43 one-page information sheets on important technical topics, written in a non-technical "What, Why and How?" format. Give them to contractors and they'll know that you deliver quality and value and make them a part of your promotion and education program.

Order online today and receive 20% off the regular member price of $230 (Internet Special would be $184, plus shipping). Please use Discount Code ISJAN16.

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.

February 8 - 12, Des Moines, IA *Sold Out

Regional Concrete Technologist Training and Certification Course "Short Course"

Email: Karen Bean, 240-485-1168

February 17, Webinar

Increase Your Profits with Roller-Compacted Concrete

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 23 - 25, Silver Spring, MD

CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge

Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152