Towards the end of 2023, the Aggregate Producer Leadership Committee (APLC) embarked on developing a strategic plan to identify and create strategies to address the issues that are most concerning for VTCA’s Aggregate Producers.
The strategic planning exercise followed several years of the aggregate subcommittees conducting SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analyses for each of the respective subcommittees. The SWOT analyses ultimately helped the APLC redefine its purpose statement to “Preserve the Future of Aggregates” with the niche statement “Relationship Driven Leadership.”
With these statements in mind, the APLC, subcommittee chairs, and Aggregate Members of the VTCA Board set off to develop a strategic plan.
A brief survey was conducted of the APLC members and subcommittee chairs to determine the rank of the most important concerns/initiatives facing Virginia’s Aggregate Industry. The survey results are below:
Concern:
(1 - being the most important)
The APLC and subcommittee chairs identified the three areas outlined below as most critical for the VTCA Aggregates Program to focus efforts.
Aggregate Product Specification Trends, Recycled Products, and Construction Methods – The APLC suggests the Technical Committee, with assistance from the Marketing Committee, take the lead on this effort. The goal would be to create messaging, relationships, research, and promotions that progress and protect the need and use of aggregates. It is recommended that the committees work with other trade associations of similar interests, research institutions, and specifiers to achieve these goals.
Public Image of Industry – The APLC discussed there is a significant opportunity to brand the aggregate industry in a more positive light to the public. They identified this effort should begin with local government officials, elected leaders, and educators. ALPC identified the Marketing Committee should lead this charge.
Aggregate Program Membership – The Aggregates Program has some room for membership growth, and it should be explored to increase the number of members. There is also an opportunity to have more existing members become actively engaged in VTCA through committees, programs, and events. The Operations Committee has membership recruitment and engagement as one of its key initiatives and the APLC supports the Operations Committee's continuing engagement in these opportunities.
One additional membership-related item discussed by the APLC is to discuss and consider allowing multiple representatives from one aggregate producer member to serve on the APLC. The APLC will discuss this further.
The APLC meets on January 23, 2024, and will officially recommend the appropriate subcommittees begin efforts toward developing strategies to achieve these initiatives.