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Pavement

Shopping Center Parking Lot Overlay Interest Still Coming In One Year Later

As NRMCA reported in May 2016, interest in parking lot renovation utilizing a concrete overlay was a hot topic at the International Conference of Shopping Centers (ICSC) RECon convention. Over 60 owners, managers and property developers requested more information and follow up after the convention, reported NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Jon Hansen.

"This past week, a company we talked to at the convention a year ago contacted us with two potential projects with a combined total size of over 400,000 square feet," related Hansen. "The owners had read the Guide To Concrete Overlays of Asphalt Parking Lots that we provided them via pdf download after last year’s convention and this latest owner has determined this is the parking lot paving option he wants to pursue. We will also be assisting him with Design Assistance Program (DAP) work ups on the two projects and aligning him with an experienced ASCC (American Society of Concrete Contractors) overlay contractor."

If you have shopping centers in your region that need to find a break from the rut of asphalt maintenance, contact Jon Hansen at jhansen@nrmca.org.

Association & Industry News

Ready Mixed Concrete Production Statistics Updated Through January 2017

The preliminary estimate of ready mixed concrete produced in January 2017 is 20 million cubic yards, 2.9% higher than that in January 2016.

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

Slag Cement Life Cycle Assessment Calculator Now Available

The Slag Cement Association (SCA) has introduced a new ready mixed concrete Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculator for slag cement, now available to download on the SCA Web site. The calculator is used to quantify and interpret cradle to gate LCA environmental impacts of ready mixed concrete mixtures with and without slag cement, based on the industry-average Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for ready mixed concrete that incorporated industry-average EPDs for slag cement and for portland cement in the United States. The tool also allows users to evaluate how different concrete mixtures affect whole building impacts based on a typical case study building.

"This is a great tool for the ready mixed concrete industry because producers can immediately demonstrate to owners and developers how the use of slag cement can help positively impact the environmental footprint of a structure or building," said Ed Griffith, president, Slag Cement Association. "Additionally, industry professionals can use the LCA Calculator to help earn points through the LEED green building rating system."

The calculator is separated into four sections. The first allows users to select from a list of preset concrete mixes and alter the percentage of slag cement in that mix. The graphed results show the impacts for the baseline and slag cement-modified mixes in real time and allows users to apply region specific supply chain characteristics. The calculator also permits users to enter up to 10 custom mix designs and will calculate the environmental impact of each mix. This allows professionals to benchmark custom mixes as a percentage of region-specific industry averages. The calculator can also be used to assemble a report on slag cement’s impact on a building as a whole, allowing users to enter amounts for each of the custom mixes used in a given project.

Click here for more information or to download the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Calculator or EPD for Slag Cement.

NRMCA Member CalPortland Again Earns Energy Star Award

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized NRMCA member CalPortland with a 2017 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for its energy efficiency achievements. The Glendora, CA-based company's accomplishments will be recognized by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, DC, on April 26.

"CalPortland takes great pride in our partnership with ENERGY STAR. Being named Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence is a tremendous honor," said Allen Hamblen, President/CEO CalPortland. "Earning that honor for the thirteenth consecutive year is a tribute to the dedication of our employees who are proud to participate in programs that improve our energy efficiency, reduce emissions and contribute to protecting our environment."

CalPortland was cited for 2016 accomplishments which included:

• Reduction of its energy intensity by 1.1% in 2016 which resulted in over $682,000 in savings and a reduction of 14,234 mtons of CO2. CalPortland has improved its energy intensity by 15.6% since 2003, amounting to a cumulative savings of over $96 million.

• The company initiated a new "CalPortland Energy Cup" competition that compares and quantifies energy practices and performance of its three cement plants.

• All three CalPortland cement plants scored in the top quartile of the EPI benchmarking tool. The Rillito plant has been certified for the past five years in a row.

• CalPortland completed several large energy saving projects, including the installation of a new $9 million clinker cooler at the Rillito cement plant, a $14 million Anchorage terminal storage dome and a $2 million preheater duct replacement at the Mojave cement plant.

Source: CalPortland news release. Click here for more information on the Energy Star program. CalPortland can be reached via e-mail at info@calportland.com or 626-852-6200.

Government Affairs

NRMCA Advocacy News Roundup Updated Through April 7

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 April 3 - 7, 2017, 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 Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.

NRMCA Continues to Push Legislators to Defund Labor Department Regulations

Last week, the Appropriations Committee received a series of NRMCA-backed requests to defund Obama-era labor regulations. Over the past few weeks, NRMCA has been lobbying members of Congress to support measures to keep the government from enforcing four of the Obama Administration’s labor rules: the joint employer standard, the ambush election rule, the persuader rule and the micro-union ruling. Each of these labor rules has a negative impact on the ready mixed concrete industry and NRMCA’s Government Affairs team is working to get them defunded.

The measures that NRMCA Government Affairs lobbied were included in a letter submitted by Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL), a member of the House Rules Committee. Rep. Byrne’s request garnered the support of more than 70 members of Congress and was submitted to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies last Wednesday. While NRMCA Government Affairs team’s ultimate goal is to get these rulings overturned and the regulations vacated and rolled back, these defunding measures will prevent the Labor Department and other federal agencies from continuing to enforce or uphold these standards. NRMCA will continue to work with a coalition of like-minded, pro-business groups to repeal these rules.

For more information, please contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org or 240-485-1156.

Time is running out to register for the 2017 TCC Fly-In Conference to be held May 17-18. The registration fee is $175 and includes conference materials, legislative briefings, continental breakfast and a Capitol Hill reception. Cancellations after May 12 are non-refundable. This year’s meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington at 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001. To make your hotel reservation, please contact the hotel by calling 1-800-421-1442 or 202-737-1234 and ask for the group code: TCC Fly-In rate of $329 per night. The TCC room block is based on availability; rooms are sold on a first-come, first-sold basis. If the room block is sold out, please contact Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org for a list of reserve hotels. The cut-off date for the hotel room block is Monday, April 17.

This year’s event will likely center around the Trump Administration’s plan for a $1 trillion investment in our nation’s transportation and infrastructure system. Earlier this year, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao pledged to collaborate with Congress to seek every funding option possible to shore up the Highway Trust Fund’s looming deficit. NRMCA is committed to working with the Administration to help find a solution to this problem.

We will also host our next NRMCA Quarterly DC Days on Wednesday, May 18, in conjunction with the TCC Fly-In. NRMCA’s Quarterly DC Days is an opportunity for you to come to your nation’s capital to meet with your congressional representatives and their staffs to talk about important issues impacting the ready mixed concrete industry. This event will focus specifically on the $1 trillion transportation and infrastructure package and its potential impact to the ready mixed concrete industry.

Click here to register for the Fly-In. For more information please contact Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org or 240-485-1159.

OES

Registration Opens for Extra 2017 Plant Manager Certification Class

NRMCA has added an extra Plant Manager Certification class, to be held June 13 – 16, Bismarck, ND. After this class, the next class will not be held until mid-December in Orlando.

According to NRMCA’s Industry Data Survey, Operations and Production account for approximately 90%+ of producers’ expenses. Therefore, as a producer’s business increases, it is critical your plant operators are at the top of their game when it comes to efficiency and productivity. Whether your operations staff now manages more plants, is new to plant management and batching, or has unplanned down time, the curriculum intensely covers product knowledge, plant safety, environmental regulations, plant operations and ready mixed industry business principles. It’s a must to support your profit margin.

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

2017 Fleet Benchmarking Survey Entries Due This Friday

The 2017 Fleet Benchmarking Survey "sponsored by Lytx DriveCam" is filled out by industry fleet managers and/or financial managers early each year, based on data gathered from the previous calendar year’s performance. This year’s form includes new question on mixer drum composition, idle time and types of fuel being used. The Fleet Benchmarking Survey is used to establish industry benchmarking norms and procedures. Information gathered from the annual Fleet Benchmarking Survey is published in a full report in Concrete InFocus magazine each fall. A shorter Executive Summary of the survey is also made available to all.

Entries must be submitted by e-mail to Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org by this upcoming Friday, April 14. Click here for more information, staff contact and to download the entry form.

2017 Safety Contest & Benchmarking Survey Entry Form Now Available

The Safety Contest & Benchmarking Survey has for years been a safety performance and incentive/award program aimed to foster safe practices at ready mixed concrete plants across the nation. The Safety Contest & Benchmarking Survey is a per-plant contest open to all facilities operated by NRMCA member companies in good standing. Companies with more than one division are encouraged to distribute entry blanks to individuals responsible for keeping safety records at each plant location.

Entries must be e-mailed to Karen Bean at kbean@nrmca.org by Friday, April 28. Click here for more information, to download the entry form and staff contact.

Education & Training

Registration Now Open for Next Round of NRMCA Sales Certification Series

Plan ahead: the series of four NRMCA's Certified Concrete Sales Professional (CCSP) classes is now open for registration. Each module in the series will be held in Silver Spring, MD (metro Washington, DC), beginning in October and ending in March 2018. A discounted fee is extended for those who register for all four classes and to companies who send three or more people to one class. The schedule is as follows:

• Module 1: Concrete 101, October 10-13, 2017

• Module 2: Understand the Contractor's Business, December 5-7, 2017

• Module 3: RMC Business Knowledge, January 24-26, 2018

• Module 4: Professional Sales Skills and Promotion, March 27- 29, 2018

Each class stands alone so it does NOT have to be taken consecutively or collectively. The well-respected, updated content is a valid way to refresh sales skills that emphasize the industry’s aggressive stance toward winning business. Additionally, these are the required courses in the STEPS® Sales and Promotion certification program, where those in the field earn the industry's most prestigious capstone certification, the CCPf.

Click here for more information or contact NRMCA's Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 240-485-1152.

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.

April 25 – 28, Seattle *Sold Out

Plant Manager Certification Course