NRMCA e-news
Schwing America, Inc. Fritz-Pak Corporation
Pavement
This past Monday, April 24, a 5-alarm fire in College Park, MD, adjacent to the University of Maryland's main campus quickly became the largest firefighting effort in Prince George's County history. More than 200 firefighters and EMS personnel were involved using more than 50 vehicles. Two firefighters were injured, a senior center adjacent to the building was evacuated and classes were cancelled at the University of Maryland as a result of the poor air quality due to heavy and toxic smoke in the area. The building was 60 days away from occupancy. Sprinklers were installed but not active. Acting Chief of the Prince George’s County Fire Department, Ben Barksdale, said in a press conference, "We can see today how much of a problem it is. Once that fire gets to those void spaces, and starts attacking those structural components and all that wood, it’s very hard to catch up to it, especially if you don’t have access to get right up to it."
 
NRMCA Senior Director, Local Paving, recently traveled to Kansas where he attended a joint promotion council meeting with the Kansas chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association and the Kansas Ready Mixed Concrete Association. He met with KRMCA's new managing director, Jerry Younger, and discussed the following:
  • Went over NRMCA responsibilities and services (pavement design assistance, promotion training Boot Camp program, Unified Design software);
  • Agreed to middle-of-day "Concrete Forum" format: to be sponsored by KAPA-KRMCA; no charge to attend; targeted to external owner, agency and engineer audience (not necessarily internal industry);
  • First program's key subjects will be concrete streets, parking lots and concrete building promotion (Build with Strength). Other related shorter presentation topics to be included in program will be soils & sub-base, jointing, best placing/finishing techniques, fibers, "Why Concrete," owner/contractor testimonials, etc.
  • Locations determined as Kansas City, KS, and Wichita. Do one location one day, then next location following day; same speakers/topics/presentations.
For more information, contact Ken Justice at kjustice@nrmca.org.
 
NRMCA Paving Engineer Amanda Hult will partner with the Florida Concrete and Products Association (FCPA) and member companies to present a day of training on Wednesday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hult will discuss available NRMCA resources, including the Design Assistance Program for parking lots and local streets and roads (DAP) and Design Center for Buildings. Attendees will also be provided tools that may be used to seek opportunities for concrete pavement designs and conversions. Who should attend? Industry personnel who plan to promote concrete parking lots in Florida. Additional resources include a promoter’s toolbox and new marketing and technical presentations designed for engineers, architects and developers.
 
The training will take place at FCPA’s office at 6353 Lee Vista Blvd. in Orlando. Lunch will be provided.
 
To register, please contact FCPA's Matt Sitter at mattsitter@fcpa.org. For more information on NRMCA's participation, contact Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org.
 

 

 
WAM USA, Inc. CarbonCure Technologies Inc.
Government Affairs
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 17 - 21, 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.
 
On May 8, NRMCA will join partners from the North American Concrete Alliance (NACA) in presenting an educational briefing on Capitol Hill to House and Senate staffers. This briefing, similar to a briefing NRMCA participated in this February, will explain the process and economic impact of concrete production in the United States. NRMCA will be representing ready mixed concrete and will use the briefing as an opportunity to underscore its legislative priorities which include federal investment in transportation and infrastructure, reduction of federal regulations negatively impacting the ready mixed concrete industry and resilient construction. During the election, now President Trump frequently touted his support for a $1 trillion infrastructure investment, and both Republican and Democratic members of Congress have similarly expressed support for a big infrastructure package.
 
The Portland Cement Association will host a 2017 Cement and Concrete Fly-In on May 9-10 at the Washington Marriott Metro Center. The 2017 Cement and Concrete Fly-In will be an opportunity to join business leaders and engage with members of Congress and advocate for priorities important to the cement and concrete industry, including funding for the Highway Trust Fund and federal investment in transportation and infrastructure.
 
Click here for Marriott hotel reservations and here to register for the PCA Fly-In. For more information, please contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.
 
BASF Construction Chemicals True Dispatch
OES
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 in 2016. 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 and to download the entry form. You may also contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org for more information.
 
NRMCA’s Annual Safety Award acknowledges the significant contribution that safe work practices gives to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry as a whole. The NRMCA Annual Safety Award is presented to an individual or company whose actions represent the very highest in the advancement of safety in the ready mixed concrete industry. The award program is generously sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB). The award may be presented to an individual whose single action or long-time commitment to safety and health in the ready mixed concrete industry exemplifies superior performance in the field of safety. Examples of the award winner could be a ready mixed concrete truck driver whose actions were life saving. Other examples could include plant managers, safety managers and company officials who have outstanding long-time dedication to safety and health in the ready mixed concrete industry. Other examples would be an individual’s involvement community safety activities.
 
McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing, Inc. The Euclid Chemical Company Xypex Chemical Corp
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. The TCC room block is sold out, but a list of secondary hotels is available here.

This year’s theme will be "Highway Trust Fund – Still Under Construction." While America’s infrastructure continues to age and require repairs, maintenance and rebuilding, the Highway Trust Fund does not have a sustainable source of revenue. We will be asking members of Congress to support legislation that would provide the Highway Trust Fund the revenue it needs to fix America’s infrastructure.
 
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 securing funding for the Highway Trust Fund.
 
Click here to register for the Fly-In. For more information, contact Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org or 240-485-1159.
 
Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site.

June 6 – 8, Atlanta
Concrete Durability Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
June 13 – 16, Bismarck, ND
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
October 10 – 13, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module I: Concrete 101
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
October 17 – 19, Englewood, CO
Safety Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
November 6 – 10, Silver Spring, MD
Annual Technical Short Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
November 8, Salt Lake City
Handling Concrete Specifications
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
November 28 – 30, Orlando, FL
Environmental Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 5 – 7, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module II: Customer Business Knowledge
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
December 12 – 15, Orlando, FL
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
2018
 
January 9 – 11, Orlando, FL
Dispatcher Training Forum
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
January 16 – 19, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module III: General Business Knowledge
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

January 16 – 19, Minneapolis
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

January 23 – 25, Orlando, FL
RMC Effective Supervisor Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

February 20 – 23, Albuquerque, NM
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152

March 26 – 30, Location Tentative: Louisville, KY
Plant Manager Certification Course
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
March 27 – 29, Silver Spring, MD
CCSP Module IV: Professional Sales Skills
Email: Jessica Walgenbach, 888-84-NRMCA, x1152
 
Sustainability
State and local government facilities are excellent opportunities in which to demonstrate Zero Net Energy (ZNE) innovations such as insulating concrete forms (ICF). It is also particularly important for the school sector to lead by example both for educational purposes and to establish market viability and credibility of policy efforts. Ready mixed concrete has been a key component of the ZNE successes in Kentucky and Virginia schools. ZNE is a relatively new concept in the energy efficiency world; a building that produces as much energy through clean, onsite renewable resources as it consumes over the course of a year.

The California Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan has set ambitious goals for achieving ZNE for all new commercial buildings by 2030. To support these ambitious state goals, a workshop will be held on June 14-15 in Fresno to give local government staff the information, tools and confidence to create and drive progress toward ZNE goals. The free (to local governments) workshop will show how cities can be leaders within their own public building portfolios by creating a clear code and policy road map, and by transforming the market through public awareness.

Build with Strength, a coalition led by NRMCA that promotes concrete building systems through communications, project promotion, education and advocacy, can help leverage sustainable standards to help place more concrete. To learn more about these programs, or for more information on how local energy policies can help you, contact Tien Peng at tpeng@nrmca.org or 206-913-8535.
 
Quad-Lock Building Systems Ltd. Mack Trucks, Inc.
NRMCA has added an extra Plant Manager Certification class, to be held June 13-16 in 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.
 
Registration for NRMCA’s Fall 2017 Safety Course is now open; please note that this course has a limited number of seats and will sell out very soon. The course will take place October 17-19 in Denver. This 2.5-day course teaches participants about OSHA safety compliance, beginning with why safety is so important and details the reasons why an effective safety program actually saves money through loss prevention and control. Participants learn about electrical safety, machine guarding, fall protection, hazard communication, confined spaces, personal protective equipment, fire fighting and evacuation, maintenance shop safety, chute handling, fleet safety, pre-trip inspection and more.

Click here for location details, registration options and staff contacts.