New California Promoter Gets Crash Course Training in Midwest

Nathan Forrest, P.E. has been hired by the California Nevada Cement Association (CNCA) to promote paving in Southern California, but one of his first tasks was to travel to the Midwest and learn concrete paving promotion using the "immersion" method, reports NRMCA Senior Vice President, Local Paving, Jon Hansen.

"Experts say the best way to learn a new language is to be immersed into the country and its people," the Des Moines, IA-based Hansen said. "Tom Tietz is a firm believer in this training method as he sends his new hires to Iowa for a week where we show them things they are not likely to see in their areas. Things like integral curb and gutter, burlap and synthetic turf texturing, and un-reinforced pavement that stands the test of time. Nathan spent time with Gordon Smith and his staff of the Iowa Concrete Paving/Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Associations' partnership and also visited the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CPTECH) in Ames."

"We also visited a large parking lot paving project under construction and I was able to arrange a meeting for Nathan with Dale Harrington, an author of many concrete paving documents and who is currently working with Caltrans on some overlay projects in the state of California in his role as a consultant at the CPTECH center," Hansen added. "A trip like this is a great opportunity for newly hired promoters in our industry to see examples of concrete paving first hand. We encourage other states and member companies to take advantage of this 'immersion' method of training."