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Association & Industry News
 Three members of the NRMCA team were recently promoted as part a broader organizational restructuring. Working together, Amanda Muller, Jeannette Munroe and Jessica Walgenbach will lead the new Membership Engagement and Growth team. Through these positions, they will create opportunities for meaningful member engagement and enhanced member experiences. • Amanda Muller – Promoted to vice president, membership engagement • Jeannette Munroe – Promoted to executive vice president, membership engagement and growth • Jessica Walgenbach – Promoted to vice president, meetings and events Their colleagues in communications, learning and development, publications, and sponsorship also align under the new Membership Engagement and Growth (MEG) team. Click here for the updated list of NRMCA staff members and their respective titles. 
The estimated ready mixed concrete produced in June is 33.7 million cubic yards, 2.2% lower than that in June 2024. The estimated production in the U.S. through June is 173 million cubic yards, approximately 5.3% lower than that during the same period in 2024. Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. More detail, including production by state for Q2 of 2025, is available here for NRMCA members under Production Statistics.
Buildings
NRMCA Codes and Standards team members Shamim Rashid-Sumar, Tiffany Reed-Villarreal, Julian Mills-Beale and Matthew Lemay represented the concrete industry’s advancements in sustainable construction at the annual American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) conference held in Atlanta from September 15 - 18. Some 300 attendees heard discussions on such topics as public databases of environmental impacts from the supply chain and the move toward whole-building carbon accounting, a beneficial trend for the concrete industry. Manager of Codes and Sustainability Programs Matthew Lemay participated on a concrete-focused panel session, presenting the Statistical Addendum to the Industry-Average LCA and EPD which was published last year. The document lays out a method for creating realistic, achievable and high-performing carbon benchmarks that are aligned with both federal methodology and real industry data from the Industry-Wide EPD. NRMCA is an organizational member of ACLCA and a member of the ACLCA Board. For more information on NRMCA's sustainability initiatives and programs, contact Matthew Lemay at mlemay@nrmca.org. Download the statistical addendum to the industry-average LCA report here.
On Friday, September 26, NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Frank Mruk spoke on resiliency at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Connecticut Chapter's CACX’25 (From Idea to Impact) conference held at the Mohegan Sun Conference Center in Uncasville. The event was hosted by Chapter President Marc Andre of MA Architects and Chapter Executive Director Gina Calabro. CACX’25 is the largest architectural event held in Connecticut, bringing together more than 200 architects, designers and industry leaders (some seen here) to explore the future of the built environment through conversations on innovation, sustainability and design excellence. The event aims to inspire discussions around the future of the built environment, bringing together industry professionals to share insights and innovations. NRMCA continues to promote the benefits of innovative resilient solutions to architectural firms in the Northeast. For more information, contact Frank Mruk at fmruk@nrmca.org.
Senior Director, Building Innovations, for NRMCA’s Build With Strength program Donn Thompson hosted a dinner last week to honor the various team members responsible for constructing the Concrete Innovation Award winning Central City Parallel Tunnel project in Minnesota. The downtown Minneapolis project was built approximately 70 feet below Washington Avenue South between Nicollet Mall and Chicago Avenue. Designed and built for the city’s Public Works Department, the project had the following goals:
On September 25, NRMCA Vice President, Building Innovations, Michael Wymant along with Joel Waters of the Mississippi Concrete Association (MCA) hosted almost 70 second-year students from Mississippi State University's (MSU) architecture program at an educational session by NRMCA Producer member MMC Materials in Starkville. The session covered Concrete 101: essential ready mix components, strength testing and slump testing. The instruction was followed by a tour of MMC Materials' plant in Starkville led by Nan Mitchell and Gary Scott. (Seen here are many of the students during the tour.) Special thanks to MSU Professor Carly Dunaway for coordinating the student participation with MMC, MCA and NRMCA’s Build With Strength program. For more information, contact Michael Wymant at mwymant@nrmca.org. 
NRMCA Senior Director, Building Innovations, Patrick Matsche recently presented the Association's Concrete Innovation Awards at a luncheon sponsored by the Utah Ready Mixed Concrete Association (URMCA) and the Intermountain Chapter of the American Concrete Institute held in Salt Lake City. The awards recognize outstanding achievement in concrete design and construction, including those that lower environmental impacts such as embodied and operational carbon footprint.
The public is now welcome to comment on the revised Concrete Product Category Rules (PCR) developed by the NSF's National Center for Sustainability Standards in collaboration with NRMCA. This renewed PCR sets the framework for evaluating concrete’s sustainability attributes across the cradle-to-gate lifecycle, supporting transparent reporting through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The Product Category Rules (PCR) establish consistent rules for conducting life cycle assessments (LCAs) within a product category. The LCA measures inputs, outputs and environmental impacts over a product’s life. The resulting EPD - verified by a third party - acts like a “nutrition label” for environmental performance, helping specifiers and policymakers make informed decisions. Stakeholders are invited to review and provide feedback on the updated PCR through Thursday, October 16. Feedback from the ready mix industry is essential to ensure that the final PCR reflect the current practices, innovations and evolving needs of the concrete industry. For more information about NRMCA’s engagement with the Concrete Product Category Rule (PCR) or to request the draft and submit comments, contact Tiffany Reed-Villarreal, P.E., at treedvillarreal@nrmca.org. 
SEO
 NRMCA’s Think First monthly safety initiatives feature different industry-specific safety items relevant to seasons, current topics or industry concerns. The initiatives are meant to be shared, used as a training tool, printed, posted or distributed, all of which are encouraged. This month’s issue, seen here, is Mixer Truck Rollover Prevention.
NRMCA's Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year Award, now in its 30th year and sponsored by the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB), acknowledges the significant contribution of ready mixed concrete truck drivers to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry. As a salute to these key members of the concrete production and delivery team, the award recognizes the driver’s career achievement, safety, professionalism, competence and customer service skills in a manner that will enhance the industry and public image of the career of Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional. The 2026 award winner will be honored at NRMCA’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NV, in March 2026. Applications must be e-mailed to DOY@nrmca.org by November 30. 
Learning & Development
Learn new ways to improve performance at your company and build an economically sustainable industry at NRMCA’s Think Like an Owner Course in Dallas held from November 17 - 18. Guided by instructor Bob Capasso, you will explore strategies to optimize profits and returns on funds employed; discuss business decision-making in the context of the ready mix industry and examine insights from NRMCA’s Annual Performance Benchmarking Survey. Click here for more information and a link to register. 
Engineering
 NRMCA's annual Concrete Technology Training and Certification Program (Technical Short Course) was attended by 50 industry personnel in Owings Mills, MD, the week of September 8. Instructors included Colin Lobo, Glenn Schaefer, Ron Terrelonge and Gary Mullings. Guest speakers included Brett Harris with Chryso Saint-Gobain and Henry Prenger with Amrize. Results of the certification exams have been sent to the attendees (seen here): the NRMCA Concrete Technologist Level 2 Certification was awarded to 25 individuals and 18 achieved the Level 3 Certification. Congratulations to Brian Ward with CEMEX on earning the highest scores on the Level 2 (95%) and Level 3 (91%) exams. The support and sponsorship of NRMCA Super Sponsors (Chryso/Saint Gobain, Euclid Chemical, Master Builders Solutions and Sika) is acknowledged. Attendees are congratulated for their involved participation. The next Technical Short Course is scheduled for February 2 - 6, 2026, in San Antonio, TX. Click here for more information and to access the registration link. The staff contact is Colin Lobo. 
Calendar
*Please click here to access the relevant links for each of the entries listed below. This link also includes a link for the NRMCA Course Calendar. November 4 - 7, Atlanta *Sold Out November 17, Dallas November 17 - 18, Dallas November 17 - 18, Dallas November 17 - 18, Dallas November 17 - 19, Dallas November 17 - 19, Dallas November 18 - 20, Dallas November 20 - 21, Dallas November 20 - 21, Dallas November 20 - 21, Dallas November 20 - 21, Dallas December 9 - 10, Salt Lake City 
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