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Association & Industry News
“Bill is our best conveyor operator. When you give Bill a task, you never worry about the outcome. It’s always done correctly and completely,” said Youngers' supervisor, Mark Strobele. The judges also selected three runners-up, Denise Barber from Ozinga-Ready Mix Indiana in Wheatfield, the first woman to be honored in the 25 year history of the award; Mathew Burt of U.S. Concrete/West Region, Central Supply Co. Inc., Martinez, CA, and Joseph Condello, of U.S. Concrete/East Region, Eastern Concrete Materials, Inc., Jersey City, NJ. As the winner of the 2021 award, Mr. Youngers will receive a $5,000 check from the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau. As runners-up, Ms. Barber, Mr. Burt and Mr. Condello will each receive a check for $1,000. The 2021 Driver of the Year winners will be honored on March 2 during NRMCA’s Annual Convention which this year is being held virtually. The Chicago-based trade magazine Concrete Products is a cosponsor of the NRMCA Driver of the Year program. Click here for more details of each winner along with photos. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org. Registration is now open for NRMCA’s 2021 Annual Convention, scheduled for Tuesday, March 2 – Wednesday, March 3, with some Board and committee activities taking place in the days before and after the event. The convention will be comprised of high-level general sessions focusing on the topics of leadership and resiliency with breakout sessions that highlight how the concrete industry is innovative and essential. It will also highlight these attributes of our industry. In addition, we will hold a virtual awards ceremony and virtual Board of Directors’ meeting. On behalf of NRMCA, thank you for your understanding, patience and continued support as we continue to navigate the world of virtual events and remember: We are Innovative, We are Resilient, We are Essential, We are CONCRETE! Sponsorship opportunities for this year’s event are available by clicking here. Please click here to register for the convention and for more details. For more information, please contact Senior Director of Meetings Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org. 
In today’s competitive marketplace, even a small investment can lead to a big return through NRMCA’s targeted sponsorship program. Sponsoring NRMCA’s events, courses and more should be your company’s first choice for the most efficient ROI. With over 6,000 members and partners in the ready mixed concrete industry who rely on NRMCA for training and information, NRMCA is a powerful force in the ready mixed concrete industry around the globe. Click here to examine the numerous opportunities in the NRMCA Sponsorship Program for reaching key buying influencers in the industry, including opportunities for NRMCA’s Annual Convention 2021, ConcreteWorks 2021 and the National Mixer Driver Championship. Regardless of your budget, you’ll find opportunities that can deliver to a powerful, receptive audience at an affordable cost. Sponsorship opportunities are limited and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please read and sign the sponsorship guide to be a part of a precisely targeted media program that reaches the people you need to reach – your customers. It all adds up to a great investment with a great return. For more information, contact Jacques Jenkins at jjenkins@nrmca.org or 703-706-4865. 
Government Affairs
Early this year, NRMCA joined nearly 200 other associations in calling on the 117th Congress to enact an infrastructure package by July 4 that stimulates the economy. The advocacy campaign, led by the Chamber of Commerce and the Bipartisan Policy Council, is entitled Build by the Fourth of July and asks for legislation that will repair and update the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, stimulate the economy and create jobs, improve federal project approvals, and be fiscally and environmentally responsible. NRMCA, as well as the Portland Cement Association and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, is a member of the coalition. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org. A week before taking office, President Biden proposed a $1.9 trillion stimulus plan to help Americans weather the pandemic. The plan includes policies like increasing the minimum wage, reinstatement of emergency paid leave, expansion of paid sick and family leave, grants and loans to small businesses, enhanced unemployment insurance, and direct individual assistance. Now that he took the oath of office, Mr. Biden is expected to put forward an aggressive plan for his first 100 days in office. He and his team have already laid out a number of his objectives for Day One. While “Day One” agendas may not be implemented immediately, and Mr. Biden’s legislative agenda will face a challenging path even in a Democratically-controlled Senate, the new President is expected to follow an aggressive agenda for his first 100 days. NRMCA Government Affairs will monitor, report and take action on items relating to the ready mixed concrete industry. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org. Over the past month, the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have provided the following updates:
We expect legislative action on the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act during the first session of the 117th Congress. This legislation contains a wide array of anti-business policies that NRMCA has a long history of advocating against, including the Blacklisting Rule, the Joint Employer standard and the quickie elections rule. NRMCA will continue to work in concert with the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace to oppose this harmful legislation. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.
SEO
Due to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvement Act of 2015, federal agencies were required in August 2016 to institute upfront “catch up” amounts to bring civil monetary penalties up to present day adjustments, since many penalties had been at levels set in 1990. The new law also requires those agencies moving forward to tie the penalty amounts to “inflation each year based on the Consumer Price Index.” Effective as of January 15, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) maximum civil monetary penalty increases are as follows:
Click here to review the Federal Register notice and here for OSHA’s penalties website. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. The 2021 Kids’ Art Contest is officially closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted artwork. NRMCA received a record number of entries; more than 125! It has been a joy seeing the children’s interpretations of this year’s theme, Captain Concrete: My Essential Superhero; and the quality of each submission will make this year's judging exceedingly difficult. As a reminder, the winners will be announced during NRMCA’s Annual Convention which is being held virtually March 2-3. If you have any questions about your submission, please contact Taylor Drzewicki at tdrzewicki@nrmca.org. 
Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. January 22 – 29, Online Course *Sold Out January 28 – 29, Online Webinar February 2 – 5, Online Course February 19 – March 1, Online Course February 22 – 26, Online Course *Sold Out 
NRMCA’s March 19-25 Plant Manager Certification class offers attendees a self-paced learning experience. This virtual class contains the same material, same rigor, same self-directed homework and requires the same post-lecture study time as the face-to-face, demanding Plant Manager Certification class. Attendees will receive their study materials beforehand. After logging on to a one-hour live session on Friday, March 19, registrants will be e-mailed links to 16 pre-recorded sessions, totaling 24 hours. Attendees will have the ability to reach instructors for questions and clarification during the study window. By Thursday, March 25, lectures should be completed. At that time, attendees are required to log into the live, one-hour closing session for a Q & A and exam instructions. The two required, online exams have set times for Friday, March 26. The challenging content has become the standard base of knowledge for plant managers, batchmen and operators. Content ties knowledge to application in product knowledge management, plant safety, environmental regulations, plant operations and ready mixed concrete industry business principles. This is the certification class cited in Army Corps of Engineers and Navy contract specifications. Please note, the class is already half full. Click here to register. For more information, contact Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org or 703-706-4852. 
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March 11 – 19, Online Course March 19 – 26, Online Course March 22 – 26, Online Course May 4 – 7 , Smyrna, TN June 15 – 17, Smyrna, TN November 9 – 11, Dallas Engineering
NRMCA is offering its information packed, one-day course, Handling Concrete Specifications, Low Strength Problems and Mixture Submittals, intended for concrete producers, contractors, engineers and testing labs online between March 11 and 19. This one-day course will discuss the latest changes to the code and specification requirements (ACI 318, 301, ASTM C94) governing ready mixed concrete. This course will address many topics, including:
Course instructors are Luke Snell, P.E., FACI, FASCE and Karthik Obla, Ph.D., P.E., NRMCA vice president, technical services. Producers, contractors, engineers and testing labs will find the discussions on investigating low strength problems and specifications very helpful to address issues that impact partnering, project cost and schedule. Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will earn 8 professional development hours, a certificate of completion and credits toward NRMCA’s STEPS program. Click here for more information or contact Karthik Obla at kobla@nrmca.org. 
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NRMCA has named William J. Youngers of VCNA United Materials the 2021 Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Professional Driver of the Year. A panel of industry judges selected Mr. Youngers as the top driver from a group of outstanding applicants from across the United States. Mr. Youngers, whose home plant is located in Lancaster, NY, was honored for his career achievements, outstanding safety record, professionalism, driving competency and customer service skills. His extraordinary safety record includes a 23-year career with no at-fault-accidents, no on-the-job-accidents and no at-fault-rejected-loads. 
