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Association & Industry News
NRMCA offers its sincere thanks for all who participated in the 2021 Annual Convention. Last week's event was a big success, providing attendees with high-level keynote speakers who offered valuable insights on leadership as well as educational content that reminded us that We Are Resilient, We Are Innovative, We are Essential and We Are Concrete! While the components of the live event have concluded, convention registrants can take full advantage of the convention website and on-demand recordings which will all be available for the next month. You can continue to access the site with the same username and password that you used for the live event (after one month, some presentations may not be available for distribution due to proprietary issues or presenter preference). Registration is still open so that those who missed the event can access the recordings of all the General Sessions and educational programming. Click here to register for post-event access; you will receive your login credentials within 48 hours after you register. For more information, contact Jessica Walgenbach at jwalgenbach@nrmca.org.
Once appointed to the annual DIL cohort, participants start work via webinar to prepare for their attendance at NRMCA’s Fall Conference, ConcreteWorks and Mixer Driver Championship. In 2021, it will be in Kissimmee, FL, September 30 - October 4. At ConcreteWorks, DILs attend an exclusive leadership workshop and also attend the Mixer Driver Championship, committee meetings and seminars where they gain an in-depth, big-picture perspective. Over the next six months, DILs are divided in small teams; each team works on an industry challenge under the guidance of senior NRMCA staff and an industry DIL mentor. At the 2022 NRMCA Annual Convention, teams present their findings to their sponsoring committee. They also publish their work in the industry’s premier journal, NRMCA's quarterly Concrete InFocus magazine. Later in the spring, the entire cohort regathers for a third time for a multi-day leadership workshop just for them. DIL exclusive events are the foundation of long-term career support. The most distinguished gathering is the chairman of the Board’s Leadership Summit, a two-day DIL alumni networking and leadership conference. With no age exclusion, middle managers interact with captains-of-the-industry DIL alumni. Additionally, DIL alum host receptions at the Annual Convention and ConcreteWorks. Finally, they have the opportunity to attend the high-profile, 2022 Spring North American Concrete Alliance Fly-in in Washington, DC. Please note, the DIL program is NOT a short-term perk. After the two-year formal program ends, DIL alumni are expected to make a long-term commitment to move their team’s initiative(s) forward by joining, and attending, the appropriate NRMCA committee meetings twice a year as well as participate in annual DIL alumni events. They are asked to mentor new DIL. Finally, they may attend NRMCA’s semi-annual Board Meetings to observe senior level executives deliberate and make both short- and long-term strategic decisions that impact the industry. If your company has a rising star who is ready to work on a national level and will be given the time to participate in the required activities over the length of his/her career, please submit his/her application no later than Friday, April 30. Click here to learn more and download the application form. For more information, contact Eileen Dickson at edickson@nrmca.org. 
Buildings
NRMCA has joined the Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC) as a member to advance responsible sourcing in the U.S. The CSC launched a global responsible sourcing certification system designed to assist concrete producers and their material suppliers on how to measure and report the level at which their company operates in a responsible manner. The CSC certification system covers the extraction of industry materials through manufacturing and is aligned to a range of economic, social and environmental impacts. The CSC certification system was developed with a large group of industry stakeholders and certification bodies, and went through an extensive feedback and consultation process with experts and representatives from environmental NGOs. Full details about CSC and a list of CSC member organizations can be found here. By creating a certification system for responsibly-sourced concrete, the CSC aims to improve transparency of the concrete sector, highlight the essential role of concrete as a sustainable construction material and be recognized in green building standards. As noted in previous editions of E-NEWS, the CSC is considered a pre-approved certification for the LEED Pilot Credit: Social Equity within the Supply Chain. As part of the Build With Strength campaign, NRMCA promotes Strength Through Transparency for member and industry competitiveness in the green building marketplace and the trends toward product and company transparency. For more information, contact James Bogdan at jbogdan@nrmca.org or 412-420-4138.
The estimated ready mixed concrete produced in December 2020 is 27.7 million cubic yards, 12.7% higher than that in December 2019. The estimated production in the U.S. for 2020 is 378 million cubic yards, approximately 1.8% higher than that in 2019. Ready mixed concrete production is estimated from cement shipments reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. More detail, including production in each state, is available here for NRMCA members under Production Statistics. The London-based Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA) has released a video in connection with International Women's Day that recognizes the positive impact of women in the cement and concrete industry and advancing gender equality. The GCCA describes the video as a call-to-action short film featuring some of the women across its member companies and affiliate associations who are making a positive difference. Dinah McLeod, Chief Executive, GCCA said: “As we help build the sustainable world of tomorrow, ensuring gender balance across all levels will encourage innovation and the forward thinking that we need to meet our climate goals. Our industry contributes to all UN Sustainable Development Goals including gender equality. We encourage more women to enter our industry to help shape its future and tackle the biggest challenge of our time – climate change.” To help empower women in the cement and concrete industry, the GCCA runs the Global Cement and Concrete Industry Women’s Network and Lean in Circles to help improve diversity and representation. These initiatives aim to provide support, build confidence and ultimately increase diversity in these sectors. The Women’s Network holds meetings and discussions to bring together women across GCCA member companies. Lean in Circles connect women across our networks to address specific issues. Women across the sector are encouraged to join. NRMCA hasn't been able to find statistics on women specifically in the cement and concrete industries; you can click here for breakdowns in the construction industry as a whole. For more information, contact GCCA Communications and Policy Director Paul Adeleke at paul.adeleke@gccassociaton.org. 
SEO
As the realities of COVID-19 have become clear, vaccines continue to be administrated and the impending reopening of the country draws nearer, there remains continued use of and new, worthy safety, environmental and operations-related best management practices (BMPs) for the industry to address the pandemic. NRMCA is hosting a free webinar that will outline these current industry BMPs, compliance requirements, the COVID-19 vaccines outlook and beyond on Friday, March 12, at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Please click here to register. For more information, contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. Registration for NRMCA’s Spring Online Think First Safety Course is still open. It will take place online via GoToWebinar with pre-recorded sessions May 10 – 17. This course teaches participants about OSHA safety compliance, including 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 the new silica rule, electrical safety, machine guarding, fall protection, hazard communication, confined spaces, personal protective equipment, emergency action plans, maintenance shop safety, chute handling, fleet safety, pre-trip inspection and much more. Click here for details and registration. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. The 2021 Fleet Benchmarking Survey 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 a new section on automation, including the use of video-based driver safety, GPS tracking, slump control and proximity sensors. The survey is used to establish industry benchmarking norms and procedures. Information is then published in a full report in NRMCA's Concrete InFocus magazine each autumn. A shorter Executive Summary of the survey is also made available to all. Entries must be e-mail to fleetbenchmark@nrmca.org by Friday, April 23. Click here for more information and to download the entry form. You may also contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org. The NRMCA 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 survey is a per-plant contest open to facilities operated by NRMCA member companies in good standing in 2021. 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 safetycontest@nrmca.org by Friday, April 23. Click here for more information and to download the entry form. You may also contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org. 
Pavement
NRMCA’s Amanda Hult recently partnered with Florida Concrete and Products Association’s Amy Wedel to present a webinar on designing industrial concrete pavements, providing attendees with a look at the ACI 330.2R-17 Guide for the Design and Construction of Concrete Site Paving for Industrial and Trucking Facilities, the basics inputs required to design industrial and trucking facilities and a tour of the PavementDesigner.org software program. “Some industrial sites see vehicles and equipment that standard parking lot designs do not take into account. Pavementdesigner.org software and ACI 330.2R-17 allow the user to evaluate the pavement design for specialized equipment that can cause more damage to the pavement than a standard over-the-road semitruck,” Hult explained. If you would like more information on PavementDesigner.org, ACI 330.2R-17 or design assistance for a specific project, contact Amanda Hult at ahult@nrmca.org. 
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Engineering
The NRMCA Research Engineering and Standards (RES) Committee, chaired by John Cook with Thomas Concrete, will meet via webinar on Tuesday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time. The committee will discuss evolving issues in industry standards, sustainability initiatives on projects, quality initiatives, technical publications, research, and communications with members and other stakeholders. The RES Committee advises on NRMCA research, technical education and certification programs, the plant certification program, and other industry positions on codes and standards for concrete materials. A group from the Developing Industry Leaders program will present to the committee on Sustainability of Concrete Mixtures. For more information, contact Colin Lobo at clobo@nrmca.org. 
Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. March 11 – 19, Online Course *Sold Out March 12, Free Online Webinar March 19 – 26, Online Course *Sold Out March 22 – 26, Online Course May 4 – 7, Smyrna, TN May 10 – 17, Online Course June 15 – 17, Smyrna, TN November 9 – 11, Dallas |
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NRMCA encourages today’s rising stars to apply for a unique opportunity that supports their growth in the ready mixed concrete industry. NRMCA’s Developing Industry’s Leaders (DIL) program is a distinctive, career-long plan of action where tomorrow’s leaders interact, both professionally and socially, with established executives, thereby gaining a national perspective about the ready mixed concrete industry. Candidates must be employed by an NRMCA Producer or Associate member, Bureau member or state affiliate association. The application period closes Friday, April 30.
