Eastern Concrete Materials, Inc. and Central Concrete Supply Co., Inc., business units of Texas-based U.S. Concrete, Inc. have attained Green-Star certification from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association for a total of 17 plants. Seven Eastern Concrete plants are first in New Jersey, as well as the New York City area, to receive Green-Star certification. The producer aims to complete certification for its other operating plants in New York and New Jersey before year-end.
Central Concrete recently completed audits bringing all 10 of its fixed plant locations in the San Francisco Bay area under the Green-Star program; another site acquired in fall 2012, the former Bode Concrete operation in San Francisco, was California’s first site to attain the NRMCA certification.
NRMCA’s Green-Star program was developed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a benchmarking and continuous improvement tool to recognize companies that adhere to the industry’s principles of environmental compliance and sustainability. “Over the years, U.S. Concrete has demonstrated a deep commitment to executing effective sustainability strategies,” says NRMCA Senior Vice President of Sustainability Lionel Lemay. “Green-Star certification is further recognition of their efforts to adopt sound environmental business processes and tools with the aim of continually improving environmental performance.”
Separately, one of two U.S. Concrete Inc. platform businesses in the Lone Star State, Ingram Concrete LLC has acquired the ready mixed production assets of T&S Ventures LLC, based in Sweetwater, Texas. The deal was announced five weeks after Ingram Concrete closed on the assets of Young Ready-Mix Inc., a single-plant, Brady, Texas operator.
U.S. Concrete’s bolt-on acquisition strategy hinges on strong target businesses that are well located in areas of above-average growth. “We continue to look forward to great things from the west Texas market,” said CEO William Sandbrook upon announcing the T&S transaction. “This acquisition takes us one step closer to capitalizing on the dynamic construction activities in this region.”
Zach Rich has been named director of Concrete Promotion/Sales at Fairless Hills, Pa.-based Silvi Group Cos. He joined Silvi Concrete in 2006 as a territory sales manager, quickly progressing to the position of New Jersey regional sales manager. In his new role, he will be allocating time to expanding the Silvi Concrete Parking Lot/Paving Promotion program, while continuing to manage the Garden States concrete sales team.
“Zach is committed to the concrete business,” says President Laurence Silvi II. “He’s recently completed the NRMCA Certified Concrete Professional (CCPf) Sales/Marketing program, was nominated vice president of the ACI NJ Chapter, and is an adjunct professor for the Concrete Industry Management program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology—[on top of being] mayor in his township.”
Continuing its mission of Building Innovation, Wisconsin-based Spancrete has named Michael Schmidt director of Design and Engineering. He brings 34 years of engineering and architectural design expertise and will drive the strategic development and delivery of the company’s latest 3D/Building Information Modeling offerings and engineering services. The role will bridge across all constituents of the building process, creating efficiency, driving out waste and delivering value to building partners.
While 3D/BIM processes have been around for years, the new service, under Schmidt’s direction, will offer design and contract teams additional collaborative tools to enhance communications, collaboration and streamline projects. Recognized for his contributions to many award-winning structural designs, Schmid previously held leadership positions at Arnold & O’Sheridan, Inc., ultimately serving as Madison
office director, and most recently headed the structural department of Wisconsin’s Henneman Engineering, Inc.
Year-end 2013 financial numbers for Superior Walls of America show a 19 percent jump over 2012 figures. The precast concrete producer and licensor of foundation and above-grade wall systems also anticipates an additional double-digit percentage increase during 2014. “The housing market recovery accounts for about 70 percent of the growth increase for our company this past year,” says Chief Financial Offider Keith Weller. “The additional 30 percent of growth is a grass roots effort to gain new customers in our market areas.