ORGANIZATIONS July 2014

The National Precast Concrete Association noted the early-June passing of founding member Douglas Hoskin, a professional engineer and former president of Ontario-based Unit Step Woodstock. He joined a group of producers and suppliers to form NPCA in 1965, serving in variety of capacities with the association, including chairman (1973).

Hoskin is one of two association founders who have been honored with annual NPCA awards in their name. The Douglas G. Hoskin Award is presented during the Chairman’s Banquet at the Annual Convention to the member who has sponsored the most new members in the previous year. NPCA presented Hoskin with the other founder’s award, named for Robert E. Yoakum, in 1967—the first year of the honor.

The American Society of Concrete Contractors will hold its 13th Annual Conference, September 18-21, at the Westin Westminster in Denver. Concrete contractors, equipment and product manufacturers, designers and other industry professionals will gather for three days of educational and networking opportunities.

The keynote speaker will be Seal the Deal President Tom Woodcock, who addresses thousands of contractors, sales personnel, and suppliers every year concerning the sales skills necessary to compete in this challenging economy. His topic for ASCC is “Beating Price Through Your Network.” Joining him on the conference speaker roster are Jerry Holland, Bob Simonelli, Wally Adamchik, and Jeff Coleman.

Half-day workshops, each designed to foster interaction between presenters and participants, will cover Field Leadership and Management Training; Talent Development and Recruitment; and, Communicating in a Crisis. Rocky Geans Business School will be offered September 18-19. Seminar topics include Cutting Edge Technology, Simplifying Communication From Office to Field, Contract Issues and Change Orders and The Latest and Greatest in Superflats.

ASCC members will demonstrate decorative vertical applications, new stenciling methods, and epoxy metallic installation. The ACI Flatwork Finisher Certification class and exam will be offered September 18. Conference registration and additional details can be obtained from ASCC, 866/788-2722, or by visiting www.ascconline.org

Scott Stevens

The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute has appointed Scott Stevens chairman of the board, along with four new officers to guide the Institute through its next two years: Matthew Schewe, Commercial Metals Co., chair of Member Services; Giacomo Acrusci, CFS Steel Co., Northeast Region director; Preston Sparkman, R&R Rebar Fabricators, as Southeast Region director; and, David Coker, Gerdau, at-large director. Joining them on the 2014/15 CRSI Board are Chairman Scott Stevens of Dimension Fabricators, Vice Chairman James Diggs of Gerdau, and Treasurer Tim Thomas of American Steel Fabricators.

Separately, CRSI has recognized 30 projects in its inaugural HONORS program, succeeding the Design Awards program. The focus of CRSI HONORS is less the structure itself and more the leadership and innovation demonstrated by design and construction professionals, who under challenging circumstances leverage material strengths and find ways to make great structures possible, the Institute notes. Submittals were reviewed in detail, focusing on the ways in which professionals deployed reinforced concrete and improved the structure’s value, sustainability, appearance and durability. Submittals are categorized by Project, Leader, Innovation or Corporate and had to be substantially completed between January 2009–March 2013, and be primarily dependent upon steel reinforced concrete systems. A complete list of recipients is linked at http://honors.crsi.org.

Patricia Rodgers
Patricia Rodgers

The Construction Industry Round Table (CIRT) has elected as 2014 chairman Patricia Rodgers, chief executive officer of Charlotee, N.C.-based Rodgers Builders Inc., which is ranked 149 on the ENR 400 Top Contractors. Rodgers succeeds Steven Halverson, her counterpart at The Haskell Co. in Jacksonville, Fla.

CIRT is a 100-plus member national business trade group exclusive to chief executives from leading design and construction companies doing business in the U.S. and globally. Members share common goals, Rodgers notes, “To meet the needs of the design and construction industry through collaboration and leading edge innovation. Joining our voices together helps create one vision for improving our workforce, individual organizations, and effectiveness to better serve our clients.”

“With the election of Pat Rodgers as the second female CIRT Chair, the Round Table continues to see diversification of its leadership as a general reflection of the overall design and construction community. [She] will bring unique insights and understanding to the position, especially as the CIRT CEOs seek to attract a new generation of the best and brightest to our industry,” notes Round Table President Mark Casso, Esq.

CIRT has also elected as officers Craig Martin, president of Jacobs Engineering Group, Pasadena, Calif., vice chairman; and, Thomas F. Gilbane, Jr., chairman of Gilbane Building Cos., Providence, R.I., treasurer. Elected to board terms through 2017 are Russell Becker of APi Group, Inc., New Brighton, Minn.; Robert S. Boh, III of Boh Bros. Construction, New Orleans; H. Ralph Hawkins, AIA, of HKS Inc., Dallas; and, James Roberts of Granite Construction, Watsonville, Calif.

ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE 2014 attendee and exhibitor surveys confirm the shows’ success delivering positive results across the board during the March 2014 events, co-located at the Las Vegas Convention Center. As show manager, Association of Equipment Manufacturers will use survey data to help fine-tune services for the expositions’ 2017 staging.

Both attendees and exhibitors overwhelmingly ranked the shows high in quality and said they were very satisfied with their show experience, AEM notes. For attendees, 97 percent of survey respondents rated the shows as good to excellent, and 85 percent said they would probably or definitely attend the 2017 events (both metrics up from the 2011 shows). Some 72 percent said they had the authority to make purchasing decisions (in line with 2011).

New products continued to be the main draw for attendees: 92 percent cited this as their number-one reason to attend. (In focus groups, international visitors also cited the goal of better understanding the U.S. market). For exhibitors, 88 percent of survey respondents said the shows were high-quality gatherings that benefited their companies (up from 2011), and 79 percent said they already planned to exhibit again in 2017 (another metric that increased from 2011). Some 95 percent reported they were satisfied to very satisfied with the number of attendees (metric increased past two show cycles).

“Our goal for 2014 was to increase exhibitor return on investment and it appears we were successful,” says ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014 Show Management Committee Chair and Manitowoc Co. CEO Glen Tellock.

“The time attendees spend at the show must be productive; improvements to wayfinding and the show footprint in 2014 really paid off,” adds Committee Vice Chair and Martin Marietta Materials CFO Anne Lloyd.

Separately, AEM has presented Statistics Outstanding Merit Awards to 28 manufacturers for exemplary participation in equipment-specific statistics programs, enhancing the association’s ability to deliver members meaningful benchmarking and business-planning information. The association operates more than 245 unique product statistics-reporting programs, ranging from county-level retail sales data in North America to shipments data on a worldwide basis.

The AEM statistics merit awards recognize manufacturers’ timely and accurate data submission, meeting attendance and timely responses to ballots, audits and surveys during the calendar year. Awarded companies have received a cumulative performance rating of 90 percent or better. To promote the highest level of statistics program quality, the awards now signify corporate-wide performance, with all company divisions needing to achieve winning scores. AEM statistics programs are web-based and use a uniform reporting platform adopted by the Intercontinental Statistics Committee.

U.S. Pavement Services, a concrete and asphalt contractor in Woburn, Mass., is leading a national initiative, Pledge to Hire Veterans. “Since the inception of the Pledge in January 2014, U.S. Pavement has encouraged more than 31 companies to take the pledge,” says CEO Mike Musto. “U.S. veterans have served and protected our country, so helping this group to gain meaningful employment is the least we can do to thank them for their sacrifice. Veterans are well trained, skilled, structured and ready to work.”

U.S. Pavement has hired four full-time veterans, including Steve Bohn, former U.S. Army Specialist of the 101st Airborne Division. Bohn’s relationship with the company began in June 2013 at Boston’s famed Fenway Park during a pre-game charity event in partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project. He was hired in March 2014 to spearhead the Pledge program.

As part of his duties, Bohn oversees interfacing with local and national companies in order to help them facilitate the hiring of veterans. “As the first step in this campaign, U.S. Pavement is asking companies to hire one veteran,” Bohn notes, adding that companies may qualify for federal tax credits, up to $9,600 for each veteran hired.