Optimism abounds at The Precast Show 2016


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Assembling this year at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, NPCA logged the highest attendance for its annual trade exhibit since 2006. The Precast Show 2017 will run March 2-5 at the FirstMerit Convention Center in Cleveland.
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As the construction industry continues to strengthen in North America, so does the precast concrete sector. The growing optimism of plant owners and suppliers reverberated throughout The Precast Show 2016, March 3-5 in Nashville. Staged at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center, the event drew the largest crowd in a decade—4,000 attendees—as precast producers looked to update equipment and train employees.

“Based on initial feedback, this was the second straight show where precasters came ready to make major purchases,” affirms National Precast Concrete Association President Ty Gable. “After the deep recession followed by a few years of slow growth, there is pent up demand for equipment. Work is back and precasters are optimistic. They’re looking to replace old equipment and learn about new products.”

The trade show spanned upwards of 64,000 net square feet of exhibit space, its 292 exhibitors ranging from heavy equipment manufacturers to concrete admixture and accessory suppliers. NPCA produced the event in partnership with the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, while the Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and Cast Stone Institute held meetings and training sessions in tandem.

“As the largest precast-specific trade show in North America, we’re attracting serious buyers on the trade show floor,” notes Gable. “Owners and decision makers use this show as a way to meet suppliers face-to-face to find new product lines and discover new technology.”