We reflect this month on 2024 National Ready Mixed Concrete Association convention notables: Committee awards and Chairman Nathan McKean’s enthusiastic industry view. Here, we extend the Florida gathering’s salutes to NRMCA Executive Vice President, Operations and Compliance Gary Mullings, who has retired from day-to-day duty after 50-plus years with the organization. Luckily, he continues as a consultant, primarily assisting the Safety, Environmental & Operations (SEO) and Workforce Development committees.
Members and staff recognized him at multiple Tampa festivities. They celebrated decades of contributions, across which Gary proved an ideal point man on regulatory matters requiring Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration outreach. His skill in effectively articulating NRMCA positions on agency rules or proposed rulemakings impacting ready mixed producers reflects years of learning from members at national, state or local functions. Years of observing best practices in worker protection, plant and fleet safety, and air or water permit compliance. And, years of spearheading SEO Committee Fleet Benchmarking and Safety Contest and Benchmarking programs.
Gary is one of the principal players in Concrete Products’ longstanding ties to NRMCA. His SEO Committee work underpins our perennial NRMCA Driver of the Year and Commitment to Environmental Excellence Awards coverage. Each program evidences his foresight as SEO Committee staff liaison. He and committee members acted decisively on forthcoming challenges involving accident prevention, environmental regulation compliance, staff training, resource conservation, community relations, and workforce recruitment. Twenty-nine years after its premier, Environmental Excellence remains a vehicle for NRMCA producer members to convey vital messages to internal teams, communities, and local, state or federal agencies. The Driver of the Year program, launched in 1996, is one of the top member offerings. Award presentations often lead convention highlights, as they remind all of the humble nature typifying the best ready mixed concrete delivery professionals.
The Driver of the Year program success seeded NRMCA’s highest profile annual offering, the National Mixer Driver Championship, which debuted in 2006. Gary’s contributions to the event are manifest: Scouting venues equal to the Championship staging; enlisting volunteers for significant advance work behind the challenge course, skills stations and written test; updating the course, stations and test to reflect evolving field conditions; and, spawning a successful sponsorship program engaging producer and associate members.
The Championship is a study in execution, thanks to Gary’s unique ability to rally SEO Committee and NRMCA Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau and other members to a very productive cause. The Association is solidifying his event connection by naming the champion’s trophy the Mullings Cup. It’s a fitting gesture to one of the hardest working professionals in this business.