Organizations – July 2024

Deborah Malone has joined the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association as chief operating officer. She arrives after nearly two decades in the same capacity with the National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C. Along with day-to-day operations duties, her overall 30-year NAHB tenure spans many critical efforts—from implementing programs advancing builders’ legislative priorities to growing the organization’s membership and global…

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EPA funding fuels NRMCA promotion of low carbon concrete

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.; CP staff The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has secured a $9.63 million Environmental Protection Agency Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Construction Materials and Products Program grant, enabling the group and its Build With Strength team to further educate the architectural and engineering communities on designing and specifying low carbon concrete.…

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Texas market veteran Szecsy takes the helm at Big Town Concrete

Sources: Big Town Concrete, Irving, Texas; CP staff One of the best traveled executives and experts in Texas concrete production and broader technical circles has been named chief executive officer of Big Town Concrete, a ready mixed producer with Dallas and Fort Worth plants. Richard Szecsy, P.E., PhD arrives at the independent producer with 25-plus years in management, operations, safety,…

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Report measures diesel vs. battery electric mixer truck power 

Source: Concrete Products Concrete Products’ Craig Yeack takes stock of the energy metrics and costs behind diesel fuel and battery electric power for ready mixed delivery in July’s column, “Are We Ready for Electric Concrete Trucks?” In the most comprehensive such examination to date for North American producers, he presents the comparison in terms of Btus, a common unit of measure for…

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Are We Ready for Electric Concrete Trucks?

The economics of switching from diesel to electric—and what must be done to reach viability The Ford flathead V8 from 1932 is near-mythical. The engine’s rumble and power transformed road vehicles into speedsters that were often favored by moonshine runners. The 1909 Harley-Davidson V-twin engine, with its patented sound, is equally iconic. So why are we messing with the fabled…

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Organizations – June 2024

The National Steering Committee for the Concrete Industry Management program has appointed former National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Chief Operating Officer Nicole Maher as interim executive director, effective this month. She succeeds Dr. Rex Cottle, who has led the NSC since July 2022, and arrives with a wealth of experience and impressive track record of leadership, including 11 years in…

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Concrete producers lead the way in federal agency’s Buy Clean agenda

The White House and General Services Administration have marked the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)-funded low embodied carbon (LEC) construction materials procurement program pilot, noting “a dramatic increase of thousands more environmental product declarations used to identify sustainably-manufactured construction materials over the past year. EPDs are a key tool for gaining visibility into a product’s environmental impacts…

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NAHB veteran Malone named NRMCA chief operating officer

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.; CP staff Deborah Malone will join the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association as chief operating officer on June 17. She arrives after nearly two decades in the same capacity with the National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C. Along with day-to-day operations duties, her overall 30-year NAHB tenure spans many critical efforts—from…

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Work ethic takes center stage

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…

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NRMCA veteran Maher joins CIM as interim executive director

Sources: CIM National Steering Committee; CP staff The National Steering Committee for the Concrete Industry Management program has appointed former National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Chief Operating Officer Nicole Maher as interim executive director, effective this month. She assumes the interim executive director post after serving as NSC secretary/treasurer since 2013; succeeds Dr. Rex Cottle, who has led the NSC…

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