This Week in the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry for October 12, 2009

From: NRMCA E-NEWS [nrmca_e-news@informz.net]

Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 8:59 AM

To: Frank Cavaliere

Subject: ** iMIS Email Marketing Test ** This Week in the Ready Mixed Concrete Industry for October 12, 2009

	View in Browser

NRMCA Home | E-Store | Education | Conferences & Events | Certifications

Send to a Colleague | Past Issues

Thanks to our
E-NEWS Sponsors

NRMCA Topics

Certifications

Conferences
and Events

Advocacy

Promotion

Research and
Engineering

Operations,
Safety and
Environment

Training and
Education

Ready Mixed
Concrete
Business

Web Sites
For the Industry:

ConcreteHelp.org

Concrete
Parking.org

Pervious
Pavement.org

Concrete
Buildings.org

FlowableFill.org

GreenRoofTops.org

SelfConsolidating
Concrete.org

This Week in the Ready Mixed Concrete Association for October 12, 2009

*NEWS SPOTLIGHT:*	NRMCA Offers 2010 Antique Truck Mixer Wall Calendar

Ring in 2010 with a brand new wall calendar that showcases a different antique truck mixer every month, each submitted by an NRMCA member. This calendar is perfect for your office or as a special gift to a coworker and it's great for your customers too. The price for one calendar is $15 plus shipping & handling. Receive a discount on bulk orders of 10 or more, with each at only $10 apiece (plus shipping & handling). Order 20 or more Antique Truck Mixer Wall Calendars and NRMCA will customize the cover with your name or your company's name. Click here for more information, including registration options and NRMCA staff contact.

NewsLinks

Executive Order Firmly Commits Federal Agencies to Sustainability

City of Concrete Roads

Promotion

National Drug Chain Open to Concrete Discussions

Engineering

Registration Open for NRMCA Concete Technology Webinars

Operations, Environmental & Safety

NRMCA Offers Three 4^th Quarter, Producer-Focused Operations Workshops

Sustainable Development

Last Chance to Register for Online LEED Green Associate Exam Study Course

Green Construction No Longer Costs More

Apple Drops U.S. Chamber Membership over Climate Change Stance

Government Affairs

Congress Moves on Health Care Reform; Tough Negotiations Loom

Education & Training

Registration Continues for Producers' Class about Contractors’ Business

Industry & Association News

RMC Foundation Releases New Edition of Popular LEED Guide

Wisconsin NRMCA Producer Member Hosts Cub Scouts for Concrete 101 Event

NRMCA 2010 Sponsorship Program Now Available

Products & Services

October Internet Special Highlights CIP Series

Calendar

A Look Ahead

NewsLinks

· Executive Order Firmly Commits Federal Agencies to Sustainability – Federal agencies must set 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals within 90 days and devise a string of plans to soften their environmental impacts, President Barack Obama ordered this week. The Executive Order is intended to jumpstart a transition to a clean energy economy as climate change legislation moves through Congress, saving taxpayers a substantial amount of money in the process. The impact of the order promises to be huge, considering the Federal government's sheer size: It occupies nearly 500,000 buildings and operates more than 600,000 vehicles. Source: GreenBiz.com for October 7: read more.

· City of Concrete Roads – Authorities in the Indian city of Thane knew they had a problem with their road infrastructure. And they also knew how to take the first step toward improving it: build more concrete roads. The Times of India posted this story on October 9: read more.

Promotion

National Drug Chain Open to Concrete Discussions

NRMCA Northeast National Resource Director Doug O’Neill reports that after many months of effort he was invited to present to a CVS regional meeting held recently in Rhode Island. Attendees included CVS personnel and their design partners from around the Northeast. The goal was to share strategies and open dialogs on many different topics, including pervious concrete.

“They had the standard concerns that most designers in the Northeast have about pervious: how does it work in freeze-thaw environments and how much does it cost?” O’Neill said. “Their interest has definitely been peaked as stormwater issues are a continuing concern for retail companies like CVS.“

Many of the design firms in the room that day have subsequently followed up with O’Neill on taking the next steps and he said he’s hopeful that they will be taking advantage of NRMCA’s Design Assistance Program, among other concrete industry resources.

CVS is the No. 1 provider of prescriptions in the nation with more than one billion prescriptions filled or managed annually and is ranked 19^th on the Fortune 500 list for 2009.

For more information, contact Doug O’Neill at doneill@nrmca.org.

Engineering

Registration Open for NRMCA Concete Technology Webinars

Following its longstanding commitment to the advancement of concrete technology, NRMCA is now offering an extensive series of concrete technology Webinars over the next six months. Taught by subject matter experts, topics covered include concrete durability, sustainability, cracking, troubleshooting, quality control/assurance, concrete specification enhancements and non-destructive testing.

The Webinars are oriented toward concrete producers, specifying architects/engineers, contractors and testing lab professionals.

Click here to access NRMCA Web site information on dates, more details and registration options. For more information, contact NRMCA’s Jessica Moore at jmoore@nrmca.org.

Operations, Environmental & Safety

NRMCA Offers Three 4^th Quarter, Producer-Focused Operations Workshops

NRMCA will offer three critical STEPS Operations and Production workshops in November and December in Silver Spring, MD, in recognition that producers must take advantage of slower times to train staff. All curriculum has been updated to reflect today’s current market challenges when efficiency, productivity and technical knowledge must be 100% on target so staff can do more with less.

Dispatcher Training Forum, November 17-20 – This perennial favorite, 2½-day workshop is specifically geared for schedulers and order takers who interact with concrete contractors in sales, promotion, operations, technical and service capacities. Content covers solving scheduling challenges, working with accounts receivable, linking with QC for quality assurance and phone sales skills as well as stress management.

Green Star/Environmental Certification Course, December 2-4 – The curriculum benefits concrete plant, environmental and compliance managers. This intense 2½-day course will supply your facility with the tools, information and hands-on experience you need for environmental compliance. Details concerning a producer’s responsibilities when it comes to EPA regulations, the Clean Water Act, discharge permits, stormwater management and a host of other critical environmental matters are covered. The course also includes how to implement NRMCA’s Green-Star plant certification program and is required to become an NRMCA Green-Star auditor.

Plant Manager Certification Course, December 8-11 – The workshop content focuses on the essentials that impact a plant manager's daily job, including product knowledge, plant safety, environmental regulations, plant operations and ready mix industry business principles. The certification program can fulfill a requirement for NRMCA's Operations and Production Track in the STEPS program. Registration is open for both.

Click here to access NRMCA Web site information and staff contacts for each item above.

Sustainable Development

Last Chance to Register for Online LEED Green Associate Exam Study Course

NRMCA will offer its first ever LEED Green Associate Exam Study Course entirely online. The course is scheduled to run for 8 consecutive weeks from October 26 through December 18 with a Webinar each Monday from 3-5 p.m. Eastern time eastern along with self-paced online exercises and practice exams to help concrete industry personnel prepare for the LEED Green Associate (GA) exam. These Webinars will be recorded for later viewing for those with scheduling conflicts.

LEED GA is the credential developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for professionals who want to demonstrate green building expertise. This course is intended for concrete industry professionals who are interested in becoming leaders in the green building movement by obtaining the LEED GA credential.

For more information, contact NRMCA’s Erin Ashley at EAshley@nrmca.org or 410-796-7975.

Green Construction No Longer Costs More

According to a recent study of 107 construction projects in New York City, green construction does not always cost significantly more than traditional construction. It found that LEED-certified high-rises came in at an average of $440 per square foot, compared to $436 per square foot for non-LEED projects. The differential was less than 1%, according to the report. On commercial interiors, the cost of $191 per square foot for LEED construction was actually 6% lower than the $204 per square foot cost of non-LEED. The study also found that some LEED projects with a Platinum or Gold rating were completed for a lower cost than projects that achieved lower ratings. Read more.

Source: www.GlobeSt.com.

Apple Drops U.S. Chamber Membership over Climate Change Stance

Apple became the first major consumer brand to make a big statement against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s position on climate change by dropping its membership in the organization. In contrast to PG&E, PMN and Exelon, the utilities that in recent weeks announced their intention not to renew their Chamber memberships, Apple is leaving the Chamber effective immediately, reports The Washington Post. Apple’s move comes as companies increasingly are leaning on the Chamber to quit fighting the general concept of climate change, as well as efforts to make emissions a more central part of the political dialogue.

Source: www.environmentalleader.com.

Government Affairs

Congress Moves on Health Care Reform; Tough Negotiations Loom

After five weeks of intense negotiations, the Senate Finance Committee passed Chairman Max Baucus’ (D-MT) $829 billion health care reform measure by a 14-9 vote yesterday. The only Republican to support the measure was Maine’s senior Senator, Olympia Snowe. The process now turns to reconciliation as the Finance measure is now merged with a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee measure passed earlier this summer. Merging both measures poses many problems as Democrats continue to fight over including a controversial public option. Currently, the HELP measure contains a costly national public insurance option while the Finance measure contains voluntary nonprofit medical cooperatives.

According to Roll Call yesterday, Snowe indicated her support for the Finance Committee’s measure should not be misinterpreted as an automatic vote for a final health care bill yet to be considered, but rather only her desire to move the process further.

NRMCA supports meaningful health care reform, but does not support any measure that includes a public option or would raise taxes on small businesses and individuals. In addition, NRMCA does not support legislation that does not include litigation (tort) reform. NRMCA will activate its grassroots networks immediately for association members to send letters to Members of Congress expressing their views.

For more information, contact NRMCA’s Kerri Leininger at kleininger@nrmca.org.

Education & Training

Registration Continues for Producers' Class about Contractors’ Business

Ready mixed concrete producer mid-level staff in sales, operations and QC/QA should know how their customers' business works. To help bridge this gap, NRMCA will offer a hands-on workshop, CCSP Module II, Understanding Your Concrete Contractor's Business, November 17-19, in Silver Spring, MD.

Topics tie directly into what a producer should know that can impact business, including differences among residential, commercial, industrial and government construction, as well as learning about contactors’ estimating methods, bidding, design, procurement, project planning and scheduling. Those that pass the optional exam receive credit toward CCSP Module II certification. The workshop complies fully with all U.S. antitrust laws.

To register for classes or for more information, click here.

Industry & Association News

RMC Foundation Releases New Edition of Popular LEED Guide

The RMC Research & Education Foundation recently released the Third Edition of its Ready Mixed Concrete Industry LEED Reference Guide (LEED Guide). The revised edition, which details how designers, builders and architects can gain additional points as part of the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, includes new information on LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations.

The LEED Guide is available for download from the Foundation’s Web site at www.rmc-foundation.org. Hard copies are available for a nominal fee from NRMCA at www.nrmca.org. The LEED Guide is also available as part of the Foundation’s Research Supporting Sustainable Development CD. To review the press release issued on this project, please click here.

For more information on this and other Foundation resources, please contact Foundation Program Director Jennifer LeFevre at 240-485-1151 or at jlefevre@rmc-foundation.org.

Wisconsin NRMCA Producer Member Hosts Cub Scouts for Concrete 101 Event

NRMCA producer member Carew Concrete of Appleton, WI, earlier this month hosted a group of local Cub Scouts for a Concrete 101 event. More than 40 youngsters learned about what concrete is, how it's made and had the chance to make some concrete themselves. They also visited a batch plant and viewed how plant operator selected the ingredients and, of course, were given the time to climb and explore some of Carew's mixer trucks.

"This was a great opportunity for our staff to share their expertise with the scouts," said company President John Carew. "We enjoyed watching the interaction between the scouts and our Carew Concrete volunteers."

NRMCA 2010 Sponsorship Program Now Available

Your marketing dollars are precious in any year, even more so today. They have to work harder and do more. That’s why sponsoring NRMCA’s Web site, E-NEWS, events and more should be your first choice for the most efficient ROI. You’ll target decision-makers throughout NRMCA member companies, companies that place the bulk of the concrete in the U.S. These industry leaders turn to NRMCA for guidance, support and information, so your logo, links and messages will reach them at important times. Plus, as members of NRMCA, they’ll value your support of the industry.

Sponsorships are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning on Monday, October 19, at noon. So click here for program information and registration form and sign on to be part of a precisely targeted media program that reaches the people you need to reach.

For more information, contact NRMCA's Kathleen Carr-Smith at 240-485-1145 or by e-mail at kcarrsmith@nrmca.org.

Products & Services

October Internet Special Highlights CIP Series

NRMCA's October Internet Spotlight, good through Friday, October 30, is the CIP100 Package Set. Receive 20 collated sets of all of the Concrete in Practice topics at 15% off. Concrete in Practice is a series of 42 one-page information sheets on important technical topics, written in a non-technical "What, Why and How?" format.

Give them to contractors and they'll know that you deliver quality and value and make them a part of your promotion and education program.

Order online today and receive 15% off the regular member price. Regular price $220; Internet Special $187, plus shipping. Note: Please use Discount Code ISOCT09 to receive the online discount.

Order online or contact NRMCA’s Jacques Jenkins at 1-888-846-7622, ext. 1165 or by e-mail, jjenkins@nrmca.org.