Okay, So Tell Me How to Implement the Data…

Jim Baty, CFA Technical Director You’ve received your copy of the CFA Cold Weather Research Report, read it cover to cover and now you sit back in your chair and think to yourself…What do I do now? There is an incredible amount of data in our research report, however, like most reports of such a technical […]

Record Starts in 2004

How did your building business do last year? The market for all new home construction in the United States hit an all-time high in 2004, reaching a stunning total of 1.953 million housing starts. This is a 5.7% increase from the 1.848 million starts in 2003. On the single-family side, U.S. home builders started 1.6 […]

Mantel of Leadership in Construction Shifting

OIL PRICES PLAY THE WILDCARD IN FALL ECONOMIC FORECAST Higher oil prices will slow overall economic activity, delaying a recovery in nonresidential and public construction. In addition, a continuation of low mortgage rates will prolong the boom in residential construction. According to the latest economic forecast from the Portland Cement Association (PCA), consumer spending will […]

John C. Maxwell to Give Keynote Address at ASCC CEO Forum

The American Society of Concrete Contractors, St. Louis, Mo., will hold its CEO Forum June 23-25, 2005 at The American Club, Kohler, Wis. John C. Maxwell, known as “America’s expert on leadership,’ will present the keynote address at 7:30 p.m. June 23. The ASCC CEO Forum is a three-day event for CEOs, presidents and other […]

Concrete Seen as Major Competitor to Wood

Concrete homes are rapidly gaining market share in residential construction. In recent years, the growth has been so rapid that the Wood Promotion Council recently identified cement-based wall systems as “wood’s greater substitution threat.” Printed in the October 26, 2004 edition of the council’s newsletter, the report also stated that due to strong demand, cement […]

Don’t Forget Your Badge!

Talia J. Nelson, CFA Marketing & Member Services You do it at the Home Builders Show, you do it at the World of Concrete, it’s time to show me that you can do it here too! This year’s Summer Meeting registration is going to be a little different, but nothing you can’t handle. Upon registering […]

CFA Members Hone Presentation Skills for Foundation Seminar

The National Homebuilders Show, with the assistance of CFA members, has introduced a seminar on residential cast-in-place foundations to educate builders on the details of building basements. It has been presented in Kalamazoo, MI and Minneapolis, MN and is currently undergoing final review. The next step in the delivery of the seminar is developing a […]

Building Concrete Homes With Removable Forms

Building homes with removable forms is just one of several concrete wall building systems. But there are advantages to building homes this way. For home builders, removable form construction is fast, saving as much as 30 days on the construction of an average home. In Mexico, which is increasingly using removable form construction, houses can […]

Tall Order for Pumping Equipment

PUTZMEISTER PUMPS TO ASSIST IN CONSTRUCTION OF WORLD’S HIGHEST TOWER Jonathan Omer, Putzmeister, Sturtevant, WI Putzmeister AG was recently awarded a contract with Universal Concrete Products, Ltd. Co. (UNIMIX) L.L.C. to assist in the construction of the tallest tower in the world – the Burj Dubai. Commencing this spring, Putzmeister pumping equipment will be instrumental […]

Balmer Brothers Win CFA Basement of the Year Again

Jerry Balmer, President of Balmer Brothers Concrete Works, Inc. in Akron, Pennsylvania, knows what it’s like to build a basement from hell – he’s done it before. In 2000, Balmer Brothers was voted the winner of the Basement of the Year for their 29,000 square foot basement, which was complex as well as mammoth. This […]