• Lighthouse After School

    Thursday, April 4, 2024

    Stephens and Smith Concrete Construction participates with a Trades/Industry Program Attracting tomorrow’s workforce to the concrete industry involves fostering early engagement and understanding of the field. Introducing high school students to construction trades through a structured workshop approach holds immense potential in shaping their perception of and interest in concrete careers. “Our TIP program is […]

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  • Build my Future: Collaboration Engages Youth, How did it come about? What are its Goals

    Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Perma-Structo of Sturtevant, Wisconsin, a Certified Contractor member of the Concrete Foundations Association, has a long history of participation in efforts aimed at awareness and trades education for youth to bring about a stronger future for the construction industry. The most recent event, Build My Future, continued to demonstrate the value for all involved. Build […]

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  • Why Membership Matters

    Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    “PRECISION FOCUS!!” I have had the privilege in the last two years of being introduced to the field of concrete construction in an incredibly dynamic way.  While it started with photographing job sites for my brother-in-law, Russ Talpey of Talpey Construction, I have been inspired to continue telling the story I find so compelling.  Not […]

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  • Concrete Reasons to set BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) for your Concrete Business

    Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    By Bill Humbert, recruiterguy.com There is a difference between properly setting a goal and making a resolution for your business. I know. I have been in business for 34 years. Why not make a “resolution”? The answer is easy. Are many New Year’s resolutions kept? Over my past 34 years, maybe two New Year’s resolutions […]

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  • Ensuring Worker Safety: The Vital Role of Alternative Fall Protection Plans

    Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    By Tim Neubauer, MS, CSP For construction, safeguarding the lives of workers is not just a regulatory mandate but is also a moral obligation. As the construction industry grapples with the persistent challenge of fall-related fatalities, the importance of proper fall protection measures becomes increasingly evident. Data from 2020 reveals a stark reality: out of […]

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Feature

Jun
20

CFA Member Benefit: The Employee Manual

One of the most important parts of any business is establishing the boundaries between management and employees that protect both in times of discipline. The policy manual is the tool used to provide prospective employees with the picture of expectations by the employer, as well as maintaining an ongoing and effectively positive relationship. Employee manuals […]

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Apr
4

Emergence of Risk

In the dynamic world we live in today, the only constant is change – whether it’s yourself, your industry, or the environment around you… Take a moment to think about your business. How has it changed in the past five years? Is your environment the same? How will that environment change in the next five […]

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Apr
4

Elevating Board Form Concrete to a Marketable Aesthetic

If the Great Recession has taught us anything as a company, it is that a concrete construction company can be extremely resilient when everything is on the line. In order to be resilient, our company had to be creative and apply ourselves to finding work and finding uniqueness any way possible. Out here in the […]

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Dec
22

RISK MANAGEMENT: Controlling Your Company’s Insurance Costs

Total Cost of Risk: A company’s soft and hard costs which contribute to the overall cost of their insurance program. For too long insurance agents’ jobs has been oversimplified to just the placement of insurance and issuing certificates of insurance. The CFA and Arthur J. Gallagher have set a goal to be the best client […]

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Dec
22

Tennessee Concrete Association’s Net Zero Building

The Net Zero project began as an idea in 2010 and grew out of conversations from TCA’s participation in the local U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) chapter The Tennessee Concrete Association (TCA) is located in Nashville, TN and serves the concrete industry statewide. TCA represents 70% of the ready mix concrete production in the state […]

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Dec
22

Three New Leaders Take Up The Challenge

Meet new CFA Directors Ken Kurszewski of Hottman Construction Company; Lindsay Castles of GMX, Inc.; and Mark Irving of Irving Equipment LLC. The march toward CFA Convention held each year in late July or early August, includes an opportunity for changes to the leadership of the Association. Over more than forty years leading this industry, […]

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Magazine Issues

Jun
15

It’s a Great Time to be a Member of the CFA

A lot has been happening here at the Concrete Foundations Association. The CFA convention in Boston is right around the corner. This event has an outstanding lineup of speakers and activities planned. We’ll hear from NFL legend, Rocky Bleier. Economist Connor Lokar will be there to tell us what the future may hold for the […]

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Jun
15

Let’s Make Change Great…Always

As a regular reader of Concrete Facts, I hope you recall the article announcing the retirement of our long-time staff member, Janette Barr (Concrete Facts 29-2, winter 2022, p. 23). As we published that article, I was considering the impact of employment transitions I have been experiencing through the witness of so many of our […]

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Mar
22

Diversity Equity and Inclusion

By Kimberly Kayler, CPSM DEI Practice Leader, AOE President Certificate in DEI bythe University of Michigan Building on almost 25 years serving technical industries in an organizational, strategy and marketing role, Kimberly leads the AOE DEI practice. Trained in DEI by the University of Michigan, she brings a wealth of experience in organizational development, HR, training, […]

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Mar
22

A 10-Step Process that will Guide you through Building a Distracted Driving Policy

by Julia Kunlo, Evolution Safety Resources  The dangers associated with distracted driving are difficult to dispute. In 2017 alone, it is estimated that 391,000 drivers were injured in distracted driving crashes (Distracted Driving Statistics, 2019). Due to the recent spotlight on the topic, many companies have decided to implement their own distracted driving policies to […]

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Mar
21

INTERDEPENDENCE  CFACON22  EDUCATION

FEATURED KEYNOTE:  ROCKY BLEIER Vietnam Vet and Four-Time NFL Super Bowl Champion.  Rocky Bleier’s life story – a gripping tale of courage on both the football fields of America and the battle fields of Vietnam – has held audiences in rapt attention for years. Yet, the motivational message behind it, detailing how ordinary people can […]

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Mar
21

INTERDEPENDENCE CFACON22

ACCOMMODATIONS The Westin Boston Seaport District 425 Summer St., Boston, MA 02210 The CFA has reserved a block of rooms with a special rate of just $269/night at The Westin Boston Seaport District. Less than three miles from Boston Logan Airport, this hotel is ideally located in the vibrant Seaport District, just steps from downtown […]

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Mar
21

Janette Barr Retires After 25 Years

How does one mark the end of an era?  Phrasemix.com offers that an “era” is a period of history in which something important happens. An “era” usually lasts for a long time: hundreds or thousands of years. Some examples of well-known eras are: The Victorian era (in Britain in the 1800’s); The Cold War era […]

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Mar
21

Soil Connect Marketplace Curbs Rising Fuel Costs by Finding Materials Closer to Where They Are Needed

As fuel prices soar, contractors are finding help controlling costs online, with the Soil Connect marketplace.  This industry leading platform helps contractors find soil and aggregates closer to where they are needed, thus saving fuel and time, while minimizing their carbon footprint.  Award-winning Soil Connect dirt and aggregates marketplace uses matching algorithms to create close […]

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Mar
21

YOUR ADVANTAGE IN THE MARKETPLACE

The following articles are excerpts of important topics and research information.  Full content is made available to CFA members through the website you will access with the QR Code following each piece.  Note:  If you are already logged in, the code will take you directly to the article.  All article content will also be available […]

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Mar
21

World of Concrete 2022 Wrapped a Highly Productive and Well-Attended Event, Fueling Industry Connection and Advancement

Nearly 37,000 construction and masonry professionals convened in Las Vegas this week for peer-to-peer connection, deal-making, education, and competition. Las Vegas, NV (January 21, 2022) – World of Concrete, Informa Markets’ premiere exhibition serving the thriving construction and masonry industries, concluded the event’s 47th annual event held this past week – Expo, January 18-20; Education, […]

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Mar
21

Euclid Launches Three New Admixtures at World of Concrete

Euclid Chemical, a leading manufacturer of concrete and masonry construction products, announced the launch of three new concrete admixtures at this year’s World of Concrete—the concrete industry’s largest event for building professionals. The following high-performance admixtures were developed to respond to the rapidly evolving needs of construction and concrete professionals: · EUCOSHIELD™ An integral finishing […]

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Mar
21

Euclid Chemical Wins two Innovative Fiber Project of the Year Awards at World of Concrete

Euclid Chemical, a leading manufacturer of concrete and masonry construction products, took home two 1st place Innovative Fiber Project of the Year (IFPY) Awards at this year’s World of Concrete—the concrete industry’s largest event for building professionals. Presented by the Fiber Reinforced Concrete Association (FRCA), the IFPY Awards recognize distinguished projects that involve the specification […]

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