• In Memoriam, Karl Schlecht

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    The Concrete Foundation Association and the entire concrete industry regrets to inform you of the passing of Putzmeister founder and visionary, Karl Schlecht. Putzmeister has asked us to share this tribute and obituary. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Schlecht family and Karl’s worldwide network of friends and co-workers. With deep sorrow and great […]

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  • 50th Anniversary Celebration Begins

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    The Concrete Foundations Association will reach its 50th year of supporting the cast-in-place concrete contractor in the Spring of 2025. A yearlong effort will celebrate the significance of fifty years of enduring challenging economic cycles, an evolving marketplace, and a host of labor, legal, code, safety, and technology influences. The year of celebration was kicked […]

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  • CFA Establishes Preferred Supplier Program

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    Membership networks generally have a variety of participation and recognition levels based on the interests of individuals and organizations and the services and resources provided. Tiered membership levels, labeled as “sustaining” or given common titles (i.e., gold, silver, diamond, and platinum) typically follow a pay-to-be-recognized system. Instead, during the fiscal year 2023–24, CFA’s Board of […]

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  • Best Practice Groups Continue Making A Difference

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    One of the significant considerations for members of the Association is how the CFA impacts their business. Keeping in mind that first and foremost the CFA is a network of organizations run by like-minded and passionate leaders, networking remains the most valuable benefit. With this in mind, Best Practice Groups (BPGs) were initiated a couple […]

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  • Caught-In-Action

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    Attention to detail This is a trait every employer hopes to inculcate in the workforce they send outward to jobs.  It is the mark that often establishes the strata in the marketplace, elevating the most professional teams. Although never surprised when this is identified, the leadership at Beaver Concrete Construction is proud of the individual […]

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Feature

Oct
16

I Did It My Way!

As the Olympic closing ceremony draws to a close, one of the most iconic songs of all time, Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” resonated through the air. It was a poignant moment that evoked emotion, bringing tears to athletes and viewers worldwide—perhaps even to you (but don’t worry, your secret is safe with me!). Every leader […]

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Oct
16

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS ASSOCIATION

Professionalism Recognized by Peers CFA Announces 2024 Professional Awards Among the truest statements of any career is the adage, “It is not about what you know but rather who you know.” While this phrase is profound, one of its limiting factors is that it only covers knowledge. True, knowledge is power; yet in the Concrete […]

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Oct
16

2024 PROJECTS OF THE YEAR The Top-Placing Winners

The 25th annual competition for the Concrete Foundations Association welcomed members to submit projects throughout the first four months of this calendar year to vie for recognition among the storied projects of all time. As the entries were received, surveying the collection can best be described by a single word: diversity. Across the record-tying thirty-three […]

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Jun
10

Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award: Bruce Neale, Modern Foundations

The Robert D. Sawyer Award, named on behalf of Bob Sawyer, the first executive director of the CFA, is the most prestigious recognition that can be offered to a member of the concrete foundation industry. The award recognizes individuals who give tirelessly of their time and resources to serve the industry. “Bob Sawyer took the […]

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Jun
10

Contractor of the Year: Doggett Concrete Construction

The most frequently awarded recognition from the CFA historically has been the Contractor of the Year award. This recognizes the industry contributions of a poured wall contractor and often shows the great efforts the contractor makes to benefit more than just their company’s location and position—how they work toward the greater goals of the association […]

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Jun
10

Innovative Contractor of the Year: Bulletproof Walls Inc., dba TCB Walls Inc.

An industry with as much history as cast-in-place concrete may appear as if practices and systems are no longer evolving. While new technologies using computers and advanced mechanics or logic are often brought to light, many times the most innovative solutions are initiated by the contractors themselves, tapping their experience and creativity to find a […]

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Magazine Issues

Jan
15

Off-Season Employee Retention, Will You Entertain Creative New Ideas?

Let’s face it. Recruiting can be a pain back there… And I am a recruiter!  “Sometimes, I see things differently” is my tagline, and it is how I handle problems, especially those problems surrounding Talent Attraction. Hey! I am lefthanded! My life as a lefty forced me to look at problems differently. Have you attempted […]

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Jun
21

El liderazgo autodefinido proviene de tomar riesgos

English | Translation Provided by the CFA Skye Kelley, Gerente de Participación de la Membresía Una entrevista con Amanda Kurt, finalista de Contratista del Año de 2023 de Equipment World Las mejores asociaciones incluyen una amplia variedad de miembros. Esta diversidad alimenta el pensamiento variado y desafía el crecimiento de la industria. Sin embargo, en […]

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Jun
21

Self-Defining Leadership Comes From Risk Taking

Español | Translation Provided by the CFA Skye Kelley, Manager of Membership Engagement An Interview with Amanda Kurt, finalist for Equipment World’s 2023 Contractor of the Year The best associations are filled with a diverse array of members. Such diversity powers expansive thought and challenges industry growth. At the surface of the concrete industry, though, […]

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Jun
21

Conseguir Involucrado

English | Translation Provided by the CFA ¡Me encanta “jugar en prototipo”! Aunque algunas personas necesitan un plan meticulosamente organizado antes de comenzar, yo a menudo opto por empezar y aprender a medida que avanzo. Es por eso que me emocionó tanto ser parte del primer Retiro de Ejecutivos de la CFA. Nuestro Director Ejecutivo, […]

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Jun
21

Get Involved

Español | Translation Provided by the CFA I love “playing in prototype”! While some individuals require a meticulously crafted plan before getting started, I often choose to dive in and learn as we go. That’s why I was so excited to be part of the first CFA Executive Retreat. Our Executive Director, James Baty worked […]

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Jun
21

Palabras de inspiración

English | Translation Provided by the CFA Esta edición se publicó al final del Q2 2023. Esta carta, en muchos sentidos, fue difícil de escribir para mí. El clima invernal prolongado pareció transformarse en mayo en un instante. De igual manera, el mercado revirtió el reposo radical que se produjo en septiembre del año pasado […]

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Jun
21

Words of Aspiration

Español | Translation Provided by the CFA This issue comes to you at the end of Q2 2023. In many ways, it is hard for me to write this. The lingering winter weather seemed to transform into May in an instant. Likewise, the market reversed the radical break that was induced last September, and companies […]

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Jun
21

NEx and the CFA Partner to Advance the Use of Nonmetallic Building Materials in Concrete Foundations

Español | Translation Provided by the CFA Farmington Hills, MI – NEx, an ACI Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials, is excited to announce a new partnership with the Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) aimed at advancing the use of nonmetallic building materials in concrete foundations. NEx is a leading research center focused on the […]

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Jun
21

Lanzamiento de la iniciativa Carbon Zero Youth Initiative para motivar a los jóvenes a apoyar las prácticas de construcción ecológicas

English | Translation Provided by the CFA Los jóvenes pueden ayudar a hacer construcciones más conscientes de las emisiones de carbono, si saben qué –y quién– hace que un edificio sea “ecológico”. Esa es la idea fundamental detrás de la Carbon Zero Youth Initiative [Iniciativa de una juventud con cero emisiones de carbono] (www.carbonzeroyouth.org) fundada […]

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Jun
21

Carbon Zero Youth Initiative Launches to Empower Youth to Support Green Building Practices

Español | Translation Provided by the CFA Youth can help make buildings more carbon-conscious–if they know what – and who – makes a building “green”. That’s the core idea behind the Carbon Zero Youth Initiative (www.carbonzeroyouth.org), founded to engage students ages 12-18 in the rapidly growing movement to decarbonize the built environment. While currently responsible […]

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Jun
21

Concrete Foundations Association Announces Partnership With Informa Markets at WOC 2023 for Inaugural Wall Foreman Qualification Certificate 

Español | Translation Provided by the CFA Mount Vernon, IA – Concrete Foundations Association is excited to announce that sixteen individuals received recognition in the first year of a new industry professional development program titled “Wall Foreman Qualification Certificate.” This newly established education effort pairs management skills with technical development education to fill a void […]

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Jun
21

Out of Plumb may not Mean Damaged and Unsafe

Español | Translation Provided by the CFA Question: The foundation for my new home has one wall showing two vertical cracks and the top of the wall is not even with the base of the wall. I’m concerned the backfilling has pushed the wall in and the building inspector wants an engineer to certify the […]

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