Robert “Buck” Bartley of The Bartley Corporation was awarded the Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award at the CFA annual awards luncheon August 2 at The Resort at the Mountain in Welches, Oregon.

Buck, co-founder of The Bartley Corporation of Ashton, Maryland, is recognized for his devotion to the industry over several decades. He and his late wife Marcia and brother Tom formed The Bartley Corporation in 1970 and have been instrumental in introducing residential concrete foundation construction to the Mid-Atlantic region. Their industry efforts are mirrored by their own business success, their company now employs approximately 80 full-time employees in a multi-million dollar firm. CFA executive director Ed Sauter credits The Bartley Corporation with the dedication to implement new technologies that increase efficiency, as well as the willingness to share these innovations with others.

As one of the first members of the Concrete Foundations Association, Buck has been an active member and supporter since 1977 and has served on multiple committees for the organization. The only residential foundation concrete contractor on the ACI-332 (Residential Concrete) Committee until recent years, Buck has provided valuable input from a contractor’s perspective to the committee’s efforts don’t stop with ACI committee work. He is also active on the CFA Codes and Standards committee and is always at the forefront in bringing new ideas and technology to the mainstream for foundation construction.

The Robert D. Sawyer Award is named on behalf of Bob Sawyer, the first Executive Director of the CFA, and it is presented occasionally to a member of the concrete foundation industry whose contributions to the industry merit recognition. The award recognizes individuals who give tirelessly of their time and resources to serve the industry, as Bob Sawyer did for the association through its formative years. Bob is currently president of Wall Guard Corp., a manufacturer of foundation waterproofing systems, located in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

“The Robert D. Sawyer Award is the highest honor given to any CFA member and Buck Bartley is very deserving of this award,” said Ed Sauter.

Other presentations were also made at the luncheon, including recognizing CFA members with long-standing memberships (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years). The coveted “basement of the year” award plaque was accepted by Mike Klingert on behalf of Erwin “Buck” Sweet of Perma-Structo, Inc., Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Buck is suffering from cancer and was unable to make the trip. The Basement of the Year award is voted on by members of the CFA in the CFA booth at the World of Concrete each year.

Finally, a plaque was presented to Ron Colvin as outgoing CFA president and certificates of appreciation for board service were presented to Barry Herbert, Mike Klingert, and Steve Rhinehart. Their service has been greatly appreciated and we hope they will continue to serve the association through committee work and networking.