It is hard to turn away from a recipe that works, but that is what we did for the recent Spring Board /Foundation Fundamentals program.

Brent Anderson has done a terrific job of educating contractors on the basic (and sometimes not so basic) engineering principles of foundation construction that we all should know. He has given this seminar in conjunction with every spring and fall CFA Board meeting for many years now, and we have no doubt that he will be back with many more in the near future. For the spring meeting held recently in Bloomington, Minnesota, we decided to do things a little differently.

Because the Minnesota chapter is the first and biggest chapter in the country, we decided to combine the board meeting there with a regional meeting, graciously hosted by the Minnesota Concrete Foundation Association. Since Brent is from the Minneapolis area and speaks often for the MCFA, we decided to give him a little break this time around.

Instead of one foundation seminar, Technical Director Jim Baty and MCFA Past President Troy Emerson worked diligently to develop an educational program that would benefit management and employees. Judging by the attendance and the buzz in the hotel on Saturday, the program was a big success. Both seminar rooms were filled, and extra chairs were brought in to accommodate overcrowding. Managers, employees, and even exhibitors spent the morning listening to well-educated speakers present topics such as the new ACI 332 code for residential concrete, OSHA Compliance & Inspections, Job Safety, Pumping Safety, and more.

Lunch provided an opportunity for the attendees to network and then visit the tradeshow room for dessert with the exhibitors. The afternoon commenced round table discussions about Safety Liability, Human Resources, Subcontract Agreements, and Form Theft. Employees went outside, where a crane was displayed, to learn about crane safety. The day concluded with a reception in the exhibit hall. The attendees once again filled the hall to learn about the products that our National Associates and Local Suppliers have to offer. I heard several contractors say it was a great opportunity for their employees to learn about all the products that are out there, not just the ones that they have gotten used to. I couldn’t agree more!

Again, I would like to thank all of our exhibitors for taking the time to participate. A special thanks to Carroll Distributing, Irving Equipment, Nox-Crete Products, Putzmeister, and Ulteig Engineers, for sponsoring the event. Without event sponsorships, we would not be able to provide the best quality meetings to our members. Another special thanks goes out to the MCFA for their great hospitality. I would also like to thank Mark and Roxanne Saldana and Schwing Pumps for the tours and receptions they gave the Board Members.

To all the great folks at MCFA, if you liked the event, sign up now for the summer meeting, it will be even better!