Many CFA members made, or were forced to make, the decision to not attend the CFA Summer Convention this year. This is not too surprising, as we know the impact this recession has had on member companies and face it, the Convention is an event that not has drawn a large percentage of CFA members in recent years. The lack of participation at the 2009 CFA Summer Convention has caused us to reevaluate the future of the summer meeting as our premier event. Because of future commitments, it will take several years before significant changes can be made but before we venture too far into the analysis we need your input.

This issue’s Letter from the Director discussed many thoughts we have on continuing to listen to the cross section of our members and begin evolving this event to fit not just the needs but the abilities. A convention is perhaps the most important venue that a member association like ours can create to provide ready access to networking; continually refresh the concepts of industry and standards; and to build value across the broad range of company types and geographies. Therefore, it is important to make this as practical and attractive as possible.

When looking at information for this event, it is quite possible that many companies overlook the educational value and the impact that these seminars can have on the evolution of thinking in a business. The 2009 Summer Convention represented what many consider the best and most complete education the CFA has ever put forth. So significant was this year’s lineup that it is worth taking one last look at the education offered.

Our education track this year can best be summarized as “quality brought back and refreshing excellence added”. Returning to our Summer Convention were the familiar and ever popular David Whitlock, Brent Anderson and Doug Staebler. The ability to rely on them for stimulating and meaningful presentations was reinforced yet again as you will read in their presentation synopses. Furthermore, the addition of Amy Miller and Bob Harris brought content that was both relevant and timely for the issues that our industry is facing. Finally, wrapping up the content was another heavy dose of what you are doing as some of our contractor members with stories to tell brought additional value to this year’s meeting as they shared individual paths that each are taking in their businesses to fight the impact of this economy.

This summer’s Convention was the second year in a row for attorney DAVID WHITLOCK to enlighten our industry on the pitfalls that exist as employers. One can certainly say he was “back by popular demand”. We know that is hard to believe when you first glance at the idea of an attorney speaking to a large audience.

However, attendees will unanimously tell you that David is as entertaining and engaging a speaker as any we’ve scheduled. After many discussions last year and follow-up work with our members throughout the past months, David selected the topic Employees vs Independent Contractors, something that many contractors see as a major difference between them and their competition.

How can we be expected to compete in a market where we know the company down the road is paying their workers as independent contractors and not carrying the burden of insurance, worker’s comp, etc.?

This is a question we’ve heard time and time again as we seek to find new avenues to pursue as your Association. David took the audience step-by-step through the legal ramifications of operating a business that engages “independent contractors”, allowing the company to react nimbly to marketplace demands through quick expansion or retraction as well as focused solutions to large problems or tasks. On the surface, David conveyed the attractiveness also from the “independent contractor’s” perspective allowing them to focus on specific areas of expertise and to have their own measure of control and professional growth. However, this equation quickly reaches an imbalance as David explained, when you recognize the fierce opposition from governmental regulatory agencies. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and many state agencies are charged with administering the state’s unemployment program, made much more difficult with independent contractors in the work force, largely unregulated. Additionally, independent contractors themselves have begun to recognize their own power in this relationship as evidenced by many large class action lawsuits. Regardless, this is a trap that many contractors look on and fall into and David provided a clear understanding of the opportunities to mitigate and minimize risk as well as realize the strain in the decision. Ultimately, he is a great resource for our Association and is open for consultation whenever a company needs legal advice on their workforce.

BRENT ANDERSON is a name few around this industry, much less the CFA would be unfamiliar. He has been instrumental for decades in helping solve significant structural issues as well as continuing to evolve practical codes and standards for the industry. One of the items that are planned for the future of CFA promotion and code development is the presence of concrete decks in greater volume. Brent has been working for many years, both in the U.S. as well as world wide, to develop quality above-grade housing with integral, monolithic concrete decks and roofs. ! is wealth of experience was used to present the many positive benefits and economic advantages for our industry promoting an integral concrete deck for the first floor of any residence.

Fact 1: First floor concrete decks solidify the foundation walls with a much stronger connection than the state-of-the-art wood sill plates. They have the potential to significantly reduce the thickness of concrete walls as the performance from this stability introduces positive moments that counteract the applied load of the soil retained by the walls.

Fact 2: While stabilizing the walls and adding greater efficiency to the materials, the concrete deck delivers an entire storm shelter in the lower level of living.

Fact 3: Companies that are looking to maximize the potential project dollars, without adding to the learning curve or complexity of services offered, need look no further than the addition of significant forming and concrete volume that is present in a first floor deck that is normally given to the framing contractor and the wood industry.

Like David Whitlock, Brent Anderson is a resource that is open for contact on the myriad of engineering and application issues that arise in our industry.

Those that have attended a Convention in the past will easily recognize the name of DOUG STAEBLER, CFO for CFA contractor member Custom Concrete. Doug is one of the first to admit he is not an expert resource with all the answers but is one that continually looks for ways to solve the financial and business strategy issues that face their large company. He also has maintained the vision of their company’s involvement in this industry by being an accessible partner to CFA members for similar questions. He firmly believes that in each dialogue he learns as much as the company bringing the questions to him.

Doug’s focus for the 2009 Convention was ‘Building it Forward’, in other words, what will our companies look like as we come out of this recession and what can we be doing now to prepare us for the slow growth and return that must surely come. This likely means that your company will likely look different than it was and your strategies will likely be even more different.

Pricing and customer interest will have been radically changed and those foundation companies that recognize and address strategies to benefit from these altered playing fields will be the ones ready to succeed. Doug stretched out a historical view of what companies were like ten, maybe fifteen years ago. From this look back, we can likely find solutions to the problems of what companies should look like going forward.

This presentation used feedback from the attendees combined with the message Doug generated to affirm that while we struggle to stretch ourselves through this present danger, we must begin to decide what moving forward will entail if we are interested in leading.

There isn’t a single industry in the field of construction that isn’t challenged from some angle on how “green” or “sustainable” they really are. Whether the customer knows what they are asking or whether they are ready for the proper answer, they still ask the question. As an active member of your industry, it is your responsibility and your challenge to fully understand what this means for your entire business as well as your product. AMY MILLER of NRMCA joined us to start this understanding with the message of ‘The Concrete Side of Sustainability’. With specific focus to this issue from the perspective of concrete and foundations, Amy’s information was intended to add tools to your box on how to make sure your customers realize that concrete is THE solution needed most.

This really opened our eyes to the impact we all have on the condition we leave this earth for the next generation. We now realize how little natural resources are consumed in the concrete industry, understand sustainability better, and am motivated to sell this to my customers, especially the environmental conscious ones—Valerie Gore, Solid Foundations

One of the recent strategic partnerships that the CFA has made is with Concrete Contractor Magazine. This has proven effective in many ways as we grow our message of certification and quality. However, for the purposes of the Summer Convention, this also benefitted the attendees through the sponsorship of BOB HARRIS, president of the Decorative Concrete Institute.

Bob came to the event prepared to influence the attendees on the understanding that decorative concrete, and particularly stamped concrete has real potential to add to your product line and project capabilities while continuing to grow the recognition of quality concrete throughout the industry. Bob demonstrated his vast background and the history of working in this field. He conveyed the hesitations and the reservations they had getting started but how they overcame them using practical, low cost methods to obtain early results that continued to build for them.

Now, his company is on the front line of this industry pushing it further, developing new techniques and setting new standards…all stemming from a meager start with some vision. Bob’s message was one of Consider the Potential but understand how real the possibility is.

Education continued during this packed event with a lineup of CFA members including MIKE HANCOCK, DENNIS PURINTON, DAN BROMLEY and CFA Executive Director. In a forum titled ‘Why Waste A Good Recession’, this group projected some of the ways companies are expanding thinking to create opportunities.

Mike Hancock of Basement Contractors in Oklahoma brings a unique perspective to our association as he represents the foundation contractor, the builder, the engineer and the custom concrete home developer with his company. Mike delivered a message on the myriad of opportunities in each residential project for adding value to the home and volume to your project dollars with concrete.

This spring boarded from the deck seminar offered by Brent Anderson and added discussion of the above grade walls, decks, stairs, ” replaces and many other decorative concrete avenues that should be looked at to create more business on each project already in hand. Mike encourages contractors to think about the value that concrete adds to these projects and where it can and should displace other materials because of the ability to add craftsmanship to your company’s reputation.

Dennis Purinton with Purinton Builders in Connecticut has pushed the envelope in recent years spending energy on learning and leveraging systems such as mix technology, insulation systems and lately focusing on sustainability. He put forth a detailed perspective of how the foundation contractor can affect sustainability on projects and maximize the value for the builder and the homeowner from that viewpoint. The key, from Dennis’ advice, was to know as much as you can about your final product as well as the components. Understand the decisions that are made on operation, quality control and put these to work in maximizing the efficient use of raw materials and resources.

One of the strongest messages emanating from the CFA is that of certification. The year-old CFA Certified Foundation Contractor and Certified Foundation Technician programs are in full swing and companies that seek to create a difference in the marketplace should start here. This was the message from Dan Bromley of ABI Corporation in Missouri.

There are many decisions that can be made on how to market and distinguish your company from competition but taking advantage of a national program produced and maintained by the experts in this field is perhaps the best bang for your buck. However, once a company becomes certified or personnel from that company certified as technicians, the work only begins. Leveraging that certification and becoming known for that as a core value is where companies must look next.

The CFA helps in many ways but it is also up to the individual companies to maximize that recognition. Dan unveiled the ways that his company continues to seek such visibility. By no means have they fully succeeded but he offered many examples of ways they have tried to leverage this company status as well as the ways they have maximized it as an opportunity for their employees.

The discussion on marketing strategies was helpful. Everyone who is certified as a CFA-Certified Foundation Contractor needs to get the word out about the value of the certification.—John Wilson, Cornerstone Foundations

Rounding out the seminar education at Summer Convention this year was a presentation by CFA Executive Director, ED SAUTER on the real opportunity for expanding your business into other forms of concrete construction. One such is the art of Tilt-Up construction. A form of precast concrete panels, this method builds all concrete elements on the job site in horizontal position and then uses a crane to erect them to their designed location.

Already a proven method with an extensive inventory, the message Ed delivered was not one of competing against the professionals out there but rather seeing how effective it can be for smaller projects that are spread around the landscape offering considerable volume potential to the concrete industry but are harder for large, commercial contractors to identify.

Summer Convention also continued the trend of promoting certification programs as several companies sought to expand the number of CFA Certified Foundation Technicians on staff or use this as the first step toward achieving CFA Certified Foundation Company status or renewing their current certification with continuing education.

Still others submitted to become certified in the Thermomass Certified Installer program offered by Composite Technologies Corporation.

In all, attendees to this year’s Summer Convention were given the opportunity for two full days of education and business opportunities or the freedom to attend two full mornings of great seminars followed by some relaxation and networking or family time in the afternoons. This remains the number one venue focused on your business and we want to continue hearing from you to make it as effective as possible.