CFA recognizes Dan Bromley of ABI Corporation with an M.V.P Award

Walt Disney is noted for once stating, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” In this statement can be found the inspiration behind the action that led the CFA Board of Directors to award Dan Bromley and his family’s company, ABI Corporation of Lee’s Summit, Missouri with a Most Valuable Person award this past summer.

Developed to recognize the significant contributions of specific individuals toward the advancement of the Association’s mission and purpose, the CFA M.V.P. award was first presented in 2004 to Brad Barnes, P.E. for this leadership and authorship of the CFA Cold Weather Research Study and Final Report. Current CFA President, David Martinson of Martinson Construction in Waterloo, IA offered last year in the presentation to Mary Wilson, “In short, this M.V.P. Award is presented to an individual who has given generously of their time and talent in helping the CFA become the successful organization that it is today.”

The Concrete Foundations Association is in many respects synonymous with the Bromley family. The patriarch, Gary Bromley found great passion in the CFA and became a leader of the association, serving as president from 1995 to 1996. With this same passion, ABI Corp established itself as a visionary. Dan Bromley, CFA president from 2008-2010, and his brother Mike have followed in their dad’s footsteps, continuing his practice of problem solving and attaining new measures of quality with the technology and ingenuity made available to them. An example of this vision is seen in the growing impact of certification for the foundation industry. Answering the challenge from a couple key regional markets, Dan initiated the development of a CFA certification program for individuals and later companies. The individual certification is now a fully-fledged ACI Certification and company certification continues to grow under the CFA brand.

Concrete Contractor magazine featured the Bromley’s in 2009 with an article titled “Reinventing Residential”. The idea of this piece clearly defines the spirit of the company as finding new ways to achieve greater results in a well-defined and competitive market. This is also at the heart of the rationale for this year’s M.V.P. recognition. The presence of Helix micro-rebar in the marketplace has created quite a stir. Still, without evidence of performance and contractors willing to step out and participate as well as implement the system into projects, the progress of development is much longer and difficult. Dan found the opportunity to investigate the potential for this product to significantly impact his labor on projects enticing and proceeded to develop a research program with the manufacturer that would combine testing samples, actual walls and eventually modifying designs. The results hold evolutionary potential for the structural design and performance of cast-in-place foundation walls.

Jim Bartley, CFA past president and president of Bartley Corp from Silver Springs, Maryland offered, “The effort Dan, Mike and their company has put forth toward demonstrating the advantage and real opportunity of micro reinforcement has opened the doors for an entire industry. Manufacturers can create new solutions but until a pioneering contractor risks everything to show that it works, those new technologies don’t stand a chance.”

The cast-in-place industry, through the CFA congratulates and thanks Dan Bromley for his poise, fearlessness and leadership to problem solve issues of labor and performance.