The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. After many years in business, I can attest to that being a “Concrete Fact.”

Becoming a CFA member will never take the hard work out of success, but membership sure can lighten the load and, hopefully, help avoid the pitfalls of our industry through sharing the experiences of its members.

“If you are willing to do more than you are paid to do, eventually you will be paid to do more than you do.”

(anonymous)

I had the pleasure of contacting some Board Members to inform them that their terms were about to expire and to ask them if they would consider another term. One particular Board Member answered, “Absolutely.” He commented, “I thought I really knew a lot about the concrete business before I got on the Board. The knowledge gained in participation on the Board has been invaluable to my business.”

As a member of this Association, you are welcome to attend Board meetings. Please understand there is no member any more important than you. By just attending Board meetings, your participation in the Association is not only important to your business, but your input and sharing of your experiences can influence many others in their paths to success.

Making changes in your business operations/ventures without consulting others with similar experiences can make the difference between succeeding and failing. I can speak with experience on this one. Some years ago, I had a conversation with a fellow member with regard to a venture that I gave up on but that he was very successful at. He told me that my failure could be easily explained: “You didn’t throw enough money at it.” Looking back, he was absolutely right. I did not consult with others who had experience in that particular venture, and when I struggled, I just gave up.

A fellow member called me just this past week with a concern over a piece of equipment purchased at this summer’s meeting in Nashville. My comment to him was that he purchased his equipment from a very reputable CFA Associate Member who I knew supplied excellent support with the purchase, and that he should not be afraid to make good use of that.

I would like to thank everyone who attended and supported this summer’s meeting in Nashville. I hope all who attended enjoyed themselves and was able to take valuable knowledge back home with them. There seemed to be considerable enthusiasm generated during the three days there.

My wife and I are looking forward to next summer’s meeting in Utah and are encouraging other family members to attend with us so we can all enjoy a mini vacation.

Dennis Purinton, Purinton Builders Inc., CFA President 2016-18, purintonbuilders@yahoo.com