A lot has been happening here at the Concrete Foundations Association.

The CFA convention in Boston is right around the corner. This event has an outstanding lineup of speakers and activities planned. We’ll hear from NFL legend, Rocky Bleier. Economist Connor Lokar will be there to tell us what the future may hold for the construction industry. We also have three different presentations geared towards your most pressing issue: finding and keeping employees. 

Plus, there will be three evening social events that include a unique vendor showcase, a “Boston Tea Party” in the harbor, and a Yankees vs. Red Sox game at historic Fenway Park. 

You can read more about the wonderful event on other pages of this magazine. I hope to see you at Convention!

The convention coincides with our board of directors meeting. New members will join the board as some of our current members depart. I am grateful for the time and effort our current members put into their time on the board. Thank you. And, I am looking forward to the new board members’ input as we continue to be the best association for concrete contractors.

At the end of the convention, there will be a changing of the guard within the executive committee. Chairman Phil Marone will leave the board after many years of distinguished service. My term as president will end and I will move into the chairman position. Our current vice president, Jason Ells, will become the new president.

I want to thank our executive committee members: Phil Marone of Marone Contractors Inc., Jason Ells of Custom Concrete Company Inc., Sean Smith of MPW Construction Services Inc., Ken Kurszewski of Hottman Construction Company Inc., and Jim Baty of CFA. They made these two years of my presidency a great adventure. It is incredible what we accomplished.

During my two-year term, we navigated the CFA (and our own businesses) through COVID-19, our first virtual convention event, a wall-tie shortage, and a months-long strategic planning session that spawned multiple task forces and clear objectives for the association. 

We focused on what concrete contractors needed and went to work creating solutions for them.

That focus will remain. The board of directors and the CFA staff will continue creating valuable resources and providing networking opportunities for our members. Here is just a glimpse of what we are working on:

Online courses your office and field people can take to improve their skills and become more valuable.

Pre-designed images you can use on your websites and social media channels to attract new employees.

Manager/Owner-level networking groups that meet throughout the year to improve each other’s businesses.

Templates you can modify that show the potential path from a newly hired laborer up to a foreman position, to improve your hiring process and employee retention.

If you are a CFA member, look for these and other initiatives in the months to come. 

If you aren’t a CFA member and you are in the concrete industry, then you are missing out. Your competitors that are CFA members have an advantage that you don’t have. You should become a member to utilize our resources and improve your business.

It has been an honor to serve as the president of this terrific association. I am thankful for the phenomenal experience.