The award luncheon began with a new award recognition as Jason Ells, who is the CFA president and the executive vice president for Custom Concrete of Westfield, Indiana, stepped up to the microphone. “The Golden Tie Award is something we’ve been developing for a while within the Board of Directors,” he said. “We recognize that national associates bring a lot to the table regarding memberships, and contractors want a lot more members so that we can have more peer-to-peer interaction. As much as a rising tide raises all ships, this award recognizes any member that brings membership to the table.”

Western Forms of Kansas City, Missouri, was this year’s, and the very first ever, recipient.  Working with CFA staff member Skye Kelley, Western Forms helped put together a membership awareness and growth campaign that netted five new members in early 2023. This effort has helped shape what we see as possible and has helped identify the potential for more companies to engage in their best relationships. Chis Ward, vice president of National Sales, received the award on behalf of the entire team along with Jim Aylward, Evan Resatar, and Tyler Resatar.

In acceptance, Ward recognized both the energy and purpose of the association, and he issued  a challenge for the future. “I encourage associates, encourage other contractors to get here. Let’s get more people here, because the education that you get, the stories that you get, the people you meet…it’s amazing. It’s priceless stuff. We need to get more people here and get them involved, because overall, that’s going to be what’s best for the industry and best for all of you. I’m going to challenge all of us. Let’s keep making this thing better.”