Jack Easton “RETIRES” From Durand Forms, Inc.!
Durand Forms, Inc. announces the retirement of long time owner and co-founder, Jack Easton. This announcement became final on March 14, 2001; shortly after Jack’s favorite time of the year “World Of Concrete”. Jack has been a leader in the aluminum forming industry and a strong member and supporter of the CFA since 1977.
Jack Easton and his lifelong partner, Harry Harden, met in Detroit when both were tool and die makers. In 1954, Jack and Harry bought their first set of plywood forms to pour their own foundations as well as walls for others. It did not take long before these former tool and die makers were designing and machining a host of labor saving devices for their own concrete wall operation as well as for other contractors in their area. This unique background in both manufacturing and poured wall contracting helps explain Durand’s successful entry into aluminum form manufacturing in 1976.
Throughout the years, Jack has been involved in numerous product inventions for the poured wall industry. In 1980, Jack had his most notable invention, when he patented the Durand Attached Pin; which has become the most efficient and widely used attached hardware system in the industry today.
Through all of Jack’s many years of hard work and dedication, he has made Durand’s aluminum forming system what it is today. He has put Durand Forms on the map as a national leader in the industry. Jack Easton has not only been an excellent businessman, but a great friend. He has helped thousands of contractors become very successful. He is the best and will be missed by all.
Once again, Durand Forms, Inc., and the CFA would like to congratulate Jack Easton and wish him the best in his retirement.
World of Concrete 2001 Draws 77,225
The construction industry’s largest annual international trade show held February 26 to March 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada drew a record crowd this year. More than 77,000 construction professionals from 105 countries registered for the five-day event at the Las Vegas Convention Center
In both attendance and size, this was the largest World of Concrete in the show’s 27-year history. The previous record number of registrations was 62,025 at the 1999 show, also held in Las Vegas. Prior to this show, the largest WOC exhibition was in 2000 when the show has 1,430 exhibitors in 650,000 net square feet of space. The 2001 show had over 1,600 exhibitors occupying 760,000 net square feet of exhibit area.
Nearly half of all pre-show registrations were received through the Internet pointing out the importance of this media as a way of reaching customers.
The World of Concrete is also known as a show for doing business. Vendors reported that $918 million in transaction were initiated at the annual show.
This year’s show has several “Action Exhibits” which offered attendees hands-on opportunities to try a variety of equipment and products in a 60,000 square foot area outside the convention center. Nearby, in Concrete Alley, attendees were able to see and compare a variety of placing, screeding, consolidation and finishing equipment using fresh concrete delivered to the site throughout the day.
Seminar attendance also hit an all-time high. At 28,761, the number of education program registration topped the previous record by more than 21 percent. The average of 2.5 seminars per person was valid even with the increased attendance. Twenty of the 94 sessions were sold out.
The event was cosponsored by 19 leading industry associations including the Concrete Foundations Association.
Next year’s show is schedule for January 8th – 12th in New Orleans, Louisiana. This will be the final year in New Orleans. The Show will alternate between Las Vegas, Nevada and Orlando, Florida for the foreseeable future following New Orleans.
Student Selects Foundations as Science Fair Project
We all know and understand the importance of foundations. For one student at Bible Baptist School, the importance of foundations was so exciting she wanted to share it with her fellow classmates.
Rebekkah Stanko, an 8th grader, wrote a paper and conducted an experiment on different types of foundations for her science fair project. Her paper investigated the use and need of foundations and which foundation works best.
Why did she decide to do her report on foundations?
“Growing up my parents have always talked about the importance of foundations in regards to life. They told me a solid foundation will take me where I want to go in life. A stable family, strong morals and values, and faith are my foundation. Along the way to achieve my dreams I must choose my friends wisely and get a good education. Since a strong foundation is so important in life, I figured it must be important when building structures as well. But what kind of foundation is best? In the Bible it says “the wise man builds his house upon the stone”. Is this true? Is a stone foundation the best?I wanted to find out, therefore I chose to do my science report on foundations.” – Rebekkah Stanko
For technical direction for her report, Rebekkah sought out the advice of CFA’s Technical Director, Jim Baty. She used this information to discuss the benefits that a concrete foundations has over other types of foundations. Rebekkah sites the short installation time, versatility, and durability as the main advantages of concrete foundations.
During her experiment, she examined how plastic homes stood up to water on different ground substances and whether a foundation helped the home. As part of the procedure, Rebekkah placed each ground material. First, Rebekkah used a water hose to act as rain upon the homes. She determined that none of the homes moved in the rain, even though the rain thoroughly saturated the ground. Next, Rebekkah created flood-like conditions by pouring large amounts of water onto the ground in a short timeframe. She concluded that a home with a foundation built in sand withstood the flood the best.
Scott Smith Named Contractor of the Year
Scott Smith of Modern Poured Walls, LaGrange, Ohio was named contractor of the year at the CFA Annual Winter meeting held in conjunction with the World of Concrete, Las Vegas, Nevada. The contractor of the year award recognizes an individual or company that exemplifies the ideals, goals, and standards of the association. Scott Smith, with his tireless energy devoted to helping the association grow, is truly deserving of this award. When tree Penfield Township men got the notion to start their own business they kept one common thought in mind: “What do we have to lose?”
In spite of their calm reserve, partners Larry Rader, Jake Smith and his son, Scott Smith, soon were to learn they had everything to gain.
Twenty-four years ago this coming spring, Larry, Jake and Scott made the decision to quit their jobs with a poured wall contractor in Bath and start their own concrete poured wall company in Penfield Township. Modern Poured Walls, Inc. was formed with the three partners, five employees and the equipment necessary to construct high-quality poured wall basements. During its initial year of business, Modern Poured Walls was hired to pour 150 basements.
As Scott Smith looked back at the company’s 24-year-old history, he remembered that he and his partners jumped into the business with few fears. “When we started this business we were so young it didn’t matter…Larry and I didn’t have anything to lose. It may have been a little different for my dad because he owned a home,” said Scott who got his share of business startup money by obtaining a $3,000 loan (with 22 percent interest!) and using his old car and a stereo as collateral.
Modern Poured Walls would undergo a lot of transformations and a lot of growth. In the early 1980’s, the company’s partnership made a change, with Jake selling his share of the business to Larry and Scott. Later in the decade, Larry and Scott gradually would accept new duties for the business, which would take them out of the field.
“Both of us really love this business,” Smith said. “When we first go to a site there is just a hole there and then when we are done there is something where there was nothing. We are constantly moving equipment, so we are always in a different place. We’re like big kids with a huge sandbox.”
During the mid-1980’s to the present Modern Poured Walls would add excavating and concrete flat work as services offered, and Modern Waterproofing, Inc. would be added. “From 1985 until now, we added other services as the need arose and the time was right,” explained Smith.
Last year, Modern Poured Walls, Inc. boasted a staff of 100 employees and nearly as many trucks a staff of 100 employees and nearly as many trucks and vans. The business constructed 515 poured basements and according to Smith, “We poured 42,000 cubic yards of concrete last year. That is enough to concrete a 12-foot wide driveway from Cleveland to Akron or from Wellington to Mansfield.”
Modern Poured Walls handles both residential and commercial work, although residential business makes up 85 percent of the company’s business. The company travels to construction sites from Solon to Sandusky and from Lake Erie to Lodi. Word of mouth has been a big factor for the company, which added a sales department several years ago and does a small amount of marketing.
“This business has been a source of a lot of amazement and pride in what we’ve accomplished as a company,” commented Smith on Modern Poured Wall’ success. “We have a good solid Midwestern economy and haven’t had the ups and downs they’ve had on the coast. Lorain County is a good place to be in business – good help is available and the people here have good values.”
According to Smith, Modern Poured Walls recently developed a mission statement and a new vision for the company. Smith said the business is focusing on customer satisfaction and hopes to grow by 50 percent over the next three years. He said the benefit of growth would be in offering opportunities to key and loyal employees.
“Both Larry and I live fairly modestly. Now, that conservative approach has paid off. We’ve chosen to buy good equipment and use modern technology in our business, and people want to work for us. With the equipment we have, we virtually can’t be stopped from working unless we have below-zero temperatures or rain,” commented Smith.
Over the years, Modern Poured Walls, Inc. has employed its share of Rader and Smith family members, but there are no plans for “generation next” to take over the business. Jake Smith has come back to Modern Poured Walls in a scaled-down capacity and according to Smith, some of their employees have been with the company for 15 and 20 years, and they indeed seem like family members.
“Our success is not due entirely to our own efforts. We worked hard but there are other factors. I believe God has had a hand in things that have happened to us. We’ve worked hard and made a lot of mistakes….sometimes i think we’ve succeeded in sprite of ourselves,” concluded Smith.
CFA and PCA Cast-In-Place Concrete Homes Brochure
In an effort of cooperation to grow the traditionally formed cast-in-place concrete homes market, the Concrete Foundations Association and the Portland Cement Association have produced a new brochure promoting the benefits of above grade concrete homes using traditional forming methods. The brochure was introduced at the National Association of Home Builders annual show recently in Atlanta
The brochure stresses durability, comfort, safety, energy efficiency, and versatility attainable with concrete homes. Several systems that utilize traditional forms have recently gained acceptance in the market place and this marketing tool should help educate buyers that there are options other than ICF’s.
A copy of the brochure will be mailed to all CFA members in the next month. Additional copies may be obtained by contacting the CFA at 1-866-232-9255.
A two -hour segment of the upcoming summer meeting in Niagara Falls Ontario will deal with above grade housing.
Pyramid Poured Walls, Inc., Forked River, NJ
The beautiful new home for Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Crofoot in Toms River, New Jersey, was one of 2000’s most challenging projects for Pyramid Poured Walls Inc. of Forked River, NJ.
John Winton General Contracting was the builder.
The home took four days overall to do the layout for footings and walls. The majority of the walls are 12 inches thick for the brick and stone veneer on the entire perimeter.
The total yardage for this project, including pouring the Olympic-sized pool at the back of the house, was 365 yards.
Joseph Connell, owner of Connell Brothers Concrete and Pyramid Poured Walls, noted that Mrs. Crofoot is a well-known attorney in Ocean County, NJ, in part because her first name is Clyde!
Solid Foundations, Inc., Bellevue, Ohio
We have jus completed our tenth year in business, and this one put us to the test,” said Daniel and Valerie Gore of Solid Foundations, Inc. located in Bellevue, Ohio. They were referring to a job on a home in Sandusky, Ohio, which but required 500 yards of concrete and 25 tons of steel.
“This job was by far the most complex residential foundation we have poured,” the Gores said.
Owned by a local attorney, the home in question has two lakefront views, one in front and one in the rear. There are over 700 running feet of walls, and the walls were poured in two pours.
One of the pours took 18 loads of concrete. Ten trucks were reserved by the concrete company and were “lined up on a narrow road” prior to the start of the pour. Eight trucks were flipped in order to reduce the chance of pour lines.
There was a waterstop in all of the walls, and the waterstop had to be placed in a keyway. The glue for this cost $150 per gallon.
“At one time we had 14 men on the job,” the Gores reported.
The design was unusual. There were numerous angled walls. There were interior walls that did not connect to exterior walls. The purpose of these walls is to support brick archways that lead into the rooms on the first floor.
Modern Poured Walls, Lagrange, Ohio
Modern Poured Walls Construction Services of Lagrange, Ohio, had an interesting project last summer for Bennett-Dover Home Remodelers of Lorain, Ohio.
The Zeller residence in Lorain, which is designed with numerous angles, required wall heights, two widths, 425 feet of brick ledge, and 57 corners. The job took three estimates, five major print revisions, and 130 points to lay out with a geodimeter.
Modern Poured Walls is proud of the fact that the job was done by “our youngest crew” and pours between August 25 and September 6, 2000.
Custom Concrete Company, Westfield, Indiana
Custom Concrete Company of Westfield, Indiana, submitted to our basement competition a residential project from their are that included on very unusual detail–this home has a basketball court under the garage!
Built on a gentle slope down to a lake, the walls for the basketball court are 16 inches thick and 22 feet tall. There were also a series of court walls and retaining walls behind the house to accommodate a swimming pool.
The job took a total of 350 yards of concrete, according to general manager Brad Schrock.
Bontrager Concrete Specialists, Nappanee, Indiana
Bontrager Concrete Specialities Inc. of Nappanee, Indiana, considered their most challenging project for 2000 to be the residence of the Sheperd family in Bristol, IN. This home is set on a wooded but fairly level lot, but it contains many angles and some special features, such as a theatre in the basement level.
Kevin Bontrager said that “pictures and words can never give you the complete description of the time and labor” involved in this project.
The home consists 415-foot x 10-inch x 11-foot high basement wall, 60 feet of 10-inch x 13-foot high theatre walls, 117 feet of 10-inch x 5-foot high garage wall, 94 feet of 8-inch x 4-foot high porch wall, and 35 feet of 8-inch x 2-foot high wall in the theatre area. Total wall poured was 721 feet.
The basement of the home contains 4,479 square feet of floor area, including the theatre which has 2-14″ drops in the floor. All slabs were poured over 2-inch styrofoam and radiant tube heat runs.
There are 10,576 feet of rerod in the footings and walls, and a stone ledge on all exterior walls.
“This project may not sound that difficult but as any poured wall contractor knows, when you go over 9 feet high, it adds a lot more time,” Kevin Bontrager said.
“You also need to come up with more parts and pieces when you stack your forms. When you add in the 40 ninety-degree corners and 28 angle corners and 13-foot high theatre walls, the complexity of the job becomes more apparent,” he added.
Out of 343 total yards, 287 yards were pumped.
