Concrete Facts Magazine Online

RISK Management: You Have The Job!

But is your insurance coverage what it should be?

“You have the job!” You are off to the races. It is astonishing that subcontractors often commence work on a project without defined terms of indemnification or having matched their insurance coverage with the indemnification terms of the contract. We have all heard the stories about insurance companies paying claims for no reason or when they should not have been paid. However, if you really think about that statement it is ludicrous! Just think about how hard it is to get money from an insurance company when you have an automobile or a property loss. Why would the insurance company fight small nuisance claims and pay large settlements? The reality is they would not. Insurance companies’ profits are based on their ability to successfully manage claims.

The vast majority of CFA member company owners started their construction business because they were excellent in the trade of concrete. This is why owners need to rely on professional partners. In today’s world being excellent in a trade is only a small a part of running a construction business.

Many times insurance companies are obligated to pay claims because of the contracts you sign daily. The indemnification clauses that are financially backed by your insurance policies leave the insurance carriers little wiggle room to walk away from claims when they happen. Which is a good thing, because if they did walk away you would be held liable for breach of contract. Former CEO of Arthur J Gallagher, Bob Gallagher, made a statement that still holds very true today, “If it’s not in writing it’s not in this world.”

In order to reduce your insurance costs, you have to show the insurance carrier that you are at the top of your game when it comes to contracts. It is no secret that owners and general contractors are notorious for writing one-sided contracts. You have to outsmart them.

The construction industry is encumbered with complicated indemnification and insurance requirements. Today’s contracts have advanced; they have become controlled by methods to dismiss general contractors’ and owners’ liability and transfer risk to the lower tier subcontractor. Typically, terms reflect a set of conditions that a subcontractor will accept as a matter of business convenience, or worse, because it was the only way to be awarded the contract.

The practice of beginning the work on a job site then waiting and seeing what happens or how the site is going to be managed has created an atmosphere ripe for mistakes. Far too often we see the subcontractor accepting indemnity and insurance requirements without consulting with its professional advisors before complying with that responsibility.

The entire contractual indemnification process creates an unknown atmosphere for insurance carriers, this in turn makes them more cautious about their construction contractual risk. The more uncertainty an underwriter has to account for in an insurance program the higher the cost of insurance becomes. So ask yourself,  as a CFA member what can you do?

1. Do not make mistakes on the obvious
   • Make sure the terms are in writing before you start work
   • Have an insurance professional review the contract to make sure the indemnification requirements are covered under your insurance policy
2. Band together to create a best practice for contract reviews concerning indemnification clauses
3. Pass on as much or all of your contractual risk to subcontractors when contracting work
4. Communicate the terms within the contract to your field staff, some contracts have notice of claims or incident requirements

Construction liability claims tend to take time to marinate. Often times claims do not illustrate their severity until two to four years after completion of work or when an injury occurred. An example of this which pertains directly to you as a CFA member is, residential construction completed operations claims; these types of claims tend to be low frequency with high severity. The majority of the costs associated with such claims are defense costs relating to the indemnification requirements in the contract. Those indemnification requirements typically include an additional insured endorsement. To defend a client, it costs the insurance company $50,000 to $75,000 in legal defense per claim.

While the subcontractor in the claim might not be negligent, the exposure is widespread because the insurance carrier must defend all additional insured parties. Thus, making this type of claim a valid cost exposure in the eyes of the insurance carrier regarding your contract risk. Some ways you can avoid negligence in the event of a claim is by doing the following:

• Record retention policy
• Daily job logs
• Investigate all incidents
• Document everything with the general contractor and/or owner

Trouble really begins for a subcontractor when it finds itself with a gap in coverage resulting in the insurance carrier denying the coverage request of an additional insured. Insurance policies include exclusions in many sections of the policy: definitions, exclusions, other insurance clauses, and coverage sections. Are you requiring a review of your policy from your current broker? As an example, in recent years’ insurance carriers have moved to exclude coverages and contracts seek wording to include those very items that are excluded putting subcontractors in the middle.

Price is an important factor when purchasing commercial insurance coverage, but it is not and should not be the number one consideration. Coverage, carrier and agent construction industry knowledge should always be considered first because this will ultimately have an effect on your price.

Coverage

Typically we see the majority of the claims in the construction industry long after the project is completed because it takes claims three to five years to develop. To protect themselves, Insurance companies keep adding in exclusions…and to protect themselves owners keep requiring more coverage in the contracts. When a subcontractor is sued for something covered by its insurance policy, the insurance company will normally provide the legal defense and pay any settlements. What is problematic for subcontractors is that they have no influence over the decisions their insurance company makes. Failure to procure the appropriate insurance coverages could be a very costly mistake for a subcontractor and expose them to legal liability for breach of contract.

Carrier

Some insurance carriers are developing products to address the evolving additional insured, primary non-contributory, independent contractor coverages, etc. Other carriers are looking for ways out of the coverages because of the exposure they create when a claim occurs. Insurance companies have the ability to draft their own endorsements making the meanings in each company’s policies and endorsements different. This is big problem for subcontractors. It is possible that lesser priced coverage is lesser coverage. Knowing the intent behind the endorsements and coverage that have key limitations is important because they impact how your coverage will respond.

Agent

By and large, E&O policies that cover the professional errors of insurance agents are a claims-made policy and generally include defense costs within the policy limits. In simple terms, the cost to defend erodes the amount of money available to you if an error impacts your business. Have you ever asked your agent for a certificate of insurance or what your protection is in the event of an agent’s error?

Your Subcontractors

Do you have a written contract with your subcontractors? Are you effectively passing the indemnity and insurance requirements to your lower tier subcontractors? Many contractors trust the other contractors that are part of its operations and trust that they will each deal with one another fairly in the event of conflict without the written contract. This is a problem because once a 3rd party liability exposure exists outside parties enter the picture. The legal system affords outside parties their day in court and as stated earlier, the subcontractor has no control over the insurance carrier’s coverage decisions.

The vast majority of CFA member company owners started their construction business because they were excellent in the trade of concrete. This is why owners need to rely on professional partners. In today’s world being excellent in a trade is only a small a part of running a construction business.

Kristen Long

A.J. Gallagher

Kristen_Long@ajg.com

The Journey Is Greater Than The Mountain Top

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.

Innovation: A By-Product of Desire and Perseverance

CFA recognizes Rich Kubica of K-Wall Poured Walls with the inaugural Innovation Award

Arguably the greatest benefit of belonging to a strong and vibrant network like the Concrete Foundations Association is access to the experience and innovative spirit of top minds and professionals. There are dozens of examples of such innovative spirit each year brought to the attention of CFA staff. It is for this purpose the CFA Board of Directors created the CFA Most Innovative Contractor award. This new award seeks to recognize a CFA contractor member for that innovative spirit and creative ingenuity. Whether directly related to the art and science of concrete foundations, running a business or marketing a company, this award was created to raise awareness for the dedication of the many professionals found throughout this Association that are continually pushing the industry to new heights.

American businessman, Tom Freston once said, “Innovation is taking two things that already exist and putting them together in a new way.” This quote is at the heart of the purpose for this inaugural recognition for CFA Most Innovative Contractor award this past summer. Rich & Patty Kubica of K-Wall Poured Walls in Asheville, North Carolina has spent the past five years dedicated to the development of a new precast wall system now known as MonoKast Wall Systems. This wall system has been exclusively born out of Rich’s efforts and supported by Structura Technologies (http://www.structuratech.com/) for code compliance, testing, licensing & form production. His efforts were based on creating an engineered wall system that would offer greater time and labor control for the challenging terrain found throughout western North Carolina.

“We have some of the steepest jobsites in the country here in the Asheville market,” states Kubica. “Our challenge daily is to get the equipment into these jobsites erect formwork, place concrete and strip formwork with very little access and 100% crane and pump manipulation. I began to see an opportunity to combine prefabricated wall panels for a large part of the standard foundation and supplement with cast-in-place where it made the most sense.”

This system has also transformed his business away from the scrutiny of minimum building code requirements and or heavy engineering for conventional CIP walls since each foundation is now pre-engineered, saving him considerably on materials and labor. He has successfully delivered MonoKast on numerous projects with and without traditional cast-in-place walls, setting a new standard for foundations in that market. However, his MonoKast walls have also been delivered to fellow CFA members, such as Scott Smith of MPW Construction Services in LaGrange, Ohio while working on a cabin project in Michigan. “Traditional cast-in-place walls could not be obtained effectively or with sufficient quality to fit our standards for this cabin project,” stated Smith. “Since we could not commit the crew and time to come up and do the work ourselves, we turned to Rich. He shipped loads of MonoKast panels up for our cabin foundation and the installation was flawless, the quality impeccable. This system is an opportunity for any poured wall contractor to consider bringing into his/her market and adding to their quality services.”

Rich is not new to innovation as many in the Association are aware of his innovative spirit that led to one of the first insulation systems to be available for in-form rigid insulation support. E-Maxx became the first insulation system available nationally, later purchased by Western Forms. Rich’s innovative spirit then continued on and his aggressiveness toward complicated projects took him off-shore to build above-grade concrete homes throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The CFA has been a great network of such innovation on both small and large scales. We congratulate Rich for his vision and perseverance that will no doubt shape a significant portion of this foundation industry for years to come.

Defining The Future By Applying In The Present

CFA Board selects Lance Anderson of Lance Anderson Construction Inc. as Contractor of the Year

What symbolizes the ideal candidate for presentation as an “of the Year” selection? This often means something different in the mind of each person you ask. For some, it is success, as in business success or profitability. For many it is volunteerism or commitment to the auspices of the organization of focus. To others, this type of recognition implies achievement or accomplishment. To the CFA Board of Directors, it is a combination of all the above and one that is considered among the highest of standards for this organization. Contractor of the Year has a rich tradition and a legacy of proven performers, business and individuals committed to the balance of product, customer, family, association and company; not necessarily in that order.

This honor perhaps can best be summed by one of his builder’s who remarked, “Lance is a great guy and we use him exclusively. Even when he gets behind we will wait for him because of his combination of quality, fairness and service. He really is an outstanding company and I definitely endorse him for such merit.”

To bestow a contractor with such recognition identifies the characteristics of leadership, quality, service and dedication. These have been consistent traits for Lance and his company, now a second generation foundation business licensed and working in South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska. Lance’s father Wayne started the poured foundation business in 1978 which Lance purchased in 2006. Under Lance’s management and with his vision the business has continued to grow, so much so that they are working towards expanding and relocating into a new market.

“Lance has a true passion for the poured foundation business,” stated Jim Baty, CFA’s Executive Director. “The moment we created the Residential Foundation Technician certification program, Lance sat for the exam to be among the first recognized by the program and challenging his knowledge.” He is a Professional Civil Engineer as well and his specialty is providing the most accurate foundation possible for his customer.

The mark of leadership is often the ability to serve and to participate, as evidenced by so many foundation companies in this industry. Lance makes a standard practice of always being on the job leading his crew and stops at nothing to make sure everything is done right.

His company now a ten-year member of the CFA, Lance made Williamsburg his first CFA Convention. “Knowledge has always been important to me.” stated Lance. “Events such as the CFA Convention definitely contribute to that. I found it to be very interesting and beneficial to me. I will attend as many Conventions as possible in the years to come. Sharing things I learned with other CFA members and my employees with make this industry better for all of us. I’m honored to receive this prestigious award and am completely surprised by the accolades. The opportunity to experience this network, however, afforded by the recognition is something that will continue to drive me for some time. I’ll definitely be back”

Lance Anderson Construction is a shining example of the hard work and dedication that exists throughout this great industry of cast-in-place concrete construction. When asked about what the future holds, Lance is clear to define the continued commitment he has to delivering the very top quality of foundations for his customers and builder clients. However, he also sees the real opportunity to become one of the leaders in concrete housing and storm shelter design. Working with his combined experience and professional background, Lance is already working on prototyping concrete homes for greater security and durability across the region.

CFA Recognizes Industry Commitment

CFA 2015 Award Recipients Announced at Convention

The Concrete Foundations Association(CFA) – the recognized voice and authority for the residential concrete industry, announced the 2015 award recipients at CFA Convention 2015 in Williamsburg, Va. on Friday, July 24, 2015. Awards include Contractor of the Year, Most Innovative Contractor, Associate of the Year, Most Valuable Player and the Kick-Start Membership Award. The awards signify the ultimate display of excellence for the cast-in-place concrete industry. The 2015 Safety Achievement Awards were also presented at the Awards Gala.

Contractor of the Year

The most frequently-awarded recognition for individuals from the CFA is the Contractor of the Year award. This recognizes the contributions of a poured wall contractor to the industry and often evidences the excessive efforts they make beyond their company’s location and position in order to benefit the greater goals of the Association and the industry as a whole. The 2015 Contractor of the Year went to Lance Anderson of Lance Anderson Construction, Inc. in Yankton, S.D. Lance Anderson Construction, Inc. is licensed and working in South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska.

“Lance embodies a large portion of the CFA membership, that is, contractors that work very hard, are excellent at their craft and maintain a connection with this Association to benefit their company goals,” said Jim Baty, executive director of the CFA. “He has been a  member in good standing since 2005, attending many of our World of Concrete seminars and the winter meetings held in conjunction with that event. Lance intermittently uses this network for information necessary to support his work and communicate the quality that he represents,” said Baty.

Anderson’s father, Wayne, started the poured foundation business in 1978, which Anderson purchased in 2006. Under Anderson’s management the business has continued to grow. He has a true passion for the poured foundation business and is a professional civil engineer as well. His specialty is providing the most accurate foundation possible for his customer. He is always on the job leading his crew and stops at nothing to make sure everything is done right.

More information can be found on Lance Anderson Construction and Lance Anderson in this feature article.

Most Innovative Contractor

The award for the most innovative contractor seeks to recognize a CFA member for their innovative spirit and creative ingenuity. Whether directly related to the art and science of concrete foundations, running a business or marketing a company, this award intends to raise awareness for the dedication of the many professionals found throughout this association that are continually pushing the industry to new heights. The 2015 Most Innovative Contractor went to Rich Kubica, president of K-Wall in Ashville, NC.

“Rich is not new to innovation,” says Baty. “Many in the association are aware of his innovative spirit that led to one of the first insulation systems to be available for in-form rigid insulation support, and for his aggressiveness to go off-shore to build above-grade concrete homes throughout the British Virgin Islands.”

Rich Kubica is nominated for the innovation now evolving his market known as Monocast. This wall system has been exclusively born out of Rich’s efforts and supported by Western Forms from a manufacturing perspective. His efforts were based on creating an engineered wall system that would not be subject to the extensive footing requirements of the western North Carolina market currently established for poured foundation walls under a prescriptive method. His innovation is technically advanced beyond the system known as Superior Walls, and has been successfully integrated on numerous projects with and without traditional cast-in-place walls. His precast (Monocast) walls have been delivered to fellow CFA members, such as Scott Smith, when traditional walls could not be obtained effectively or correctly. This system is an opportunity for any poured wall contractor to consider bringing into his/her market.

More information can be found on KWall Poured Walls and Rich Kubica here.

Associate of the Year

The Associate of the Year award is a new award offered by the CFA Board of Directors that seeks to recognize the commitment to this association and the special efforts of an individual from one of the many National Associate companies. It honors one of the many National Associate members for their commitment to supporting and growing the association. Their efforts are to be recognized in relationship to the mission and purpose of the CFA as  well as their respective presence in the industry. National Associate members are the national supplier and manufacturer members of the Association and can be found in the CFA’s active Products and Services Directory. The 2015 Associate of the Year was given to Tom Oury of Schwing America and current CFA National Associate board member.

“Tom was nominated by several CFA members for the amount of effort he has made in serving the CFA through the Board of Directors,” says Baty. “Attending four meetings per year is not easy in today’s busy world of business, and yet since being elected to the board, Tom has participated in the vast majority of meetings. His leadership on the board has led to new ideas and growth opportunities.”

Most Valuable Player

An award with special history, the Most Valuable Player, honors the commitment of a company or an individual extending substantial dedication to the forward momentum and development found throughout the Association. The consideration for this award is based on a combination of intense service, activity, communication and dedicated energy. Previous recipients have been both member and non-member giving of themselves to such programs as Cold Weather Research and Alternate Fall Protection Planning. The 2015 Most Valuable Player award went to Dan Bromley, president of ABI Corporation in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

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. Bromley 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.

Read more on ABI Corp and Dan Bromley.

Kick-Start Membership

The Kick-Start Membership award is another new award that seeks to recognize the intentional effort of a new member within their first three years of membership to become integrated to CFA culture and active in the many opportunities and vehicles created for them. Participation is documented from events, programs, networking, communication, resources and many other factors. The 2015 Kick-Start Membership award went to Scott Stephens Construction of Wolfforth, Texas, a member since 2013.

Scott Stephens and Kristi Egenbacher joined the CFA when their company ColorSpreader was growing and expanding into new businesses. They found the opportunity to get into foundations in north central Texas and decided that participation in the CFA was a must. Since then they have attended multiple conventions, completed the ACI/CFA Certified Residential Foundation Technician exam and established themselves as active members of the association. Scott and his company have utilized the CFA’s classified ads to expand their business with equipment and have submitted consistently to the CFA Hotline as well as communicating their own thoughts on questions.

Safety Achievement Awards

Given for the inaugural year were the 2015 CFA Safety Achievement Awards, a program seeking to recognize the commitment to safety and risk management among the hundreds of professional cast-in-place contractors found in CFA membership. “This program emphasizes the attention and  commitment to safety and improvement throughout our industry,” states Baty. “While not challenging to contractors to provide the information, it establishes a sound platform to benchmark their efforts and establish another level of awareness among their peers and the industry.” 

The CFA Safety Achievement Award program recognizes contractors in three defined contractor categories; that of Residential Foundation Contractor, All Concrete Contractor and Turn Key Contractor. In each category, company size is considered with subcategories for total work hours of under 100k, 100k to 250k and over 250k work hours. Companies are recognized with awards for Best Overall Safety Achievement, Most Improved Safety Achievement, Zero Lost Time Accident and how they compare to the BLS category average.

Awarded in the category for Best Overall Safety Achievement for 2014 were Herbert Construction Company of Marietta, Ga. (Residential Foundation Contractor), Stephens & Smith Construction Company of Omaha, Ne. (All Concrete Contractor) and Michel Concrete Construction of Springfield, Il. (Turn Key Contractor). The recognition for Most Improved Safety was awarded to Doggett Concrete Construction of Charlotte, NC.

Along with these major awards given at the 2015 CFA Awards Gala, Executive Director Baty also recognized companies that have achieved Certified Company Status as well as those reaching a Membership Milestone ranging from 5 to 40 years.

Reflections on CFA Convention 2015 From My Perspective

Why is convention so important to this industry? What do you, as a leader, take away from this event?

There are few limitations within a network of people who share a common goal. Together, they push the boundaries of their industry, create a higher demand for their products and services, foster healthy relationships and fuel innovation. As we begin to prepare for another convention full of networking, education, entertainment, new products and technology, I’d like to take a step back and reflect on my first convention as CFA’s manager of communication and networking. Why is convention so important to this industry? What do you, as a leader, take away from this event? If you manufacture a product in this industry, why should you exhibit at convention? If you were at CFA Convention 2015, these questions are most likely already answered. If you have yet to attend this event, I strongly encourage you to consider joining us in Myrtle Beach in 2016.

As I sat in on several seminars at the Williamsburg Lodge this summer, I couldn’t help but wonder why every concrete contractor was not in that room. It was apparent that the topics being discussed were concerns felt across the board. Attendees discussed behind-the-scenes issues that every contractor is facing. They asked questions and questions were answered. The entire room was engaged. It was evident that this is where company leaders come to discuss their concerns and work  through their frustrations with the people who are in their exact same shoes, gaining a sense of unity and re-assuring that they are taking their company in the right direction with the right tools and knowledge.

“I came tired and fed up with my company and business. Really was trying to figure out if it was time to move on. After this event, I am re-energized and confident that I’m in the right place and ready to lead on.”

Taking time away from your company is not always easy. You have projects that need your utmost attention, you have to find workers who you can trust to get the job done and jobsites that are falling behind because of whether issues. Convention is not only a time to address these issues and discover how others have found a way around them, but it is a time for you to re-energize with your family, be reminded again why you are in this business and leave with a new perception and a new sense of accomplishment.

“We received solid content at each seminar. Based on the conference, our company had a debrief meeting and are planning to take immediate action on about 15 ideas that were all derived from the conference.”

Amongst the new ideas, renewed spirit and sense of unity that were taken away from convention, attendees also left with newfound relationships with their suppliers. The energy created in the exhibit hall is an important piece to the puzzle. As we look forward to CFA Convention 2016 in Myrtle Beach, we are getting feedback from our exhibitors on how we can continue to foster personal relationships with key decision makers in the industry. These relationships not only benefit the suppliers, but they allow for open conversations on how to keep costs down, what products are out there to make your job easier and how can you use these tools to benefit your company.

 

Although the energy created in the exhibit hall is an important piece to the puzzle, it is far from being the only piece. The location of convention plays a vital role in the dynamism of our event. Amongst all of the seminars, the discussions, the awards and networking, CFA strives to immerse you and your family into the culture of the location. From dinner at a gold mine in Breckenridge, train rides in Durango and Mt. Hood, to a fife and drum band kick off in Williamsburg, we want to incorporate that culture into the event as much as we can. We take the time you invest with us seriously, and this is another way to show our dedication and appreciation of you being there.

I challenge each of you to invest some time and engage yourself with industry leaders who are becoming a part of the solution to the daily struggles that each contractor may face. As we wrap up last year’s convention and look towards 2016, I look forward to using your feedback to make 2016 our best year yet! We have a lot in store for you in Myrtle Beach, and we continue to be relentlessly dedicated to the success of each CFA member.

Lindsey Bloomquist
CFA Communications and Network Manager
lbloomquist@cfawalls.org

The Value of Recognition

Welcome to autumn. This is perhaps my favorite time of the year for the concrete industry. We have made it through the heat of summer and there is a hurried sense of activity in preparation for winter. Like the typical CFA member, your company is quite probably as busy as you’ve been all 2015 and that is certainly our hope for you. In the midst of this great sense of busyness, I do want to encourage you to take a moment and read through this quarter’s issue of ‘Concrete Facts’. This magazine continues to be prepared especially for you, a professional cast-in-place concrete contractor. Whether you are a member of the CFA or not, this magazine contains information we believe is pertinent and beneficial to your needs and your goals.

Contained in the pages of this issue is information on the latest professional recognition awards bestowed by the CFA this past Convention. It is no small moment to pause and reward individuals and companies for the great work being done. Whether indicative of the quality operation and commitment to industry or the selfless volunteering and countless hours of leadership poured into this Association, these awards are your industry’s chance to say thank you and to inspire continued activity for all.

I’ve been a member of the American Concrete Institute since the early 90’s. This is not a membership to have as a status symbol, though. To most of us that are ACI members, it is a commitment to forward thinking and development. This spring, ACI awarded me a coveted status as fellow or FACI for the amount of effort I’ve put forth being chair of committees, speaking at conventions, participating in document production and leading future generations. None of this has been done to seek an FACI status and yet, it is one of my most appreciated moments and highest honors received.

It is for this very reason that the CFA Board of Directors worked this past year to broaden the opportunity for recognition, subsequently increasing the number of awards and positions honored at each Convention. An organization does not give awards to toot its own horn but rather honor the significance and commitment of the valued participants found in membership or perhaps even involved tangentially through its structured efforts.

So for this pressing moment, join us in congratulating these recipients of the 2015 CFA Professional Awards. Their efforts have largely helped to establish a new standard and a heightened professionalism for your industry. You too should have opportunities to be recognized for your efforts. Contact me to find out more.

James Baty
CFA Executive Director

jbaty@cfawalls.org

What You Miss When Time Can’t Be Made

Here we are amid the torrid pace of autumn. To most of us it is the 3rd quarter of a very busy year, perhaps the best year even for some. At the CFA, it is the 1st quarter of what our staff and our Board of Directors sees as presenting another opportunity for continued growth and a dramatic change in the benefits that this Association offers to its members. The 1st quarter each year for the CFA is always full of energy as many members return from our largest event, CFA Convention, held this year in Williamsburg, VA. Each year, this event sets the stage for contractors to move forward in their businesses with many cost-saving, profit-building, management- improving and risk-managing concepts invaluable to their goals. Were you one of the fortunate company leaders that attended CFA Convention 2015? While I was able to attend our Board meeting on the front end of this event, my family schedule prevented me from committing to the three-day event of education and networking. It doesn’t happen often and I am certainly torn when it does, but the lingering effects I’ve come to know from missing this time with my peers and the quality education CFA brings us is substantial.

So, what did I miss this year? What did those of you that did not attend miss? For starters, we missed a chance to know more about the hiring prospects and aspects of GenEdge, the generation of upcoming workers that will be imperative to sustain our businesses. We missed the chance to directly know about the current risk management efforts the CFA is undertaking and promoting along with the new standard market insurance program created with A.J. Gallagher for all CFA members throughout North America. We also missed out on legal advice about hiring practices and perhaps even more importantly keeping our most effective and important hires. These are just a few of the big concepts that were delivered this year. How do I know? I have a great relationship with peers that were there who have already begun implementing a dozen or more of the items they picked up from this event. I want to be the first to let you know that this information has not disappeared, however. CFA staff will soon be releasing information to members on how to access some of the key presentations from this year’s event that will be offered as webinars this fall and winter. Embracing technology during our slower construction months to keep this industry informed is just one way CFA is committed to being the voice to and for the industry.

While I may never really know the real cost of not being able to make time for the most important industry event each year, I do know that it further commits me to doing everything possible to make the next one. Things happen and some commitments are unavoidable. They are not to be ignored or apologized for but when at all possible, exposing my company to the real advantage of learning from peers and from our one true education resource, the CFA, is something I am even more convicted to after this year.

David Martinson
Martinson Construction
CFA President

davem@martinsonconstruction.com

Tearing Down the WALL: The 4 Keys to Building Rapport

Emily, a sales manager in a large organization, was having significant challenges with her team.  Communication with team members was inconsistent, and she continually struggled to motivate them. Her team was regularly missing their monthly objectives, and failed to provide meaningful status updates.

The core issue Emily faced is all too common.

Anytime you are communicating with people, your ability to create rapport is key to your success.

Emily did not realize that there is a WALL between her and the team, and her responsibility to take the WALL down as quickly as possible.

Two simple questions helped Emily realize she had not built rapport, or developed any form of relationship with her team members.

1. Have you spent time building a relationship with your team members?
2. Do you know what they like, want, and need at home and at work?

In Emily’s case, the answer to both of these questions was no.  She was attempting to manage people with whom she had no relationship other than being “the boss”.

Establishing strong rapport does not mean learning everything about your customer or employee’s private lives, but rather, showing them that you care about them and what is important to them.

Taking the WALL down

The wall between you and other people can be removed by developing your skills and maintaining focus on four key concepts:

• W- Watch
• A – Ask
• L – Listen
• L – Learn

W – Watch

Observe any master of rapport, and you will see a person who has a keen awareness of their surroundings including other people and how they react.

What to watch for before the first word is spoken

When you enter into a rapport building situation, your observation skills will help you determine good starting points for your conversation.

Before the first words are said, take a few seconds to take stock of the surroundings.

If you are meeting someone in their home or office look for conversation starters or anything that might create common ground.

You might look for:

• Any item that is given a place of prominence
• What is on their desk and side tables
• Pictures
• Awards, memorabilia, or collectibles

If they are coming into your office you will have fewer clues so pay close attention to what they are looking at. When you notice that they are paying special attention to something, it may be a sign of a potential conversation starter.

As you are building rapport

Once engaged in a rapport-building conversation, your skill at observing the reactions of the other person will help you guide the conversation in the most productive direction.

Pay close attention to:

• Their eyes
• Their body positioning
• Their gestures
• What they look at during the conversation

Caution

When you are observing people as part of rapport-building, never make an assessment based on a single “sign”.

People are called “individuals” for a reason and each will respond in their own way.  Look for combinations of signs and signals, and changes over the course of the conversation to understand more accurately how they are responding to you.

A – Ask

Asking powerful questions will provide you the most reliable way to create rapport.  Beyond just asking powerful questions, having a strategy with preplanned questions frees you to focus more intently on the other person.

As you consider the questions you will use to build rapport, choose questions that will:

• Show you taking an interest in them
• Build a relationship based on the needs of the other person
• Show your understanding of your area of expertise
• Gather important information to direct the conversation

By asking questions that show a genuine interest in the other person’s wants, needs, and interests, they are more likely to open up to you.

If you have similar rapport-building situations on a regular basis, to take the time to develop a question library that you draw from when building rapport.

Caution

During the rapport-building segment of a conversation, it is easy to slip into the “I” mode, telling the other person everything about what you do.  Your objective is to get them into “I” mode.

Keep the rapport-building about them.  They should be doing most of the talking.

L – Listen

You have asked your powerful questions and now it is time to employ the most important rapport-building skill – listening.

So many professionals ask all the right questions, but they don’t really listen to the answers they are given. These professionals assume they are building rapport, but they forget to really listen:

• Intently to the words
• For changes in tone, volume, or speed
• Vocal cues for emotions like excited, contemplative, annoyed
• For vocal cue and body language changes
• Watch for changes and correlations between words/vocal/body to establish base line responses

In addition to paying close attention to what the other is saying, become an expert at listening to what is not being said in your rapport building discussion.

There are two specific situations to be aware of: the one word answers, and intentional omissions and avoidance.

If you’re asking powerful questions and all you’re getting back is one word answers, odds are you’re going down a track that the other person is not interested in pursuing.

In addition to single words answers, it is not unusual for the other person to provide partial answers as they omit the details in an attempt to avoid complete disclosure. In many cases, the omitted information is exactly what you want to learn, but they are not yet comfortable sharing.  Make a quick mental note and find a way to come back to that point later in the discussion.

Caution

Rapport building should never feel like an interrogation.  Remember that your objective is to get to know as much about them by letting them know and feel that you care about what is in their best interest.

L – Learn

Learning how to build rapport is about trying things, watching and listening, observing the end result and learning from it so that you adjust your approach the next time.

There’s no one right way, or a magic process to building rapport so it is important to learn what works for you and the situations you work in.

Become an ACTIVE student of rapport building:

• Learn what works for you with different people and different situations
• Become more aware of how others react to you
• Try new approaches when encountering roadblocks
• After each attempt at rapport building do a critical assessment
• Watch how others build rapport

Less than one month after Emily began focusing on removing the WALL with her team, people who were distant became engaged both personally and professionally, and overall team performance began to improve.

Become a student of building rapport and over time you will see your ability to generate rapport will develop quickly and your success rate skyrocket.

 

Mark A. Vickers
Certified Professional Coach

Mark is a Gitomer Certified Advisor, and Certified World Class Speaking Coach.  Mark is a communications consultant focused on helping you and your organization achieve Excellence through improved communication and speaking skills.  He is known for creating and delivering specialized and innovative programs to help his clients.  For more information about Mark and his workshops, consulting, certification programs, please visit: http://speakingisselling.com/

Monarch Materials Group Names New Director of Sales and Marketing

ADEL, IOWA – Monarch Materials Group, Inc. (Monarch) named Al Gonzales as its new Director of Sales and Marketing today. Monarch manufactures residential, basement window egress systems in Adel, IA and Englewood, CO and distributes them throughout the United States.

 

Al joins Monarch having over 22 years of experience in building materials sales and distribution. He has held direct selling and sales management roles with recognized brands such as Sherwin Williams, Owens Corning, and Pella Windows and Doors. He has a proven track record of driving sales performance in the organizations he has led and looks to continue that at Monarch Materials Group.

 

Al has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Thiel College located in Greenville, PA, and he resides with his wife and two sons near Pittsburgh.