Crane Operator Skills Competition at WOC
Crane Operator Skills Competition to be featured as World of Concrete Outdoor Event
November 25, 2014 (Sanford, Fla.) — In cooperation with the 2015 World of Concrete show, Crane Institute Companies, CIC and Crane Institute of America, will bring two crane operator skills competitions to commercial concrete and masonry contractors, Feb. 3-5, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Making its debut is a Knuckleboom Crane Operator Challenge, which draws its skills assessment criteria from Crane Institute Certification’s articulating boom crane certification. Three knuckleboom crane operators—one each day of the Outdoor Gold Lot Events—will win cash and other prizes.
A Knuckleboom Crane Operator Challenge makes its debut at the World of Concrete regional Crane Operator & Rigger Skills Competition.
In addition, four telescopic boom crane operators will be selected as World of Concrete regional finalists for the Crane Operator & Rigger Skills Championship, to be held later in 2015. CIC began holding regional events hosted by CIC Practical Examiners and their partners in October 2014. CIC Regional Crane Operator & Rigger Skills Competitions continue through June 2015. Grand Prize for the Championship is $10,000.
Operators compete on two cranes at a regional event in late 2014. The course is similar to what operators will face at World of Concrete.
Judges and CIC Practical Examiners from Crane Institute of America and other organizations will oversee both crane courses, which are designed to assess precision, depth perception, and load control. “Tasks will reflect typical activities experienced on real job sites, which is a defining characteristic of CIC certifications,” said Jim Headley, CEO of CIC and President of Crane Institute of America. In addition, operators will be evaluated on proper rigging selection, sponsored by Columbus McKinnon.
“Crane Institute Companies is pleased to have been invited to participate in World of Concrete’s Outdoor Events. With educational sessions, hands-on activities, and hundreds of exhibitors, this show provides something for someone in every level of a construction contractor organization,” said Headley.
Western Star, in partnership with its dealers Hoover Truck & Bus Centers and Modern Group, will supply the cranes for the Crane Operator & Rigger Skills Competition. Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, Modern Group is supplying an Elliott 36127R boom truck mounted on a Western Star chassis for the telescopic boom crane skills competition.
A Hiab XS622 articulating boom crane, also on a Western Star chassis, is sponsored by Hoover Truck & Bus Centers, based in New Jersey. Also supporting the event is HBC Radiomatic, which will provide radio remote controls for the Knuckleboom Crane Operator Challenge.
Both cranes will be set up on SafetyTech outrigger pads provided by DICA Outrigger Pads. “SafetyTech outrigger pads are strong and rigid, provide excellent load distribution, ergonomic safety, and ease of use with any outrigger supported equipment,” said Kevin Koberg, Marketing Director for DICA.
Supported by several professional concrete contractor associations, Crane Institute of America is offering registration discounts to operators who are employed by member companies of Concrete Foundations Association, National Precast Concrete Association, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, and the Tilt-Up Concrete Association. Member companies should contact Eduardo Carcache to receive your discount promo code at ecarcache@craneinstitute.com.
Crane operators are encouraged to pre-register for the competition, as limited spots are available. Registration for the Crane Operator & Rigger Skills Competition is $50. Go to www.cicert.com/news/compete to register. All participants in the Crane Operator & Rigger Skills Competition must also be registered attendees of World of Concrete. To register for the show, visit bit.ly/WOCwithCFA. The Crane Operator & Rigger Skills Competition will take place in the Gold Lot, in front of the North Hall.
CFA Provides Members Discounted Participation
Hanley Wood has worked with the Crane Institute of America to provide an opportunity to members of the Concrete Foundations Association for a discounted registration fee. By using a dedicated registration code for this competition, CFA members will receive a $10 reduction in the registration fee. Contact CFA Headquarters for the CFA co-sponsor discount code. Registration for World of Concrete attendance is also lowest through the CFA by registering online at bit.ly/WOCwithCFA.
About Crane Institute of America
For almost 30 years Crane Institute of America, Sanford, Fla., has offered training for operators, inspectors, safety managers, lift directors, and riggers and signalpersons working with mobile cranes, overhead cranes, tower cranes, aerial lift and forklifts. It is an authorized CIC written and practical exam testing site. For information, visit www.craneinstitute.com.
About Crane Institute Certification
Crane Institute Certification (CIC), Villa Rica, Ga., is an independent certifying organization providing OSHA recognized, NCCA and ANSI accredited certifications for mobile crane operators according to type and capacity, as well as rigger and signalperson certifications. Other programs include certifications for operators of service/mechanics trucks, articulating boom cranes, and digger derricks. CIC serves construction, utility and power generation, underground construction, manufacturing, and heavy industry. Learn more at www.cicert.com.
Hanley Wood Agrees to Sell Exhibitions Business to Informa
Parties to Enter Into Long-Term Partnership Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 18, 2014 – Hanley Wood, the premier information, media, event, and strategic marketing services company serving the residential, commercial design and construction industries, announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell its Hanley Wood Exhibitions business to Informa PLC, a UK-based publishing and events company that operates in more than 40 countries and is one of the world’s leading knowledge providers. The sale is subject to customary regulatory review and is expected to close by the end of 2014. Upon the closing of the transaction, the Exhibitions business will be rebranded Informa Exhibitions US and will maintain its headquarters in Irving, TX under the continued leadership of Rick McConnell as President, Informa Exhibitions US, Construction and Real Estate.
“Since 2000, Hanley Wood Exhibitions has led the industry as a best-in-class producer of tremendously vital and successful events,” said Peter Goldstone, Hanley Wood’s Chief Executive Officer. “Informa recognized the power and value of the trade show business we’ve built over the years. Informa has an exciting, long-term strategic vision for the Exhibitions business and how it fits within its international operations and its existing portfolio of construction and real estate events. It will be a great home for its customers and employees.”
Mr. Goldstone added, “Part of the reason that Informa was interested in this transaction was the excellence of the management team and employees, and I personally want to thank all the outstanding employees of Hanley Wood Exhibitions for their dedication and hard work for so many years. I have cherished working with them during these past few years, and I offer my heartfelt appreciation and best wishes for the future.”
“We are very excited about the addition of such an outstanding trade show business,” said Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive of Informa. “This is a terrific portfolio of leading construction exhibition brands that will become a key component of our Global Exhibitions Division. In combination with other recent acquisitions, we have significantly strengthened our presence in the U.S., demonstrating our commitment to the sector and the region.”
Hanley Wood and Informa PLC will enter into a long-term partnership agreement under which Hanley Wood will continue to provide editorial and marketing support for Exhibitions events.
“This partnership agreement will allow Hanley Wood Media to maintain its role as the official media and information provider to the various events we have supported for many years,” said Goldstone. “At the same time, our shared customers, business partners and attendees will benefit from the continued collaboration between the two companies.”
Hanley Wood
One Thomas Circle, N.W., Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
Main 202.452.0800
Fax 202.785.1974
www.hanleywood.com
* * * * *
About Hanley Wood
Hanley Wood is the premier information, media, event, and strategic marketing services company serving the residential, commercial design and construction industries. Utilizing the largest editorial- and analytics-driven construction market database, the company produces powerful market data and insights; award-winning publications, newsletters and websites; marquee trade shows and executive events; and strategic marketing solutions. To learn more, visit www.hanleywood.com.
About Informa PLC
Informa operates at the heart of the Knowledge and Information economy. It is one of the world’s leading business intelligence, knowledge and events businesses with more than 6,000 employees in over 100 offices across 25 countries. To learn more, visit www.Informa.com.
Help Eliminate the Unfair Gas Tax Burden
The HR-5474 Concrete Pump Tax Fairness Act
A very large percentage of today’s professional foundation contractors (#CFAConcretePros) are owner/operators of concrete pumps. The American Concrete Pumpers Association (ACPA) is calling for all in this industry to help support this act. Please read below.
A few weeks ago, an email was sent out announcing HR-5474 – The Concrete Pump Tax Fairness Act – which would switch the way your are currently taxed for fuel. Instead of paying taxes on 100% of your fuel, which a majority of the time is used for job-site operations instead of driving on the public highways, this bill will create a mileage-based fee. The replacement method will significantly cut down the amount of taxes you pay, saving your company money every time you go to fill up your tanks.
We now need your help in reaching out to your Congressional Representatives (and in the coming months your Senators) to get this bill passed through Congress. All you need do is fill out the form on the link below with your personal information and it will cross reference your zip code to your Representative. Hit “Send” and you’re done. It’s that easy!
This bill will save concrete pumpers the thousands of dollars they are unfairly taxed each year!
Please click HERE to send the email.
If you have any questions or need additional help, please feel free to contact Christi Collins.
Regards,
Christi Collins
Executive Director
American Concrete Pumping Association
Ph 614.431.5618 Fax 614.431.6944
Asking the Cold Weather Question
Recently, a staff member in our office was sent out to chronicle the stages of a typical residential foundation installation. We’re always looking for new images and new ways to look at perhaps the most important part of any home before it all gets covered up. While we’ve had this interest for several weeks, the coordination didn’t happen and sure enough, winter came. The temperatures this week in Iowa have been in the high 20s and lows now down into the teens. It is definitely Cold Weather. Yet for many professional contractors, this comes with the territory; is the nature of the beast; and is just another project condition to manage.
Some of the questions asked by our staff member were not surprising given the exposure he has had thus far to the industry. Even more importantly, however, they are quite typical of the questions that get asked many times throughout the fall and winter by home owners, builders, building inspectors and yes, concrete contractors.
1. How can they pour today? It is 30 degrees (F) out here.
Easily. First of all, concrete doesn’t freeze at the same temperature as water. The concrete mix with far more constituents than potable water has a static freezing temperature that is somewhere between 25 and 27 degrees. Keep in mind, that is if it were static or at a state where there was no chemical reaction taking place. The very nature of concrete is a chemical reaction between the water in the matrix and the portland cement particles. There are four different minerals in the portland cement mix that react at different times with the water. The reaction is exothermic, which means it gives off heat. Therefore, there is no static moment for concrete in its early stages, those most susceptible to the freezing temperature conditions as the concrete keeps its own temperature higher than the ambient condition. A great reference for this reaction process can be read at http://www.understanding-cement.com/hydration.html.
2. So how cold is too cold? Is there such a thing?
While technically speaking there is a point or a time where cold might be too cold, it is actually a practical or economic matter. There is research out there (Korhonen, CRREL 2002) where antifreeze admixtures are used for concrete to be placed in dangerous sub-zero conditions. The materials are there to permit concrete to be placed at virtually any temperature with little to no protection. The more aggressive the mix design, the higher the material cost. Likewise, concrete construction during cold weather can require protection for the concrete mix if it is not designed to sufficiently protect itself beyond the critical maturity stages. Again, depending on the protection design, the costs can increase for the construction process and the comparison between impact to schedule vs. construction cost become an equation for the contractor and owner to consider. Additionally, in markets where ready mix producers do not have the equipment to provide heated water to the mix or control the aggregate temperatures, the “How Cold Is Too Cold” point is much higher than the actual concrete construction process dictates.
3. What do you think this contractor will be doing to protect the concrete placed in these footings?
At 30 degrees and perhaps falling temperatures, since the concrete will be placed in the middle of the day, the best bet is the contractor and ready mix producer will make sure the delivery temperatures for the concrete are between 65 and 70 degrees (F). This will permit the concrete to be high enough above ambient air temperatures to more than withstand the exposure drop in temperature during placement and finishing. The footings are the easiest condition to protect. Once they have stricken off the footings, applied their keyway form and/or dowels, they will then likely throw insulated blankets on the footings for good measure or at least a heavy poly sheet. At the temperatures anticipated the rest of the day and even into the evening, there is very little concern for these footings freezing if left exposed but this small amount of protection is just smart contracting. #CFAConcretePros.
4. Will they continue the project as the temperatures are expected to get colder throughout the week?
It is likely this CFA member will continue the project as the temperatures between the high 20s and lower teens are really not all that bad and protection is easy to provide. Most contractors will halt or delay a project when they see temperatures that are really to cold for the crews to be out, dangerous for skin exposure, etc. This happens increasingly in the single digit temperatures to sub-zero.
5. They just moved the pour back to tomorrow morning. Was that a decision you think they reached due to temperatures?
There is a possibility that they are delaying the concrete placement tomorrow due to temperatures but I think it is doubtful at these moderate cold temps. More likely, they have encountered some preparation delays simply due to the longer time it takes to work in the winter and they don’t quite have the forming complete. It is also possible that it is late enough in the day that the concrete plant has met their capacity or has started to shut down their process for the day and they won’t be able to get the full quantity of concrete they need. One of the key points that stems from the research the CFA did on cold weather foundations, however, is pouring earlier in the day is a smart protection decision as it maximizes the natural elevation in ambient temperature conditions in the climate. This isn’t always the case as we know there are those winter days when a cold front approaches during the day but in general the exposure to the sun is an additional benefit to keeping concrete temperatures elevated.
Much more on smart cold weather practices and the research behind many of the decisions today’s concrete foundation professionals are making can be obtained from the CFA’s Cold Weather Research Report (2004). Online orders and contacting the CFA can be attained at www.cfawalls.org.
Cold Questions (by Concrete Construction)
Cold weather research by CFA member being covered by Concrete Construction
Read the full article at Concrete Construction Online.
Between 2002 and 2004, the CFA conducted research on the affects of cold and freezing weather on concrete maturity. Great revelations for the industry were uncovered and some very sensible solutions to winter preparation and protection. That research was expanded last winter by Dennis Purinton of Purinton Builders, a CFA member, and is now the focus of an article and a blog challenge by Concrete Construction editor, Bill Palmer (@WmPalmer).
Cylinders studied by Dennis Purinton during cold weather slabs-on-ground during the winter of 2012-13.
Stop by Bill’s blog on this research looking for questions that you might have of this research, Cold Questions.
CFA Board Drives Forward Towards 2015
Top 10 Current CFA Board and Staff Work Initiatives
David Martinson of Martinson Construction in Waterloo, IA – Current CFA President
An energized meeting of the CFA Board took place recently in Washington DC during the Fall ACI Convention. Board members not only participated in afternoon scheduled to steer the next months of the CFA, they also participated in the new ACI committee for Foundation Certification as well as committees for Cold Weather Concrete and Residential Concrete Codes and Standards. Their commitment to this industry’s needs is exemplary.
In keeping with prior efforts, the list below has been generated with guidance from the CFA Board president, David Martinson of Martinson Construction, Waterloo, IA as the newest leader for the Association. The mission of the Concrete Foundations Association is to support the cast-in-place contractor as the voice and recognized authority for the residential concrete industry, and this list evidences the intentional direction toward that mission.
Dave Martinson’s Top 10 CFA Board Initiatives and Topics
- SB2 Management Contract – As identified during the previous Board meeting synopsis, the CFA enacted a new contract with the firm that has managed the CFA for the past 20+ years, now with Jim Baty at the helm and as Executive Director of the Association. This new contract will give an infusion of energy to the Association as it focuses on growth of the Association.
- Social Media to Reach Millennials – While many on the Board and likely many of you reading this abhor the transition underway toward the use of LinkedIn, Twitter, facebook and other social media outlets for business, the reality is that both today’s customers and tomorrow’s leaders will be found, engaged and communicated with at an increasing rate with social media. It is not a question of whether this is necessary but rather why it is and how to make it a practical step in your business plan. CFA leaders, Jason Ells of Custom Concrete and Doug Herbert of Herbert Construction will be working with Baty to create a road map for this transition in your business and bring more information forward in our information resources and at Convention.
- CFA Staff Growth – The Board was pleased to learn that with the new contract and with transitions taking place within the staff of Sauter Baty Associates, the CFA will be gaining additional staff support for its initiatives, programs and events. New faces mean new energy and continued delivery of the resources and support members have grown accustom to receiving.
- Convention 2014 – If you missed this event, it was a major statement for both the Association and the industry. From the 40-year history recap to the WOC environment with full size equipment framing the education and social events, Sandusky was a full stride forward in CFA Convention being the largest gathering of cast-in-place contractors in North America. This family-friendly and encouraged environment coupled a great education track with the biggest space, most energy and greatest number of technologies represented in a long time.
- CFA Professional Recognition – The awards given this year example the dedication CFA members have been long known to provide. The prestigious Bob Sawyer Award, received by Doug Staebler, a long time featured presenter at Convention, was the pinnacle moment recognizing his leadership. The MVP Award to Mary Wilson of Michel Concrete for her dedication to OSHA Fall Protection along with the Lifetime Achievement recognitions for Bill Esker and Gary Bromley, who both left us this year, and Contractor of the Year to Tim Parrish further accented the importance of leadership and the spirit of commitment to the CFA and industry.
- Quality Labor Shortage – The hot topic of the meeting was labor. It is at the heart of all concerns and management stresses at this time. Contractors are finding it very difficult to find workers to hire and even greater problems retaining quality workers from those hires. Additional interests in training workforce and creating legal incentives for workforce led to a Convention theme for Williamsburg 2015 that will cover all aspects of labor in the foundation industry including best practices round tables for training. The theme for Williamsburg 2015 became “HOW TO INSPIRE, MOTIVATE, TRAIN AND DEVELOP THE FUTURE OF YOUR WORKPLACE.”
- Optimizing Mix Designs – Proposed by Board member, Dennis Purinton, Williamsburg 2015 will also feature a day-long education event on mix designs. It will cover variability, evaluating and monitoring the performance for mix designs and be led by industry mix gurus from Til-Con, Kim Basham and John Gnaedinger.
- Insurance Captive Development – While all of the most recent efforts have been concluded as dead ends, sufficient energy remains and a die hard commitment to developing this need for our industry. Concrete Holdings LLC, the entity formed by CFA members to produce this captive is actively seeking proposals from captive management experts for the next round of development. This effort will most certainly result in a strong option for finally delivering a managed captive insurance program for the future of our industry.
- World of Concrete 2015, the 40th Anniversary Celebration Concludes – Las Vegas will be the conclusion of a yearlong effort to celebrate 40 years of the CFA. It will also be the celebration of more than 20 years of devote leadership from Ed Sauter, CFA Executive Director. CFA will host this year’s winter meeting at the Harley Davidson Café on Tuesday night of WOC week. There will be many other engagement opportunities. CFA continues to offer a chance for foundation contractors to be part of a unified force with the lowest WOC registration. This year Hanley Wood registration is available online for $20 through the CFA (bit.ly/WOCwithCFA) or with code A30. Any other registration other than online through a co-sponsor will be a higher rate. Some restrictions do apply. CFA also unveils a new stand alone exhibit location at booth C4341 and will continue the popular Live B4 Five held Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons at the Trump Hotel lobby bar.
- Member Fleet Maintenance Survey/Research Proposal – Stemming from CFA member interest, our industry is facing a real challenge in efficiently maintaining the fleet of equipment and vehicles required in today’s business. To bring about better ideas in effectively managing these fleets, the CFA will begin conducting a survey and potentially working with a consultant for deeper research and summarized information to help members rein in their costs and build better fleet management programs.
Don’t forget to REGISTER TO ATTEND WORLD OF CONCRETE with CFA’s unique code A30! Visit www.cfawalls.org or go directly to bit.ly/WOCwithCFA to participate in a unified foundation contractor force at the World of Concrete.
The CFA Board enjoyed an evening at Bartley Corp following the Board session on Monday during ACI Convention in Washington DC.
This is just a list of highlights of all that is transpiring at the Board level of management for this Association. In all efforts, the breadth of CFA membership’s best interests is maintained in focus. Want to know more? Minutes from the meeting are available by contacting CFA staff and discussion on these topics is encouraged. Visit the CFA Board of Directors information page to find out who you might contact and more information on how to become involved.
Thank You for an Energized 2014 CFA Convention!
THANK YOU FOR AN ENERGIZED 2014 CFA CONVENTION!
The Largest Gathering of Foundation Contractors
Enjoy this recap of the 2014 CFA Summer Convention held July 31 – August 2 in Sandusky, Ohio
Annual award recognitions were part of the opening night gala. Executive Director, Ed Sauter presents the Most Valuable Player Award to Mary Wilson of Michel Concrete.
Setting the tone and energy for the event, The Wannabees, a Cleveland-based rock band was featured during the gala opening.
Speed networking, the traditional high-energy opening of the second day of education, stimulates instant new connections and brings together old acquaintances.
This year’s event combined social, education and technology into one great space. You were never very far from the next idea.
What is a Convention without great food? Friends of the CFA don’t know. Kalahari Resort provided a tremendous menu the duration of the event.
Every moment at Convention is filled with an opportunity to network, challenge and learn from one another.
The signature on the event this year was World of Concrete brought to the CFA. The ballroom was taken over by three concrete pumps, two boom trucks, a ground heater and many more examples of the latest product and equipment technology.
What Our Attendees Had To Say…We wanted to say thank you for the well organized, fun and educational summer meeting. Our family certainly enjoyed it and I thought the quantity and quality of the exhibitors along with the large attendance made this a great event. Thanks to you and your staff. – Contractor
It was great meeting you and the members of the CFA this past weekend at Convention. Every speaker you had was extremely informative and spoke about topics that will certainly help our business grow. Being fresh out of college and with not a lot of experience, I learned a great amount from speaking with other contractors and listening to what they had to say about current issues and solutions. – Contractor
Great conference! – Contractor
Thanks again for a terrific summer meeting. You and your staff did a great job in putting this together. The speakers were very informative and I certainly look forward to implementing a few things that I learned. – Contractor
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all the hard work you put in to make this years CFA a great success. I look forward to next year in Virginia. I have to admit I thought this event was better than the World of Concrete. I have never been able to meet as many key people as I did at this event and have more of a personal one on one conversations with the same people for three days. The people I met came to this meeting for a purpose and not just for a beer and to party. Not only did I get to see our current customers that came from across the US that were there, but also got to know a lot of new potential customers. I met and talked with my competition and they, as well as me, were never threatened in any way because we were competitors. – Manufacturer
This week was fantastic! I’m looking forward to more. Let me know how I can help and be more involved. – Contractor
I want to recognize Ed and you for putting together a good conference with relevant topics that generated good discussions, sharing ideas and with good networking opportunities. – Contractor
Thanks for a great convention. You can tell that a great deal of effort and time goes into these events. They are top notch. – Contractor
Thank you for creating an amazing Annual Convention! It was the best I’ve ever seen. It was the perfect venue, layout, and attendance for a 40th anniversary celebration. It was really neat to have the pump booms overhead, and all exhibitors and activities in one space. Thanks for all of your hard work that’s required to pull off such a big event. You did a great job! One of my favorite parts of the whole weekend was the 40th Anniversary Slideshow that Ed presented. That was very interesting and enjoyable. The attendance was fantastic. It truly lived up to being “The largest gathering of foundation contractors.” – Contractor
Convention 2014 was sponsored by these great companies:
Save the date for 2015! July 22-25 at the Colonial Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, VA
Introducing Your New Leaders
TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK WITH ANY CFA BOARD MEMBER AND YOU WILL QUICKLY FIND OUT THAT WHILE THE INVESTMENT OF TIME AND MONEY CAN BE SIGNIFICANT THE THREE-YEAR TERM, THE VALUE THEY RECEIVE IS FAR GREATER THAN ANYTHING THEY COULD POSSIBLY INVEST.
MIKE REED of Reed Concrete in Ephrata, PA; MARY WILSON of Michel Concrete in Springfield, IL and TOM BROWN of TJ Construction in Ely, IA all echo this thought and have been elected to another three-year term each.
A CFA Board member is asked to attend four meetings per year. One occurs at Annual Convention in the summer, one occurs at World of Concrete and then a spring and fall meeting each occur with the ACI Convention in its location. This maximizes the leadership opportunity in our Association for code and standard development.
Many CFA members, both Board and at large, are active members on important ACI committees. Additionally, the CFA tries to maximize the opportunity for participation of the board members and engage the leadership frequently. These occur through periodic teleconferences and frequent email conversations.
This year, four new members have been elected to serve your needs and direction for the next three years. They are JOSH ESKER of J.B. Esker & Sons in Teutopolis, IL; JASON ELLS of Custom Concrete in Westfield, IN; ANDY STACHLER of Stachler Concrete in St. Henry, OH and DAN BUSER of Dandee Concrete in Kearney, NE.
We took some time with each of these new Board members following the Annual Convention to get some thoughts on their expectation and anticipation for joining the Board.
CFA: Guys, the position of CFA board member can require a fair amount of your time and focus over the next three years. What would you say inspires you to volunteer this time to the CFA?
Andy: After increasing my participation in the Association, I want to better my knowledge. Becoming active as a Board member, meeting and talking to others in our industry more regularly, is the best way to do this.
Josh: My father was both a Board member and served as president of the Board. Following in his footsteps is important to me. I was able to see the direct benefit of his involvement on our company and I want to keep that legacy alive.
Jason: The CFA has been a wonderful association to be a member of and I know that Custom Concrete has benefited from the relationship. My desire is that the time I spend on the board will be mutually beneficial to both the CFA and Custom Concrete. I hope to build long lasting relationships with the fellow board members and to gain some knowledge and wisdom from the group while offering my assistance when applicable.
Dan: We’re turning down work every day. It’s crazy out here. I’ve got a lot of help from the Association and felt I could give a little back. I also think you learn a lot more by becoming a part of something rather than sitting on the sidelines. It’s like being part of the Home Builders Association. If you don’t get involved and protect your industry, you end up paying he consequences. I know at the political level and in some ways the HBA level, if you don’t get involved, you can easily find yourself being pushed out of business because you haven’t voiced your concern and stood up for your beliefs. While not being involved in the CFA won’t likely push you out of business, it can have a significant impact on your ability to stay in business and even grow. You are connected with so many experienced and valuable peers in this network that really do share.
CFA: Those are all very admirable reasons and I can sense the anticipation you each have both for the CFA and for your companies. Legacy is important and yet, while many of our members are multi-generation members, we are experiencing a strong growth in membership bringing new professionals and companies to our network. It is important for each of them to get a sense of both legacy and new energy. Can you tell me what your earliest memory is of the CFA?
Jason: I’m not sure of the year, probably 1999 or 2000, I went to a CFA meeting during the World of Concrete in New Orleans. I was so impressed with the number of other companies like us from all over the country. I was intrigued to hear the conversations pertaining to projects, success, and opportunity in other markets.
Andy: My father, Homer, has been going to the summer CFA conventions for a number of years and telling me I should go. I always seemed to be to busy with work and used that as an excuse. This year, after going to Kalahari, I plan not to make that excuse anymore.
Dan: Convention in Breckenridge (2004). Meetings were good and my wife went walking in the mountains to enjoy the scenery so that I could focus on the business. The social events opened my eyes to new people and sharing with great peers. You learn more from talking with other contractors than you ever could from the educational sessions. That being said, the education at this event is first rate and has proven to be a stimulus for expanding your horizons and your knowledge base. Everybody has different ideas and beliefs but until you expose yourself to peers that are outside of your region, you really won’t understand the measure of sharing and how that can affect you.
Josh: I have been going to CFA summer meeting since I was five or six years old. The experiences I had then are nearly identical to what I still see taking place today. There are kids of all ages and sizes playing with each other and remembering the fun they have once each year. However, the earliest meeting that I can still remember would be Niagara Falls, Ontario.
CFA: The Niagara Falls event was my first one joining the CFA staff. It was a tremendous event and had such a rich combination of heritage and new energy. It was also the first time I had seen such a huge display of technology outside of the World of Concrete. The pumps filled the parking lot outside the hotel and even the local newspaper covered it in amazement. Speaking of heritage and legacy, can you guys describe an individual or more than one that particularly influenced your career from CFA membership? I know we have second and third generation among you.
Dan: Mary Wilson (Michel Concrete, Springfield, IL). I really enjoy talking with her. She has some great ideas and runs a heck of a business. She has burst onto the CFA scene with energy and has published articles, worked on fall protection and challenged me to think more.
Josh: The obvious answer is my dad and my grandpa who started this whole thing. However, in terms of career influence I would also have to say Arie Van Wyk from Wisconsin. Everyone does the job a little different than the next guy but Arie has always been an innovator and a free spirit that could never be denied solutions or directions to success.
Speed networking is one of the most popular events at CFA’s Annual Convention were everyone meets ten people in the first thirty minutes.
Andy: I’d have to say my dad. The knowledge that he brought back after meetings always gave me a different perspective of how I look at separate ideas that I would have never thought of before.
Jason: As a Custom Concrete employee, Joe Carr and Brad Schrock have both been very influential in my career.
CFA: Jason, you follow in a rich line of leadership as both were past CFA Board members and past presidents. The impact they have had on your company has certainly also been evidenced and felt by an entire Association. What would each of you say is the one thing you would like to be able to say has been achieved by the CFA during your time of service?
Dan: Membership growth. I think we all need to reach out to those we know and get them involved. The guys involved in my area, while competitive to me, will get just as much out of this as I do because they will connect with someone from a different region. We’re all busy and we can all use the opportunity to grow and as we do it, the market improves because we all become better companies.
Andy: Doubling the membership to get more people on board. Two minds are better than one so the more people we can have get together, the better off we are.
Jason: As a brand new member it may be too early to truthfully respond to this answer but I do agree that growth is something that will be beneficial. I hope to see more of the Board discussion and action items to determine what my top goals and anticipations are.
Josh: I would have to echo Andy’s sentiments and say growth. We are sustainable but most importantly effective if we truly represent the industry in our numbers.
CFA: That is an aggressive goal, to be sure Andy, but an attainable goal. This is especially reachable when you recognize there are still more than 6,000 poured wall contractors out there. Even a number of 10% is conservative to describe those that are truly leaders in the industry and therefore likely to immediately recognize the benefits and the opportunities. My last question for you guys is to see if any one of you might identify or know of one area of the country you think would benefit the most from the CFA network hosting a Convention there, what do you think it would be? Realizing the CFA network learns as much from each other or from an area, what do you think might be learned from that same area?
Andy: I think we need to keep them around the Midwest and East Coast. Most of the current membership seems to be in this area and the event certainly benefits from numbers. Making it easiest for the highest percentage of membership and also industry is important. World of Concrete is stationary in the west and we have a large event there as well. Unless they move the world of concrete around, it makes traveling a little nicer for the Easteners to participate more often. However, in order to best learn from where we host the event, I would say it sure would be nice to have it close to a contractor that lets us do a walk-thru like Solid Rock Foundations (Bellevue, OH) did this past year or a vendor like Irving Equipment (Tiffin, OH) who had an awesome set up to let us check out their facility. Engaging other contractors at these events is so easy when we’re all looking at ourselves through the processes and products of our peers.
Jason: Well said, Andy.
Dan: I really like the Midwest, Chicago to the Rocky Mountains. We all have many of the same practices and ideas but with different risks and influences. It is easier for me to jump into a conversation about my business. However, I also know that exposure to companies outside this region will benefit me as I see their challenges and their requirements.
IF YOU DON’T GET INVOLVED AND PROTECT YOUR INDUSTRY, YOU END UP PAYING THE CONSEQUENCES Dan Buser
The CFA is in great new hands with these members joining an experienced Board consisting of:
- Dennis Purinton of Purinton Builders in East Granby, CT
- Phil Marone of Marone Contractors in Thorofare, NJ
- Doug Doggett of Doggett Concrete in Charlotte, NC
- Valerie Gore of Solid Foundations in Bellevue, OH
- Doug Herbert of Herbert Construction in Marietta, GA
- Kirby Justesen of SCW Footings & Foundations in Salt Lake City, UT
- Sean Smith of MPW Construction Services in Wellington, OH
- Craig Bradley of Cosella-Dorken Products in Brampton, ONT
- Tom Oury of Schwing America in St. Paul, MN
Under the direction of President Dave Martinson of Martinson Construction in Waterloo, IA, the aggressive pursuit of initiatives and benefits for the Association and industry are assured. The CFA Board will meet at the end of October in Washington D.C. during the ACI Fall Convention, which will include an evening of networking hosted by past presidents Jim Bartley and Buck Bartley and their company, Bartley Corporation.
CFA Honors Founding Members During Convention
Thank You for Four Decades of Vision and Leadership!
FOUNDING MEMBERS HONORED AT THE 2014 SUMMER CONVENTION
Above is an image from the annual gathering of the Poured Concrete Wall Contractors Association, later to become known as the Concrete Foundations Association and Annual Convention.
Pictured are founding members as they listen to a keynote address during an early formation meeting of the Poured Concrete Wall Contractors Association.
Founding Members who attended the 2014 CFA Summer Convention were honored for their longstanding commitment to the Association and our industry.
Pictured above from upper left, the six founding members who were present or represented at the event are as follows: Robert “Buck” Bartley, Bartley Corporation; Dennis “Hap” Anderson, Anderson Construction Company; Richard Hutchins, Hutch Concrete Contracting Corp.; Larry Clark, Clark Foundation Company; Patti Beaudin, daughter of Erwin “Buck” Sweet, Perma-Structo, Inc.; and Owen Wright, John Wright & Sons, Inc.
The 2014 CFA Convention was sponsored by Irving Equipment, LLC; Putzmeister America and Schwing America along with media sponsor, Concrete Contractor magazine.
OSHA Extends Compliance Date for Crane Operator Certification Requirements
Industry News
OSHA Extends Compliance Date for Crane Operator Certification Requirements
WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a final rule extending the deadline for crane operator certification requirements in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction final rule* published Aug. 9, 2010 by three years to Nov. 10, 2017. The rule also extends by three years the employer’s responsibility to ensure that crane operators are competent to operate a crane safely. The final rule becomes effective Nov. 9, 2014.
During the three-year period, OSHA will address operator qualification requirements for the cranes standards including the role of operator certification. The final cranes and derricks rule required crane operators on construction sites to meet one of four qualification/certification options by Nov. 10, 2014. After publishing the final rule, a number of parties raised concerns about the Standard’s requirement to certify operators by type and capacity of crane and questioned whether crane operator certification was sufficient for determining whether an operator could operate their equipment safely on a construction site.
The agency published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Feb. 12, 2014, proposing to extend both the deadline for operator certification and the employer duty to ensure competent crane operation for three years. After publishing the proposed rule, a hearing was requested and held in Washington, D.C. Comments from the hearing are available at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=OSHA-2007-0066. OSHA analyzed the comments to the NPRM and the hearing testimony and decided to extend both the crane operator certification deadline and the existing employer duty for three years. OSHA has already begun the process of developing a standard to ensure crane operator qualifications.Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
