Press Release: Euclid Chemical Introduces Innovative Fast-Setting Concrete Repair Mortar
Euclid Chemical Introduces Innovative Fast-Setting Concrete Repair Mortar
CLEVELAND, Ohio (June 11, 2024) – Euclid Chemical, a leading manufacturer of concrete and masonry construction products, announced the launch of VERSASPEED RMC, a fast-setting, one-component, cementitious repair mortar that is shrinkage compensated, pozzolan and microfiber modified, and contains an integral corrosion inhibitor. The new product is designed for horizontal and formed vertical repairs as well as overhead structural repairs.
Appropriate for applications from 1 inch to full depth where a faster return to service is required, the non-metallic and non-staining material is uniquely formulated—making it great for projects that require repairs on sloped grades. Typical applications include:
- Parking decks
- Joint repairs
- Balconies
- Equipment bases
- Pavements
- Beams
- Vertical and overhead formed repairs
Pre-mixed with pea gravel, VERSASPEED RMC is ready-to-use. The product offers low permeability with excellent freeze-thaw resistance and is designed to minimize cracking. Due to its rapid hardening, this concrete repair mortar allows users to strip forms the same day, and it can be coated 5 hours after the final setting.
VERSASPEED RMC meets ASTM C928 Standard Specification for Rapid-Hardening Cementitious Materials for Concrete Repairs requirements and is packaged in 50-pound bags that yield 0.37 ft³per bag when mixed with 4.25 pints of water.
For additional rapid-hardening concrete repair mortars, check out Euclid Chemical’s full line of VERSASPEED products, including VERSASPEED 100 and VERSASPEED LS100.
About Euclid Chemical
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Euclid Chemical has served the global building market for more than a century as a leading manufacturer and supplier of specialty products and technical support services for the concrete and masonry construction industry. Euclid Chemical’s expansive product line includes admixtures, fiber reinforcement, concrete repair products, flooring materials, decorative concrete systems, and more. Learn more at www.euclidchemical.com.
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Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award: Bruce Neale, Modern Foundations
The Robert D. Sawyer Award, named on behalf of Bob Sawyer, the first executive director of the CFA, is the most prestigious recognition that can be offered to a member of the concrete foundation industry. The award recognizes individuals who give tirelessly of their time and resources to serve the industry. “Bob Sawyer took the helm of the association when it was first chartered in 1974 and served for nearly thirty years, ensuring a sound platform for contractors to come together for learning, strategy, and the understanding that in a challenging industry they are never alone,” said former executive director and past recipient, Ed Sauter. The award is presented on occasions when the industry identifies an individual who characterizes or embodies the spirit of both the association and the rich legacy offered by those who have followed the precedent set by Sawyer. This characterization is generally determined by two criteria: (1) depth of involvement as a leader in the association and (2) contributions to the CFA cause.
When considering the contributions and qualities of each person on the prestigious list of deserving professionals (considerred by past recipients of this award), there was unanimous agreement that the very next recipient needed to be Bruce Neale, president of Modern Foundations in Woodbine, Maryland. When he was president of the association, Neale helped manage through a time of rapid growth and significant industry influence for the CFA. At the same time, he had the vision of how his company might grow and provide a stronger future for the family business. This vision led him to be a thought leader for ready mix, stone shooting, mobile ready mix, GPS data logging, precast concrete, retaining blocks, and much more.
“The list up there is so hard to imagine that I was even nominated for this,” Neale said. “When notified that I was going to get this award, first thing I think I said was, ‘no, I don’t deserve this award.’ The people that have been up there that helped to form this association have been great leaders for me. I’ve taken a lot back from this association. And I want to say that this current association and your [Baty’s] direction of it has taken this association to a different level. We are now getting to be recognized as the authority in the industry. I think that’s what we strived for many years ago. How do we become the authority that everybody looks to? And even in my local jurisdictions, they know who the CFA is.”
When asked to give his thoughts on what contractors should be doing today and how to leverage the association benefits, Neale said, “Promote this organization to your local agencies around you, the inspectors, because you’ll gain a lot of respect and you’ll be able to do your job a little bit easier.”
Contractor of the Year: Doggett Concrete Construction
The most frequently awarded recognition from the CFA historically has been the Contractor of the Year award. This recognizes the industry contributions of a poured wall contractor and often shows the great efforts the contractor makes to benefit more than just their company’s location and position—how they work toward the greater goals of the association and the industry. This award recognizes the service, technology, and knowledge needed to advance the use of poured wall construction. The recipient is acknowledged for unselfish commitment to peers, to the association, and to the industry both at their market level and on a national scale.
Doggett Concrete Construction of Charlotte, North Carolina, is this year’s 2023 CFA Contractor of the Year. They are all in when it comes to the CFA, supporting the association and leveraging the network in such areas as board meetings, committee and task force participation, Best Practice Groups, and consistent participation at numerous events. One of the newest resources developed for members is the availability of the “Private Classroom,” where a member can host a day of education topics for crews and customers, including certifications. Beginning with company founder, Doug Doggett, the company has looked into participation for multiple management levels, involving departments like Human Resources and encouraging participation in CFA’s Emerging Leaders group. To further leverage their passion, they have become an ambassador for growth, referring companies to membership.
Mike Kana, the newly named President for Doggett Concrete, received the award recognition and said, “We have taken so much away from the CFA. It’s taken me a little while to kind of figure all that out and bring it back to our teams with even training all our folks and plugging them in as best we could. I attended this event a couple of years ago for the first time with Doug [Doggett]. We went to the board meeting and at the end he said, ‘Here you go, boy.’ I was just encouraged to run with it from there, and it has worked out so well.”
Innovative Contractor of the Year: Bulletproof Walls Inc., dba TCB Walls Inc.
An industry with as much history as cast-in-place concrete may appear as if practices and systems are no longer evolving. While new technologies using computers and advanced mechanics or logic are often brought to light, many times the most innovative solutions are initiated by the contractors themselves, tapping their experience and creativity to find a better way without necessitating significant capital investment or expense. The Spirit of Innovation for the Innovative Contractor of the Year Award recognizes an individual or company for developing, creating, or instituting new concepts across a broad spectrum of business categories including construction, management, and marketing.
The Board of Directors recognizes this year’s recipient, Tim Ball and TCB Walls of Melbourne, Florida, for an innovative aspect of supplier management. Since exploring Ball’s business model during a post-COVID event, many companies have been influenced by his engagement of suppliers, how he treats them as he treats his best customers. “This was a revolutionary way of making sure your company is a ‘preferred customer’—by making your supplier realize they are a ‘preferred vendor,’” offered Baty during the presentation.
In addition to innovation in customer relations, Baty noted the innovative spirit with which Ball’s company continues to lead in above-grade concrete housing. “While this has yet to grab a hold on volume-based construction decisions outside of his market, it has quickly become the standard for a market where storm risk is a regular reality,” Baty said.
When asked what his main advice for this customer relations tactic might be, Ball said that his goal was to make his supplier feel like his best customer, and whenever he does this, they are always there for him.
National Associate of the Year: Owens Corning Infrastructure Solutions
National Associate members are the primary supplier and manufacturing members of the association, which can be found in the CFA’s active Products and Services Directory. The Associate of the Year award honors one of the many National Associate members (a company or an individual) for their commitment to supporting and growing the association. Their efforts are to be recognized in relation to the mission and purpose of the CFA as well as in relation to their presence in the industry. As long as the CFA has been around, there have been numerous manufacturing companies and distributors of high-quality products that have supported association contractors. Beginning in 2015, the CFA Board of Directors has recognized this membership category, honoring such efforts beyond traditional involvement..
The recipient of the 2023 Associate of the Year is Owens Corning Infrastructure Solutions of Toledo, Ohio. Owens Corning has participated thoroughly over the past two years to build the value of Convention and Foundation Contractors’ Night @ The Strat. Their goal has been to make moments with the CFA memorable for all, from the Pink Panther in attendance to the specialty cocktails. Owens Corning has also contributed mightily to major technical efforts the CFA has long advocated for and maintained, such as ACI 332 Residential Code. Through volunteer participation of some of their key staff engineers, Owens Corning has begun to lead the advancing efforts for these codes, thereby advancing the entire industry and not simply focusing on advancement interests of their primary reinforcement product.
“With this award, the Board recognizes the many sponsors and exhibitors that are here,” Baty said. “This association would not be sustainable without our National Associates who continue to do great things behind the scenes as well as bringing a public face to your network. We are proud to therefore recognize the team from Owens Corning for their specific contributions.” Cheryl Whitten represented the Owens Corning in receiving the award, along with Paula Kuntz-Long, Casey Ingle, Jared Honsvick, Jimmy Wear, Savanah Wear, and Jay Pease. “I think the one thing that excites us about this organization is that you guys are excited about innovation,” stated Whitten. “Therefore, we want to invest in you as well as to invest in the CFA.”
Kick-Start Member of the Year: Curtis Cowgill, Nies Foundations
The most valuable part of joining an organization is diving in and finding the networking, interaction, support, and resources beneficial to your company’s goals. In honor of the value of jumping in, the CFA Board of Directors developed a new award in 2015 that honors the intentional exploration of the professional network found in the Concrete Foundations Association. This award goes to a member within the first three years of their participation.
With just a year and a half of membership experience, Curtis Cowgill of Nies Foundations has made a strong commitment to the pursuit of learning the industry and leveraging relationships. Cowgill, who took up company ownership from an older CFA member, has consistently attended the monthly Best Practice Group sessions, has made regular use of the CFA Hotline, and has had consistent communication with CFA staff for a variety of technical solutions and networking interests. Despite CFACON23 in San Antonio being his first CFA conference, he showed his committed to professional development and credentialing by achieving ACI/CFA Certified Residential Foundation Technician status and the Wall Foreman Qualification certificate during World of Concrete. The numerous strategic relationships he has already made with experienced members have helped him see the potential this membership network has to advance his company.
In recognition of Cowgill’s activity as a member, Baty said, “I’ve had a great privilege of supporting [him] over the last couple of years. The best way that I can say to describe him is that he hungers [for] knowledge. He’s here because he thirsts to know what you know. He has a deep desire for his company to grow and to be as successful as each of yours, to continue to drive to tomorrow and to build legacy.”
Golden Tie Membership Development Award: Western Forms
The award luncheon began with a new award recognition as Jason Ells, who is the CFA president and the executive vice president for Custom Concrete of Westfield, Indiana, stepped up to the microphone. “The Golden Tie Award is something we’ve been developing for a while within the Board of Directors,” he said. “We recognize that national associates bring a lot to the table regarding memberships, and contractors want a lot more members so that we can have more peer-to-peer interaction. As much as a rising tide raises all ships, this award recognizes any member that brings membership to the table.”
Western Forms of Kansas City, Missouri, was this year’s, and the very first ever, recipient. Working with CFA staff member Skye Kelley, Western Forms helped put together a membership awareness and growth campaign that netted five new members in early 2023. This effort has helped shape what we see as possible and has helped identify the potential for more companies to engage in their best relationships. Chis Ward, vice president of National Sales, received the award on behalf of the entire team along with Jim Aylward, Evan Resatar, and Tyler Resatar.
In acceptance, Ward recognized both the energy and purpose of the association, and he issued a challenge for the future. “I encourage associates, encourage other contractors to get here. Let’s get more people here, because the education that you get, the stories that you get, the people you meet…it’s amazing. It’s priceless stuff. We need to get more people here and get them involved, because overall, that’s going to be what’s best for the industry and best for all of you. I’m going to challenge all of us. Let’s keep making this thing better.”
Press Release: Coello & Associates Welcomes Youth Apprentice Jonathan Ray to their Team
WAUKESHA, Wisc. (June 3rd, 2024) Coello & Associates Welcomes Youth Apprentice Jonathan Ray to their Team
Coello and Associates is excited to welcome Jonathan Ray to their team after his successful participation in the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Youth Apprenticeship program. Ray, a 2024 graduate of St. Francis High School, is the first apprentice from the program to sign on full-time with Coello and Associates and the company hopes to grow their participation with the program in the future.
“Our involvement with the Wisconsin DWD Youth Apprenticeship program is rather new, but so encouraging”, said Kristin Lee, the Hiring and Training Manager at Coello and Associates. “Last summer was the first for us with students from local high schools. After a year of learning on the job, we are happy to have Jonathan joining us for a full-time career in concrete.”
On Thursday, Kristin Lee and Scott Blaskowski of Coello and Associates held a signing ceremony at St. Francis High School with staff and Jonathan’s family to commemorate the day and officially welcome him.
For more information on Coello and Associates, visit www.pouredfoundations.com. For more information about the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Youth Apprenticeship Program, visit https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/apprenticeship/ya/.
Coello and Associates is a third-generation premium foundation and flatwork contractor located in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
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Anna Baird-Luedke
Senior Estimator/Marketing Director
Coello & Associates, Inc.
262-650-1300×1
Direct: 262-290-4893
Hot Summer Deals with MAX USA Corp.’s Exciting Tool Promo
Plainview, NY (May 1, 2024) – As summer approaches, MAX USA Corp. is excited to introduce an exciting promotion designed to elevate your toolkit. From May 1st to June 30th, 2024, elevate your work with MAX’s acclaimed SuperFramer®, SuperSider®, and SuperDecking® – all at discounted prices.
Explore unparalleled deals on our premium selection, including the CN565S3, CN665D, and CN890F2, now available through our extensive dealer network. Recognized for their exceptional quality and performance, these tools are now more affordable than ever before. MAX remains dedicated to empowering industry professionals with top-of-the-line solutions, while offering steadfast support to dealers and contractors with cutting-edge equipment. This exclusive offer underscores MAX’s commitment to innovation, quality, and the success of our valued customers. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to upgrade your tools and gear for the upcoming dynamic summer season.
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All MAX products are protected by registered patents and design rights including trademarks. For details, please contact MAX.
About MAX USA Corp.
MAX USA CORP., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based MAX Co., Ltd., is a worldwide leader in the manufacturing and distribution of professional grade power tools and accessories. For over 80 years MAX has utilized its expertise and ingenuity to manufacture and distribute the highest-quality tools that include pneumatic nail guns, staplers, compressors, the first battery operated and stand-up rebar tying tools, fasteners, and tie wire, including Buy America Certified. Headquartered in Plainview, NY, MAX USA is part of a vast network of MAX locations that employs more than
2,000 people worldwide, including 200 R&D engineers. For more information, please visits us at www.maxusacorp.com
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For Sale: Used 8-foot Aluminum Forms
A CFA member is offering the a set of 8′-0″ aluminum forms as featured in the attached images and inventory list. The forms have a 6-12 hole pattern with a smooth form surface. The grade quality of the forms are rated B+.
The forms are located in Belleville, PA.
Interested buyers should contact Rufus Peachey at lisa@aqmasonry.net or call (717)935-5111.
