What You Missed at World of Concrete

The World of Concrete 2009 has come and gone. Much trepidation and cautious anticipation existed as time marched toward this event. Above all, our industry needed to know the impact that this recession would have on both the number and the attitude of the attendees as a predictor of what is to come. Face it; we’re all tired of listening to the media and the economists. What matters most are the people and companies that are on the front, slugging it out and making it happen.

So what did WOC 2009 tell us about the market and you, as companies? The first and most obvious thing we noticed this year was attendance. Down, some say way down, and others support only a marginal slide in the numbers. No matter who you choose to believe, the fact is that not only was attendance down for the residential industry but those who did come brought only the were needed to conduct their business and continue pursuing the opportunities for education and advancement. There were, of course, exceptions to this rule but as a whole, this is a pretty true picture.

The second, and perhaps most important thing noticed throughout the halls, and by the vast majority of exhibitors polled, is the fact that those in attendance were not there out of shear curiosity or to grab a give-away. This year’s WOC ushered in solid business. Volume of contacts was replaced by the quality of the interest and the lead. This doesn’t necessarily translate into volume of product sold matching previous years but in terms of an analysis on the market and where we are headed this year, it does evidence a measure of confidence.

WOC 2009 definitely had excitement. For starters, those that gathered with the CFA on Tuesday night found a pleasant and fulfilling meal at the Pampas Brazilian Grille. Even more fantastic, they weren’t alone. We had a terrific turnout for this event given the relationship to attendance at the show and again found solid support from the National Associates in the Association as sponsors. You can find the sponsors touted on the next page.

What you certainly also missed was the first public exposure to the new CFA Certified Contractor Program. Offering both a trainin seminar and the rigorous Certified Technician exam, the CFA saw great interest continuing to build momentum for a program that will most undoubtedly shape the future of our industry. Although softened by the low turnout from residential construction, the seminar and exam still compiled 34 and 24 attendees respectively and ushered in another set of companies now striving to become certified companies in their marketplaces. If you haven’t looked into this program yet, you’ve been in hiding and you should begin today to identify this as a real potential in your tool chest of business assets.

Another exciting aspect of WOC 2009 was the moving and shaking in the product world. Exhibitors took it up a notch to unveil confidence and to encourage those in attendance to continue to look toward the future with the opportunities they could choose to create today. As we walked the exhibit halls and responded to invitations, we found some things definitely worthy of mentioning to those of you that missed out.

CONCRETE FORMS SERVICES, INC.

A strong supporter of the CFA for the last several years, this company once again braved the market and set-up a very real show for the attendee. What could be more real than showing off a set of footing forms with over 5,000 pours. To make it even more special, the contractor that helped invent the system and has proven the performance through the number of pours was in attendance, signed the form set and was available for pictures. Imagine the future possibilities of your investment today paying off that far in the future… or further. You’ll get another chance to see them and perhaps this set of record-making forms at the CFA Annual Convention this year in Florida.

CIFA USA INC.

This lights were turned up, the microphones checked and the cameras rolling. CIFA USA came to WOC 2009 with a big statement and invitation to a formal press conference. As Matteo Rolla, President and CEO of CIFA USA took the podium, the crowd gathered received the news that Zoomlion, a very prominent leader in the worldwide pumping industry had finalized acquisition of CIFA with a goal of maintaining brand recognition and strengthening the ability to serve the U.S. and other key worldwide markets. This union is further described in the press release found in this magazine. Together, this powerful force represents more than $2 billion in U.S. revenue alone.

TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LTD

The leader in the industry when it comes to making your job efficient just became even more efficient. Trimble Navigation has had a lot of fun in and around the CFA and has proven to a large number of contractors the advantages to becoming reliant on the computer and the accuracy of robotic layouts. This year, they took their game up a notch with the addition of the LR20 receiver and several new software integration announcements that make this full-featured system even more robust, acceptable and useful to the lean approach that must be taken to the marketplace now and in the future. Read more about the waves made at WOC 2009 by Trimble in their full set of press releases that have been added to the CFA website.

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON…

There were so many great companies at WOC 2009 this year that made the commitment to continue supporting the industry and encouraging you to “not waste this good recession”. The companies that you missed out seeing included:

BEP, BIK, Bilco, Boman Kemp, Can American, Certainteed, CIFA, Concrete Contractor, Cosella-Dorken, Cranes & Equipment, Durand, EZ Footings, Grip-Tite, Hartman, Hiab, Nox-Crete, Oak Ridge Solutions, PALFINGER, PCA, Precise Forms, Pumpstar, Putzmeister, Rod Chomper, Schwing, Sermac, Stone Slinger, THERMOMASS, Tremco, Trimble, Wall-Ties, Western Forms, and White Cap

Don’t miss the next chance to see the exciting commitment these companies are making to help you forge through this recession and uncover new ways of leading your market. Make plans for attendance to the CFA Summer Convention in Amelia Island, FL where most, if not all, will be on display.

Trimble Introduces New Rugged Green Beam Laser System for Interior Construction

High Visibility, Proven Durability, Easy-to-Operate Rotating Laser

American Concrete Institute Announces New Oficers for 2009

Farmington Hills, Michigan (March 24, 2009) — The American Concrete Institute (ACI) introduced its new president, vice president, and four board members last week during the ACI Spring 2009 Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

New ACI President Florian G. Barth officially assumed his one-year term, and new Vice President Kenneth C. Hover began his two-year term, while four new Board members began their three-year terms.

Florian G. Barth is the founder and former president of FBA, Inc., a structural engineering firm with offices in the San Francisco Bay area, Sacramento, and Orange County, Calif., specializing in concrete structures. Barth is a professional engineer with over 30 years of experience, having analyzed, designed, and evaluated more than 700 prestressed concrete structures.

Barth has been a member of numerous ACI technical committees, including being a voting member of ACI Committee 318, Structural Concrete Building Code, since 1995. Barth chairs the Task Group on TAC Communication and also serves on the ACI Executive Committee, ACI Foundation, International Partnerships subcommittee of the International Committee, and the Financial Advisory Committee. Barth is a past president and former director of the ACI Northern California and Western Nevada Chapter (1993 to 1997). He is also a past chair of the chapter’s technical committee.

A Fellow of ACI, Barth is the recipient of several awards, including the 1996 Concrete Construction Award presented by the ACI Northern California and Western Nevada Chapter for outstanding contribution to the concrete industry, Recognition for Meritorious Civic Services Award presented by the Mayor of San Francisco, the Certificate of Merit for outstanding services from the Mayor of New Orleans, and the ACI Delmar L. Bloem Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contributions to ACI Committee 224.

An active member and Fellow of the Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI), Barth has served as instructor for many national PTI seminars. He is chair of the Repair and Rehabilitation Committee, past chair of the Technical Advisory Board, a member of the PTI Slab-on-Ground Committee, and a past member of the PTI Board of Direction. In 2005, Barth was inducted as a charter member of the Post-Tensioning Institute Hall of Fame “Legends of Post-Tensioning.” He has also coauthored many publications related to prestressed concrete design, evaluation, and repair.

Barth received the equivalent of a bachelor’s and master’s degree in structural engineering from Karlsruhe University in Germany, and a master’s degree in architecture from California State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Kenneth C. Hover is professor of civil and environmental engineering and Stephen Weiss Presidential Fellow at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. An ACI member since 1980, he currently chairs ACI Committee 301-C, Concrete Mixtures, Handling, Placing, Consolidating, and Curing, and serves on several other technical committees. Hover previously served on the ACI Board of Direction and was named a Fellow of ACI in 1992. In addition, he is a past president of the ACI Greater Miami Valley Chapter.

Hover started his career as a project engineer and project manager for Dugan and Meyers Construction Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was involved in construction of buildings, interstate bridges, and water treatment plants. After serving as a Captain in the Army Corps of Engineers (15th Combat Engineer Battalion), he then joined the structural consulting firm of THP, Ltd., in Cincinnati, advancing to partner and manager with experience in project design, specifications writing, design team management, and contract administration. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a PhD in structural engineering from Cornell University.

Hover came to Cornell with the assistance of a grant from the Exxon Foundation, designed to bring experienced engineers to the faculties of U.S. colleges of engineering, and he was among the first winners of an ACI scholarship. He joined the faculty in 1984, where he teaches reinforced and prestressed concrete design, concrete materials, and construction management. His research focuses on the impact of construction operations and the construction environment on concrete quality.

A licensed Professional Engineer in Ohio and New York, Hover lectures nationally and internationally on concrete materials and construction. ACI has honored him with the Joe W. Kelly Award, Robert E. Philleo Award, and Structural Research Award. He is also a winner of the ASCE Materials Division’s Best Basic Research Paper Award. The Weiss Presidential Fellowship is Cornell University’s highest teaching award and he has received many other teaching awards in his department and college. In January 2006 at World of Concrete, he was named one of the “Ten Most Influential People in the Concrete Industry.”

Elected as a new member of ACI’s Board of Direction is Dennis C. Ahal, chairman and CEO of Ahal Contracting Company, Inc., a 63-year-old concrete contracting firm in St. Louis, Mo., that specializes in flatwork, tilt-up, small foundations, and architectural concrete. He has 48 years of experience in the concrete business, with 23 as president of Ahal Contracting and nine as its chairman.

Ahal currently serves as Secretary of ACI Committee 302, Construction of Concrete Floors. He is co-chairing a Committee 302 task group studying delamination of lightweight concrete on trowel-finished floor slabs. A Fellow of ACI, he is a recipient of ACI’s Roger H. Corbetta Concrete Constructor Award.

A past president of the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC), Ahal served as initial co-chair of a strategic alliance between ASCC and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA). Ahal is a past president of the Concrete Council of St. Louis, and has been elected to the St. Louis Concrete Council Hall of Fame as one of the initial five inductees, and has received the St. Louis Concrete Council Award of Honor.

Emmanuel K. Attiogbe has also begun his post as a member of ACI’s Board of Direction. He is currently head of technical services at BASF Construction Chemicals, LLC–Admixture Systems in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to joining BASF Construction Chemicals (then Master Builders) in 1990, he was a structural engineer with Associated Consultants in Accra, Ghana, and a research engineer, first at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan., and then at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. He rejoined BASF Construction Chemicals (then Master Builders) in 1998 after five years as a research scientist at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait, where he led concrete research projects sponsored by the Kuwait government and the local construction industry.Named a Fellow of ACI in 2005, Attiogbe is the current chair of the TAC Technology Transfer Committee. He served on the 2007 Strategic Planning Task Group that developed the Institute’s third strategic plan.

Attiogbe represents BASF Construction Chemicals on the ACI Foundation’s Concrete Research Council and Strategic Development Council. The author of several technical papers on the materials and structural engineering aspects of concrete behavior, he was awarded ACI’s Wason Medal for Materials Research in 1995.

He received a BS in civil engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Ghana, and an MS and PhD in civil engineering from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.

Also joining the ACI Board of Direction for the first time is Ron Klemencic. He is president of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Inc., an award-winning structural and civil engineering firm based in Seattle, Wash. He is a Fellow of ACI and a member of several technical committees, including 318, Structural Concrete Building Code.

Klemencic has worked on projects in 16 states and 15 countries, and his current focus is complex high-rise and mixed-use designs. He recently led the development of the high-rise design method known as performance-based seismic design (PBSD), which provides buildings with increased safety and reliability at a reduced cost and is being adopted throughout the U.S. Klemencic is also involved in the industry through presentations, papers, and teaching at the university level.

Klemencic is licensed as a Professional Engineer in 12 U.S. states and one Canadian province, and over his 22-year career, he has acquired a reputation among developers, architects, and contractors for providing creative engineering solutions and value-added innovations. His designs cover the spectrum of project types and materials and incorporate the latest technically advanced approaches. He received his BS in civil engineering from Purdue University and MS in structural engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.

Joseph C. Sanders, a 30-year veteran in the field of construction, also joins the ACI Board of Direction this year. Sanders is senior vice president and director of Operations for the Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd. (CPBL), Pasadena, Calif., a division of Pankow, one of the foremost innovators of concrete construction methodologies and an industry leader in design-build project delivery in the U.S.

Since joining Pankow in 1979 as a field engineer, Sanders has held various leadership roles including project sponsor, regional manager, and director of engineering. He has been in charge of all aspects of preconstruction and construction as well as directing the design and construction activities of building teams and his contributions can be seen in a number of significant projects.

Throughout his career, Sanders has supported the construction industry through active involvement in ACI. He currently serves as chair of the Concrete Research Council and is a trustee of the ACI Foundation. In addition, Sanders serves on the Advisory Council of the Charles Pankow Foundation.

Sanders received a BS in civil engineering from Purdue University. He is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer and a LEED Accredited Professional by the U.S. Green Building Council.

High-resolution photos of the new officers can be obtained by contacting Sara Steptoe at sara.steptoe@concrete.org or 248-848-3148.

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For more information, contact:

Sara Steptoe
Marketing Communications Specialist
248-848-3148
Sara.steptoe@concrete.org

Advancing concrete knowledge

Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., USA, members of the American Concrete Institute advance concrete knowledge by producing consensus, concrete-related codes, specifications, guides, and reports; creating and administering certification programs that support individuals in the concrete industry; delivering seminars and distance learning opportunities; publishing Concrete International magazine; and producing two peer-reviewed technical journals. For additional information, visit www.concrete.org.

Interested in sustainability?  Check out ACI’s green building resources at www.green.concrete.org.

The Bilco Company Appoints New International Sales and Marketing Manager

West Haven, Connecticut (March 12, 2009) — The Bilco Company, manufacturer of specialty access products for commercial and residential markets, named Kent Nichols to the position of International Sales and Marketing Manager. In his new role, Nichols will be responsible for developing and executing strategic plans and initiatives in support of Bilco’s global sales efforts. He will be actively involved in the company’s marketing efforts, strategic planning, new products and business development.

“Kent Nichols’ sales, marketing and international business development skills, combined with his expertise in the export markets of the Middle East, Latin America, Canadaand the Caribbean, will play a key role in our international expansion plans,” said Dominic DeConciliis, Bilco’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Nichols comes to Bilco with more than 19 years of experience within the building products industry. In his recent position, he served as Director of Original Equipment Manufacturer and Export Sales for Elkhart Products Corporation in Elkhart, Ind. Prior to that, Nichols held senior sales management positions with US Filter Corporation, CUNO, Incorporated, and the Robert Bosch Corporation. During his nine-year career with Bradley Corporation, where he began as Assistant Product Manager, Nichols worked as Product Manager, Eastern Regional Sales Manager and National Sales Manager.

For more than 80 years, The Bilco Company has been a building industry pioneer in the design and development of specialty access products. Over these years, the company has built a reputation among homeowners, builders, architects, and engineers for products that are unequaled in design and workmanship. Bilco – an ISO 9001 certified company – offers a line of egress window wells, basement doors, and commercial access products.

With headquarters in West Haven, Connecticut, Bilco has manufacturing facilities in Trumann,Arkansas, and Zanesville, Ohio, and an international network of sales offices, dealers, distributors, and representatives.

American Concrete Institute Releases 2009 Edition of Manual of Concrete Practice

Farmington Hills, Michigan (March 9, 2009) — The American Concrete Institute (ACI) is pleased to announce the release of the 2009 edition of one of its best-selling publications, the Manual of Concrete Practice (MCP).

Containing more than 190 documents, the MCP is the most comprehensive and largest single source of concrete practice information available in one set of books. The MCP is a must-have for concrete professionals in any facet of the industry and contains all of the ACI documents needed to answer any questions about code requirements, specifications, tolerances, concrete proportions, construction methods, evaluation of test results, and many more topics. The MCP also includes the 2008 version of ACI 318-08, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary.

The MCP is available in a traditional hard copy version, which contains a set of six books and a separate index, an easy-to-use CD-ROM version, or an online version.

To order, please call 248-848-3800 or visit www.concrete.org.

Publisher: American Concrete Institute
Publishing date: March 2009
Hard copy: Order code: MCP09PACK.PR
$799.50 (ACI members $499.00)
CD-ROM: Order code: MCPCD09.PR
$681.50 (ACI members $409.00)
Hard copy plus CD-ROM: Order code: MCPCD09PACK.PR
$1185.50 (ACI members $711.00)

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For more information, contact:

Sara Steptoe
Marketing Communications Specialist
248-848-3148
Sara.steptoe@concrete.org

Advancing concrete knowledge – Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., USA, members of the American Concrete Institute advance concrete knowledge by producing consensus, concrete-related codes, specifications, guides, and reports; creating and administering certification programs that support individuals in the concrete industry; delivering seminars and distance learning opportunities; publishing Concrete International magazine; and producing two peer-reviewed technical journals. For additional information, visit www.concrete.org.

Interested in sustainability? Check out ACI’s green building resources at www.green.concrete.org.

Trimble Introduces Economical Laser System for General Construction

Durable, Easy-to-Operate Spectra Precision Horizontal Rotating Laser

 

EPA Proposes Rule Imposing Stricter Stormwater Standards on Construction and Development Activities

On November 28, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule under the Clean Water Act entitled “Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Construction and Development Point Source Category.” The proposed non-numeric effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) would require contractors, developers, and others conducting land-disturbing activities to implement specific minimum best management practices (BMPs) for erosion control, sediment control, and pollution prevention. Certain sites could be required to implement stormwater treatment processes in addition to BMPs in order to meet the new standards, and other large sites may have to meet numeric turbidity limits. Treatment and numeric limits would be a significant change from existing standards, which focus chiefly on BMPs. The proposed ELGs are intended to work in concert with state and local programs, establishing minimum requirements or a “floor” that would be applicable nationally. The ELGs, if promulgated, will be applied to construction and development sites as EPA, states, and tribes incorporate the new requirements into general and individual stormwater discharge permits. EPA has requested public comment on the proposed rule, and the comment period will remain open until Feb. 26, 2009.

In 2004, EPA decided not to issue ELGs for stormwater discharges from construction and development sites. The Natural Resources Defense Council and other plaintiffs filed suit, however, alleging that EPA’s decision not to promulgate ELGs for the construction industry violated a mandatory duty under the Clean Water Act. The U.S. District Court and the Ninth Circuit agreed with the plaintiffs and established a timetable for EPA to promulgate the ELGs. In response, EPA designed the proposed rule to achieve cleaner streams and greener neighborhoods through implementation of erosion and sediment control measures and pollution prevention practices. According to EPA, sediment is one of the leading causes of water quality impairment nationwide. Construction activities such as clearing, excavating, and grading disturb the land, and the disturbed soil, if not managed properly, can wash off construction sites and enter streams and other bodies of water. Stormwater discharge from construction sites can cause a variety of physical, chemical, and biological impacts to water bodies.

In addition to requiring BMPs, the proposed ELGs mandate that construction sites disturbing ten or more acres at a time also would be required to install sediment basins or approved alternatives to treat stormwater discharge. Also, certain large sites of 30 acres or more located in areas with high rainfall and with high clay content soils would have to comply with a numeric limit on the allowable level of turbidity. The turbidity limit would be set to remove fine-grained and slow-settling or non-settleable particles contained in stormwater, since particles such as clays and fine silts contained in stormwater discharges typically cannot be effectively removed by conventional stormwater best management practices. To achieve this numeric limit of turbidity, many developers may have to treat and filter the stormwater discharge at their construction sites.

Industry officials have voiced concern over the proposed numeric discharge limit that potentially requires installation of expensive control technologies at large construction sites. In addition, some industry and trade groups oppose numeric standards generally in the context of stormwater regulation, preferring BMPs as more flexible and as adding less to the bottom line on construction projects compared to complying with numeric standards. On the other hand, EPA did not include any post-construction runoff controls in its proposal, as environmentalists had urged. Post-construction stormwater is regulated indirectly, through the requirements imposed on municipal stormwater systems. Environmentalists had argued that post-construction standards should be imposed directly on developers.

EPA estimates that the proposed rule will reduce the amount of sediment discharged from construction sites by up to 27 billion pounds each year, at a projected annual cost of $1.9 billion. EPA says that the benefits from the proposed rule include better protection of drinking water supplies, improvements in aquatic environments, and reduced need for dredging of navigation channels.

EPA is accepting comment on the proposed regulation and may change its approach in light of comments received. Additionally, on Dec. 3, 2008, EPA filed a petition for panel rehearing by the Ninth Circuit. For more information, or if you are interested in making comments on EPA’s proposed rule, please contact Bob Martineau, Ed Callaway, Michael Stagg, Lena Babaeva or any member of the Waller Lansden Environmental practice at 800-487-6380.

The opinions expressed in this bulletin are intended for general guidance only. They are not intended as recommendations for specific situations. As always, readers should consult a qualified attorney for specific legal guidance.

Kathy Birchall

Seigenthaler Public Relationemail:

kbirchall@seigenthaler.com

You Need To Be A Member — Let’s Help Each Other!

I would like to make a case for CFA membership. Whether you are a current member and thinking about dropping your membership, a past member or thinking about becoming a member; if you are a poured wall contractor CFA is a valuable resource. With the worst economy that most of us will likely ever face, CFA is a resource that can help us survive in this down market.

As most of us are scaling back, cost cutting and looking for other ways to save money or to diversify to find new market share, let your membership in CFA help. CFA members are very open and helpful to all fellow members and find utilizing each others strengths, successes and even failures can be of great value. If you have questions or need help give CFA a call or email and they will hook you up with some fellow members. CFA members have vast experience and expertise on many diverse topics, such as starting new markets, commercial work, waterproofing, excavation, RCF and flatwork. Maybe you need help downsizing. Business topics like strategy for successful banking, insurance. The point is if you have an idea or problem and would like somebody to run it by there is likely a CFA member who has been through the same thing.

CFA has many other reasons for a poured wall contractor to be a member, such as it’s work with ACI 332, cold weather concrete, CFA certified contractor program, research, promoting below grade living and other concepts for poured wall contractors. CFA is truly the leader and voice for our industry. In this troubled time networking and sharing ideas is the most important, whether it is on the phone, by email or face to face at one of the meetings, let’s help each other survive and prosper.

Dan Bromley, CFA President, ABI Corporation

danb@abi-corp.com

WE MADE IT THROUGH 2008… NOW ON TO 2009

We made it through 2008. Not unscathed by any means – membership and dues are both off by nearly 30% from 2007 – but we are here to begin 2009. Survival is the good news. The bad news is that 2009 promises more of the same, at least if you believe practically every economist and analyst in the business. At CFA, we are not about to recede into the trenches. Our members need us now, more than ever. Not as much as you need your banker or customers, but we still feel we can be of value.

The CFA-Certified Contractor Program is up-and-running. The first group of contractors to apply for the program has been approved and CFA has begun to promote the program on a national basis. The first exposure was a half page ad in a recent issue of Concrete Contractor magazine. We are also promoting the program at the upcoming IBS show in January. The message, “Why you should use a CFA-Certified Contractor,” is directed at builders and developers. The message will change at the World of Concrete to, “Why you should be a CFA-Certified Contractor.” We are also considering expanding the certification program to include the designation “Residential Foundation Technician” for those who have passed the qualifications exam. A considerable amount of effort and knowledge is required to pass this comprehensive exam and a method of recognizing those individuals is warranted. It also gives those interested in becoming a CFA certified contractor, but unable to make the full commitment at this time, a way of getting one segment of the program behind them.

The CFA Self-Insurance Program is still progressing. Unless you have shut your doors, you need insurance. The CFA is still performing “due-diligence,” evaluating alternative programs and getting answers to critical questions to make certain the program we recommend is the best one for our members. The current economic slow down hasn’t helped since there are minimum fi gures for both company premiums and number of companies to get the program started. We will keep you informed of our progress.

The Project of the Year competition has received the highest number of submittals in its history. Eighteen foundations were submitted this year. There will be three opportunities for you to vote for your favorite project: The CFA booth at the World of Concrete; the ballot in this issue of CFA Concrete Facts on page 19; or, you can cast your ballots on-line at www.cfawalls.org. Make certain you vote before the deadline (Friday at the World of Concrete). Balloting will open the first week in January.

We are continuing with our planning for the 2009 Summer Convention at Amelia Island, hopeful that many of you who missed last year’s can get away in 2009. We have cut the number of rooms in our set-aside by 33% so if you think you might make it, we suggest you get your reservation early. Another great program is in store.

Finally, like most of you, we are also cutting back. The booth at the World of Concrete is smaller, expenses are being scrutinized, and non-essential costs deferred. We are in this for the long-haul and we are using this time to refine programs and benefits that will help all of you be more profitable when the economy turns around – and it will turn around. Give us a call or drop us an email and let us know how you are doing. We wish you the best for 2009 and beyond.

Ed Sauter, Executive Director, CFA

esauter@cfawalls.org

CFA INAUGURAL CERTIFICATION EVENT SHOWS STRONG FUTURE

The first qualification exam for the CFA Cast-In-Place Concrete Foundation Contractor Certification Program was recently completed by CFA at the Summer Convention in Arizona. Exams were administered on Wednesday, August 2, 2008 and Saturday, August 5, 2008. They were preceded by a review seminar. Interested companies sent 21 persons to sit for the 2-hour exam.

“The response to this initial offering was staggering,” states Ed Sauter, CFA Executive Director. “As we prepared for the Convention, we had just a handful registered to attend the certification component but that quickly swelled to twenty one examinees, several companies sending two representatives.”

According to Sauter, the exam is a two-hour, open book effort that challenges more than the knowledge base of the examinee.

“This exam was designed to demonstrate that companies have the ability to use the resources at their disposal,” states Sauter. “We did not feel that testing their specific ability to recall a fact or a process was as much of value as developing a solid understanding that they could use codes, standards and construction guides to answer the broader questions in the industry. Examinees found it was a much bigger challenge than some had estimated, but most felt it demonstrated the true value of knowing and understanding building code and safety standard publications.”

This exam was the first, or the pre-qualification step for companies to become certified by the CFA as a Cast-In-Place Concrete Foundation Contractor company. The program seeks to establish a nationwide benchmark for contracting companies involved in the construction of residential concrete foundations. Following the exam, companies must then submit business records dealing with safety, operations, training programs, etc. They must then adhere to a continuing education requirement and periodic audits. The CFA sees this as the next big issue affecting construction across the country and is applying their expertise and status in the industry to create the most appropriate benchmark.

“The issue of certification is one that several of our members are currently trying to handle in their local jurisdictions,” states Dan Bromley, CFA’s current President and the initiator of the certification program for the Association. “This program grew from critical business components identified by the committee to a program that is intended to strengthen the industry and the Association’s impact to its members.”

Submittals of company information will be reviewed by the CFA’s certification consultant, Evaluation Services, Inc. or Phoenix, Arizona. Their review will complete the final steps necessary to receive initial certification.

“We’ve seen the interest the industry has in certification,” states Sauter, “and now we are publicizing why the industry will benefit from this certification. We will also expand certification opportunities. We anticipate holding a minimum of four certification events each year to broaden the opportunities for foundation contracting companies.”

Certification pre-qualification seminars and exams are scheduled for Columbus, Ohio (see information on page 11) and Las Vegas, NV during the World of Concrete (Feb. 2 & 3, 2009). For information on registering for the opportunity in Las Vegas, visit the CFA website at www.cfawalls.org and pre-register using the promotion code A30. You will receive free registration to the WOC exhibits as well as significant discounts on seminars. You will be able to register for the exam.

To learn more about the CFA Foundation Contractor Certification Program or to find out how your company can begin the steps towards becoming certified, visit the CFA website or contact CFA’s headquarters at 319-895-6940.