Western Forms Creates New Partnership with B.E.P. Forming Systems, Inc.

Greg Peacock, Founder of B.E.P. Forming Systems will serve as Vice President/General Manager of the newly formed entity

Jim Niehoff Is New CHBC Chair

Since 1997, Jim Niehoff has served as the program manager for residential promotion at the Portland Cement Association. He has played an integral part PCA’s success in the growing residential market. While at PCA, Jim has served as the residential media spokesperson and as a liaison to NAHB and The New American Home. He also acts as the coordinator for the “Team Concrete” community outreach program.

Prior to joining PCA in 1997, Niehoff was a marketing services manager at Gerber Plumbing Fixtures in Lincolnwood, Ill. Niehoff received his B.S. from Northern Illinois University.

With Jim’s enhanced industry visibility and leadership in this new role, our successes in promoting concrete and other cement-based products to the residential segment will continue.

The Concrete Home Building Council is pleased to announce Jim Niehoff, Residential Director of the Portland Cement Association, as the new CHBC Chair.

“As we move into 2008, I feel very positive about the market for residential concrete products, despite the current housing downturn. Actually,\ we’ve found that many builders now have more time to hear our “concrete message”. These builders are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Certainly the use of durable, energy efficient, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing concrete products give them that opportunity.

There are a number of important activities that the Concrete Home Building Council (CHBC) and its member companies will be engaged in during the coming year. We’re planning a major event at the 2008 International Builders Show (IBS) in Orlando this coming February. This will consist of a luncheon during the Show to introduce attendees to the world of residential concrete products and how they can help a builder prosper. We also have several concrete educational sessions scheduled during the IBS show. The CHBC will also be well represented with a booth and educational sessions at the World of Concrete Show.

Throughout the year we’ll continue to heavily promote our slate of concrete educational offerings through the Home Builder’s Institute Residential Construction Superintendent Series. These are courses that can be taught through any local Home Builders Association. Finally, we’re looking at having a terrific Concrete Technologies Tour in Charlotte in early June.

We’re continually trying to build value for our existing CHBC members while also recruiting new members for this dynamic and fast-growing council. We hope you agree that 2008 is shaping up to be our best year yet!”

– Jim Niehoff

Passing On Your Business

Look around today and your are likely to quickly see many discussions on transitioning your business to the next generation. Face it, the management minds that established the control of the residential industry by cast-in-place concrete are nearing retirement and the second or perhaps third generation of leadership now must take up the reigns. This month, we take our own look at this issue and consider ways that it can be specifically addressed for foundation contractors.

Rather than a single, dramatic movement, the smooth succession of a business more resembles a fl ow of events that occurs over time. The handing over of a company should be graceful, carefully strategized and well executed if it is to be successful. Unfortunately, a majority of business owners neglect to plan for their own succession.

No one likes thinking about their mortality, some owners so closely identify with their ventures that they can’t imagine their product of long hours and hard work continuing without them. Others believe they’re too busy to plan for the day they will leave, and consequently put off succession planning until tomorrow. Leon Danco, founding director of the Cleveland-based Center for Family Business said…

“The toughest thing for the entrepreneur to realize is that time is constantly running out. Most owners don’t plan because they don’t think they are ever going to retire or die.”

Serious illness, disability or death can catch a business by surprise. A crisis such as this brings great upheaval, and it’s difficult to make rational decisions in the best interests of a company when emotions are running high. That’s why a well-thought out succession plan can be an insurance policy if you will, is essential to the continuation of a business, no matter what its size and structure.

WHEN IS THE TIME TO PLAN?

Only about 30 percent of family-run companies today succeed into the second generation. An even smaller 15 percent survive into the third. The reason, according to many experts, is the lack of an orderly succession plan.

Owners should begin planning while they are still healthy and active in their enterprises. “If you wait until after you’re 65, you can’t do many of the jobs associated with succession planning, such as teaching, explaining how the business operates and passing on the spirit and vision with which it was founded,” notes Dr. Michael Sales, co-founder of The Family Business Resource Center in Newton, Massachusetts.

The time to plan is between the ages of 55 and 65, and the handing over of the baton should be a process, rather than a single event. Some succession consultants recommend a three-to-five year plan while others say anywhere from five to 10. Some even recommend 10 to 15 years. All agree, however, that the more time taken for planning, the better the outcome will be.

Adequate planning enables you to test your successors in different roles and evaluate their maturity, commitment, business acumen and leadership abilities. If you’ve already have your successor, adequate planning time allows that individual to build up expertise so the passage transpires so gracefully that no one in the company even feels it happen.

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Begin by writing down your thoughts about when you want to step away from the daily operations of the business. Would you like to spend more time with your spouse? What do you want to accomplish over the next 15 years and how much money do you need? What personal goals could you achieve if you weren’t running the company and what would success in a new endeavor mean to you?

The most effective business plans are prepared by owners with their successors. They include any future new products, plans for expansion, growth or new investment, and an assessment of a company’s current environment and competitive positioning. This joint business plan exercise will give you an opportunity to evaluate your successor’s goals and ideas for the firm, while forcing your successor to think through and write down specific plans for running the operation. And as your successor is putting thoughts down on paper, recommends succession planning expert Mike Cohn in his book, Passing the Torch, you as current owner should be developing a business transfer plan. In it, identify certain “trigger dates,” including dates when:

• You want to begin transferring ownership to your successor.

• Control shifts

• Responsibility for day-to-day operations rests with your successor.

• You plan to formally retire. This timeline will also help you determine the length of time you have available to train your successor, Cohn adds.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

The head of a company has no greater responsibility than identifying a successor who will be equally or more successful in running the operation.

THE DOLLARS AND SENSE OF SUCCESSION PLANNING

The selection and training of a successor will all be for naught if you don’t also develop a financial strategy for handing over your business. Perhaps the most significant activity associated with succession planning, a financial strategy protects your company, your family and your employees against a monetary burden that could doom the entire process to failure. For example, if you plan to turn over your business to your children, you have to think about the heavy gift taxes they will face. If you die, your heirs can suffer an equally prohibitive estate tax.

Heather Bergeron, Member Communications Director, CFA

hbergeron@cfawalls.org

Eskers Celebrate 60 Years

CONGRATULATIONS

Stay around the CFA long enough and you will meet some truly unique companies. We look no further this issue than the great town of Teutopolis, IL (some know it as Esker-ville) where the Esker family has celebrated 60 years of continual family-run business with their company, J.B. Esker & Sons, Inc.

It’s hard to find a CFA meeting where you don’t meet up with Bill and Mary Lou, demonstrating their commitment not just to their business but also the industry. Together, with sons Josh and Matt, they continue the legacy started by Barney Esker (pictured right with Bill) back in September of 1947. J.B. & Sons is poised to continue producing quality concrete structures and innovative construction solutions for many years to come. Congratulations Eskers on 60 years.

Marketing 101

It was once written, “These are the best of times, these are the worst of times…” and truly the residential industry feels that pain right now. Returning from the last two meetings we can truly say we’ve never heard such wide spread diversity to the message of the state of the industry. Places are busier than ever and places are barely able to hold the doors open. In times like this, often looking outside our industry one can find nuggets to apply to the process of digging out or coping with the trouble. One such thought was recently offered in the Business Digest (800) 272-7344.

HOW TO BECOME A MARKETING SUPERSTAR

Consider this time one of the greatest opportunities to become distanced from the others by making your company unique. Survival may come from more than just leaning the tank.

This issue offers insight to the great things to come from the CFA on your behalf. Do you question how much the CFA is doing for you? Do you sometimes question our motives? At left is what one member saw that reminded him the CFA will stop at nothing to become known to all…

CFA Strategic Action Plan 2007

This past October, the CFA Board of Directors and several interested CFA members met in Salt Lake City, Utah for a daylong strategic planning workshop. This was the first such effort since 2003 when a similar workshop was conducted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The beginning of this effort identified one primary motivator for the theme of the day—the CFA needs to continue identifying to its members and the industry just how much work is being done on their behalf. Take a moment to refl ect on your time with the CFA. What do you currently receive? What do you currently know about your association? Chances are you have barely even scratched the surface in understanding the breadth and depth of CFA’s benefits.

Following is the work plan that was created from this Strategic Planning effort. There will be considerable information presented to you in the months ahead. Perhaps you have already noticed some of this new look approach to our members. Regardless, the CFA continues to be about members. However, we need you. A successful association cannot be run by a few for many, it has to be run by many contributing and working together to maximize the probability of impact.

Let us hear from you regarding your thoughts on this next two-to three-year period of the CFA as defined by the goals below. Where will you fit in? What do you have to say about bringing this information to your company or jurisdiction? We look forward to making this reality.

CFA Staff

GOAL 1

Improve retention of membership by reducing the number of non-renewing companies through proactive efforts.

Philosophy: Instead of focusing efforts on chasing new members, for the next three years, efforts should focus on retaining members, especially in light of the challenging economy. It is believed that if retention improves, potential members also will see the value, and membership will increase.

Measurement: Retention should improve to show a 50 percent reduction from 2006 non-renews to 2007.

Strategy 1: Implement a proactive effort to maintain members. The primary components of this strategy involve better communications and tracking of our members. Based on survey responses that have been received to date and additional responses that will be garnered, CFA Staff has prepared an implementation plan for a member communication database that is separate of the current online system. CFA also focus on improving the recognition of existing services and deliverables to the members as well as increasing the offerings in response to the identified needs. Ultimately, the goal is to strengthen the plan for recruitment and retention of CFA members, vital to the vitality of the association, through means including association promotion literature.

Strategy 2: Better serve experienced members/those in mature markets. This strategy builds on the identified needs of the first strategy by targeting a focus on those markets that have been strong throughout the history of the CFA. Staff and Committees will develop a routine communication process to the membership to highlight significant areas like code development and company certification.

Strategy 3: Provide members with tools and resources related to running their business. Through the process of survey and response, this strategy will be to develop tangible educational events and resources that companies can receive that focus on business practices and solutions. The operation of a company is often what separates the CFA member from other foundation companies in a given market. Identifying these differences and using them to further the growth of all CFA members will be the specific goal of Staff and Committees. Included in this strategy will be the continued development of a CFA Insurance program for all business insurance needs. Finally, the development of a strengthened network that is not solely based on regional or annual meetings will be a primary target. The creation of “mixed groups” of company representatives across markets will celebrate the diversity and facilitate continued success in business development.

Strategy 4: Better serve existing members as a resource on emerging trends and issues. The changing market is the focus of this strategy. Staff and Committees will place an emphasis on identifying trends and supporting the membership with information that can best prepare them to take advantage of these opportunities. Sustainability, code adoption, cross-cultural work forces, immigration reform and OSHA standards are a few of the industry trends that will be addressed through these efforts.

Strategy 5: Increase the marketability of concrete foundations and the CFA through the creation of better online services.

The CFA website currently enjoys a monthly traffic of nearly 12,000 visitors and more than 98,000 hits. Through analysis of this traffic, we have concluded that a very minor percentage of this traffic is from active CFA members. This strategy specifies the continued attention to www.cfawalls.org.

Through recent survey responses, it is clear that most members do not fully understand the depth of information available. Staff and Committees will focus on identifying key areas that members should be using regularly. Further development of significant content and facilitating more intuitive use

will also be a goal. Opportunities

for improvement such as online

forums, blogs or user groups will

be considered.

Strategy 6: Target potential members based on lists provided by suppliers.

The final strategy in this goal focused on sustaining the growth of the CFA is to continue working with national suppliers to the industry that are members of the CFA to identify the estimated 8,000 foundation contractors across North America. By identifying many of the same tangibles that will be promoted for retention to these prospective members, a greater penetration and representation of the market will be possible.

GOAL 2

Dedicate efforts to marketing and promotion to increase awareness about CFA to both current and potential members.

Philosophy: Marketing efforts need to be revitalized within the CFA to grow brand awareness and develop an action plan for completing initiatives. Membership growth will come if resources are devoted to marketing initiatives.

Measurement: Initiatives reach completion and membership grows by 10 percent.

Strategy 1: Increase awareness about all that CFA does. Marketing the CFA is perhaps the best way to describe this strategy. Attention will be given to the development of new materials such as position papers or tech sheets; brochures and flyers; technical articles and an “elevator speech”. Staff and Committees will also look to improve existing materials and bring them into a more current state. Coinciding with the development of more effective materials, Staff will also look at opportunities to create educational programs to help members become more conversant in the technical materials and find ways of delivering more regular education opportunities to jurisdictions. Finally, publicity generates significant interest and therefore members will be encouraged to continue providing content, story ideas and insights to seed future components.

GOAL 3

Improve member involvement in Association efforts.

Philosophy: In order to accomplish our goals, alleviate burn-out and grow the organization, it is crucial that more members become involved in Association efforts.

Measurement: Double the number of persons involved in CFA committees and obtain a 75 percent participation in the CFA Committee Day(s).

Strategy 1: Strengthen the size and participation on committees by making it easier for people to get involved.

This strategy is aimed at defining a more robust committee structure to serve the CFA. This includes identifying the opportunities and encouraging member companies to think throughout their company for expertise to involve through volunteer efforts.

A formal Committee Day will occur during the annual Summer Convention and together with scheduled teleconferences. By expanding the expertise base for these committees, the impact will broaden in our efforts. Board members will seek to become liaisons to committees with non-Board chair positions. CFA Staff will devise an evaluation process for involvement and activity to report to the Board of Directors. In addition, Staff will increase the visibility of those volunteers and the broad committee efforts through Concrete Facts and www.cfawalls.org to promote the effort and attract further involvement.

It’s All About You!

Simply put, strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next several years, how it is going to get there, and finally determining a system to evaluate and measure the progress. At the recent Strategic Planning Session held in Salt Lake City, the Executive staff, Board of Directors, and numerous other members began the task of creating a road map for the CFA to guide us through the next several years.

After many hours of discussion, debate, and break out meetings, there was one undeniable theme that remained at the center of nearly every topic of discussion. That theme was “Member Benefits”. The core mission of the association is and has always been to provide valuable information and resources to its membership. A list of all current member benefits was generated, it was agreed by all that it was a very impressive list, it was also agreed that those items on the list can be improved, updated, and added to. We also need to do a better job of communicating with our members and to the public everything we have to offer and what it takes to sustain these programs. It didn’t take us long to uncover the truths of the revolving door that exists in an association—members join for benefits; benefits cost money; money comes from dues; dues come when members join …

So what is our plan? Our plan is to grow our membership and provide more meaningful benefits to all members.

So how are we going to get there? For starters, we are going to restructure the committees in order to create a greater focus on achieving our plan. There will also be a new format for populating the committees which will give more members and more persons in each company opportunities to participate and offer their expertise. Through this effort, we will encourage companies to tap into their considerable human resources in order to share the load – one CFA member doesn’t necessarily mean one person, it means, one company. Many member organizations may have an individual, or several individuals, who would be infinitely qualified to serve on a committee.

It is currently too soon to know exactly how we will evaluate our progress and determine our success. Between now and our winter meeting, we will be digesting and processing all that came out of the fall meeting with the intent of outlining the first course of action steps that will need to be taken.

In summary, the Strategic Plan of the CFA is all about you, the members. The goal and vision for the future is intently focused on providing tangible information, solutions, resources, and training in order to increase the success of every member.

Brad Schrock, CFA President, Custom Concrete Company Inc.

bschrock@customconcrete.com

CFA Plans For The Future

The Concrete Foundations Association spent an entire day last month locked in a room brainstorming about the future of the CFA (actually we were free to come and go as needed). Some great ideas were put forth and we feel the initiatives will help invigorate the Association while preparing it and the members, for future years. Everything was on the table. Some of the items discussed were projects currently under development but a lot of the discussion focused on what else we can do to serve our members.

A member survey conducted during the weeks leading up to the event pointed out one serious shortcoming – most members either don’t realize what we already do or they don’t take advantage of the benefits that are already in place. This is most evident with regard to the breadth and depth of information available on our web site. To address this shortcoming, we will be sending out information on a regular basis that highlights a different section of the web site and how to access it. Similarly, our efforts in the code arena and other member efforts, and how to benefit from them, will be highlighted in simple one-page flyers.

There were also plenty of new ideas proposed. One of the most promising will be the publication of what we plan to call “Tech Sheets”. Tech Sheets, a 2-4 page presentation of a selected topic will cover a wide variety of issues ranging from a simple explanation of what the Cold Weather Guidelines can do for you, to how to use the ACI-332 Standard in conjunction with the International Residential Code when working with building code officials. Other areas that will be covered in the “Tech Sheet” series will include cracking, backfilling, form oil on rebar, OSHA (confined spaces and fall protection), frost protected shallow footings, and R-value of concrete walls to mention a few. Every time we help a member solve a problem we will evaluate the information to see if we can develop a “Tech Sheet” so that all members can benefit from the experience of one.

Sales of CFA literature has fallen off considerably in the past several years. Many of our flagship pieces are starting to look somewhat dated so we hope to evaluate our entire stable of publications. We may combine some, delete others, and all will get a facelift over the next year as we exhaust current supplies. If you think we should produce a marketing piece that covers a certain topic make sure you get in touch with staff of a member of the marketing committee.

The CFA Contractor Certification program received continued endorsement from the board and is moving forward. A considerable amount of work remains before the program can be introduced but progress is being made. Look for it late next spring.

The concept of structured networking was also discussed. The National Association of Home Builders has their “Groups of 20” and the American Society of Concrete Contractors has “Mix Groups”. In essence, these are opportunities for non-competing contractors to meet once or twice a year and learn what each is doing to make their business better. The CFA board does this on an informal basis whenever they visit another member’s facilities. The entire operation of the host company is open for questions, evaluation, scrutiny, and suggestions by the other attendees. Why should this be limited to board members. Staff will be developing a model for its own version of structured networking in hopes that several groups can be developed over the next 6-12 months. Updates will be provided on a regular basis.

The last item that was discussed during the strategic plan/board meeting was the concept of developing a self-insurance program for CFA members. Large corporations and public entities have been doing this for decades but there are now model that have proven they can work in much smaller organizations. A related concrete trade association of similar size and scope to the CFA is in their 4th year of such a program and they are saving participating members up to 30% of their insurance premiums as well as providing much-needed cash for the association. The group will even return dividends to participants this year. A task force was appointed to investigate this option for CFA but it has the potential be a win-win situation for everyone.

A host of other ideas and priorities were also discussed and prioritized and the CFA will continue its industry wide efforts in codes and standards. As you can tell from the descriptions above, the CFA is aggressively working to add to the list of member benefits and provide value-added services. We hope that you feel our efforts are worthwhile. As always, we are open to suggestions, ideas, and comments.

Ed Sauter, Executive Director, CFA

esauter@cfawalls.org

Malisch to Receive Coveted National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Award

Senior Managing Director of the American Concrete Institute Voted as Recipient of Richard D. Gaynor Award

CFA Announces Call for Entries for 2008 Basement of the Year Awards

Mt. Vernon, Iowa (November 5, 2007) — The Concrete Foundation Association (CFA) – an influential organization within the construction industry that serves as an informational and networking tool for its members and carries out a multitude of educational and promotional efforts for the advancement of concrete foundation technology – has announced the call for entries for the 2008 Basement of the Year Award.

According to Ed Sauter, executive director of CFA, the Basement of the Year competition has produced some of the most incredible works of concrete foundation creativity in recent years. Through this program, foundation contractors display the wide range of projects that are being completed today, some of which are unbelievable and largely unrecognized because they inevitably are buried beneath the final grade. The technological advancements that have been made in the poured wall industry allow contractors to complete complex projects more efficiently, which helps ensure homeowners’ dreams are realized, said Sauter.

“Each year the projects submitted to this competition get more complicated and demonstrate the diversity afforded through poured wall foundations,” said Sauter.

The winners of the 2007 competition capped the largest crop of submitted projects ever for the CFA. They also represented the broadest geographical diversity ranging from California to South Carolina and the broadest application range from medium- and large-sized homes to commercial and above-grade structures. The winning entries from last year can be viewed on the CFA website at www.cfawalls.org by selecting CFA Awards from the menu. This link will also provide access to the entry form and requirements for this year’s competition.

To enter a project in this year’s competition, you must be a CFA Contractor member. Non-members do not qualify for the awards program. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 16, 2007.

This year continues the recent success for the CFA in expanding the program to address the many categories of project development that exists throughout the association experience. This year’s award categories include:

• Single Family < 2,000 sq.ft.
• Single Family 2,000 to 5,000 sq.ft.
• Single Family > 5,000 sq.ft.
• Commercial / Multi-Family
• Non-Wall Structural Element
• Above-Grade Home

Judging will be based upon many qualifications including the advancement of the use of concrete foundation technology. Attention to significant footing details, outstanding wall features, such as curved walls, columns, complex corners, etc., and the overcoming of any complexities or challenges along the way are all basis for consideration. Judges will also look for any special materials used or new and innovative advancements. The competition will be judged using a combination tally of input from the CFA’s website and the CFA booth (N2027) during the World of Concrete in Las Vegas, Jan. 22-25, 2007 in Las Vegas. Free registration to the World of Concrete can be obtained from the CFA website.

The rules and categories for submission can be found on the CFA website at http://www.cfawalls.org/awards/basement/index.htm.

About the CFA 
The Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) provides promotional materials, educational seminars, networking opportunities, and technical and informative meetings for its members. The CFA also publishes a newsletter to keep its members abreast of important developments in the industry and to inform them of progress on board activities and committees.

The CFA has members in 26 states and Canada. Members consist primarily of foundation contractors with firm sizes ranging from six to over 100 employees. Member firms construct anywhere from twelve to 1,200 basements annually.