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 […]

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 […]

BASEMENT OF THE YEAR

For the last few years we have asked our members to enter a basement project that offered challenges of any kind in the ‘Basement of the Year’ award competition. (A reminder to all CFA members — you can submit ANY basement you have done regardless of the level of difficulty you experienced). We want to thank the CFA […]

Ready For Round Two!

Dear CFA Member, Over the past year, our Management Committee has been working hard to develop the content for a new series of information products that deliver tips and tricks we all use for the management of our businesses. Attend one CFA event and the first thing you realize is how much collective business expertise exists between the companies of this Association, […]

Basement of the Year WINNERS

The home for the new millennium—it continues to astound in complexity and size. Even more impressive is the increasing requirements for concrete work generating complex foundation support for these homes as well as becoming integral to the finished appearance. The Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) – a North American network dedicated to improving the residential concrete industry by building better businesses and improving codes and standards – […]

Banding Together

According to the IRS, the official definition of an association is: In general, an association is a group of persons banded together for a specific purpose. That leaves a lot of room for interpretation, since associations are formed for an enormous variety of purposes. They also engage in a wide range of initiatives and activities from improving networking […]

Surviving A Down Economy

The residential housing market is in the midst of the worst economic slump that most of us have the capacity to remember. Some CFA members (as well as many others in the industry) have closed their doors. Nearly everyone has cut back operations severely in hopes that will be enough. Ways of coping with the current downturn are as varied as our members themselves. At the […]

DURAND FORMS NAMES NEW VP

The Board of Directors of Durand Forms has appointed Mark Markovich as Vice President / General Manager effective April 1, 2008. Mark Markovich has previously owned Dependant Foundations, Inc. in Brighton, MI and has been using the Durand Forming System for over 25 years. In that period of time, Mark helped pioneer the change in poured foundations from wood […]

Recapping the CFA Convention 2008 What Defines Success?

The 2008 Summer Convention has come and gone and with all the concern building up to this event for the industry, the economy and the ability to make such a business decision weighing; ask anyone in attendance and they’ll say the CFA hit a home run. We don’t need to convince you of the scenery or the quality of the hotel that was chosen […]

CFA LOSES A PARTNER AND FRIEND

Kim Robert Steveley, 71, former Business Manager and partner with Ed Sauter, died Saturday, July 26, 2008, following a long illness. Surviving, in addition to his wife, Julia, are two sons, Marc Steveley of Austin, Texas, and David Steveley of Fort Collins, Colo.; a daughter, Tracy Cullinan of Worthington, Minn.; a brother, Kip Steveley of Rochester Hills, Mich.; and two grandchildren, […]