Letter from the President: Business Does Not Change Effectiveness

It has been a very busy year for both our company and the association. We left the summer meeting with renewed enthusiasm for our business and, equally important, enthusiasm for subject areas the CFA needed to address.   We live in an ever-changing world, and I have come to realize and understand the need to […]

Tricks of the Trade: Rebar Racks for Crew Trucks

This issue’s Trick of the Trade is shared by CFA member, Doug Herbert of Herbert Construction in Marietta, GA.  Doug continues the challenge to you the reader to think about the ways you’ve overcome annoying details and situations to be more effective and economical in your work.  If you are from an active CFA member […]

Give A Little, Learn A Lot

There is something to be said for those who take the time and energy to go out of their way to help somebody in need, even more so for those who are able to ask for help when it is needed. Oftentimes the benefits of helping others are not always tangible, and it is that […]

Water: Is It The Basement Contractor’s Worst Enemy?

Sit down at any contractor’s round table and start a discussion about the predominant headache or source of callbacks for basements and you are likely to get common agreement that it is water or moisture. The presence of moisture is a sure sign to the homeowner that a) something dire is wrong with the foundation […]

U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA Extends Compliance Date for Electronically Submitting Injury, Illness Reports to December 15, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC – To allow affected employers additional time to become familiar with a new electronic reporting system launched on August 1, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  has extended the  date by which employers must electronically report injury and illness data through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) to December 15, 2017. […]

Seven Lessons Learned From Firing 300 People

Over the course of many years, I’ve fired more than 300 employees at our concrete construction company. The list of reasons for the dismissals is long and varied. I’ve fired people because they’ve caused problems on job sites, refused to take direction from their Foremen, stolen from the company or coworkers, been under the influence […]

Code Compliance with Insulated Concrete Form Foundations

Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are increasingly being used as foundations in commercial and residential projects. Part of the reason is that ICFs naturally help comply with increasingly strict energy codes. While many are familiar with ICFs for above-grade walls, their benefits transfer to foundations as well. Energy code compliance, quicker more efficient construction, and safer […]

Planning for the Future Workforce

Understanding how to recruit, train, and motivate a younger generation is helping create successful industry leaders – and social media is helping. by Tina Grady Barbaccia, AEC Editorial Specialist, Constructive Communication, Inc.   One of the common stories in concrete construction that remains today is that of the son or daughter who began working with […]

Recharging Your Leadership

CFA Board of Directors adds four new faces for 2017-2020 By James Baty Like most organizations, the Board of Directors is the governing body for the Concrete Foundations Association (CFA).  It consists of leaders volunteering their time, attention and financial resources in response to their pride and passion for this industry. As the CFA fiscal […]

SCHWING AMERICA ACQUIRES ASSETS OF LOOP BELT INDUSTRIES

ST. PAUL, MINN. (September 29, 2017) – Schwing America, worldwide designer, manufacturer and distributor of premium concrete production and handling equipment, announced the closing of transaction for the purchase of all the assets of Loop Belt Industries, makers of high-quality truck mounted telescopic conveyors. “We are thrilled to acquire the assets of Loop Belt Industries […]