• In Memoriam, Karl Schlecht

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    The Concrete Foundation Association and the entire concrete industry regrets to inform you of the passing of Putzmeister founder and visionary, Karl Schlecht. Putzmeister has asked us to share this tribute and obituary. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Schlecht family and Karl’s worldwide network of friends and co-workers. With deep sorrow and great […]

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  • 50th Anniversary Celebration Begins

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    The Concrete Foundations Association will reach its 50th year of supporting the cast-in-place concrete contractor in the Spring of 2025. A yearlong effort will celebrate the significance of fifty years of enduring challenging economic cycles, an evolving marketplace, and a host of labor, legal, code, safety, and technology influences. The year of celebration was kicked […]

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  • CFA Establishes Preferred Supplier Program

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    Membership networks generally have a variety of participation and recognition levels based on the interests of individuals and organizations and the services and resources provided. Tiered membership levels, labeled as “sustaining” or given common titles (i.e., gold, silver, diamond, and platinum) typically follow a pay-to-be-recognized system. Instead, during the fiscal year 2023–24, CFA’s Board of […]

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  • Best Practice Groups Continue Making A Difference

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    One of the significant considerations for members of the Association is how the CFA impacts their business. Keeping in mind that first and foremost the CFA is a network of organizations run by like-minded and passionate leaders, networking remains the most valuable benefit. With this in mind, Best Practice Groups (BPGs) were initiated a couple […]

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  • Caught-In-Action

    Wednesday, October 16, 2024

    Attention to detail This is a trait every employer hopes to inculcate in the workforce they send outward to jobs.  It is the mark that often establishes the strata in the marketplace, elevating the most professional teams. Although never surprised when this is identified, the leadership at Beaver Concrete Construction is proud of the individual […]

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Feature

Jun
12

Tunnelform Construction = Increased Productivity & Better Quality

SOUTHEAST CAPITAL PARTNERS’ CONDOS IN METRO ATLANTA UTILIZE INNOVATIVE CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE Tunnelform Construction Increases Productivity and Results in Better Quality Homes at The Manhattan Southeast Capital Partners, developers of the only high-rise luxury condominium in Dunwoody, Georgia, The Manhattan, are utilizing the Outinord tunnelforming system in the construction of these highly anticipated condominium homes. Touted for its […]

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Jun
12

Getting Customers Stuck On YOU

Voice mail, email, snail-mail, direct mail, in person calls – there’s never been more possible ways to reach and grow customers. Then why all the sad faces? You know – unreturned calls, emails, direct mailers flushed down the circular file. Are your methods not working like they used to? Buyers are too busy to win […]

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Jun
12

Martinson Construction Provides T-MASS System Basement Demo

Energy performance is becoming increasingly important in residential construction. A critical component in this effort is insulation of the basement or foundation. Several systems exist to accomplish this including interior furring with insulation and exterior insulation. The Thermomass Sandwich wall system has been used for nearly twenty years with traditional modular forming systems but this […]

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Jun
12

Saving the Environment

CFA MEMBERS NETWORK AS THEY DO THEIR PART TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT Snow Geese have multiplied to a point they are destroying the Arctic breeding grounds for other wildlife. So four CFA members felt it was their obligation to help control the snow goose population by going on a Spring Snow Goose Hunt. Maybe they […]

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Apr
22

Building Concrete Homes With Removable Forms

Building homes with removable forms is just one of several concrete wall building systems. But there are advantages to building homes this way. For home builders, removable form construction is fast, saving as much as 30 days on the construction of an average home. In Mexico, which is increasingly using removable form construction, houses can […]

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Apr
22

Balmer Brothers Win CFA Basement of the Year Again

Jerry Balmer, President of Balmer Brothers Concrete Works, Inc. in Akron, Pennsylvania, knows what it’s like to build a basement from hell – he’s done it before. In 2000, Balmer Brothers was voted the winner of the Basement of the Year for their 29,000 square foot basement, which was complex as well as mammoth. This […]

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Magazine Issues

Jan
23

Best@Selling

In May of this year, the CFA Management Committee brought you two opportunities for plugging in to inexpensive and highly motivational management seminars online and via teleconference. These presentations were made by nationally-renowned author and conference speaker, Maura Shreier-Flemming. Her books include the recent release of Monday Morning Sales Tips and other effective tools to stimulate improvements to your sales approach […]

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Jan
23

Codes & Standards Corner

This issue we offer you an update on the codes and standards that continue to evolve in and around the residential and foundation industries. Codes and Standards comprise a significant portion of the energy this Association puts forth and a considerable amount of the sta$ time that is allocated on behalf of the membership. There are three primary areas […]

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Jan
23

CFA Forum

The CFA Board of Directors met recently in Chicago for their fall meeting and preceded the meeting with what amounted to a 2 hours round table discussion on the economy and what steps they were taking with their businesses to survive the current downturn. Summarized below are a few of the points. You may be already have implemented some of these ideas. 1) INVOLVE EMPLOYEES. Most contractors are making […]

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Jan
23

Sharing of Ideas

We had a great fall board meeting in Chicago last October. We choose Chicago because it is easy to fly to and the airfare is reasonable. Most people arrived and left the same day. Thank you to Hanley Wood for the generous use for their conference room, with the economy CFA is very grateful for the cost savings. The […]

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Jan
23

Joint Sustainability Initiative (JSI)

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world. It is used for foundations, roads, walks, beams, columns, pipe, and a host of other critical applications to provide for mankind’s needs. Because it is so widely used, the industries that manufacture and use the concrete are very diverse in nature. Therein lies a critical problem with the industry. Everyone is “out there” doing their […]

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Oct
29

Schwing Announces New S 36 SX with RZ4 Placing Boom

Schwing has announced the introduction of a new concrete pump with placing boom. The S 36 SX with RZ4 Boom combines the best features of two boom types, Roll and Fold™ and Z tip section, in a unique four-section boom. The new machine promises to set new standards for placing concrete at distances of more than 118-feet vertically and 104-feet horizontally. Standard features of the […]

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Oct
29

Concrete Contractor’s Top Products of 2009 Announced

Subscribers choose best products of the year for concrete contracting industry Concrete Contractor, the leading business information resource for concrete contractors, announced today the Concrete Contractor’s Top Products of 2009. Top winners are recognized by readers based on interest and inquiries over the past year. “Concrete Contractor reaches 29,000 decision-makers who help build America,” says Editor Rebecca Wasieleski. “Having the right tool or product […]

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Oct
29

Montana Structural Concrete

EDITOR’S NOTE: We recently caught up with Janie Stephens, president of Montana Structural Concrete, Inc., MSC. after she attended one of CFA’s Certified Contractor seminars. Janie started MSC in June of 2006 after working for a large volume concrete contractor. She says that after “being inundated with requests for a quality, trustworthy, concrete contractor, she started Montana Structural Concrete, Inc.” When Janie took the Certification Exam, she […]

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Oct
29

Social Networking At Work For You Through the CFA

If you spend much time on the Internet, it will not take you long to see how many opportunities there are for joining online groups, be it social or business related. This is the new wave sweeping the world and drawing our large planet together into an ever-tightening world market and social environment. Whether you deem this to be a […]

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Oct
29

CFA Annual Convention Education Value Trumps All

Many CFA members made, or were forced to make, the decision to not attend the CFA Summer Convention this year. This is not too surprising, as we know the impact this recession has had on member companies and face it, the Convention is an event that not has drawn a large percentage of CFA members in recent years. The […]

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Oct
29

CFA Presents Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award to Barry Herbert

The Concrete Foundations Association recently presented its highest honor, the Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award to Barry Herbert at the CFA Annual Summer Convention held July 30-August 1. Barry was introduced by Jim Bartley of Bartley Corporation, and described as a significant example of great leadership; innovation; spirit and faith in our industry and both a person and businessman that he has […]

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Oct
29

CFA Continuing to Build The Future

Welcome to the “new” CFA…at least the new online CFA from the perspective of how to interact with your Association. Over the past six months, we have been working painstakingly to transition our data systems to a new provider that offers a much more robust and intuitive system for CFA staff, CFA members and the general public. We are now ready to unveil this new system […]

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