CRMCA and CSSGA incoming and past Board Presidents at the 2015 Annual Conference. Left to Right: Rich Umbel, Oldcastle SW Group, Garrett Varra, Varra Companies, Todd Ohlheiser, CRMCA/CSSGA, David Hagerman, Martin Marietta, Robb VanderSchaaff, Bestway Concrete.
Hello CRMCA members. I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday. It is already December and this is the final blog of the year. By next month we will be in 2016 and yet another year will have gone by. The good news is that we made a lot of headway at CRMCA this year.
November was a busy month with 2 major events taking place. The American Concrete Institute (ACI) held their annual conference in Denver November 8-12, and CRMCA participated. Stacy Ehrlick and I attended many of the ACI committee sessions, interacting on proposed changes in several certification programs. Additionally, CRMCA hosted an exhibit booth, displaying information on CRMCA’s Adherence to Standards program, our Pre-Construction Checklist program, and all ACI Certifications scheduled for 2016. Over 2000 people attended this year’s conference, allowing us to disburse information on our initiatives to a very large audience.
We also held our Annual Conference at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and I want to personally thank those of you who attended. We had a very busy schedule, focused on delivering value to our members thought various sessions and/or panel discussions. The day started with a presentation by NRMCA President Robert Garbini. We were very fortunate to have him attend and provide highlights of what is happing at the national level. CRMCA Board President Rich Umbel then spoke regarding our accomplishments and direction. His presentation included committee accomplishments, which are the core of our association. Rich also outlined specific items we will be addressing in 2016. We then had several Technical updates from key members; Rick Wheeler (click here for his presentation) and Dana Rotkovich (click here to view his presentation). The morning then concluded with a panel discussion led by Annelise Shepherd regarding Social Media. This discussion is very timely as we will launch an aggressive Social Media communication plan in Quarter 1 of 2016.
In the afternoon we informed membership of our efforts regarding infrastructure funding in
Josh Schultz (r) accepts the 2015 Roadman C. Stewart Memorial Safety Leadership Award.
Colorado with a presentation by Mr. Bill Ray of WR Communications. Also Brian Lewandowski, University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, presented their economic forecast. The afternoon wrapped up with our awards ceremony, recognizing the efforts, accomplishments and dedication of several key members. These accomplishments not only benefit CRMCA, but also the entire ready mixed concrete industry.
Finally, the evening ended with our banquet and keynote speaker, Mr. Sean Swarner. This inspirational speaker survived cancer, twice, and went on to accomplish things many of us only dream of. His story is one of inspiration, self perseverance and never quitting. You can learn more about Sean on his website. I want to thank Annelise Shepherd for all her efforts to make the Annual Conference a success. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes in order to make the process look simple. Hats off to her.
As usual, check out our website for more information and be sure to visit Facebook to view more event photos. Thanks for supporting your Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association and have a great December.
Todd R. Ohlheiser
Executive Director
Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association
