CHARGE Association

Born in Pittsburgh, nurtured in Washington, D.C., and thriving in Silver Spring, Md., nicely sums up the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's 75 years. But the story of a successful trade association touches on the efforts of many leading industry figures whose vision helped make NRMCA what it is today--the nation's leading voice on behalf of those who produce ready mixed concrete or provide goods and services to those companies.

Although ready-mixed concrete had been used since 1913, the industry grew slowly in its early years, with only a few new plants built around the country each year. However, as ready mixed demand began to increase, many suppliers who had previously only worked with sand, stone, or gravel became active in the ready mixed concrete business.

An editorial in Engineering News Record in 1928 generated much interest in the up-and-coming industry and caught the attention of the National Sand and Gravel Association (NSGA). Members of NSGA voted the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association into existence in 1930 during a meeting in Pittsburgh. The purpose of this new organization was to be that of "protecting the welfare and best interests of those engaged in the production and sale of ready mixed concrete." NRMCA shared office space with NSGA at the Munsey Building in Washington, D.C., as well as an executive secretary, Vincent Aheam Sr.

Research and engineering

From the beginning, NRMCA dedicated a great deal of time and effort to concrete engineering and research activities. It helped support a research laboratory originally founded by NSGA in 1926, which moved from Washington, D.C. to the University of Maryland in 1938. The association's first director of engineering, Stanton Walker, was a leader in the field of concrete technology and wrote NRMCA's first publication, Estimating Quantities for Concrete, in 1931. Walker was active in ASTM and instrumental in adopting the first tentative ASTM C 94, "Standard Specification for Ready Mixed Concrete," in 1933.

With the outbreak of war in December 1941, ready-mixed demand increased sharply. NRMCA participated in groundbreaking research on the proper use of entrained air in ready mixed concrete, which had been discovered to make concrete more durable in freezing and thawing climates. The association was also instrumental in developing the first pressure meter to measure air-entrainment in concrete, which is still at the lab today.

NRMCA began to sponsor a Short Course in Concrete and Concrete Aggregates in 1946, featuring such topics as concrete proportioning, aggregates, cement, fly ash, admixtures, and production and control of ready mixed concrete. The Short Course has grown from modest beginnings into one of the most important services that NRMCA continues to offer both members and non-members.

NRMCA also established the Stephen Stepanian Graduate Fellowship at the University of Maryland in 1947, named for an important figure of the ready mixed concrete industry who was later elected honorary membership of the NRMCA Board of Directors.

In 1948, NRMCA established the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB), an association of ready-mixed concrete truck manufacturers. Members are required to manufacture equipment in accordance to TMMB standards, which have been continuously updated throughout in response to technological advances. In 1949, the industry produced an all-time high of 27.5 million cubic yards of ready-mixed concrete, valued at $275 million.

The ready-mixed concrete industry rode the waves of its post-World War II boom into the 1950s. By 1953, NRMCA represented 576 active members in 47 states and a number of foreign countries, including Australia, Brazil, Denmark, England, and New Zealand. NRMCA members accounted for about 80% of the total annual volume of ready-mixed concrete produced in the United States. While the industry was clearly thriving, the first half of the decade was overshadowed with constant concern about cement shortages.

Concrete interstates

In 1956, ready-mixed concrete production topped 100 million cubic yards for the first time. That same year, after much debate, the Federal Highway Act was passed, authorizing the biggest public works project in the nation's history. President Eisenhower signed the bill into law, thus setting into motion the construction of 41,000 miles of concrete interstate highway, creating abundant work for the ready-mixed industry.

In 1958, NRMCA played a key role in forming and organizing the Concrete Plant Manufacturers Bureau. The success of its decade-old sister organization, the TMMB, made clear the practical use of a set of standards to rate industry machinery and technology.

NRMCA began the 1960s by moving to Silver Spring, Md. The new office building, opened in 1962, was made of reinforced concrete, of course, and also housed NRMCA's sister organization, the NSGA. This two-story building is still NRMCA's home.

Also in 1962, Walker retired. A true giant in the concrete world, he claimed to have known all 40 presidents of the American Concrete Institute and all chairmen of ASTM C-9, from Standford Thompson to Bryant Mather. To commemorate his 32 years of tireless dedication and work on behalf of the industry, NRMCA and NSGA established the Stanton Walker lecture series at the University of Maryland. For 10 years, the lecture was given at the annual Short Course by a well-respected leader in the concrete or aggregate field. Delmar Bloem took charge of the association's technical activities when Walker retired.

The annual trade show held at association conventions underwent an enormous change in 1964 when the National Crushed Stone Association (NCSA) ended its separate show and joined forces with NRMCA and NSGA to create a combined concrete and aggregate show, known as CON-AGG. The association's first president, Vincent Ahearn Sr., retired in 1966 after serving for 36 years. His successor was Kenneth E. Tobin Jr., a member of the NRMCA staff since 1948 and manager of the biennial Concrete and Aggregate show.

Green concerns

The 1970s saw NRMCA become more involved with environmental issues, spurred by President Nixon's legislation to create the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. NRMCA's first director of environmental affairs, Edward K. Davison, whose family business was involved in ready-mixed concrete and sand and gravel dredging in the Pittsburgh area, was hired in 1971.

He led the effort to act as an intermediary between the industry and the EPA to find a middle ground that would encourage environmentally responsible work habits while allowing producers to continue supplying quality product. The Occupational Safety and Health Act was also passed in 1970, marking the first nationwide, federal program to protect workers from job-related injury, illness, or death.

The decade also saw the creation of two more NRMCA landmark offerings. The first Operations, Environment and Safety Forum was held in 1974 in Columbus, Ohio. That same year, the NRMCA Research Laboratory moved to its current location in College Park, Md., built on land donated by Alfred H. Smith. This 5000-square-foot, tilt-up concrete building contains state-of-the-art equipment and is surrounded by an extensive outdoor test area, allowing the laboratory staff to conduct a wide range of concrete and aggregate testing basted on ASTM standards. Richard Gaynor became director of engineering when Bloem died.

The concrete boom that the industry had long enjoyed began to drop off sharply in the 1970s, mirroring the nation's economic woes. Between 1973 and 1974, the industry's output had decreased by 20%, while producers' costs rose a great deal. It was no longer sufficient to simply sell the product. To secure their future profitability, these businesses needed to promote the product and create sales opportunities where none had existed.

Ups and downs

NRMCA's promotions effort was successful. Between 1975 and 1979, concrete production rose 31%. In 1979, 5000 ready-mixed companies in the United States produced more than 228 million cubic yards of concrete, employed 80,000 people, operated between 8000 and 10,000 plants, and ran 42,000 vehicles. That same year, CONCRETEPAC was founded to support and protect the flourishing industry's interests in Congress.

After finishing the 1970s with record production, the concrete industry soon experienced a downturn, with production dropping 12% in the first three years of the 1980s. In 1984, President Reagan addressed the annual conventions of NRMCA, NSGA, and the NCSA in Chicago at the CON/AGG Show. NRMCA's second president, Kenneth E. Tobin Jr., resigned in 1984 and was succeeded by Vincent P. Ahearn Jr.

Joseph Carpenter of Rinker Materials, West Palm Beach, Fla., died in 1988. He was instrumental in the forming and early operation of the NRMCA Committee on Maintenance. To honor his commitment, NRMCA established the Joseph E. Carpenter Award for Outstanding Contributions to the OES Committee.

The 1990s were a decade of expansion and progress. In 1991, the Ready Mixed Concrete (RMCA) Research Foundation was formed to benefit the industry in research, education, and product knowledge. Its education center is adjacent to NRMCA's headquarters building.

The most important program of the decade planted its roots during a special forum held at the 1993 NRMCA convention in San Antonio. Leaders of the industry decided it was time to formulate a strategy of change, which became known as RMC 2000. To protect their stake in the construction market and broaden business elsewhere, RMC 2000 encouraged concrete producers to focus on marketing and promotion as much as they did their trucks, equipment, and operations.

When Abeam resigned in 1994, Robert Gale became president and served until 1996, when current president Robert Garbini then took charge.

Education efforts

A notable partnership occurred in 1994 when NRMCA and its industry partners helped create the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. MTSU's program has flourished and is widely recognized as a major success.

Its inaugural class graduated two students; this year more than 300 students are CIM majors. NRMCA hopes to expand the program to three other universities around the country.

The first Political Partners for Concrete Results Government Affairs Conference of the Concrete and Cement Industries was held in the nation's capital in 1997. Co-sponsored by the Portland Cement Association and the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), this two-day event has been held annually to ensure that Washington's policy makers are up-to-date on ready-mixed concrete and cement issues so they can make informed decisions.

Throughout the middle years of the decade, NRMCA established several annual member awards recognizing outstanding work in all areas of the concrete business. The Commitment to Environmental Excellence Award is given annually to the producer who has instituted and maintained outstanding ecologically aware practices. The Driver of the Year Award recognizes the invaluable contribution of ready-mix truck drivers.

In 1999, NRMCA helped establish the Volumetric Mixer Manufacturers Bureau, a third sister organization to the TMMB and the Concrete Plant Manufactures Bureau.

New millennium, new focus

One of the first activities in this new millennium was involvement in the Concrete Alliance. NRMCA joined forces with PCA, the ACPA, and the American Concrete Contractors Association to launch an organization that draws upon the teamwork and commitment of the entire industry to promote concrete. The Concrete Alliance is now the North American Concrete Alliance, and it continues to plan and provide industry programs to facilitate continued market penetration, offer educational opportunities, and encourage cooperation among different sectors of the concrete industry.

NRMCA increased its emphasis on environmental and safety issues by launching a number of new programs, starting with the Environmental Short Course in 2001. Later that year, NRMCA joined the EPA's Performance Track Program, a public/private partnership recognizing top environmental performance among participating facilities.

In 2002, the association ran its first safety course, a 2-1/2 day hands-on OSHA compliance program, tailored specifically for the ready-mixed concrete industry.

The association launched the Prescription to Performance Initiative (P2P) in 2003 to encourage innovation, quality control, cost-effectiveness, and consistency.

NRMCA in Las Vegas

NRMCA's 2005 Annual Convention and 75th Anniversary Gala will be held in conjunction with CONEXPO-CONN/AGG 2005. The association's event takes place March 12-14 at The Venetian.

Events include the keynote address by former Loveboat actor and U.S. Congressman Fred Grandy, 12:30-2 p.m., Sunday, March 13; awards breakfast, 8-11 a.m., Monday, March 14; and the 75th Anniversary Gala, 7-11 p.m., March 13.

For more information or to register, visit www.nrmca.org.

The author is special programs manager at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Visit www.nrmca.org.

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