There’s lots of good stuff going on with our association right now. As we head into the summer months, I wanted to recap a few items worth keeping on your radar screen.

First, we approved three individuals to the VRMCA Board of Directors at the Spring Convention in May. Please join me in welcoming Chris Clow with Aggregate Industries US, Morgan Nelson with S.B. Cox Ready Mix, Inc. and Tony Wilt with Superior Concrete, Inc. We are excited to have the knowledge, insight, experience, and passion these three bring to the table. We’d also like to extend our gratitude to Sarah Beasley with Capital Concrete, Inc. and Larry Bullock with Boxley, Inc. Both are rotating off the board after serving two consecutive, two-year terms. Thank you for all the work you have done on behalf of our organization.

Second, the association is happy to announce that we are now accepting applications for the VRMCA Concrete Leadership Program through Friday, June 28th. The Concrete Leadership Program (formerly Best of the Best) is an excellent opportunity for participants to hone their leadership skills, broaden their network and take their career to the next level. We’ve included more information about the new program in this newsletter.

The last two items I wanted to cover go hand in hand; our Marketing and Promotions efforts. I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve seen on both fronts.

Marketing is taking everything that was put in place last year and building upon it, with a focus on reaching our industry partners directly. This includes a continued social media push, paid advertising highlighting the NRMCA Concrete Design Center, and establishing the initial phases of a public relations program, which is an excellent opportunity for you to showcase the work you’re doing.

On the Promotions side, there have been numerous industry partner meetings, presentations, and a total of five submissions to the NRMCA Concrete Design Center. This tool is an excellent way for us to provide tangible evidence that concrete construction is both sustainable and cost-competitive.

I spent the day with VRMCA Promotions Director Hessam Nabavi a few months ago, introducing him to some of the industry partners I work with in Lynchburg. It was a great way for him to make connections and get in front of the folks we are trying to reach. that day he was able to book two lunch & learns and he received a project for the Design Assistance Program for Paving! A second project was submitted just two weeks ago and there are potentially more to come. I encourage you to reach out to Hessam directly, whether it’s to share contact information with him or to schedule meetings with architects, engineers and developers you work with in your area. Your help is invaluable to the success of our promotional efforts.

Together, let’s Build Virginia Strong!