In 2018, TCA continued its long history of active involvement with NRMCA.
TCA held our first-ever series of Concrete District Days to support NRMCA’s federal legislative efforts in 2018. With the help of NRMCA, TCA prepared talking points for our local ready-mix members to use during their plant tours. TCA was successful in having at least one plant tour scheduled in every federal legislative district in Tennessee.
TCA utilized our MTSU CIM summer intern (Joshua Stone) to gather information on more than 25 concrete projects in Tennessee so these projects could be added to NRMCA’s Concrete Tracker application. These projects were drawn from winners of TCA’s Annual Concrete Design Awards and helped put some great Tennessee projects on the Tracker map.
TCA supported NRMCA’s Build With Strength program in several ways. We connected Mr. Gregg Lewis with a local developer (Mike Murphy, Cumberland Advisors) to discuss the possible use of the Building Design Assistance Program for Mr. Murphy’s upcoming projects, and we referred concrete parking lot projects to the Design Assistance Program.
We partnered with NRMCA’s Amanda Hult to present on concrete parking lots (presented by Ms. Hult) and pervious concrete (presented by Sparkman) at the 2018 Tennessee Engineers Conference, and we exhibited at the conference.
TCA was a “first-responder” among southern state associations late in the summer of 2018 to provide a list of Tennessee building officials to Mr. John Loyer so that NRMCA could educate code officials about the Tall Wood initiative being forced through the ICC by the wood industry, and we communicated directly to the TCA membership to encourage them to participate in public comments related to the Tall Wood code changes.
Executive Director Sparkman is serving on the NRMCA Workforce Development Committee (WDC) and is leading one of the task groups (Partnering with Schools) developed by the committee. Director Sparkman attended the inaugural meeting for the new WDC in Kansas City, and participated in all three meetings during 2018, including the committee report at the 2018 ConcreteWorks event in September.
​
As part of our overall certification program, TCA again offered the NRMCA Certified Concrete Sales Professional classes in Nashville in 2018, taught by Executive Director Alan Sparkman. Director Sparkman also taught Modules Two, Three and Four for NRMCA at the Silver Spring headquarters and taught Modules One and Two for both the Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association and the Florida Concrete and Products Association in 2018.
TCA held four sessions for the NRMCA Pervious Installer Certification in 2018, including a session at the World of Concrete. Director Sparkman was actively involved in the updating of the Pervious Installer textbook in 2018, working closely with Dr. Colin Lobo of NRMCA.
​
TCA continues to include a spot for a national update on our Annual Convention program and NRMCA is always gracious enough to provide a speaker for our event. We value our relationship with NRMCA and look forward to continuing our work together as we strive to make the concrete industry better and more prosperous in the coming year!