Celebrating CMHA’s First CPI Certified Installer
On July 1, CMHA unveiled its new Concrete Paver Installer (CPI) certification program, a significant milestone in our commitment to enhancing industry standards. This program offers comprehensive competency testing in paver installation methods, equipment, materials, safety, and design. Notably, the CPI program represents our dedication to transitioning all our education certificates into recognized certifications under the International Organization of Standards.
Below is an interview with Terri Childs, owner of Nature’s Way Landscaping and the first certified installer under the new program. In this Q&A, we delve into Terri’s background, his experience as an installer, and his valuable advice for those considering enrollment in the CMHA CPI Certification program.
Q: How did you get into the industry? How long have you been an installer? A: My wife was on maternity leave 32 years ago and I had two part-time jobs. At the time, we thought I could run a part-time business to earn more for the family, so I started Nature’s Way as an Organic Lawn Care company. We slowly grew over the decades and now the company handles landscape and hardscape projects.
Q: How have you applied what you learned from the CPI course on a job site to solve an issue?
A: I have not used specific information from the course, but rather the entire installation process from the course and we rarely run into issues. I have used CPI knowledge to help non-CPI-certified companies with their installation issues. Sometimes I get questions and concerns from clients about other companies and I always use the information from the CPI course and CMHA research to answer their questions and concerns.
Q: What does this certificate mean to you and what made you want to continue to renew with CMHA? A: It shows our clients we follow current Industry Standards and the certification means we have achieved a certain level of expertise. The certification separates us from the non-certified installers in the area.
Q: What are your thoughts on the transition CMHA is taking with CPI and why is it important to be certified in this industry?
A: I am not sure I fully agree with separating the course and the certification, but it is the normal way of doing it with other industry certifications. I benefited when I became a Certified Landscaper, I did not have to take the course, just pass the exam and prove my hours of work in the field, like the way the CPI certification is set up now, I think in the end we will serve many more installers.
Q: What would you share about the CPI program to encourage others to consider taking the course? A: For such a low price and the ability to provide proven construction methods, why not? Your staff will feel empowered when they take the course and get certified.
Q: What was your experience when applying to the Grandfathered Certification Program?
A: It was simple. The staff quickly processed my application, which was a pleasant surprise.
Certified installers like Terri play a vital role in maintaining the industry’s commitment to best practices in paver installation. New and seasoned installers can develop foundational knowledge and innovative skills through CMHA education courses and certification programs. Learn more about our CPI course and certification program.
Instructor Spotlight: Dan Hughes
CMHA has a strong roster of experienced and knowledgeable instructors who lead our certified courses throughout the year. Dan Hughes is the owner of Segmental Systems, Inc., and has over 25 years of experience in the hardscaping industry. Having installed over 3 million square feet of pavers, slabs, porcelain pavers, and 750,000 square feet of segmental retaining walls (SRWs) in both residential and commercial markets, Dan brings immense experience to each class he teaches.
Over the years Dan has received various accolades including recognition at the Pacific Northwest HNA Paver Qualifier (2016, 2017, and 2019) followed by earning the title of National HNA Installer Champion for three years (2018, 2019, and 2021). His commitment to hardscapes and education furthers as he’s served on various CMHA committees including the Hardscape Construction Committee, Education Committee, and the new Certification Committee. Dan’s wealth of knowledge and experience in the field provided valuable insight as he also took part in the task group that developed the 10th version of the CPI manual and is currently developing the SRW manual.
Dan’s commitment to the industry and helping others grow in the trade is a passion he holds firm to. Check out this Q&A with Dan to learn more about his background, his experience as an instructor, and advice to others considering becoming an instructor.
Q: What courses do you teach?
A: I teach several CMHA courses including the Concrete Paver Installer course, Residential Specialist, Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavers Course, and the Segmental Retaining Wall Installer Course. I also teach one-day “hands-on builds” for Belgard University. The “hands-on builds” are designed to teach people the tips and tricks I’ve learned throughout my career.
Q: What is your favorite memory from teaching?
A: My very first class. I co-taught with Gale Schroeder, whom I had met a few times before. He asked me to help him with the class to gain experience and confidence in teaching. I was initially nervous, but I quickly found my rhythm and the class went well.
Over the years, I have returned to certain cities to teach courses and I was delighted to see familiar faces, such as five guys in Montana whom I have taught three or four different courses. It’s truly rewarding to witness your students’ passion for learning and to see their progress over time.
Q: What made you interested in becoming an instructor? Why have you continued to instruct over the years?
A: Initially, I became interested in teaching as a way to earn extra income and expand my skills beyond just being an installer. However, after teaching my first class, I realized that my 25 years of experience in the industry gave me valuable knowledge to share with students. Now, my focus is on helping others become skilled installers and avoid the costly mistakes I’ve made in the past.
Q: What takeaway do you have from being an instructor?
A: Teaching has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. I’ve found that relating the course material to real-life situations is an effective way to engage students and make the content more relatable. It’s fulfilling to see students actively participating in discussions and eager to learn. One of the biggest takeaways from teaching is that everyone in the room has something to contribute, whether it’s a question or a personal experience. This mindset creates a collaborative learning environment where everyone, including myself, can learn and grow.
Q: What would you say to someone considering becoming an instructor?
A: If someone is considering becoming an instructor, I would advise them to have a genuine passion for helping others grow in the industry. Being an instructor provides the opportunity to meet great people and help them improve their construction and sales skills, which can be very rewarding. It’s fulfilling to see students develop and build upon their foundation, becoming more efficient installers. One of the most rewarding aspects of being an instructor is receiving positive feedback from students who said they have learned more than they expected to.
Experienced instructors like Dan play a vital role in helping new talents in the industry develop solid construction foundations through CMHA education courses. Learn more about our courses and register for one near you!
Manufactured Stone Veneer Tops 2023 Cost vs. Value Remodeling List
According to the Remodeling 2023 Cost vs. Value Report (CVV), released by Zonda Media, costs and values had fallen with an average project value declining to its lowest level since the report was initiated.
Twenty-three remodeling projects were assessed for this report and compared average costs for each with the value retained at resale in 150 U.S. markets. Factoring multiple economic challenges, including a rise in mortgage rates, the surge in inflation, dwindling real estate sales, and supply chain disruptions, this year’s CVV report featured projects that maintained being a premium to homebuyers – even when times are tough.
The study revealed the return on investment for installing manufactured stone veneer (MSV) on the exterior of a home at an impressive 102.3 percent. This placed MSV as the third highest return on investment of projects and is number one in all cladding projects from the study. Fiber-cement siding replacement was valued at 88.5 percent, while vinyl siding replacement came in at 94.7 percent.
“It’s been incredible to see how well MSV continues to showcase a strong return on investment year after year,” said Amerimix Program Director Garen Graves. “Homeowners continue to express interest in household projects and to witness the consistent upward trend with MSV products, even during a challenging economic time, is a testament to what this industry has to offer.
More than 6,000 Realtors were surveyed from which value figures were derived. From those surveyed, an assortment of project specifications was provided along with a response to, “What value does this project add to the sale price of a home?”
With the state of the economy in mind, real-estate professionals heavily emphasized the high returns on investments made to exterior projects – largely because buyers’ decision on a property is significantly based on first impressions from the outset.
The study indicated “buyers are more particular on maintaining extra cash and avoiding putting a dent into their savings,” however, it continued to illustrate the fact that while “homeowners may be conservative when choosing fixtures and finishes, they continue to trade the savings on lower-priced items for the ability to afford higher-priced items they deem more essential or more desirable.”
“Our industry holds great confidence in the outcome of this annual report,” states Graves. “MSV has ranked amongst the top three projects on a national scale in recent years. It’s not only exciting for our industry to appreciate but for our customers. Rarely do you see 100 percent return on home projects.”
In addition to ranking third nationally, MSV was predominantly among the top three projects when considered regionally, as well. Among the nine regions across the U.S., MSV ranked as the top four projects for ROI out of eight regions and topped at sixth in the remaining regions.
Manufactured Stone Veneer’s 2023 cost vs. value return of 102.3 percent was based on an average project cost of $10,925, and a return at the time of sale of $11,177.
© 2023 Zonda Media, a Delaware Corporation. Complete data from the Remodeling 2023 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.
ICPI-NCMA Changes Name to the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association
ICPI-NCMA announced during their 2023 Annual Meeting in Columbus, OH, that they will now operate as one entity after co-founding the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA).
The CMHA namesake nods to the rich heritage and expertise of each predecessor, whose origins date back more than 100 years. “Where we’ve been absolutely informs where we’re going,” said CMHA President and CEO Robert Thomas. “Already having a solid foundation in place allows our next chapter to be written from a position of strength. Bringing together the best of both worlds…our members are really going to benefit from that synergy,” said Thomas.
On paper, the unification of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and the National Concrete Masonry Association officially took effect July 1, 2022. The unified association assumed an interim moniker of ICPI-NCMA. Since then, an appointed branding task group has been working diligently to navigate the intensive rebranding process.
Matt Lynch, who leads the new association as Chair of its Board of Directors, stressed the importance of ensuring that existing members of both organizations felt seen and heard every step of the way. “We took every imaginable measure to invite members to share their perspective through surveys, interviews and a series of hands-on workshops,” Lynch said. This collaborative approach culminated in the recommendation of “CMHA” by the Board of Directors, which general membership voted to approve in December with an overwhelming majority.
Results of the ICPI-NCMA Member Vote
We’re kicking off 2023 with some exciting news. The vote to change the name of the association to Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA) has passed by a vote of 114-8. Many thanks to all of our voting members that took the time last month to participate in this important vote. The association has been working with an agency to rebrand. The new look and feel for CMHA will officially launch during the 2023 Annual Meeting, February 20-24 in Columbus, OH. The rebrand rollout will take time, and as you can imagine, will not be completed overnight. You can expect to see some changes right away but others (a new website, branding for technical resources and certification credentials) will take more time. Stay tuned for more details. Thank you for taking the time to vote in this important initiative.
CMHA Grows Engineering Department
Craig Walloch will join CMHA as Director of Materials Science on July 1, 2023.
Walloch’s experience has spanned all aspects of the concrete masonry and hardscape industry. After graduating with a Chemistry degree from MIT, he has led R&D and Technical Services groups in the masonry admixture industry since 1992, most recently as Vice President of Technical Support and Education for ACM Chemistries. He has extensive experience in materials, dry-cast concrete production, the ASTM standards process, and technical education.
Walloch is a past Chair of the Technical Committee of the Interlocking Concrete Paving Institute (ICPI) and the NCMA/ICPI Joint Committee on Plant Quality Assurance Certification. He is currently the Chair of the ASTM Subcommittee C15.04 on Research, which he has led since 1999. He has spearheaded many projects for both ICPI and NCMA over the years, most recently chairing the task group developing specifications and test methods for pedestal-set paving slabs and chairing the task group evaluating carbon sequestration in concrete masonry products as well as authoring a recent ASTM symposium paper on measuring carbon sequestration of CMU.
Shoaib Yosoufzai recently joined CMHA as the Structural Engineering Projects Manager, Masonry.
Yosoufzai’s background includes working as a Chief Engineer for Hyperion Inc. and working with the government of Afghanistan and Ministry of Defense as Director, Portfolio Manager, Project Manager and Engineering Specialist on Joint US / NATO defense and civil sector projects focusing on design of various structures, structural design training, capacity building, research, innovation and stakeholder management. He also worked as a research analyst with the University of Nebraska, as an engineering intern with HDR, Inc. and as an engineering intern with the US Air Force Academy.
Yosoufzai immigrated to the US from Afghanistan in August of 2021 after the collapse of the government in Afghanistan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the US Military Academy at West Point and was the first Afghan national who was admitted to West Point. He completed a Master’s Degree in Civil engineering with specialization in structural engineering from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He also completed a second master’s degree from Durham University in the United Kingdom in Defense, Development and Diplomacy focusing on postwar reconstruction and program management.
“Technical expertise is incredibly important for the staff of CMHA,” said Bob Thomas, President and CEO. “It is included as one of the six overarching goals of our strategic plan. Craig’s 30 years of experience in the concrete masonry and hardscapes industry is extremely valuable to our organization moving forward. With a background in civil/structural engineering and experience in project management, Shoaib will be able to contribute immediately to the association and meeting our strategic goals.”
Walloch and Yosoufzai will be primarily engaged in the masonry side of the engineering department, reporting to Nick Lang, Vice President of Engineering & Advocacy, Masonry. They will also support efforts on the hardscapes side as appropriate and needed.
ICPI-NCMA Town Hall Meeting: Renaming the Organization
The ICPI-NCMA rebrand process has been underway for several months. The Branding Task Group, led by Dean Jurik, has met multiple times with our branding consultants, CLUTCH Performance. The group and CLUTCH have performed background research and conducted over 30 interviews with a range of industry stakeholders to inform the process.
The ICPI-NCMA Branding Task group has identified four names as finalists for the organization. We are asking for your feedback on the proposed names for the organization. During the Town Hall, members will have an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the member vote to rename ICPI-NCMA.
After the Town Hall, the Branding Task Group will make several name recommendations to the ICPI-NCMA Board.
Once the ICPI-NCMA Board selects the best name for our new association, they will forward their recommendation to the entire voting member roster for approval.
ICPI-NCMA Rebrand Update
On Friday, September 16, members of the rebranding task group, along with other ICPI-NCMA members and staff met in Minneapolis, MN, at CLUTCH headquarters for a day-long workshop. Several members also participated virtually. ICPI-NCMA has partnered with CLUTCH for the rebranding efforts for the organization. During the workshop, attendees prioritized potential organization names, worked to develop a position statement for the new organization, worked on audience identification and prioritization and identified messages by audience and identified key touchpoints/activities for the brand rollout. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the process. The new brand will be rolled out during the 2023 Annual Meeting in February in Columbus, OH.
William C. Holden Inducted into NCMA’s Hall of Fame
NCMA’s Hall of Fame award is presented to the industry’s most valued participants whose careers are highlighted by continual accomplishments on the industry’s behalf, and who have demonstrated unquestioned dedication to the association’s highest values.
William Charles Holden was born in Dallas, Texas, back in 1951. He likes to say that his penchant for punctuality comes from the fact he was born two months early. At birth, he was just two pounds eight ounces, but nothing about the rest of his story suggests “lightweight”.
At age four, his family moved to Georgia and settled around the fast-growing city of Atlanta and in 1965 he started Grady High School. During his high school career, Bill excelled both academically and athletically and for reasons long lost to history, even served as a temporary cheerleader. As a senior, he was recognized for his salesmanship, a skill he later honed to perfection. It’s during this time he also met his future wife Susan in what he calls the classic “football player- cheerleader romance”. The couple married six months after their high school graduation and have been together for over 52 years.
Bill attended Oglethorpe University where he obtained a bachelor’s in business administration and management. After college, he put his new degree and salesmanship to work for the panelized housing industry, starting out with a Georgia company known as Kingsberry Homes. As a Vice President of sales and marketing, Bill recalls the company’s best-selling model in the late 70s was the “Stovehaus”, a wood-burning home with a unique energy-saving design that was later featured in Popular Science magazine.
After becoming national sales manager and spending 15 years in that industry, Bill accepted a management position with Couch Construction Materials and in 1988 moved his young family to Dothan, Alabama, a mid-sized city in the southeastern corner of the state. Couch Construction was a 100-year road building company, which at the time was expanding its ready mix concrete operations. When the company acquired Dothan’s longtime block producer Brewton Materials, Bill quickly found himself immersed in the intricacies of concrete masonry production. Later plant acquisitions in Andalusia, Alabama, and Defuniak Springs, Florida, cemented his place in the block and hardscape industries.
By the year 2000, Couch’s upward growth caught the attention of Birmingham’s Ready Mix USA, a family-oriented company also expanding across the Southeast. Couch’s ready mix and block operations became a part of the Block USA family of companies in the fall of 2000. Bill was later named president of the company’s new block and hardscape division, Block USA.
He recalls one of his first major projects was Alys Beach, a luxury development along the Florida Panhandle. When designers asked Bill what he thought of their plans to use conventional materials to build the community, he convinced them that stuccoed grey concrete block was the best choice for the entire community. Today, this Scenic Highway 30-A community carries the “Fortified” designation, boasting solid masonry structures and timeless Bermuda-style craftsmanship that have resisted several hurricanes since they were built. During his 11 years as President of Block USA, the company grew to 26 masonry and hardscape manufacturing plants, spanning six Southeastern states.
Bill joined NCMA in 2000, later serving on significant committees such as marketing, governmental affairs and long-range planning. He’s most thankful to NCMA for providing him and his wife the opportunity to meet “many wonderful people from all over the globe.”
In 2008, he was selected to serve as NCMA’s Chairman, a challenging year for both the industry and the association. “You had to manage during turbulent times and you had to manage during some pretty good times as well,” says Scott Weber, President of Basalite Concrete Products and NCMA Hall of Fame recipient. “For that, we really appreciate it and it’s an honor that you well deserve.”
He spent his chairmanship building bridges with partner organizations such as the Portland Cement Association, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, and the Mason Contractors Association of America. MCAA later recognized Bill’s role as an industry emissary and liaison with the 2010 DeWitt Brown “Leadman” Award for exemplary leadership in advancing the masonry industry.
Bill is also recognized for his tireless work to establish a concrete masonry checkoff program, lobbying for “funding and support” and mentoring everyone involved in the effort. In the years since Block USA, Bill has served as a consultant to other block manufacturers, been a board member of the Besser Company and become a passionate advocate for building a better world with concrete.
While he may describe himself as “fully retired”, he continues to offer his industry expertise to CarbonCure, a Canadian technology company that introduces recycled CO₂ into fresh concrete to reduce its carbon footprint without compromising performance.
When he’s not advising or consulting, traveleling with his family remains one of Bill’s life passions. Bill’s global journeys include stops in 56 countries scattered across six continents. He and Susan have also visited 48 of the 50 states.
In recognition of his incredible personal and empowering brand of leadership and vision, the National Concrete Masonry Association is proud to induct Bill Holden into the NCMA Hall of Fame.
CMHA is the national trade association representing multiple market segments within the manufactured concrete products community, including concrete masonry, segmental concrete pavement, segmental retaining walls, articulating concrete block, and manufactured stone veneer.
Brad Cobbledick Receives ICPI’s Honorary Membership Award
Brad Cobbledick, retired Vice President of Technical Services of Brampton Brick Limited in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, was presented with ICPI’s Honorary Membership award on August 16 at the CMHA Midyear Meeting held at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California.
ICPI’s Honorary Membership award provides an opportunity for its members and partners to be recognized on a national level for their superior work and contribution to the interlocking concrete pavement industry.
Brad graduated in 1985 with a ceramic engineering degree from McMaster University located in Hamilton, Ontario. Before retiring last year, Brad was Vice President of Technical Services for Brampton Brick where he worked for over 25 years. He also worked at Saint-Gobain Advanced Ceramics, a ceramics product manufacturer, for eight years.
Brad is equally comfortable in the technical arena of clay brick production and manufactured concrete products. Evidence of this is from his involvement with Brampton, which manufactures clay bricks in Indiana and Ontario. In the clay and concrete spheres, his constant aim was always to manufacture the highest quality products in the marketplace.
Brad is well-known in the ceramics and brick world. He’s published dozens of technical papers through the Canadian Ceramic Society and the National Brick Research Center based at Clemson University. He’s a past president and fellow of the Ceramic Society and a past chair of the Brick Research Center, which he also earned speaker of the year in 2009.
Besides serving on a technical committee on clay masonry, Brad served on the Canadian Standards Association Technical Committee on Precast Concrete Paving Elements Committee for 8 years. This committee was responsible for updating the Canadian paver and slab product standards. He brought his expertise and experience in product manufacturing and testing methods.
Brad was a member of the ASTM C15 Committee on Manufactured Masonry Units and served on subcommittees involved in testing brick and pavers. For pavers, he made a big impact by including optional freeze-thaw durability testing in ASTM C936. In addition, Brad received the Gilbert C. Robinson award from ASTM in 2012. This prestigious award was for “exceptional technical contributions that assist C15 Committee in its work and advances the state-of-the-art within the scope of the committee.”
Brad has an impressive resume with ICPI. He started his participation with the association in 2008 as a member of the ICPI Technical Committee. He served on this committee continuously until his retirement in 2020. He also served on the ICPI Executive Committee from 2017 to 2020. In another service to ICPI, he was a member of the Literature Review Committee from 2015 to 2021. That committee reviewed all publications, press releases and other information prior to release to the public. Brad advanced the longer-term potential of pavers and ICPI by serving three times on the Strategic Planning Committee. The strategic plan became another avenue to actualize his passion for quality in manufacturing. Brad drafted a guide for best manufacturing practices and was appointed and served on a Technical Committee task group that enhanced the manual. He also appointed a task group to develop brief PowerPoint modules as a refresher for plant personnel. As Chair, Brad also represented the ICPI Technical Committee by serving on the ICPI Foundation Program Committee.
Brad was best known for his friendly attitude when it came to sharing technical knowledge and providing the industry with his time, experience and resources. To everyone’s delight, he had the gift of balancing perspectives on technical subjects thanks to his manufacturing experience and extensive knowledge of materials.
In recognition of his incredible technical talents and contribution, the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute is proud to bestow Brad Cobbledick with the ICPI Honorary Membership Award.
CMHA is the national trade association representing multiple market segments within the manufactured concrete products community, including concrete masonry, segmental concrete pavement, segmental retaining walls, articulating concrete block, and manufactured stone veneer.
