Industry News

Kent Waide Inducted into NCMA’s Hall of Fame

April 4, 2022

Kent Waide, former owner of Ruby Concrete Company in Madison, Kentucky, was presented with NCMA’s Hall of Fame award on March 2, 2022, at the association’s Annual Meeting held at The Westin at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

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 NCMA’s highest values. Induction into the Hall of Fame also bestows Honorary Membership to the association.

Kent grew up in, and derives much of his identity from, his hometown of Madisonville in Western Kentucky. He briefly left his home state for Oklahoma to swim competitively for Oral Roberts University before returning home to work and complete the next phase of his education, obtaining an MBA degree in finance from Murray State University in 1991.

Like many of NCMA’s Hall of Famers, Kent’s path to the concrete masonry industry originated with family. Kent’s father, Harry Waide, started working at Ruby Concrete in 1953. Harry worked his way up in the business and eventually became the owner. After 12 years in banking, Ken joined his father in the family business in 1998.

With his return to the concrete masonry business, Kent knew he needed to update his understanding of the industry and hone new leadership skills. He turned to NCMA and learned from the top innovators of the day.

In 2008, the family embarked on the construction of a new production facility, designed to help the company move beyond its roots as a supplier to the coal-mining industry.

His competitive drive and his natural activism led him to become a passionate advocate for the commodity checkoff program for concrete masonry.

In 2018, Kent was named NCMA’s Chair of the Board. Many were surprised that he could convert his deadpan stoicism into impressive oration. He delivered one of the more notable addresses in which he challenged the audience to imagine what the future can be for concrete masonry.

During his year as Chair, the association embarked on a new branding effort. His only request in the process was “any color other than orange!” And yet… that’s what he got.

With a great appreciation for history, Kent could not have been more honored to serve as the association’s chair during NCMA’s 100th Anniversary and to preside over the centennial celebration in Chicago.

In the fall of 2018, Kent hosted key meetings of the NCMA Board in his home state of Kentucky. Asked what he appreciates most about his experience with NCMA, he notes the relationships and shared experiences with true friends cultivated through a common mission and vision.

Things changed dramatically for Kent in his family in 2019 when the bank recalled the loans that Ruby Concrete had undertaken to help transform and diversify their business for the future. While frustrated and disappointed, Kent never lost faith that God simply had other plans for him.

Today, Kent is still helping Western Kentucky businesses, and in particular, manufacturing companies grow and thrive. He is educating and consulting with manufacturing companies through the Advantage Kentucky Alliance, part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a state-federal program under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

His analytical nature lends itself to other passions, such as golf, where he has been known to “school” a few of his other industry colleagues.

But his competitive drive can clearly be traced to swimming. An accomplished competitive swimmer himself, to many in his hometown, he is known better as Coach Waide.

Kent has been blessed to share his life and successes with his family that he adores and who equally loves him back.

“No one is more deserving than you are for all the hard work and effort you put into our association over the years. You focused your efforts on the entire masonry industry and I thank you for that. – Tom Finch, Vice President Sales & Marketing, RCP Block & Brick, Inc.

Kent is humbled by this recognition for which he is so deserving. NCMA is pleased to induct Kent Waide into its Hall of Fame.

Industry News Press Releases

Contractors Report 27% Increase in Sales in 2021

April 1, 2022

Gross sales for concrete paver contractors in the United States and Canada increased by 27% during 2021, according to a new survey released by the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI).

The 2022 ICPI Contractor Industry Report identified trends based on responses from 177 segmental concrete pavement installation contractors. Survey respondents included ICPI members and non-members and was conducted by Industry Insights of Columbus, Ohio for ICPI.

“Concrete paver contractors continue to experience substantial growth in sales each year,” said Paul Pignatelli, ICPI Board Chair. “This report also confirms the ongoing challenge of recruiting and hiring employees. ICPI and NCMA remain dedicated to workforce development initiatives through HardscapingIs to attract new people and provide ongoing training to those already in the industry through installer courses.”

Other key findings include:

A 10% salary/wage increase for employees
64,615 average total square feet of pavers installed per company
Product availability reported as a challenge for 70% of respondents

The study includes insight on gross sales, employment situations, technology data, as well as company promotion and certification trends.

Industry News Press Releases

Cost-Competitive Concrete Masonry

December 15, 2021

A hardening up of the property and casualty insurance market and new data showing the true economy of concrete masonry construction are boosting block’s advantage against competitive building systems.

That was the takeaway from a webinar – “Resilient Community Risk Reduction, an Economic Approach to Multi-Residential Structures” sponsored Sept. 16, 2021, by the Pennsylvania Concrete Masonry Association (PCMA). The webinar featured a detailed presentation from Walter G. M. Schneider III, Ph.D., P.E., CBO, MCP, CFO, MIFireE, FACSE – The Pennsylvania State University. Schneider, who serves as an adjunct professor in the Architectural Engineering and Agricultural & Biological Engineering Departments, reviewed data from a multi-city comparison of construction system costs that confirms block’s economic competitiveness with other building systems.

Also presenting was Patrick Riley, CPCU, ARM, CRIS, vice president, property and casualty, USI Insurance Services LLC. Riley told attendees that environmental factors are causing insurers to take a harder look at building materials and construction systems when writing policies and setting insurance rates

Wood Frame Sees Increases in Both Builder’s and Property and Casualty Costs

“The builders’ risk market, along with property and casualty, has been increasing and hardening significantly — particularly for wood frame projects and multi residential structures,” Riley said. “Wood frame projects have always been more expensive to insure than concrete or steel, but that gap has widened significantly over the past two years. We started putting together this presentation back in November 2020. I think we’ve had to change the rates on the builders’ risk at least three times already. That’s how quickly this market is changing,” he added.

“There’s adequate capacity, but the loss ratios have just been too high to support the pricing that’s been in place in the past. For that reason, we don’t expect it to really cool off anytime soon. Some of the main drivers are a lot of different events that weren’t drivers before, such as the civil unrest that occurred over the past year, a record number of named storms with $670 billion in losses. And there are a few other types of losses that have been occurring at a higher than normal level — such as wildfires and freeze events.”

Riley noted that “many of the large fires over the last year impacting wood frame construction have been a result of arson, which is obviously a troubling sign. Iin addition to the increased rates on insurance, underwriters are requiring 24/7 site security and video monitoring for these frame projects, which is further driving up the cost of using wood frame.”

Using the example of a $30 million building, Riley said “the builders risk rates for a wood frame project could be 3-4x higher than rates for a masonry project. For a $30M project, that could add over $100,000 to the total project costs.” And once a building is complete, “the owner of a stick building faces considerably higher insurance rates. The property and casualty insurance on a wood frame building in the example would come in between $180,100 to $195,000 more than a comparable block building over a five-year ownership period,” he added.

“The big takeaway really is just to factor in the insurance when we’re making these decisions. We’ve had design firms asking us whether owners and developers are getting this message. I think they’re starting to. But from the insurance standpoint, I know that some of them are still surprised… So it’s something where a lot of people are getting shocked and surprised by this, but it’s not something that is going away anytime soon. If anything, we’ll probably see the markets for frame construction get a little harder before it gets under control.”

Block Shines

Schneider told attendees that in a series of cost comparisons of six building systems, in locations across the US — at a variety of times — concrete masonry performed very competitively against other building systems. And the inherent robustness of masonry construction protects more than just the residents of a single building. “Entire communities are impacted and at risk when multifamily residential structures are destroyed or severely damaged by storms, fire, flooding, or other disasters,” he said.

“We’re going to introduce you to the advantages of utilizing building materials that are inherently resilient — to reduce community risk from naturally occurring weather related events as well as terrorist attacks and more. We want you to be thinking about building more robust buildings, so that the impact is less and normal comes back quicker.”

“I’m not saying you’ve got to build to resist something that the code isn’t telling you to. But we can make choices. And we can inherently build buildings so that they recover quicker, more efficiently, or have minimized impact. And we can do so in a very knowledgeable and deliberate way. A resilient community is able to resist, absorb or accommodate and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and effective manner. Think about if you’re the family that is living in this building. What is timely? How fast do you want to get back in? One of the things we saw after some of the major events in Louisiana, is that the population that migrated out of Louisiana because there was no housing available to them never came back. They moved. And the recovery time was so long that they started a new life somewhere else.”

In the study initiated by Schneider and PCMA, “we looked at the design of a multi-family residential structure of four stories, and everybody said, you know, you can’t do this economically using anything other than stick. You can’t compete with it. And so evaluations were done to look at a representative building. It’s 25,000 square feet per floor. It’s a mixed bedroom floor plan with a brick facade so that it was an apples- to-apples comparison on the exterior look. Alright, and yes, we already know that it’s a code violation to use brick on the fourth story of light wood frame, but we wanted it to be consistent across the board. Six construction types were looked at.”

The six construction types are:

Conventional wood framing with wood floor system (Type VA Construction)
Light Gage Steel Framing with cast-in-place concrete floor system on metal form deck (Type IIB Construction)
Load bearing concrete masonry construction with precast concrete plank floor system (Type IIB Construction)
Precast concrete walls and precast concrete floor system (Type IIB Construction)
Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) walls and precast concrete plank floor system (Type IIB Construction)
Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) walls and ICF concrete floor system (Type IIB Construction)

The initial study, released in 2017, considered three markets: Dallas, Edgewater, NJ, and Towson, MD — over discreet times — December 2016, May 2017, and September 2017. Concrete masonry and precast flooring performed very well economically across the US, and across the different time periods, occasionally beating stick built construction in terms of cost, and in other cases, coming in within a few percentage points.

Each market and time frame is covered in detail in the study and in the addendums for additional locations. For example, from the study:

“In the May 2017 cost estimate… where the least expensive system was the concrete masonry system with precast concrete plank floor. The relative cost of this system to the conventional wood frame system was 96 percent. The relative cost of the most expensive framing systems, the precast concrete wall system with precast concrete floor system and the insulated concrete form wall system with insulated concrete form floor system were 19 percent higher than the conventional wood frame system. In September 2017 the relative cost of the concrete masonry system rebounded, being 4 percent higher than the conventional wood frame system. This is still very favorable and well within the normal amount typically held for contingency”

Since the publication of the initial report, addendums have been published that cover 29 additional cities in the US and eight cities in Canada. These addendums also highlight the stability of concrete masonry pricing compared with wood frame, as they capture costs at different times from 2017 to 2021. In nearly all cases, concrete masonry is the most cost-competitive or within a small percentage of wood-framed construction.

The additional cities studied in the US are: Phoenix and Tucson AZ; Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Jose CA; Washington DC; Tampa and Orlando FL; Atlanta and Savannah GA; Chicago IL; Kansas City MO: Des Moines IA; Baltimore MD; Boston and Waltham MA; Omaha NE; Syracuse and Mineola NY; Charlotte and Raleigh NC; Toledo OH; Portland OR; Lehigh Valley, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg PA; Columbia SC; Knoxville TN; Houston and Dallas TX; and Richmond, VA. The cities studied in Canada are: Calgary, Alberta; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Montreal, Quebec; Regina, Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

View the the initial report, along with the addendums for the cities above, on the Buildingstudies.org website.

Industry News Press Releases

ICPI and NCMA Approve Unification

December 1, 2021

The results are in, and by an overwhelming margin, the members of both ICPI and NCMA have voted to unify the two associations. While the election is now complete, there is much to do as we prepare for the July 2022 launch of your new association.

Very soon, the unification website will begin providing regular updates to keep members up to date on activities and progress.

To all the voting members of ICPI, thank you for weighing in at this important moment in our shared history. Please stay engaged. Your voice will be important in the days, months, and years ahead!

Industry News Press Releases

CueCareer Recognizes HardscapingIs and ICPI for Workforce Development Excellence

October 27, 2021

Cue Career whose mission is to provide students with an easy and effective way to access information about careers and professional development opportunities chose ICPI, now known as CMHA, as the top industry association for 2021. Cue Career showcases careers in healthcare, manufacturing, construction, education and others to high school students exploring opportunities for their future. ICPI was recognized with the Patty Alper Family Foundation award.

Industry News Press Releases

Mississippi State University Takes First Place in National Unit Design Competition During NCMA’s Midyear Event

September 8, 2021

Two college teams presented their unique, fresh concrete masonry unit (CMU) designs at the 2021 Unit Design Competition (UDC) during NCMA’s Midyear event at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Judges reviewed and scored the designs prior to the event and the results were announced during the meeting. The team from Mississippi State University took the top prize over second place Iowa State.

“It is always good to see new ideas and young minds looking into the future and making our world a better place to live,” said Kevin Mueggenborg, Dolese Brothers, Production Technologist and UDC Judge. “This is a great competition and I learn something every year”

The team of Jenny Hutton, Sarah Mixon, Gabbi Morelli, and Skylar Sloan, all students at Mississippi State University under the tutelage of Professor Jacob Gines, took first place. The team’s design, dubbed “Ellipse”, wowed the audience with its innovation. The jury loved the hands-on prototyping of the units, which provided not just great visuals, but real world, practical engagement for the students.

In a search for innovative ways to combine curves and deep reliefs within the rectilinear form of a unit, the design of Ellipse was developed. Having incorporated ellipsoid voids that reach halfway through the overall width of the unit, the design benefits from the deep shadows and arcs without compromising the stability and structural integrity of a traditional unit. The face of this design included rounded rather than sharp edges, not only aiding to the aesthetic flow, but also creating a more chip-resistant material by eliminating corners that may be damaged in transport.

The team created the form through the combination of a simple rectangle and ellipse both with the same base dimensions, 3⅝ʺ x 3⅝ʺ x 15⅝ʺ. The team then used the ellipsoid shape produced to subtract two of the corners from the basic monarch brick form. The voids have dimensions equal to one half of the length, width, and height, allowing the brick to have enough depth to create significant shadows while leaving the brick thick enough to be structurally sound.

The team from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, claimed second place in the competition. The team consisted of Aaron Howe, Jorge Nunez and Devin Palmberg under the guidance of Professor Bosuk Hur. They presented their design, “The CMU Green Block” and highlighted their applied skills.

The Iowa State team noticed a problem in urban communities where modern highway sound barriers are drastically underachieving. This is caused by concrete being an economically viable option for these sound barriers while the current design does not optimize the sound dampening qualities. The team’s goal with The Green Block was to take an economically efficient material in concrete and combine it with practically efficient methods of absorption and diffusion. Through the use of a curved extension from the block, sound is diffused into various directions. They also incorporated a green wall which uses sound absorbing properties of both the vegetation and the substrate. These elements provide a more efficient wall system both practically and economically.

“It always amazes me how the next generation of designers can re-envision the conventional while concurrently educating and provoking thought in those more seasoned,” expressed Jason Thompson, NCMA, VP of Engineering and UDC Judge.

Industry News Membership Press Releases

Kevin Curtis Inducted Into NCMA’s Hall of Fame

September 1, 2021

Kevin L Curtis, retired CEO of the Besser Company, Alpena, MI, was presented with NCMA’s Hall of Fame award on August 5 at the association’s Midyear meetings held at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, WI.

Born on St. Patrick’s Day in the small town of Rogers City, MI, Curtis grew up with his siblings at Grand Lake. It’s here he developed his love for the great outdoors and for small-town living. He’s proud to share that he’s a product of the Posen school system, graduating in 1971 from Posen High School. He spent some time during his summers working alongside his father, Galen at a satellite Besser research and development site where the Dynapac® was being designed and built. Working in the concrete lab and Besser plant housed on the campus of Alpena Community College gave him more exposure to the industry. And if that weren’t enough, he also found time to help Phil Park, then CEO and chairman of Besser with odd jobs, including Mason tending during the construction of the Besser Bell facility. It was Phil Park who influenced Curtis’s decision to attend Olivet College as Phil and his wife, Maxine, both graduated from Olivet.

While attending Olivet, Curtis quickly fell in love with Paula Murray from Newberry, MI. Kevin and Paula were married in 1974 and both graduated in 1975 from Olivet. This began the 47-year journey that continues today. Upon graduation, Curtis managed a hotel and restaurant complex in Flint, MI, and learned about customer service. In 1978, he began his Besser career as a management trainee. Later that year, he was assigned to the Minnesota district as a service engineer and was promoted five years later to a sales representative. His early success can be attributed to his work ethic, willingness to learn, and the strong relationships he forged with customers. Some of Curtis’s best mentors were customers from this district. In 1985, he and his young family returned to Northern Michigan, where he took on the challenging role of national sales manager, a promotion to vice-president of sales and marketing took place in 1993, which was followed by a promotion to company president in 1999. He became CEO in 2004, the same year that Besser became an employee-owned company. His ability to lead and coach has been instrumental to the successful creation of Besser’s current corporate culture, which is now centered around an employee stock ownership plan. Curtis takes great pride in furthering the tradition of supporting the association that supports Besser.

“Jessie Besser got us into NCMA. We’ve been a strong supporter because we do believe it’s the best way to promote the industry, grow the industry, and it’s a great place to network. And so we’re just a strong believer that you will get value if you participate.”

Curtis’s first NCMA meeting was at the Cincinnati machinery show in 1981. His impact has been felt in roles that are numerous and varied, including serving on the membership committee, the associates division board, the board of directors, and the foundation. Likewise, supporting the local community is important to Curtis. As a parent of hockey players, he served as treasurer of the Blue Line Club, served on the ACC Concrete Technology advisory board, and currently serves as a director for the World Center for Concrete Technology. At Besser, his notable achievements are many, but the closest to his heart is the development of the Servopac® Family of Machines while maintaining improved versions of the cam machines, the engineering and production of big board molds, many acquisitions, and the vision to forge partnerships with creative thinkers inside and outside of our industry. Beyond steel and deals, the positive impact he’s had on the people of the industry is what we’ll all remember the most. The drive to get everyone on the same page through effective communication has permeated Besser and the industry. Forever humble, when he announced his retirement, Curtis was surprised by the outpouring of admiration from former employees, retirees, industry friends that have moved on, and those currently active. Many thanked him for his coaching, friendship and guidance, how he shaped them professionally and personally, his impact is sure to shape our industry for years to come. Curtis’s career has taken him across North America and over 40 countries around the globe where he’s taken the opportunity to develop strong relationships with industry members. Likewise, he’s enjoyed welcoming hundreds of guests to Alpena and introducing them to the culture and people that make Besser unique. Although retired, Curtis will remain as an active member on Besser’s Board of Directors.

Above all else, family is his priority. He and Paula are incredibly proud of their sons. Both sons are married, both are attorneys and both have given Kevin and Paula very active grandchildren to keep them young. Much of their retirement will be spent creating memories with Cory, Angie, Olivia, and Jake in the Houston area and with Alan, Chrissy, and Forrest in Alpena, and of course, their dogs will accompany them. Whether in Alpena, Houston, Florida, or spending time with extended family and friends while traveling in their motor home, one thing is for sure, Curtis will always carry a passion for all things concrete.

A few of the accolades and congratulations received for Curtis are below.

“No one’s more deserving than you. What a distinguished career with Besser, what you brought that company and your contributions to our industry.” – Scott Weber, Basalite Concrete Products.

“I remember you breaking a sweat during intense negotiations with my dad, on new plant equipment. Our family truly appreciates and is grateful for the support you gave in establishing the Deborah Hunt scholarship fund at Alpena Community College. And on a personal note, I really appreciate your friendship and support for me and my annual birthday card I look forward to getting every year.” – Steve Hunt, BlockUp.

NCMA thanks Kevin Curtis for everything you have done for the concrete products industry and congratulations on earning this Hall of Fame award.

Industry News Press Releases

Keeping 2017 Tax Reform in Place is Essential for CMU Producers

June 16, 2021

Tax provisions enable CMU producers to invest in their companies, creating economic benefits.

Ask Rick Muth, president of ORCO Block and Hardscape, Los Angeles, what he thinks the CMU industry needs from Washington, and he doesn’t hesitate for a second: “Keep the provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 2017 in place — particularly the provision that allows manufacturers to expense equipment in the year it was put in service — rather than requiring depreciation over seven years.”

“Now, more than ever — coming out of COVID — we need to preserve a favorable tax climate for business. We’re feeding the economy. The expensing provisions of the 2017 tax reform bill are helping encourage us to buy equipment. That benefits the equipment manufacturers and all of the companies that build and ship the equipment we need. It benefits our employees. There is a huge multiplier effect to incentivizing the expansion of US manufacturing,” Muth said.

Muth isn’t alone in his assessment of the importance of a favorable tax climate for manufacturers. Both the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have made the preservation of the provisions of the 2017 Tax Reform Act top priorities. In fact, NAM has just published a study indicating that reversal of the current expensing provision or the tax law, increasing the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, increasing the top marginal tax rate, and repealing the 20 percent pass-through deduction would mean that investments in equipment and structures, would drop by $80 billion in 2023 and $83 billion and $66 billion in 2026 and 2031, respectively. It also projects that gross domestic product (GDP) would be down by $117 billion in 2023, by $190 billion in 2026, and by $119 billion in 2031.

“The conclusion of this study is inescapable—follow through with tax hikes that give other countries a clear advantage and we’ll see far fewer jobs created in America… One million jobs would be lost in the first two years, to be exact,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

And like NAM, the US Chamber of Commerce lists “preventing rollback of any parts of the pro-growth tax reform bill enacted in 2017 and opposition of anti-growth tax policy proposals” among its top priorities.

Favorable Tax Policy Feeds Growth, Muth Says

For Muth, the idea of spurring the growth of US manufacturing just makes sense. “We make the products that make the buildings and the infrastructure our country relies on. When we buy a new machine, it’s going to be more efficient, and probably safer than the old technology too. New equipment allows us to increase our production and worker productivity. If we invest in new technology, our employees have to learn that technology. They gain new skills. Skills that are transferable. It makes them more marketable.”

A belief in the importance of keeping up with technology and market demand has been driving ORCO since its inception, according to Muth. Rick’s father, Pete Muth — and Pete’s father, brother-in-law, along with an outside business partner — established ORCO 75 years ago by happy accident, really. The Muths were operating a donut business, Muth Donuts when they stumbled upon a fellow whose partner wanted out of a recently established concrete business. “They had to get up a 4 am to make the donuts, which they sold for 30 cents a dozen for plain and 35 cents for fancy. So after the block business took hold, they decided to go that way.”

When ORCO was born in 1946 in Orange County, CA, there were 256 block producers in California. Today, ORCO has seven plants, with has facilities in the Inland Empire and San Diego Counties, and is one of 9 CMU producers. Muth credits the company’s dogged focus on keeping up with modernization and efficiency — both of which require capital investment — on helping ORCO to continue to prosper.

Staying Current With Technology is Essential to Remaining Competitive

“We really work to keep our equipment in top shape, to get the right equipment in here to help us expand and go where the market is.” Over 75 years, that has meant expanding from simple four-inch gray block to architectural block in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colors, concrete pavers, several kinds of segmental retaining wall units, bagged mortar products, concrete fireplaces, and other hardscaping elements. Rick joined the company in 1975 as assistant office manager. As president, he has led ORCO into the future. A competitive runner from college on, with a three-mile time that still stands in the record books, Muth brought his runner’s grit to the block business.

“We’re survivors, and we at ORCO have very strong capital reserves. We’re doing great. Our company will be all right no matter what the tax policy turns out to be. But ORCO, all CMU producers — and our country as a whole — will be a lot better off with a tax policy that preserves the right to expense equipment in the year it was purchased — and a tax policy that generally encourages business to upgrade equipment and to increase production. Manufacturing employs more than 12.3 million people in this country, contributes $2.32 trillion to the U.S. economy annually. It also has the largest economic multiplier of any major sector. If you want to stimulate the economy. stimulate manufacturing.” he said.

That was certainly the case immediately after the 2017 tax reform act was passed, according to NAM. In 2018, manufacturers added 263,000 new jobs. That was the best year for job creation in manufacturing in 21 years. In 2018, manufacturing wages increased 3 percent and continued going up—by 2.8 percent in 2019 and by 3 percent in 2020. Those were the fastest rates of annual growth since 2003. Manufacturing capital spending grew by 4.5 percent and 5.7 percent in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Overall, manufacturing production grew 2.7 percent in 2018, with December 2018 being the best month for manufacturing output since May 2008.

“What more evidence do you need? We need to preserve the 2017 tax reform changes. It’s the right thing to do — not just for concrete products manufacturers and other manufacturers — but for America,” Muth said.

Industry News Press Releases

NCMA/ICPI 2020 Safety Awards Program Winners Announced

June 3, 2021

160 plants were honored for their commitment to keeping safe manufacturing environments.

[HERNDON, Va. – June 3, 2020] The National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) and the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI), two of the premiere trade associations within the concrete products industry, are pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 NCMA/ICPI Safety Awards.

The prestigious honor is bestowed annually upon plants that demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of their employees and their work environment. An impressive 160 awards were given out to manufacturing locations throughout North America that boast exemplary records. This represents an increase of more than 20% in award winners from the previous year.

To view the list of winners, click here.

“The winners of safety awards are those who consistently promote and implement safe manufacturing practices,” said NCMA President Bob Thomas. “It is encouraging to see members of both ICPI and NCMA demonstrate their commitment to safety. The increase in award winners shows a continued focus on safety and improvement for our industry.”

“This program recognizes the positive safety-conscious work culture of our members,” said ICPI Executive Director Charles McGrath. “Safety Award winners set an example for all manufacturing industries that safety is paramount to a successful business. All winners should be proud of their accomplishments and commitment to their employees.”

Participants were eligible for awards through their OSHA 300A logs or equivalent Canadian injury reports from January 1 to December 31, 2020. Milestone Awards are given to facilities with more than five consecutive years of Safety Award Program entries with zero OSHA/Canadian injury report injuries. Platinum (highest level of single year achievement), Gold and Silver awards are given based on two formulas, one for Incident Rate (IR) and Days Away for Restrictions and Transfer Rate (DART).

For more on the awards, click here.

For a PDF of this announcement, click here.

….

About NCMA: The National Concrete Masonry Association unites, supports, and represents our members who are producers and suppliers of concrete masonry systems – including concrete masonry, manufactured stone veneer, segmental retaining walls, and other hardscape systems. From small family-owned businesses to large corporations, our membership reflects the full spectrum of companies that provide the foundation for resilient building construction. www.ncma.org.

NCMA Contact: Nick Lang, (703) 713-1900, nlang@ncma.org

About ICPI: The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI), founded in 1993, is the trade association representing the segmental concrete pavement industry in the United States and Canada. ICPI is considered by peer associations around the world as the leader in development and dissemination of technical information for design professionals and contractors. ICPI engages in a broad range of technical, marketing, educational, government relations and communications activities. www.icpi.org.

ICPI Contact: Steven Hawkins, (703) 657-6900, shawkins@icpi.org.

Industry News

Manufactured Stone Veneer One of Top Projects in 2021 Cost vs. Value Study

May 12, 2021

In this annual study of return on investment for remodeling projects, MSV again tops 90% return.

The return on investment for installing manufactured stone veneer (MSV) on the exterior of a home is 92.1 percent according to the recently released 2021 Cost vs. Value report from Remodeling Magazine (published by Zonda). This puts MSV as the second highest return on investment of the projects studied, and one of only two to return more than 90 percent of the cost of the project.

Manufactured stone veneer’s 92 percent cost vs. value return is the highest of all cladding projects in the study. Fiber-cement siding replacement was valued at 69.4 percent, while vinyl siding replacement came in at 68.3 percent.

“’Curb appeal’ and ‘first impressions’ are strong concepts in real estate because they have a big impact on how much money prospective home buyers are willing to pay for a home,” the report says.

“As in years past, the national averages for exterior replacements outperformed those of larger discretionary remodeling projects. Manufactured stone veneer this year eclipsed the Garage Door project for the first time as the project with the highest cost recouped,” the report says. It further notes that 11 of the top 12 projects with the highest ROI were exterior improvements.

Long term value with MSV

Manufactured stone veneer has been included in the annual study since 2015. This project has had an average 93.4 percent return over the past seven years.

“Since MSV’s inclusion in the annual study, it has consistently ranked in the top projects, and this year is no exception,” said Chris Hines of Boral, Chair of NCMA’s Manufactured Stone Veneer Committee. “The 2021 report continues to reinforce that MSV is a great investment for homeowners to improve curb appeal and increase home value.”

“NCMA’s MSV Committee has been instrumental in securing MSV’s inclusion in the study, and year-over-year results show the value of this project. While this study is focused on residential remodeling, MSV also provides value also for new construction across all categories – from residential to commercial to institutional,” Hines continued.

Overall remodeling cost trends

Across the projects in the study, the value-over-cost ratio decreased by 3.7 percent from 2020 to 2021. As noted in the report, this is primarily been impacted by rising material costs due to supply-chain disruptions. While the ROI for MSV has decreased by a similar amount in the same period, it remains a sound investment for homeowners to improve the value of their home.

In addition to national averages, the study also looks at cost vs. value across nine geographic regions of the U.S. In two of these regions – South Atlantic (DE, MD, VA, WV, NC, SC, GA, and FL) and West North Central (ND, SD, NB, KS, MN, IA, MO) – MSV is the highest ranking project studied. Similar to the national average, MSV is ranked second in the other geographic regions.

Manufactured stone veneer’s 2021 cost/value return of 92.1 percent was based on an average project cost of $10,386 and a return at the time of sale of $9,571.

Read more about the 2021 Cost/Value report here.