NRMCA Presents Awards at Annual Convention

SILVER SPRING, MD — The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association presented the following awards at its annual convention, held in Orlando last month.

2008 Richard D. Gaynor Award – James E. Cook, retired, director of technical services, Titan America, LLC. Jim Cook recently retired as director of technical services for Florida from Tarmac, Titan America, LLC. He has more than 50 years’ experience in ready mix and concrete materials, having started in the industry as a truck dispatcher with Hardaway Concrete in Columbia, SC, in 1958. Twenty-five years of his career was with Gifford-Hill & Company in Dallas, most recently as vice president of technical services. He joined Tarmac in 1994.

Richard D. Gaynor retired as executive vice president of NRMCA and its then-partner association the National Aggregates Association in 1996 after more than 40 years service with the associations.

William B. Allen Award – Robert Turner is a former senior vice president of Grace Construction Products who is a past chairman of NRMCA’s Materials Division. He has been closely identified with the cement and concrete industries for 40 years. Turner attended Drexel Institute; he is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and the Executive Program at MIT’s Sloan School.

William Allen is one of the ready mixed concrete industry’s most distinguished and accomplished figures, with almost 60 years of concrete and aggregates-related experience.

State Association of the Year Award – The Tennessee Concrete Association (TCA) for its contributions to the industry in the areas of research, education, advocacy and promotion. Some of TCA’s recent accomplishments include:
• Receipt of the 5th Annual Trade Association Environmental Stewardship Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of exemplary industry leadership and performance related to stewardship of the environment;
• One dozen pervious concrete installation demonstrations statewide, in addition to multiple sessions of NRMCA’s Pervious Contractor Certification program, leading to a significant increase in the number and footprint of those pervious projects;
• Development of a new Web site targeting concrete users, providing common sense concrete information and a directory highlighting contractors with certifications and training.

2008 National High School Essay Contest Winner – Why Concrete is Considered a Green Building Material by Kate A. Hauge, Moorhead Senior High School, Dilworth, MN

Promoter of the Year – Jay Robinson of Rock Hill Materials in Catasauqua, PA. Jay has been dedicated to furthering the concrete and cement industries over more than 25 years and has actively supported RMC 2000 principles. He attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania and worked at JDM Materials, Delaware Valley Concrete and for the last 13 years at Rock Hill Materials. He has been actively involved with the Pennsylvania Concrete Promotion Council, serving on both the Southeast Regional Council and the State Board of Directors.

NRMCA Lifetime Achievement Award for Promotion – Rolland Johns in recognition of excellence in concrete promotion on behalf of the entire industry over his entire career. Possessing a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing and an MBA, Rolland developed extensive experience in sales and marketing management, contributing more than 35 years to the support of the cement, aggregate, concrete admixture and ready mixed concrete business. Now retired, Johns began his career with Master Builders in 1971 and worked for many years in marketing for Southdown and then Cemex. He also held senior level sales and marketing positions with Vulcan Materials and CALMAT Corporation

2009 Joseph E. Carpenter Award – Gary Mullings, NRMCA senior vice president of operations & compliance. Gary has just completed 35 years working for NRMCA. Gary has worked on ACI and ASTM committees and authored numerous technical papers. In his work with the National Capital Chapter of the American Concrete Institute coupled with his instructor’s role in the NRMCA’s Technical Short Course, he has trained and tested literally thousands of Level I Concrete Field Technicians. Gary continues to be an authority on product and testing research that has had a great deal of impact on the concrete industry.
Joseph E. Carpenter of Rinker Materials, West Palm Beach, FL, was instrumental in the formation and early operation of the NRMCA Committee on Maintenance, which later evolved into the current Operations, Environmental and Safety Committee.

2009 Driver of the Year Award
Winner – Winfred “David” Brooks, Jr., Titan Virginia Ready Mix LLC, Sterling, VA
Runners-Up – R. L. Jordan, Southern Concrete Materials, Asheville, NC and Ricardo Jimenez, Redi-Mix Concrete, a U.S. Concrete Company, Euless, TX

The NRMCA Ready Mixed Truck Driver of the Year Award acknowledges the significant contribution of ready mixed concrete truck drivers to the growth and success of individual companies and the ready mixed concrete industry. The award recognizes the driver’s career achievement, safety, professionalism, competence and customer service skills in a manner that will enhance the industry and public image of the career ready mixed truck driver.