Florida Precast/Prestressed Industry News -  July  2017  Edition
President's Message

Well folks, the dog days are here. More than likely by the time you get this our Annual Meeting with be just wrapped up. I want to thank everyone who took time from their busy lives to attend and especially to those who served in some capacity. We absolutely could not do what we do without excellent volunteers so if you are a longtime contributor, have just become engaged, or somewhere in between, I want to say thank you.

As we move toward the late summer and fall our focus will be shifting much more toward educational activities. We will endeavor to make full and excellent use of our resources and energy not only in the design sectors, but hopefully make some inroads into construction and trade schools as well. I am really excited about the possibilities of that initiative. We will definitely need some help and engagement for this to work, so if you have a connection with a school or college, please reach out and let us know. Having an introduction to the right faculty members is a huge bonus, and developing programs suited to these sectors will need educator feedback.
Sixty years and counting...


Lenny Salvo, President of the Board
Coreslab Structures (Orlando)
MenuExecutive Director's Update
PCI's Update
Member Highlight
Industry News
Upcoming Events
Producer Members

ED_UpdateExecutive Director's Update

  • Membership: Chair by Mr. Martin Smith, American Cement Company
    • Please help me in welcoming 2 new Associate Members and 1 new Producer Member:  A2B Engineering, Premier Precast and Skanska Civil SE, respectively to our family of precast/prestressed industry association.  We are now supported by 12 Producer Members and 46 Associate Members.  Our complete list of all members is listed on our website; www.myFPCA.org.  If some of your strategic partners isn't on our list, please help me by inviting them to join and support  Florida precast/prestressed industry.  Here are some  benefits  of being member of FPCA.  Click  here  for the membership application.
  • Education:  Chair by Mr. Lloyd Kennedy, Finfrock Industries
    • PCI Big Beam Competition - Thank you Ryan Cartwright, Standard Concrete Products and Dr. San, USF professor and students whom have worked so hard to design, produce the beam and submit reports for this national competition.
    • FIU Accelerated Bridge Construction - University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC) - We were pleased to have Dr. David Garber attended our recent Committee meeting and gave us an in-depth presentation on this initiative and his programs at FIU.  We will continue to work with Dr. Garber to develop new competition for students and assist in identifying potential projects that could meet ABC-UTC project requirements.  Currently projects are identified after completion, however, if it could be identified at planning stage, more complete data can be gathered.  Please contact Diep (Diep@myFPCA.org) or Dr. Garber (DGarber@fiu.edu) if you run across a potential project in your review.
    • Industry Training at Summer Convention - Currently we have 20+ attendees signed up for each of our courses in Ponte Vedra this Thursday, Aug. 2nd.  Thank you Miles Zeman with Dura-Stress for presenting on self-consolidating concrete (SCC) and Greg Moody with CEMEX for presenting on ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC).  Look for more training opportunities at our next event: Education Foundation Fundraising & Annual Membership Meeting in Feb. 1st & 2nd at Mission Inn Resort & Club, in Howey-in-The-Hills.
    • PCI Level 3 Quality Control Certification - We had 21 in attendance for this 3-day Certification program.  Special thank to PCI for putting on the course & FC&PA for the use of your facility.
    • Colleges/Universities - We look forward to engaging with students in the Fall Semester with UF, UNF, USF, UCF, FIU, & UM.
  • Marketing: Chair by Mr. Vern Smith, Coreslab Structures (Tampa)
    • ASCE Florida Section Conference - Orlando, July 20th - 22nd.  thank you Lenny Salvo with Coreslab Structures (Orlando) for your help in presenting Precast/Prestressed 101.  Thank you Vern Smith with Coreslab Structures (Tampa) and Daniel Kellner with Finfrock Industries for your presentation on Mixed-Use Buildings with Parking Garage.
    • Summer Convention - Currently we have 64 members signed up for the Convention and a total of 120 attendees.  List of Attendee is available on our website; www.myFPCA.org.  The Convention agenda is also available on-line, however a copy will be on the back of attendee name tags.
    • Newsletter Archive - Past issues are available on-line.
  • FDOT Liaison: Chair by Mr. Kurt Podoll, Standard Concrete Products
    • AIM Engineering & Surveying - A presentation on precast/post-tensioning concrete pavement was made to the consultant who's working with FDOT District 7 & CSX on an existing project.  The owners had decided not to make any design changes, they are still interested in the information.  We're working with AIM to schedule this presentation with District 7, CSX and District 1 representatives.

PCI_UpdatePCI's Update

  • Workforce Development Symposium - Members Only!!!
This symposium is for precast concrete CEOs, HR department & trainers, and other industry executives & managers.
 
Tuesday, October 3, 2017; 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Chicago, Marriott O'Hare
8535 W Higgins Rd, Chicago, IL 60631

This half-day symposium culminates with the work of the Workforce Development task force that was created after the 2015 CEO Summit. While investigating the problem of finding good plant-floor talent, the task force determined that it is a widespread problem that exists across all manufacturing industries. PCI members must make themselves standout from other manufacturing industries as the better place to work! Proper training can prove to be a sign to employees that your company (and the precast concrete industry) cares about their future, and can serve as a solid retention strategy.

An add-on to committee days, this is an important update for industry CEOs, managers, HR professionals, and trainers on the state of the plant-floor workforce. The afternoon will end with distribution of the current training modules created by the workforce development task force. PCI members will be shown how to customize and begin broad-based industry use.

This symposium is a don't-miss!

Manufacturing Workforce: Where are they?
Presenter: Alex Morales, M.Ed., Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute - This session will discuss thecurrent state of the workforce and what manufacturers can do to improve their recruitment efforts. This session is part of the workforce development track for managers, leaders, and executives.

Case Studies in Finding Good Plant-Floor Talent
Panel Discussion - This session will showcase successes in finding plant labor in local markets. This session is part of the workforce development track for managers, leaders, and executives.

Training Tomorrow's Workforce: An Exclusive Benefit of PCI Membership
Presenter: Ayaz Amed, Middle Tennessee State University CIM Program - This session will give an overview of the training slides and videos available free to all PCI members, and will discuss gaps in future training that can be developed for future use. This is a PCI member-only session and is part of the workforce development track for managers, leaders, and executives.

Workforce Development & CEO Summit Reception to Follow!
 
REGISTRATION IS FREE! 
Register and secure your space today!
To register and for more information contact Sherrie Nauden at snauden@pci.org.


  • The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute: 2017 Producer and Erector CEO Summit
    October 4, 2017
    Chicago Marriott's O'Hare
    9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Future-Proof PCI: Parking and Architectural Precast
 
The PCI 2017 Producer and Erector CEO Summit is held in conjunction with PCI's Committee Days and Membership Conference; however, Committee Days registration is not required. (This event is invitation only and limited to CEO's and management responsible for P&L with PCI member producers and erecting contractors.)

Register to attend the CEO Summit by sending your response to events@pci.org no later than September 20, 2017.
 
  • PCI Announces a New ANS Standard
    A notification of an ANSI/PCI standard was announced within ANSI's Standard Actions on June 16, 2017. PCI has notified ANSI of the initiation and scope of activities expected to result in a new American National Standard (ANS). This new ANS will be PCI MNL-128-201X, Standard for Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Panels and Decorative Units, Fifth Edition. If you have any comments relating to the development of this new standard, please contact Jim Lewis at jlewis@pci.org before July 17, 2017.
     
  • "Free Literature Movement" - Recently PCI Executive Committee approved the free electronic downloads of all archive, promotional, and operational publications.  However, technical (including PCI Standards) documents will still be charged. Contact PCI for more info.
  • 55th Annual PCI Design Award - 2018 Design Awards submission site is now open.  Click here to learn more.
  • The Tour 2017 - an exclusive PCI Producer Member only productivity and quality improvement event, specifically designed for precast plant personnel.  Click here to learn more.
  • PCI Design Handbook - Eigth Edition - Presale - MEMBERS-ONLY - Buy now for only $195!  Visit PCI Bookstore, offer is available through July 2017.

Membership 
Member Highlight

Lambert Corporation of Florida

Please join us in welcoming the support of Lambert as one of our new Associate Members.

Orlando, Florida's gorgeous hub of cultural wonder and diversity, is where Lambert Corporation operates, manufactures and most importantly, calls the sole home of the company and its management.
 
For more than 70 years, Lambert Corporation has manufactured quality construction products used by the national and international concrete construction industry including products such as adhesives, cleaners, admixtures, cementitious resurfacing and patching products, pigments, liquid surface sealers and coatings. These goods carry some of the most historical and recognized names in our industry, such as Vibropruf®, Make/Set®, Hibond®, Colorbrite®, Exposite®, Epiweld®, Solidus® and Crystal Clear® Seal.
 
Charles Lambert founded Lambert Corporation in Houston, Texas in 1943 and, through quick expansion and excellent leadership, expanded the business to include three distribution facilities in Texas, two in Oklahoma, and a wholly-owned subsidiary manufacturing plant in Orlando, Florida. Lambert sold all assets to Guardsman Chemical in June of 1963 and the company operated under the Guardsman umbrella until 1978, when it was split off and sold to private individual entities. Under this new operation, the Florida portion of the company, now Lambert Corporation of Florida (or Lambert Corporation) completely ceased interior research and development, and reduced its operations and market share significantly.
 
The condition and direction of the company, amongst other issues, led Lambert to nearly experiencing a full collapse in 2011, and thus the company underwent a complete management, staff and ownership change created, led and implemented by new Chief Executive Officer,  Matthew Ledlow. Through his innovative alterations, Lambert Corporation was able to not only overcome the damage wrought and foreseeable impending bankruptcy of the company, but yielded growth and success unparalleled in the industry. It is through this direction that the company believes it will quickly regain the prestige and success that the business saw during the management by its founder, Charles Lambert.


Contact Mark Ruhsam at (813) 382-7998 for more information.


Industry_NewsIndustry News
  • Coreslab Structures annouces construction of a new precast/prestressed concrete manufacturing plant for the production of hollow-core slabs in Central Florida.  The 65,000 SF indoor facility is projected to begin production in third quarter of 2017. Read company press release by clicking here.
  • OSHA announced that it is delaying implementation of the new Construction standard for silica dust from June 23 until September 23, 2017.  Click here to read more.
  • Marriott adopts modular construction:  The hotel giant embraces prefab methods to save on cost and construction time.  Click here to read more.
  • Florida Building Commission Stands Strong for Students.  Click here to read more.
  • Florida Officials Come Together to Discuss MIT Study That  Would Bring Florida Significant Cost-Savings in Hazard Mitigation.  Click here to read more.

Upcoming_EventsUpcoming Events
  • FPCA Education Foundation Fundraising & Annual Membership Meeting - Mission Inn Resort & Club - Feb. 1st & 2nd.  Registration will be available in December.
  • FDOT - Diep to meet with Department on Buy America Initiative - Aug. 15th
  • BRS, Inc. - Diep will be presenting on hollow-core system - Aug. 16th
  • ACI Central FL Chapter - Diep to present on precast/post-tensioning concrete pavement - Aug. 17th

ProducersProducer Members
(For contact information, click here)

Cement Industries - Ft. Myers
Coreslab Structures - Orlando, Tampa, Miami
Colonial Precast Concrete - Placida
Dura-Stress - Leesburg
Finfrock Industries - Apopka
Gate Precast Co. - Jacksonville, Kissimmee
Metromont Corp. - Bartow
Pre-Cast Specialties - Pompano Beach
Skanska Civil SE - Pensacola
Spancrete - Sebring
STABIL Precast Products - St. Petersburg
Standard Concrete Products - Tampa


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