Does your company have ACI-certified flatwork finishers? ACI now has three levels of certification for finishers: Tradesman, Flatwork Finisher (Technician), and Specialty Commercial/Industrial Flatwork Finisher. For years we’ve talked about the benefits of certification, but does having certified finishers really matter to your business? Is it required on some projects? Does having certified finishers differentiate your company when bidding a project? At the spring ASCC meeting there was a lot of discussion about this, but there was no unanimous agreement. This led to a survey about contractors’ feelings on certification. Please help us by taking this short survey. The goal is to determine ASCC’s position on certification at all levels and also whether it will continue to sponsor certification exams at the World of Concrete.
America’s Concrete Contractors
We have a great lineup of contractors for you to learn about in this year’s America’s Concrete Contractors. We talked with contractors from across the country: big, small, self-performing or strictly concrete, family businesses and startups. One thing all these companies share is a deep commitment to their people; to keep them safe, well-trained, and armed with the best new equipment. Next year we might try going back to some kind of listing of concrete contractors, not necessarily based on revenue.
Polished Concrete Awards
Each year we recognize the best in polished concrete. Needless to say, my bathroom floor will not win any awards, but your projects might. We recognize great projects in seven categories, like commercial and educational. All entries are posted on the Concrete Surfaces web site and winners are recognized in the magazine and at the Polished Concrete Luncheon at the World of Concrete. Click here to enter.
Women in Concrete
At the spring ACI convention I met a young woman named Sefla Fuhrman who had just graduated from the University of New Orleans with a doctorate in urban studies where she researched women working in the concrete industry. That’s unusual enough, but when I learned the details of her life over the last 14 years, I was impressed with her determination and grit. She lived through Hurricane Katrina, relocated to Seattle, moved back to New Orleans, got pneumonia from living in a FEMA trailer, dodged bullets and drugs as New Orleans rebuilt, and then got caught up in the catastrophic floods in Baton Rouge in 2016. Yet she comes across as optimistic and a believer that men and women can thrive together in concrete field jobs.
