PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL (March 13, 2013) – More than 140 leaders of the North American precast concrete pipe and box culvert industry gathered here this week to elect new leadership, honor its brightest stars, share knowledge and build relationships at the 105th Annual Convention of the American Concrete Pipe Association.

Bill Adams, of Hancock Concrete Products LLC in Sioux City, Iowa, was elected ACPA Chairman of the Board for a one-year term, taking the helm from Vince Bussio, President of Geneva Concrete Pipe Company.

“Vince has done an extraordinary job as ACPA chairman, and our industry is greatly indebted to him for the progress made under his watch,” said Adams. “I am honored to follow in his footsteps, and pledge to continue along the same well-defined track he and his predecessors have set out, with the support of the rest of the board, our membership and our outstanding staff.”

Also during the convention, Michael D. Kusch of Sherman-Dixie Concrete Industries was voted onto the ACPA Executive Committee and is on track to become the association’s chairman in 2016.

Three new directors were likewise voted onto the Board: A.C. “Bo” Gossett III, President of Gossett Concrete Pipe Company in Taylors, SC; Brian Rhees, Chief Operating Officer of Oldcastle Precast in Ogden, UT; and Matt McAllister, President of Cretex Concrete Products in Des Moines, IA.

“The ACPA has always been distinguished by its exceptional volunteer leadership, and that tradition continues with the gentlemen elected to our board today,” said Matt Childs, ACPA President. “I look forward to working with each of them over the years ahead to continue building the greatest industry in the world.”

Several individuals were also recognized for special contributions to the industry:

  • Bill Washabaugh of Northern Concrete Pipe received the Richard E. Barnes Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award is named after Richard Barnes, the former long-time President of the ACPA. It is the highest recognition of support and service to the concrete pipe industry presented to an individual for lifetime achievement.
  • Oliver Delery of Hanson Pipe & Precast received the Richard C. Longfellow Award, which is presented to the author of the best Concrete Pipe News article of the year.
  • Scott Hofer of Hancock Concrete Products won the President’s Award for Marketing Excellence.
  • Tom Umek of Cretex Concrete Products received the Mel Marshall Award for contributions to manufacturing and quality.

Also during the convention, Dr. Ali Abolmaali, professor of Structural Engineering & Applied Mechanics with the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Texas at Arlington, presented his groundbreaking research into thin wall concrete pipe.

Convention attendees also recognized the winners of the 2012 ACPA Safety Awards, which recognize plants that have exhibited an exemplary safety performance in five categories: Group First Place (based on man-hours), Zero Incidence Rate, Zero Lost-Time Incidence Rate, Incidence Rate Less than Four and Incidence Rate Less than Eight.

The following plants were recognized as Group First Place winners in their respective man-hour category. Winners were determined by the best average incidence rate (Incidence Rate + Lost Time Incidence Rate/2):

Fewer than 25,000 Hours (Group 25)
U.S.: Rinker Materials-Concrete Pipe Division CEMEX – Reno (Sparks), NV
Canada: Hanson Pipe & Precast Canada – Windsor, ON

25,001-50,000 Hours (Group 50)
U.S.: Rinker Materials-Concrete Pipe Division CEMEX – Napa, CA
Canada: Hanson Pipe & Precast Canada – St-Jerome, QC

50,001-75,000 Hours (Group 75)
U.S.: Hanson Pipe & Precast – El Mirage, AZ
Canada: Hanson Pipe & Precast Canada – Gloucester, ON

75,001-100,000 Hours (Group 100)
U.S.: Oldcastle Precast – Brookshire, TX

100,001-150,000 Hours (Group 150)
U.S.: RinkerMaterials-Concrete Pipe Division CEMEX – Houston, TX

150,001-200,000 Hours (Group 200)
U.S.: Hanson Pipe & Precast – Lorena (Waco), TX
Canada: Lafarge Canada – Edmonton, AB

More than 200,000 Hours (Group 300)
U.S.: Hanson Pipe & Precast – Grand Prairie, TX

“Keeping workers safe on the job isn’t just an item on a priority list for North America’s concrete pipe industry. It is, without question, the most important goal of every executive and every plant manager I know,” said new ACPA Chairman Adams. “The companies we are recognizing today are models for the rest of our industry, and for every manufacturing industry in the world. We are very proud of their world-class track records.”

For more information on the concrete pipe industry, visit www.concrete-pipe.org.