Houston to Host 2014 Pipe School

More than 300 concrete pipe professionals from across North America will gather in Houston in February for the 2014 American Concrete Pipe Assn. (ACPA) Pipe School, an annual industry event featuring training, education and networking.

The school is scheduled for Feb. 11 to 14, prior to the 2014 Precast Show. This year’s Pipe School attendees will hear from several industry experts, tour two local pipe plants and a wire mesh fabricator, and learn best practices in safety, quality and project management.

“Our challenge each year is to build on the best aspects of previous Pipe Schools and add new elements that provide even more meaningful and lasting value to our attendees,” said Matt Childs, president of the ACPA  “I believe we’ve achieved that with this year’s agenda, which features many of the top experts in our industry and sessions designed to arm each participant with the training and expertise they’ll need to boost sales and improve operational performance at their company.”

This year’s theme, “Concrete Pipe: Proud Past Devoted to the Future,” is a reflection of the industry’s long history of providing durable and reliable products that serve as the foundation of our highways, as well as the important role precast concrete pipe will play in its future.  Pipe School attendees will receive first-class training in the areas of production, quality, safety, sales and marketing, and engineering design.

Some highlights of this year’s event include:

•      Tours of nearby Rinker and Hanson plants and Insteel Wire Products’ wire mesh fabrication facility;
•      Opportunities to examine best-in-class safety practices from finalists for the Chairman’s Safety Awards;
•      The debut of the new installation training program for contractors and inspectors; and
•      Several informal opportunities to network with industry peers from across North America.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to become QCast accredited by attending the Quality School track and passing the exam at the end of the course.

The 2014 ACPA Pipe School will be held at the Hilton Americas – Houston.  The event is made possible by several blue-chip companies and organizations, including Diamond Sponsors HawkeyePedershaab and Press-Seal Gasket Corporation/J-K Polysource, and Platinum Sponsor BESSER Co.

The registration fee for ACPA members is $750, and non-members pay $1,500.

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