Pipe Industry Leaders Gather at ACPA Convention
(Water&WastesDigest.com) – Association elects new chairman, bestows awards at 105th annual meeting in Florida
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 Assn (ACPA).
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 Co.
“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 Co. in Taylors, S.C.; Brian Rhees, chief operating officer of Oldcastle Precast in Ogden, Utah; and Matt McAllister, president of Cretex Concrete Products in Des Moines, Iowa.
“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.
- • 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.
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.
“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.”