Association: American Concrete Pumping Association: Energized and moving forward with new plans, initiatives

Christi Collins, Executive Director of the American Concrete Pumping Association, returned to work from the association's May meeting in Washington, DC, as enthused as she's been in a while.
"Our industry and our association are looking at this recession as an opportunity. We're starting to see some light. Our members are tough and they have a really positive attitude. I honestly came back feeling more energized than I have from any other meeting," says Collins, now in her eighth year leading the ACPA.
Collins says the recession has devastated the concrete pumping industry, but membership in the ACPA has dropped only roughly 10 percent to 650 global members - which says a lot about the value members feel they receive. "Concrete pumps are a huge capital investment, so when you're financing half million to million dollar pieces of equipment you have to find ways to make that payment, even when they're sitting in the yard. Competition is tough dropping pumping rates to all time lows," she says.
Still, she says the economic downturn will not deter the ACPA from its mission. Formed in 1974, the ACPA promotes concrete pumping as the preferred method of placing concrete and educates the industry on safe procedures and best practices.

ACPA Certification Program
Emerging from last month's Washington gathering is a beefed-up certification program that, Collins says, has the sole purpose of enhancing job site safety.
"We've added more credibility. We've reduced the time the certification is valid (two years) and operators will now also have to fulfill a four-hour safety education training requirement. An easy way to fulfill the requirement would be to attend one of the 18 to 20 safety seminars we hold throughout the US each year," Collins explains.
Additionally, the association now offers a 23-day interactive ACPA Operator Training Program encompassing all aspects of safe pump operation. "This is for the new operator who has never met a concrete pump. Operators who graduate from this course will have also fulfilled the safety requirement," Collins notes.
"ACPA Certification is the only industry-recognized certification program and contractors are now demanding certified operators on their jobs. A lot of new players will be coming into this industry that haven't put all the effort and time into safety and training and we want to set our members apart," Collins says.

Promotion, advocacy
Whether via an updated manual, a new educational DVD, or information posted to their extensive website, the ACPA is committed to keeping its members current and informed. Collins said a company from Chile recently joined because it wanted to be the first in its country to have certified operators.
"We had a vision about five years ago of becoming the world's leading advocate for the industry that sounded like pie in the sky. But in the last couple of years we've doubled our number of international members because no other source can provide the safety materials and training we have - there's nothing quite like it," she says.
ACPA also lobbies on members' behalf. The association is actively campaigning for restoration of the off-road fuel tax credit for diesel fuel that was eliminated several years ago. "We consume 55 percent of our fuel off-road, so we're working hard to get that back. We're also working on maintaining our mobile machinery exemption status with the IRS," Collins says.
The association's upcoming education conference in Denver - which it hopes to fund through sponsors - will examine topics such as finance, greening your business and recovering from the recession. "That's a key topic - now that you've cut back, how do you get ready for business when the upturn comes," Collins says.

Moving forward
Collins acknowledges the face of the association will be changed once the recession subsides. One high-profile member, in business for 44 years and whose owner is on the ACPA board, shuttered its business on April 1.
"A lot of companies we have known for years and years may be gone. The conservative company who saved for the rainy day will still be standing," she says, "but will have to compete with the new players in the market who don't have their reserves depleted and their equipment equity depreciated. It's going to present a whole new set of challenges."
Regional members such as Coastal Carolina Pumping (Southeast), Conco Pumping and Belting, Inc. (California and Washington), Pioneer Concrete Pumping (South), Southwest Concrete Pumping (Southwest and Southeast), ACI Concrete Placement (Midwest) and Independent Concrete Pumping (Northeast, Boston) are already in the process of ramping up their operations in anticipation of economic recovery.
The amount of stimulus package money targeted for highway and infrastructure work should help jump-start the industry. "Clearly, increased funding in the highway trust fund will also benefit us. The more concrete being used, the more we pump. Also, the [federal] government is starting to beef up its own buildings, which should be an opportunity for our members in the DC area," Collins says.
As concrete pumping continues to supplant crane and bucket as the preferred method of placing the product, Collins envisions a more prominent role for the association.
"As new players enter the business who haven't been part of the association, I see us as being the source for them to turn to when they have questions about how to run their business. As I said, we're excited for the opportunities that lie ahead," she concludes.