A World of winners - concrete industry

Concrete Producer, The, June, 2003 by Don Talend

Hanley-Wood, LLC, manager of World of Concrete/World of Masonry announces the winners of its first Most Innovative Products contest. This unique competition allowed show attendees to select the products and services that are having the greatest impact on the concrete and masonry industries.

Voters selected Attendees' Choice winners in 11 categories representing concrete construction, masonry construction, and concrete production. From the entries, the editors of CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION, THE CONCRETE PRODUCER, MASONRY CONSTRUCTION, AND CONCRETE & MASONRY CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS selected 136 finalists representing more than 100 companies.

The nomination process required the editors' reliance on their industry knowledge to subjectively determine the entries' degree of innovation. These subjective judgments were used instead of an arbitrary timeframe of introduction into the marketplace because many technologies--such as self-consolidating concrete admixtures, insulating concrete forms, and integral colors--are still gaining acceptance despite being introduced several years ago. The editors asked themselves questions during the nomination process such as: Does the entry provide a new way for the construction professional to solve an old problem? Does it allow the construction professional to deliver improved quality or cost savings to the customer?

The contest merged World of Concrete's standing as the concrete and masonry construction industries' annual meeting place with the editors' desire to recognize exhibitors that stand out in a highly competitive trade-show environment. From exhibitors' standpoint, the need to present customers in the fragmented concrete and masonry construction industries--which hold several annual trade shows with often overlapping attendance--with something truly innovative every few years is a challenge.

Show attendees reviewed the products on the show floor and cast their votes using ballots that were available at the show, or they voted on the official show site, www. worldofconcrete.com.

A panel of industry leaders also selected Experts' Choice winners in each category. The panel consisted of Kim Basham, Baker Concrete Co.; Robert R. Cain, KRC Associates Inc.; Tate Coverdale, Master Builders Inc.; Peter Emmons, Structural Group; Keith Gibbs, Solomon Colors; Gary Godberson, Gomaco Corp.; Dan Kester, Marshalltown Trowel Co.; Frank Lewis, Sundeck Products Inc.; Colin Munro, masonry consultant; Predrag Popovic, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc.; and Donald E. Wheeler, Cranes & Equipment Corp.

When voting concluded, more than 2600 votes had been cast. Among the 22 awards were three multiple winners. Fritz-Pak Corp.'s Rescue-Pak, an admixture kit that allows corrections of fresh concrete in the field, was named both an Attendees' Choice winner and an Experts' Choice winner in the Concrete, Precast, and Masonry Production Equipment and Services category. Superseal Mfg. Co.'s Series 650 pour-in-place window won both awards in the Masonry Accessories category. Hilti Inc.'s low-dust hand-held DG 150 grinder was named an Attendees' Choice winner in both the Concrete Repair and Demolition Equipment and Materials and Masonry Jobsite Equipment & Tools categories.

Read about a few of the winners within the source guide listings on pages 24, 32, 50, and 56.