Advocacy at its best

Concrete Producer, The, July, 2004 by Rick Yelton

I enjoy it when the Fourth of July falls on a Sunday. I can schedule a full weekend of pyrotechnics. Towns around Chicago schedule dusk celebrations to help boost tourism, combining fireworks with local food festivals. On Friday afternoon, I'll go to the Chicago lakefront. Then there's the Saturday celebration in the suburb of Warrenville. And on Sunday, there's the big Batavia celebration. And if I look hard enough, I'm sure there's somewhere to go Monday evening.

Organizers remind us that these gatherings are meant to renew our patriotic feelings. And in doing so, each will begin with the reciting of our Pledge of Allegiance.

When was the last time you recited the Pledge other than at a political gathering, holiday municipal event, or scout dinner?

I was thinking about this when, just after his welcoming speech, Mark Stiles, chairman of the Government Affairs Committee invited his fellow members of the NRMCA to join him in the Pledge. I stood up with the other 300 folks in the room and recited the words I learned in grade school.

At first, I felt uneasy making what is a personal promise in a business setting. But as I looked around the room filled with people of all ages, hometowns, and backgrounds--all united in an effort to grow one key element of the concrete industry--I felt a purpose.

Uniting industry efforts through the Pledge reminds us of the ultimate goal: A stronger and focused national effort helps us all.

My shared Pledge had a lasting effect on how I view my work. On one level, the pledge reminded me of our responsibilities to our families, employees, investors, and customers to use our activity to cast a stronger nation. On another level, the Pledge urges us to look beyond the here and now, to what the future could be when we work together.

Perhaps my renewal of purpose came from the talk that followed. Charlie Cook, a Washington, DC political analyst and beltway insider, was the convention's keynote speaker. In between quips of political humor, he offered insights on political activism that caught me off guard.

He reminded the audience that our industry's jobs and payrolls can't be exported overseas. Sales staff, QC technicians, plant operators, and drivers live in the same town as the local plant. And in this new worldwide economy, steady local employment means everything to the success of the nation.

In an economic environment where globalism and foreign events often dominate media attention, politicians more than ever value local businesses. The concrete production industry is definitely one of those few key industries that is local by its very nature. So in the truest spirit of the Pledge, we strengthen our nation's growth everyday we do our jobs right.

So how about doing something really corny on July 2? Before your shift, instead of the normal tailgate safety talk, gather your fellow workers around the plant's flagpole. Instead of discussing job safety analysis reports, remind everyone of our industry's important role in building a strong local community. Perhaps you can recognize those employees or their children who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. And finish the meeting by asking everyone to recite with you the Pledge of Allegiance.

It's an opportunity to remind everyone that the true value of our good work is measured in more than dollars or yards.