Home is where our heart is

Concrete Producer, The, July, 2005 by Rick Yelton

It's fun to watch how kids respond to their first taste of freedom. My 16-year-old daughter returned home recently from a month-long choral trip to Germany. After taking a quick look in the fridge, she went to check out her room.

It was weird. She just stood by her bed for a few minutes, probably to make sure we didn't mess with her mess. Actually, all we did was just shut the door and left it the way she left it.

After a month of dorms, buses, and host families, my daughter needed the reassurance that only her space could provide. And when she asked for my car keys, I realized everything was back to normal.

Concrete producers often have a similar feeling about residential construction. In busy times like now, their sales staffs and QC technicians are working on those new mix design submittals for that finally-to-be-built commercial job. Isn't it funny how high-profile projects have a way of allowing staff members to wander far from a producer's normal routine?

As every experienced manager knows, our industry's success is closely linked to residential concrete. Commercial construction is great, but housing sales make the truck payments. That's why we've dedicated much of this month's issue to the home market.

Residential concrete is a subject our editorial staff has taken to heart in the last year. We are working on promoting it with a number of associations in the United States and Mexico. We have provided content to help train contractors on how to improve concrete's quality. And our own Joe Nasvik, senior editor of our sister publication, CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION magazine, has been involved in a test program that uses self-consolidating concrete in removable above-grade concrete forms, a process that could revolutionize concrete home building.

But our greatest accomplishment this year is our new magazine, RESIDENTIAL CONCRETE. So far the industry has received the magazine warmly. More than 8000 architects who specialize in residential light commercial projects now receive it.

And we just received kudos for our effort. The Concrete Council of the National Homebuilder Association has designated RESIDENTIAL CONCRETE as its official magazine. The selection strengthens Hanley Wood's long-term relationship with the home building industry.

Our expansion into the residential market should help producers. Informing contractors and designers about proper procedures and new products will help introduce the acceptance of performance-based specifications into our industry's most important segment.

Drop me an e-mail if you'd like to receive a copy of RESIDENTIAL CONCRETE. You probably know a customer who'd enjoy it too.

A magazine is an ever-changing enterprise. We're constantly trying to bring new ideas to better serve you and your needs. For some time, I thought I would like to do more to address your business and financial questions and concerns.

Selling an asset, buying new equipment, and what it means to your bottom line can be confusing. And what do those rising or falling interest rates you read about in the newspaper really mean to you as a producer?

I've finally found the right opportunity. Look for our new column, Concrete Returns. It will be written each month by Pierre Villere, who has teamed with long-time concrete industry consultant Bill Allen, to create Allen Villere Partners, a private industry banking and consulting firm focusing on the concrete and aggregates industries.

Look for the first Concrete Returns column this month on p. 26.

RICK YELTON, EDITOR IN CHIEF / ryelton@hanleywood.com