West speaks to ABC group in Tupelo

Jim West, dean of the Mississippi State University School of Architecture, was the guest speaker at a recent Associated Builders and Contractors dinner meeting at the Ramada Inn in Tupelo, Miss.

During the event, Buddy Edens, president of ABC, presented MSU with a scholarship check for $2,000 and a commitment for that same amount for the next four years, for a total of $10,000 in scholarship funds.

Thirty-one general contractors and suppliers attended the meeting.

Mississippi Concrete Industries Association becomes first NRMCA affiliate

The Mississippi Concrete Industries Association (MCIA) Board of Directors recently voted to become the first state association to become an affiliate of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

To coordinate objectives and maximize results at all levels of the industry, the NRMCA created a state affiliate designation for state concrete-related organizations.

"We are pleased to be the first state association to enter this relationship with NRMCA and believe it will be beneficial for both groups," said MCIA Executive Director Robert Varner. "Both associations seek to promote the ready mix industry so why not make our ties official? We look forward to working with NRMCA to better serve our members."

When a state association and NRMCA pass reciprocal resolutions to have an affiliate designation, the state association can then nominate an individual to become one of three regional nominees to be elected to the NRMCA Board of Directors.

This director will represent his state by coordinating the strategic and work plans of his state with NRMCA's plan. The program also raises the performance level across the industry by providing for discounts on NRMCA programs and resources based on the percentage of producer companies in a state that are members of both the state association and NRMCA.