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At the 2019 TACA Annual Meeting, from left: PCA’s Michael Ireland, NRMCA’s Michael Philipps, NSSGA’s Michael Johnson and TACA’s David Perkins. Photo courtesy of TACA
The Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association (TACA) hosted more than 360 attendees at its 65th Annual Meeting at the Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine, Texas.
TACA hosted a panel discussion at its meeting with the industry’s national association leaders, including the heads of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and the Portland Cement Association (PCA). These association leaders weighed in on the state of the nation’s infrastructure, with NSSGA’s Michael Johnson noting that the upcoming presidential and legislative elections will have profound effects on the industry.
“If we end up after the 2020 cycle with an all-Democrat lineup (president, Senate and House), we would most likely have a $2 trillion infrastructure bill passed within 90 days,” says Johnson, president and CEO of NSSGA. “However, it would also present a bit of a paradox because the regulatory landscape would also change dramatically, creating a situation in which we would have to be wary of unreasonable regulations and rules based upon unsound science that would make it more difficult to meet the increased demand for our products.”
According to PCA’s Michael Ireland, the national industry associations are collaborating more closely these days to build a stronger force. As an example, PCA is now sharing back-office support and other assets with NRMCA, with both associations moving into the same building as NSSGA.
“Whatever happens in the upcoming elections, we will be far more effective in achieving America’s infrastructure needs if we pool our resources,” says Ireland, president and CEO of PCA.
NRMCA’s Michael Philipps, meanwhile, calls for allocating more industry resources to promote the advantages of concrete vertical construction, specifically low- to mid-rise buildings, mainly in the three- to seven-story range.
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