California Custom

Universal Precast is Bringing Custom Precast Concrete to the Masses.

By Kirk Stelsel

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s a common cautionary lesson, yet it’s often ignored in the face of great promise.

Such was the case with last decade’s red-hot U.S. economy, fueled by a real estate market soaring higher than it could possibly sustain. The potential pitfalls were ignored and in late 2007 the bubble burst, triggering a downward spiral that’s still hampering our economy more than three years later. Read More »

No Deja Vu in This Recovery

By Ty Gable
President, National Precast Concrete Association

If you were precasting in 1992, you might see some parallels between that time nearly 20 years ago and now. We were coming out of the 1990-1991 recession – a downturn precipitated by the savings and loan credit crisis and a spike in the price of oil due to the first Gulf War.

As is common in construction-related sectors, the precast industry turned around at the tail-end of the recession after the rest of the economy was officially back in growth mode. On the surface, it may look like we are at a similar point now, as we head into the spring of 2011. In fact, the steep contraction that we’ve experienced in the precast industry over the past three years has left us at about the same volume of business in early 2011 as we had in 1992. The precast companies that survived the recession experienced solid growth during the mid ’90s. So, we should be optimistic about the future, right? Read More »

Inventory Control Comes of Age

RFID tag and barcode technology is becoming mainstream – and may soon be required by specifiers.

By Sue McCraven

Inventory control can be a big headache for precast concrete producers. Project delays mean stock and custom precast products pile up in the yard. For every piece produced and stored, precasters must accurately capture and record: product name; casting, shipping and delivery dates; and installation placement code. Pre-pour and post-pour inspections also must be recorded to comply with industry standards and NPCA plant certification. Read More »

Understanding AASHTO

Compliance with standards – the basics of quality products.

By Claude Goguen, P.E., LEED AP

Work in the precast industry inevitably involves a requirement or specification established by one of many associations with acronyms such as ASTM, ACI and CSA.1 This series introduces you to these associations and their histories and a perspective on why they matter to precasters. This article takes a close look at AASHTO (for the ASTM profile, see the January-February 2011 issue of Precast Inc. magazine). Read More »

The Precast Show 2011 Attendees Sense a Slow Recovery Underway

While an economic recovery in the construction industry may still be several months away, there was a renewed sense of optimism on the trade show floor during The Precast Show 2011 in Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 27-29. Trade show attendance topped 2,600 and both exhibitors and precast plant owners reported rising expectations for increased business during the second half of the year, according to Ty E. Gable, president of the National Precast Concrete Association. NPCA sponsored the trade show with the American Concrete Pipe Association. Read More »

Rewarding Employees

How to keep your workforce motivated and on track even when bonuses aren’t in the cards.

By Bridget McCrea

Learning how to do more with less has become a top priority for Los Angeles-based Artisan Precast, a firm that, like many others, took a hit during the economic recession. Working with a smaller budget than it was, say, five years ago, this 25-employee precaster has had to find creative ways to keep its employees motivated without the help of large bonuses or fancy incentives.

“We can’t operate the way we did back in the early 2000s,” says Christopher Miller, president. “The business environment is completely different, which means we have to take a new approach as to how we run our company.” As part of that commitment, Artisan Precast has had to scale back its employee incentive programs while still maintaining high levels of productivity and worker morale. It’s a delicate balance, he says, but one that must be achieved in order to keep employees happy, safe and productive. Read More »

Workers’ Compensation Trusts

Can you protect your company from work comp claims with a trust?

By David Parkhurst

The precast concrete industry, like many others, is burdened with the challenge of managing expenses. One of the largest cost factors for a precaster is managing and mitigating work-related injuries. Most precasters use some form of workers’ compensation insurance to help accomplish this, and as such we are always looking for creative ways to manage and contain these costs. Read More »

Business: Now and In the Future

Precasters and their customers weigh in on the state of the industry.

By William Atkinson

In today’s rocky business climate, many precasters are left floundering in the fields of uncertainty. There are so many questions and so few answers. What are the short-term prospects for precasters? What about the long-term prospects? How can precasters position themselves for the future? Buyers of precast concrete are looking for their own answers to these questions. Following are responses from key people working on both sides of the fence. Read More »

Green Piece: What is the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative?

Globally, concrete production is more than double that of plastic, wood, steel and aluminum – combined.

By Kyle Kerstiens, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

While our industry takes great pride in the global production rate of concrete, it also means that manufacturers of competitive materials are pointing to cement production’s inherent carbon dioxide emissions – regardless of the fact that concrete meets or exceeds the sustainability of these other materials in the long run. Nonetheless, NPCA has joined with 27 other organizations associated with the concrete industry to focus on the sustainability of concrete applications. In the spring of 2009, the Concrete Joint Sustainability Initiative (CJSI) was formed to provide a unified voice for our industry. CJSI members meet face to face quarterly to discuss goals and to improve and advocate the sustainable attributes of concrete structures. Read More »

LOTO: Controlling Hazardous Energy to Protect Workers

One of the most important components of a plant safety program is its Lockout/Tagout policy. The goal of LOTO is to protect workers from the unexpected startup or energization of machinery and equipment in the workplace. Workers must also be protected from hazardous energy during maintenance and repair operations. LOTO refers to the safety procedures and practices that safeguard workers from these power-sourced risks. LOTO is discussed by Sergio Arvizu, safety and personnel director for Western Precast Concrete Inc., El Paso, Texas, and Hans Willms, health and safety coordinator, Armtec Central Region, Mitchell, Ontario. Read More »