Indianapolis was “the place to be” in early January 2013! The NPCA producer and associate members attending The Precast Show had a full week of successful committee meetings, top notch educational programs and the opportunity to walk the trade show floor and take in the newest, most technologically advanced, equipment, gears, gadgets and products available to the Precast Concrete Industry! Plus, the opportunity to spend time with old and new friends, sharing information, ideas and networking is always special.
Most exciting was the opportunity to honor the 2013 Master Precaster Class. In 2012, Mike Loy of Bethlehem Precast became the first Master Precaster in NPCA history and he was followed this year by 11 MPs in the class of 2013. Congratulations to all 11 graduates. You’re helping to establish a tradition that will continue to grow while strengthening our work force and helping to improve the precast concrete industry.
The concept of Precast University and Master Precaster course curriculum has been around for more than a decade. Many NPCA members have worked to propel it forward, both through their leadership on the Education Committee and by promoting NPCA educational courses at their plants. The Technical Committee helped develop the curriculum and input from our expert group of instructors and industry personnel has been a big key to success. The Board of Directors has strongly supported the concept, and after years of hard work by so many dedicated people, we have built a solid curriculum that provides employees with a clear career path from the production floor into management. As our industry becomes more technical and competitive every day, it is essential to retain and train our best and brightest employees, and the Master Precaster path provides a great opportunity for anybody who wants to advance in the precast concrete industry.
It was my pleasure to recognize this year’s graduate class and an honor to present them with their golden hard hats! Please join me in congratulating them and their employers for this exciting achievement! The 2013 graduates include the first woman to achieve Master Precaster status: Loretta Bodi from Gainey’s Concrete Products. Three companies – Bethlehem Precast, Jefferson Concrete and Zieser Wilbert Vault – now have two Master Precasters on staff, which shows their strong commitment to training. Based on the progression of other candidates, we’ll have another strong group next year in Houston, when we announce the class of 2014 during The Precast Show. Below is the list of this year’s honorees.
Loretta Bodi, Gainey’s Concrete Products
Frank Bowen, Piedmont Precast
Brock Gill, Wilbert Precast
Gerald Lajoie, Jefferson Concrete
Tim Kerlin, Bethlehem Precast
Jude Mandes, Gillespie Precast
James Motes, Jefferson Concrete
Chris Neuman, Wieser Concrete Products
Bob Palmer, P.E., Foley Products Co.
Chad Risley, Zeiser Wilbert Vault
Jeremy Sherman, Zeiser Wilbert Vault
John Vitale, Northeast Concrete Products
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