Precast people make concrete connection at The Precast Show in Indianapolis
The Precast Show returned to the Crossroads of America in 2025, spending three chilly but productive days in Indianapolis, where the strength of the precast industry was on full display.
More than 5,300 manufactured concrete industry professionals gathered for the Grand Opening on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The Show schedule shifted to Wednesday through Friday in 2025 to allow attendees to return home for the weekend.
Attendees walked nearly 95,000 square feet of exhibits on the Show floor with 385 booths, including 51 first-time exhibitors. It took most of the three Show days to get from one end of the floor to the other.
The latest technologies were on display for attendees to see and, in some cases, experience through virtual reality. Attendees also were able to build relationships with vendors who help fuel the precast concrete industry. In addition to engaging displays, attendees were treated to T-shirt printing, interactives experiences and unique giveaways.
Here is a rundown of some of the key moments and events at The Precast Show 2025:
KEYNOTE LUNCHEON
Nearly 800 people attended Wednesday’s Keynote Luncheon to celebrate the accomplishments of association members and kick off The Precast Show 2025.
A record 94 men and women received their golden hard hat and certificate as they graduated from the NPCA Master Precaster program. The signature NPCA education program includes two years of study covering precast basics, safety, production, technical, quality control and leadership.
This year’s class brings the total number of Master Precaster graduates to 527. Grads past and present celebrated Thursday night at The Bash at Speedway Indoor Karting. Attendees raced on two indoor tracks and enjoyed a buffet of pizza, wings and pasta.
The luncheon also included celebrations of the Leadership NPCA cohort, NPCA plant certification anniversaries, Safety Awards winners and Best Practices Awards winners. The keynote address was delivered by David Atkins, who spent 22 years as a New York State Police captain and urged attendees to rise and chase their dreams.
PLANT TOURS
Nearly 700 people woke early Wednesday morning to catch buses to The Precast Show Plant Tours. The first group visited McCreary Concrete Products in Tipton, Indiana. The second explored the Buzzi Unicem cement plant in Greencastle. The third and fourth tours to depart went to Coreslab Structures, which has produced precast elements for many notable Indianapolis landmarks.
EDUCATION
Industry experts led two days of education classes, drawing attendees for discussions on concrete production and repair, leadership and management, and quality control. This year’s show also included a track focused on workforce innovation, aiming to help attendees address workforce challenges and take advantage of opportunities.
Among the 1,619 attendees were an incredible number of individuals attending PQS classes, including 110 in PQS II – Production and 70 in PQS III – Leadership. These students took steps toward becoming Master Precasters by completing one of the six required courses.
PRIZE GIVEAWAYS
Spending time on the Show floor paid off in a big way for 10 lucky attendees. The Precast Show gave away more than $10,000 in prizes to randomly selected attendees, who were entered simply by walking through the doors.
Winners had 15 minutes after their name was called to meet the Prize Patrol Cart and claim their prize, which ranged from a wine chiller to the $5,000 grand prize, which was taken home by Garret Brown of H2 Precast in East Wenatchee, Washington.
STUDENT COMPETITION
The Texas State University was crowned champion of the NPCA Foundation Student Competition, delivering the winning presentation on stage at The Precast Show. Cal State – Chico and Illinois Institute of Technology also presented as finalists.
Texas State earned $10,000 in prize money, divided among participating students and the school’s Concrete Industry Management program.
SILENT AUCTION
The Silent Auction, a joint venture by the NPCA Foundation, ICPI Foundation and NCMA Foundation, raised more than $100,000 to advance the precast concrete industry through academic grants, scholarships and curricula development.
Big ticket items this year included tickets to the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, top-of-the-line electronics, food packages and more.
FINAL EVENT
On Friday night, attendees got a taste of Hoosier Hysteria at the Crane Bay Event Center with a basketball-themed “Friday Night Fever” final event.
Visitors were entertained by a live band as they played Pop-A-Shot, grabbed a custom T-shirt and enjoyed a delicious buffet that included Indiana’s signature sandwich, the breaded tenderloin. Attendees also had the opportunity to try custom beverages designed for the event, the Concrete Collins and Precast Punch.
Members danced the night away on the hardwood floor and celebrated another successful week at The Precast Show.