Learn the latest business strategies from industry experts as the NPCA Annual Convention offers five in-person classroom sessions. Earn professional development hours (PDHs) as you explore topics that affect most businesses and examine how to turn them to your benefit.
Thursday, Nov. 3
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
EDU1 - Motivating Today's Workers: How to Lead Your Thoroughbreds, Fence-sitters and Carp Workers
Presenter: Brad Humphrey, Pinnacle Development Group Inc.
Face it, workers are different today. Sure, we always have had employees who were lazy, just as we have always had employees who were great. But have we ever faced what appears to be a growing number of workers without drive, without commitment and without a desire to become an expert craftsman? Brad Humphrey will teach you the make-up of workers today, regardless of age, and how to lead three work styles: the thoroughbreds who set the pace, the fence-sitters who watch the pace, and the carp who restrict the pace. He also will provide an assessment developed to identify who fit these three worker types by profile traits and tendencies.
At the conclusion of the course,
you will be able to:
• Identify the three classes of workers: thoroughbreds, fence-sitters and carp.
• Read your workers’ “DNA.”
• Determine your workers’ “DNA” tendencies.
• Lead each class of worker.

About the Presenter
Brad Humphrey, founder of Pinnacle Development Group, is a nationally acclaimed speaker at construction conferences across North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. He has been called The Contractor’s “best friend” and now even hosts a weekly podcast called: The Contractor’s Best Friend Podcast. Having owned several construction companies, Humphrey understands the challenges and opportunities facing construction owners and leaders. Humphrey is the author of “The 21st Century Supervisor,” “Coaching the Emerging Leader, Mentoring, Job Site Planning,” and his new book, “Construction: The Best Industry in the World.” Additionally, Humphrey has had more than 500 articles published in a variety of construction magazines.
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
EDU2 – Preparing for Economic Change
Presenter: Patrick Luce, ITR Economics
The year is winding down, and it is time to prepare for the challenges, ongoing uncertainties and opportunities of 2023. This session will explore consumer trends and market opportunities, pricing issues, labor constraints and production costs to expect when the calendar turns. Each topic will include practical business responses, tactics and strategies to maximize market potential and company preparedness as well as present relevant market outlooks and issues that have an impact on profitability via resource allocation, budgets, expectations and strategic planning. Attendees will be armed and ready with what they need to plan for the future.
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
• Assess business demand for 2023 and into 2024.
• Look at key indicators that foretell upcoming cyclical turns in the economy.
• Assess interest rate trends and other financial market trends.
• Obtain insight regarding inflation, supply chain, and international trends.

About the Presenter
Patrick Luce is a member of ITR Economics’ team, lending his expertise to client reports, forecast reviews, research and regular communications with clients. Luce majored in finance and economics at the University of Tampa and went on to earn a master’s degree in economics from the University of South Florida. His served as a panel member and moderator for Institute of Strategic Policy Solutions events, serving as a contributor to the American Water Works Association Manual M1, presenting at AWWA Utility Management Conferences and publishing insights in the Florida Water Resources Journal. Prior to joining the ITR Economics team, Luce worked as a management consultant, specializing in financial and economic modeling for local government agencies. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at his undergraduate alma mater, where he teaches macroeconomics.
Friday, Nov. 4
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
EDU3 – Digital Marketing Fundamentals
Presenter: Tom Rodak, NPCA
In this course, you will learn how to generate more traffic to your website, increase your ranking on Google, create content that will drive interest and sales, create social media posts that people want to share and learn how to keep customers coming back. The course provides practical best practices you can use today – as well as methods of gauging whether your digital programs are providing a return on investment.
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
• Understand how to develop a digital strategy.
• Drive traffic to your website.
• Develop a content plan that provides customer value.
• Measure digital marketing effectiveness.

About the Presenter
Tom Rodak is NPCA’s vice president of marketing and communications. Prior to joining NPCA in December 2021, Rodak spent 20-plus years in the transportation, logistics and manufacturing industries, most recently serving as vice president of corporate marketing with Wabash National Corporation. Prior to Wabash, he held senior-level marketing roles at both Panther Premium Logistics and Con-way Freight. Prior to commercial transportation, Tom spent six years developing plasticsnet.com and other eBusiness networks with a technology startup based in Chicago. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a specialization in advertising and public relations. For more information, visit rodakportfolio.com.
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
EDU4 – Strategic and Tactical Productivity Execution Techniques to Improve Field Project Results
Construction is defined as “placing materials.” To “place” is tactical, yet with more forethought to determine the best way to place materials in the right way the first time, production will increase. This session will instruct how to blend strategy with critical productivity tools that greatly impact actual production efficiencies. These two critical elements drive daily and weekly processes to keep production consistent and increase profitability.
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
• Define your daily productivity plan and check points…and commit to it!
• Document daily the Who, What, Where, When and How.
• Identify ways to strengthen daily communication between leaders and workers.

About the Presenter
Brad Humphrey, founder of Pinnacle Development Group, is a nationally acclaimed speaker at construction conferences across North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. He has been called The Contractor’s “best friend” and now even hosts a weekly podcast called: The Contractor’s Best Friend Podcast. Having owned several construction companies, Humphrey understands the challenges and opportunities facing construction owners and leaders. Humphrey is the author of “The 21st Century Supervisor,” “Coaching the Emerging Leader, Mentoring, Job Site Planning,” and his new book, “Construction: The Best Industry in the World.” Additionally, Humphrey has had more than 500 articles published in a variety of construction magazines.
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
EDU5 – Digital Transformation: Moving Away from Paper and Spreadsheets
Andrew Xue, Offsight Inc.
Construction is defined as “placing materials.” To “place” is tactical, yet with more forethought to determine the best way to place materials in the right way the first time, production will increase. This session will instruct how to blend strategy with critical productivity tools that greatly impact actual production efficiencies. These two critical elements drive daily and weekly processes to keep production consistent and increase profitability.
At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to:
• Define your daily productivity plan and check points…and commit to it!
• Document daily the Who, What, Where, When and How.
• Identify ways to strengthen daily communication between leaders and workers.

About the Presenter
Andrew Xue is the COO and co-founder of Offsight Inc., a manufacturing project management software for the offsite construction and building components industry. Offsight is the industry leader in providing software for building component factories such as precast concrete, EIFS panels, Bathpods, etc., serving customers worldwide.