

March 2010

CIM Students Create 9/11 Memorial at WOC

911 Memorial

Students from the CIM program honored fallen firefighters of a New York City firehouse located at 48th & 8th Streets at the 2010 World of Concrete Artistry event in Las Vegas, Nev. A memorial was constructed by the CIM students of California State University - Chico and Middle Tennessee State University in the form of two nearly 10-foot-tall concrete replicas of the World Trade Center towers. On September 11, 2001, this firehouse lost two Companies including the men and women on duty for Ladder 4, Engine 54 and Battalion 9.

The simple design - two simple vertical forms representing the silhouette of the Twin Towers - reflects light on a faceted surface etched with the names of the fallen firefighters. The CIM students at each university worked with the concrete mix and created sample panels prior to arriving in Las Vegas for World of Concrete. At the show, the students performed all of the concrete work including forming, mixing and placing the concrete, erecting the completed panels, dismantling the memorial at the end of the event, and carefully crating it in specially designed foam forms for shipment to New York.

Retired New York City firefighter, Ed Gruetzner, now an accomplished decorative concrete installer, and Mike Eastergard, a supporter of the CIM program, were on hand to advise the students and provide their expertise during the course of the project.

911 Memorial

The completed towers stand 9 feet 10 inches and 9 feet 8 inches, respectively, which mimics the height difference of the actual towers and were made of reflective cement mixed with glass fiber concrete which has a glossy mirrored finish. The face of one tower is etched with the story of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, while the other displays the names of all the firefighters killed from this firehouse.

The memorial was presented to the Captain of the New York firehouse in a ceremony Thursday, Feb. 4. The towers will eventually be placed in a memorial park across from the New York firehouse and will be rededicated in September 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

CIM Releases Annual Report

Cim Annual Report Cover

The National Steering Committee for CIM recently released the 2008-2009 Annual Report for the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program. "The past fiscal year has resulted in a wealth of success and growth for the CIM program. By meeting the needs of the committees, and identifying opportunities for continued expansion, support was established on a local and national level," said Gene Martineau, executive director.

The 2008-2009 CIM Annual Report includes:

Reports from all committees (Education, Marketing/Public Relations, Auction, Recruitment, Finance and Long Range Planning)
Institutional reports from all five CIM programs
Industry Patron profiles
Profiles of CIM Graduates
Executive Board member profiles

According to Martineau, "The undeniably success of the 2008-2009 year has been rewarding to both the industry and the graduates. This report serves as an inspiration to the concrete industry that I am proud to be a part of, and exemplifies the importance of the CIM program."

To view and download a copy of the Annual Report, visit: CIM Annual Report

On Campus: CIM Students Give Back To The Community

The CIM students at Arizona State University participated last fall with local Patron member Salt River Materials Group (SRMG) on the construction of their Net Zero Energy Home for Habitat for Humanity. This home, built with concrete wall system along with a pervious concrete driveway, will produce all the energy it uses and was awarded LEED Platinum designation.

The Arizona State students also increased service to their fellow CIM students by offering a free tutoring session each week. The club plans a gathering each week where upper-class students offer free tutoring for students in all CIM courses.

The students of the AGC and ACI student chapter at MTSU collaborated with Rutherford County, Ole South Contractor and Smryna Ready Mix to build a 250-linear-foot sidewalk for a disabled veteran in Murfreesboro, TN. The students formed and poured a sidewalk that started from the driveway to behind the mailbox so he could check the mail safely without having to get his wheelchair onto a busy street. CIM ceremoniously broke ground on Veteran's Day and completed the project in one week with approximately 15 students and 3 faculty members participating.

In January, students from the CIM program at California State University, Chico assisted with construction on two housing units to benefit a local domestic violence shelter. Approximately 15 Concrete Industry Management (CIM) students helped pour and smooth the concrete as part of this year's "Catalyst Blitz Build" -the end of semester project that was a way to put what they had learned into practice, while helping their community.

The CIM students worked along with the Construction Management students at CSU and assisted with the concrete portion of the project which included foundations, slabs-on-grade, sidewalks and driveways. "Many of our students worked on the entire project," said Tanya Wattenburg Komas, CIM Program Director. "A tremendous amount of planning was undertaken by students, advisors, and community volunteers, and the outcome was fantastic. The concrete work showcases an aesthetically pleasing acid stain appearance, while providing an environmentally friendly application." Chico State CIM patrons donated nearly all of the materials and equipment for the concrete. A focus of the design and construction of the houses was on gaining LEED certification. . See News Article.

CIM Raises $386,000 in Fifth Annual Auction at WOC

The National Steering Committee for CIM program raised $386,000 at its fifth annual auction, held in conjunction with the World of Concrete on Thursday, Feb. 4.

NYCFD

According to Wally Johnson of US Concrete Products, the 2010 CIM Auction Chairman, this year's auction totals are nearly $100,000 more than the 2009 event. "The attendance at the auction was greater than in years past and we are thrilled about how everyone stepped up to bid on the great auction items and support the CIM program, especially given this difficult economy." The money raised will benefit the National Steering Committee and support the current CIM program as well as help fund future program expansion.

"Thanks to the incredible support of the event from the World of Concrete (WOC) Show Management, Hanley Wood Publications, McNeilus Companies, Inc., Freightliner, and Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the auction was a complete success," said Brian Gallagher, Chairman of the CIM Marketing Committee.

In addition to the live auction, a silent auction was also held. Auction items included cement, concrete saws, drills, mixers, vibrators, scaffolding, safety equipment, screeds, fiber transport systems, dust collectors, NDT equipment, decorative concrete tools, water meters, pumps, generators, training sessions, reference books, advertisements, laptop computers, sports memorabilia, sports travel packages, golf school packages, and vacation travel packages.

Successful NSC Meetings at WOC

During the World of Concrete, several CIM NSC Committees held meetings. The Education, Masters, Marketing, Auction, Recruitment and Research are all pursuing agressive agendas. There is always room for additional membership on NSC Committees and the local Patron Groups. If you are interesting in participating, please contact Nicole Maher, nmaher@nrmca.org

Woman in Concrete Alliance Hosts CIM Graduate as Speaker

Erin Christie, Director of Education and Training at Ready Mix USA was a guest speaker at the Women in Concrete Alliance meeting at World of Concrete in Las Vegas, Nev. Erin is a 2006 graduate of the CIM program at Middle Tennessee State University.

An off-shoot of Hanley Wood's Women in Concrete meeting at World of Concrete each year, the Women in Concrete Alliance, co-founded by Constructive Communication, Inc. President Kimberly Kayler and AEC Editorial Manager Kari Moosmann, seeks to provide a forum for sharing ideas and mentoring in the industry. The objective is to celebrate the many women in this industry and help all learn from each other by creating the connections needed to succeed. For more information about the Women in Concrete Alliance, please visit www.womeninconcrete.org

Save The Date: May 2010 NSC Meeting

The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) National Steering Committee (NSC) Meeting, Board of Directors Meeting and various Committee Meetings will be held May 5th and 6th at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, TN. For information on the meeting please contact Nicole Maher, nmaher@nrmca.org

On May 5th, the MTSU Patron's Group will be holding their Annual Golf Tournament. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information on the event, please contact Becky Linville, blinvill@mtsu.edu

CIM Patron Profile: Jim Speakman

Understanding the importance of supporting educational programs that benefit the industry, we asked Jim D. Speakman, CIM Patron a few questions about his experiences with the CIM Program. Jim Speakman

What is your involvement in the CIM Program?

Since 1995, when CIM was conceived, I've promoted and participated in the program. I have served on the Patrons Board during this entire duration, and I was its third president. I am honored to say that I was involved in the early days when a small group of volunteers did some "heavy lifting" to create this program. Each of us realized that if we could get it started, it would have enormous impact on the whole industry. The Tennessee Concrete Association and all of its members were heavily involved in its creation, and their support continues today. We knew that getting national participation would be paramount; thus, we initiated the National Steering Committee and asked for participation. Thankfully, many executives from our industry's top companies took ownership, and the program began to have the national profile we knew it would need for success.

As do all the patrons for CIM Murfreesboro, I promote the program every day in some fashion. For example, I recently set up a meeting with the U.S. Department of Education in D.C. I also scheduled a meeting with Tonji University in Shanghai, and their representatives visited MTSU. The result of this meeting was a signed agreement that establishes a working relationship between the two universities, centered on CIM. Other activities include soliciting donations and corporate involvement, working with students, talking to families whose children are considering the merits of the program, lecturing for various classes, pursuing professors, advising and supporting Dr. Brown on issues as they arise, as well as working with the NSC in supporting new programs.

Why did you get involved with the CIM Program, MTSU?

I felt, and still feel, this is a way to give back to the industry that has provided my livelihood for 25 years. The concrete industry has always been somewhat stigmatized as a dirty type of business that many don't deem worthy as a career. When I'd go to high schools to promote the concrete industry, I found that most students looked to engineering, IT, or the legal and medical fields as a career path. I recognized that we needed to change that attitude. CIM gives the industry a cachet it didn't have before - a professional path. It helps show concrete as a high-tech, extremely engineered industry that is vital to the infrastructure of our country. It happens to be the most widely used manufactured product on earth.

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CIM on Facebook!

CIM has created a fan page on Facebook, and we would like to invite you to become a fan (search for the CIM program in the Pages Category). This page was created as a resource for students and professionals to communicate and interact. With the huge growth of social media as a communication medium as well as a recruiting tool, we believe those who participate will greatly benefit.