Editor’s Letter

Welcome home from World of Concrete. Of the many conversations I had during the few days of the show, one of the many ideas that came to mind was the sense of community. Everywhere. From a newer person’s perspective, given the JONATHAN KOZLOWSKI, number of people working in the concrete construcEDITOR tion industry this is an impressive feat. And I’m JKOZLOWSKI@ ACBUSINESSMEDIA.COM including everyone from foundations, the finishers, the road builders, the decorative, polishers, hardscapers, the manufacturers, suppliers, plants, the distributors, and more.

The show reports that 37,000 professionals registered for the event. (With the number of flights canceled last minute, how many actually attended and put boots on the ground, we’ll never know.) On top of that, over 1,100 exhibitors were on display each manned by teams of people. Combined, its impressive to see the number of people reconnect for a shared commitment.

Despite being just another masked person of a crowd, I found this sense of community from the people I spoke with. One stated that they see these events solely because being a part of it has value—to be a part of the community they so love. They opt to participate not because they needed to sell the latest but as if it was important to say that the connection was relevant. That getting out there basically sent the message that “you” are relevant. That getting together is still important in today’s world of emails, face calls, and social media comments.

Don’t get me wrong. If you’ve opted to not attend, that’s understandable. My thoughts here aren’t meant to be about tradeshows but the sense of community concrete contractors have in general. I grew up in a small town of roughly 6,000 people (it’s a bit more now, but not by much). No matter where or how you connect with each other, it’s that small town mindset that recognizes the effort. And, boy, is there a lot of work ahead. Contractors may be placing a New York’s worth of concrete down each month, both residential and commercial construction show some slow gains, and the concrete world is banding together to reduce its carbon footprint. But it’s all being done together; it was plain as day to see that once you think about the dedication behind every attendee and exhibitor. And that’s a connection as solid as concrete.

As always, stay safe out there.

Advisory Board

KB Engineering Cheyenne, Wyo.

Concrete Foundations Association Mt. Vernon, Iowa

Cuviello Concrete Polished | Stained | Crafted Stevensville, Md.

T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc. San Diego, Calif.

Purinton Builders, Inc. East Granby, Conn.

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Editor

Jonathan Kozlowski jkozlowski@ACBusinessMedia.com Contributing Writers Kim Basham, Jim Baty, Brad Humphrey, Sean O’Keefe, Chad White Senior Production Manager Cindy Rusch Art Director April Van Etten Audience Development Manager Angela Franks

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