The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association (CSDA) celebrated its 34th Annual Convention held in Charleston, SC, Jan. 28 through Feb. 1 as it recently surpassed the 500-member mark.
“CSDA has been relentless in offering new programs and services for members, especially in the areas of safety, training, insurance and partnerships,” said Executive Director Patrick O’Brien. “In addition, networking and cooperation between members at events such as the annual convention have been a key factor in membership growth,” he added.
The 2006 CSDA Convention and Tech Fair, which had the highest rate of new-member participation in the association’s history, featured the most information-packed program ever offered at a CSDA Convention. The agenda included technical and business presentations, workshops and roundtables all designed to help attendees improve their companies by expanding their business knowledge and technical skill, enhancing their knowledge of safety and training and providing the tools needed to incorporate new technologies and techniques.
Keynote Speaker Chip Eichelberger provided a presentation called “Get Switched On.”
Eichelberger, a professional speaker who once worked with famous motivator Tony Robbins, showed attendees how to increase profits by adopting new business strategies and taking advantage of untapped resources.
Jay Gleason, of the Portland Cement Association (PCA), shared his ideas on the Economic Forecast and Market Outlook of the cement market and how it could affect the sawing and drilling industry.
Attendees learned how to better position their companies to attract and win bids with insight from a presentation by George Seegebrecht of CTL Group on “How a Specifier Selects a Sawing and Drilling Contractor.”
Workshops included Wage and Hour Compliance in the Construction Industry and Equipment Maintenance Management.
Roundtable discussions provided a forum for pinpointing the best solutions for wire sawing jobs as well as for improving highway safety.
Other presentations that focused on sawing and drilling included the Basics of 60-Cycle Electric Safety, Applications for 400- and 1,000-Cycle Power Sources for Concrete Cutting Equipment, GPR for Today’s Cutting Companies, Practical Solutions to Implement at Your Company and The Roadway Safety Program.
The convention also featured the CSDA Tech Fair, a specialized exhibition focused on industry products such as concrete saws and drills, diamond blades, portable power units, GPR systems and computer software. The show drew 28 table-top exhibits and more than 100 attendees, who had the opportunity to talk shop with several different exhibitors in a personal setting.
New Board Members
New board members also were elected during the convention.
The new board members, whose terms expire in 2008, are:
• Tim Beckman, of Cutting Edge Services Corp., Cincinnati, OH;
• Ron Culgin, of Pro Cut Inc., Waltham, MA;
• Bennett Jones, of Advanced Concrete Sawing Inc., Roseville, MN;
• George Major Jr., of Holes of San Antonio Inc., San Antonio, TX;
• Chris Priest, of Sanders Saws, Honey Brook, PA; and Larz Smith, of Concrete Penetrating Co., Dallas, TX.
The new board joins the returning board members, whose terms expire in 2007. They are:
• Skip Aston, of Ohio Concrete Sawing & Drilling Inc., Sylvania, OH;
• Ron Dailey, of True-Line Coring & Cutting, Nashville, TN;
• Steve Garrison, of Diamond B Inc., Santa Fe Springs, CA;
• Rick Norland, of Construction Solutions LLC, Paola, KS;
• Ron Rapper, of Dimas/ Husqvarna Construction Products, Olathe, KS; and
• David Tuttle, of Diamond Products Inc., Elyria, OH.
Current officers are:
• President — Susan Hollingsworth, of Holes Inc., Houston, TX;
• Vice President — Tom Stowell, of Norton Penhall Diamond, Fullerton, CA; and
• Secretary/Treasurer — Doug Walker, of Atlantic Concrete Cutting, Mt. Holly, NJ.
Ted Johnston is the immediate past president and Patrick O’Brien serves as executive director.
“The new board members bring fresh perspectives, solid experience and a real desire to see CSDA grow and accomplish its goals,” said Hollingsworth. “I am confident they have the dedication and ability to guide CSDA in the right direction.”
Some of CSDA’s major goals include broadening marketing efforts to educate specifiers about sawing and drilling, increasing safety and training industry-wide, improving CSDA benefits and recruiting new members.
The CSDA board and committees meet quarterly with the next meetings scheduled for May 4 to 5 in The Woodlands, TX, Aug. 10 to 11 in Los Angeles, CA, and Nov. 16 to 17 in Sarasota, FL.
The 35th Annual CSDA Convention will be held Feb. 23 to 27, 2007 at The Westin Maui in Maui, Hawaii.
For more information, call 727/577-5004.
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