One of the things I’ve been thinking about lately is what it really means for ACPA to deliver value to our members and return on investment with a non-profit that serves to promote concrete paving across the country.

Sometimes that value is easy to see: a meeting, a webinar, awarding technical excellence. But some of ACPA’s most important work happens behind the scenes, when our technical team answers a call from a state, when we represent the industry in a room where specifications are being discussed, or when we create a new way for contractors, who build the world we live in, to directly engage and benefit from this association.

There’s a lot happening right now that brings those pieces together.

Technical Services: Putting ACPA Expertise to Work

Summer is paving season, and our technical services activity reflects it. In recent months, ACPA has fielded requests from nearly 20 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. The questions vary, but two themes continue to rise to the top: quality control and concrete pavement design optimization.

That is exactly where ACPA should be.

Our technical services are one of the clearest examples of our value proposition in action. When a contractor, chapter, agency or other industry partner encounters a technical challenge, they have access to expertise that can help them work through it. At the same time, those individual conversations give us a broader view of what is happening across the country.

That intelligence shapes our education, our advocacy and our engagement with agencies.

We’re also making sure the concrete pavement industry has a voice with the organizations influencing how pavements are designed and constructed. Our team recently participated in AASHTO’s Committee on Materials and Pavements and Pavement ME Users Group meetings, where state DOT pavement and materials leaders gather to discuss emerging needs and practices. We continue regular coordination with FHWA, and we recently reviewed draft FAA documents related to grant-funded airport projects, quality management and construction specifications.

That work may not always be visible, but it matters and translates into value for our member companies. Being at the table gives ACPA the opportunity to identify changes early, provide an industry perspective, and help ensure that the realities of constructing concrete pavement are part of the conversation.

Giving Contractors a Bigger Voice

That same philosophy is behind the launch of ACPA’s Contractor Advisory Council.

We want contractors to have an even stronger role in helping us understand what is happening on the grade and determining how ACPA can respond. The Council creates a direct avenue for contractor perspectives to inform our priorities, programs and services.

And we want to build a community around it.

At this year’s Annual Meeting, we’ll hold our first-ever Contractor Advisory Council Golf Tournament. Yes, it will be a great opportunity to get outside and enjoy South Florida in December, but there is a bigger purpose. Relationships matter in this industry. Creating opportunities for contractors to connect with one another, ACPA leadership, and the broader membership strengthens the network that makes our association valuable.

Annual Meeting Registration Is Open

Speaking of December, registration is officially open for the ACPA Annual Meeting in Hollywood, Florida.

This year, we’ve put a particular emphasis on practical education that people can take home and apply to their work.

Sessions will tackle alternative project delivery, mix design strategies for evolving cementitious materials, pavement design and optimization, and lessons from the Florida Concrete Test Track. We’ll also spend time on something our technical team is hearing about repeatedly across the country: quality control.

For contractors especially, quality control shouldn’t simply be viewed as a specification requirement. Done well, it can be a competitive advantage helping teams improve consistency, identify problems earlier, reduce risk and ultimately deliver better projects.

Thank you for your support of ACPA and all that you do to make this a great industry!

Cheers!

Save the Date – Upcoming ACPA National Events and Chapter/State Association Workshops:

Stay up to date on upcoming industry events with ACPA’s Calendar of Events. To submit your event details, please contact Vickie Spielman at vspielman@acpa.org.

October 27-29, 2026       ACPA Airport Workshop, Phoenix, AZ
October 28, 2026             24th Annual Nevada Infrastructure Concrete Conference, Reno, NV
December 1-3, 2026        ACPA Annual Meeting, Hollywood, FL
December 14-15, 2026   ACPA-SE and CRMCA Count on Concrete Conference, Raleigh, NC
January 11, 2027              ACPA TRB Reception, Washington, DC
January 13-14, 2027        ND Ready Mix & ND ACPA Annual Convention, Bismarck, ND
February 2-3, 2027          New York State Concrete Paving Conference, Clifton Park, NY
February 3-5, 2027          63rd ICPA Annual Concrete Paving Workshop, Des Moines, IA
February 9-10, 2027        South Dakota Concrete Conference, Sioux Falls, SD
February 11-12, 2027      WCPA Annual Concrete Pavement Conference, Oshkosh, WI
February 11, 2027            Indiana Chapter ACPA 2027 PCCP Workshop, Indianapolis, IN
February 14-27, 2027     KCA 2027 Annual Convention, Bowling Green, KY
February 16-17, 2027     2027 ILCPA Annual Meeting, Springfield, IL
February 16-17, 2027     MCA Annual Conference and 75th Anniversary Celebration, Dearborn, MI
February 17-18, 2027     29th ACPA/PA Conference, Camp Hill, PA
March 3-5, 2027             47th Annual Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Conference, Kansas City, MO
March 11, 2027                Colorado/Wyoming Annual Conference Pavement Workshop, Denver, CO
March 18-19, 2027          CPAM Annual Workshop, Waite Park, MN
March 23-24, 2027         Oklahoma Concrete Pavement Conference, Oklahoma City, OK
April 21-22, 2027            California Concrete Pavement Conference, Davis, CA
June 8-10, 2027               ACPA Mid-Year Meeting, New Orleans, LA