Excitement Continues to Build After a Successful Annual Meeting in Indianapolis
The 2025 CMHA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis was a resounding success, bringing together a record 425 attendees from across the concrete masonry and hardscape industry. From insightful discussions on innovation and advocacy to the invaluable connections made in hallways, receptions, and forums, this year’s gathering showcased the strength and collaboration of our community.
In Case You Missed It
Message From the President: Celebrating Success at the 2025 CMHA Annual Meeting
CMHA President and CEO Bob Thomas reflects on an exciting and impactful week in Indianapolis, celebrating the dedication and collaboration that continue to drive the industry forward. As the 2025 Annual Meeting wraps up, he shares his appreciation for the members and partners who make it all possible and encourages everyone to embrace the opportunities ahead with renewed energy.
Annual Meeting by the Numbers
425 Attendees
29 first-time attendees
2 new Hall of Fame inductees. Congrats Rick Muth and Steve Berry!
2 Emerging Professionals honored with awards. Congrats Starling Johnson and Zach Boyd.
3 Chair’s Awards presented. Congrats Heidi Jandris, Blair Harter and Major Ogilvie!
ICPI Foundation approved 3 new programs, totaling $253,557
NCMA Foundation approved 7 new programs, totaling $226,788
30 fabulous women leaders attended the Concrete Women Connect event
50 Copies of Chairman Sam Hoehner’s book 442 Strategy signed and distributed
$1,442 was the final bid for Sam Hoehner’s book 442 Strategy for the Precast Show Silent Auction
55 members exhibited at The Precast Show
1 gorgeous ice sculpture at the Social
27 sponsoring companies. Thank you so much for your support!
Calls to Action
All Hardscape Producers are encouraged to participate in this year’s Hardscape Production Survey. The deadline to participate is March 14. Learn more.
Apply for committee service! Throw your hat into the ring! Reapply or join a new committee now. Deadline to apply is Mach 14.
Encourage the emerging professionals you work with to attend the Emerging Professional’s Group Spring workshop in Boston, April 29-May 1.
Showcase your company’s commitment to safety by entering the CMHA Safety Awards. This annual program recognizes safety-conscious Producer, Associate and Contractor members, as evidenced by exemplary safety records. Deadline to enter is March 28.
Register early for Hardscape North America (HNA) and save! Register by May 31 to secure the seasonal early-bird rates! ($25) Registration Opens in March.
The HNA Headquarter Hotel room block is now open – make your reservations at the Hyatt Regency.
Sponsor a team to compete in the HNA National Installer Championship Event – only 12 team spots available. Team sponsorship fee reduced to $3,000/team in 2025. Teams can be sponsored or self-sponsor.
Sign up for the Concrete Women Connect newsletter.
Follow the Beauty of Block campaign on LinkedIn.
Save the date! Make plans to attend CMHA Midyear Meeting, Aug. 4-7 in Naples, FL.
Plan to Attend the 2025 Canadian Hardscapes Activities Meeting in Montreal this November.
Save the Date – 2026 Annual Meeting and The Precast Show February 1-6, Kansas City, MO Secure your booth for the 2026 Precast Show
A Look Back at Indianapolis
Event Highlights
CMHA Announces New Board Officers at Annual Meeting
During the meeting, David Pitre, VP Commercial & Architectural for Quikrete’s Hardscapes and Masonry Group was installed as the Association’s new Board chair. Pitre succeeds Sam Hoehner, Regional VP for Lee Building Products, who served as chair in 2024.
Rick Muth Inducted into CMHA Hall of Fame, Continuing a Family Legacy
Rick was honored on February 3 during CMHA’s third Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. His induction marks a historic milestone, as he and his father, Pete Muth, become the first father-son duo to receive this prestigious recognition. Pete Muth, who served as NCMA Chair in 1966, was also previously inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Steve Berry Joins CMHA Hall of Fame: Honoring A Legacy and Industry Unification
A dedicated industry leader, Steve Berry has played a pivotal role in shaping the masonry and hardscape industry over his extensive career. His leadership spanned both the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) and the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), where he served as ICPI Chair from 2004-2006 and later as NCMA Chair in 2017. Most notably, his vision and ability to unify stakeholders were instrumental in the formation of CMHA, bringing together the two organizations into one stronger association.
Inspiration and Mindfulness Top of Mind for Concrete Women Connect
The Concrete Women Connect event featured a special guest speaker, Janet Bloodgood, Ph.D., CFO/Owner of ICT. Bloodgood’s shared inspirational insights and mindfulness exercises with attendees. There was also lots of time for networking during this well attended event. Concrete Women Connect is open to all women in the industry! Stay in touch with us!
CMHA Hosts First-Ever Contractor
Meet-Up
This brand-new initiative brought together contractors from the surrounding Indianapolis area for an evening of networking, industry discussions, and valuable insights into CMHA’s offerings for contractors.
News You Can Use: Committee Updates
Masonry Committee
CMU Technical:
- Endorsed plan for development of performance specification for CMU with alternative binders. Along with approval of research grant from NCMA Foundation, overseeing research to support this effort. Producers were encouraged to reach out to Craig Walloch or Nick Lang to participate in sending units to the CMHA Laboratory for this effort.
- Established task group to develop recommendations on dry-cast production with newer cement blends (such as portland-limestone cement).
- Discussed completion of revisions to ASTM C90 to explicitly refer to ‘dry-cast’ in the title and scope of that standard.
- Reviewed code changes submitted for IBC and IRC along with schedule and plan for code development in 2025.
- Kevin Cavanaugh from Arcosa Lightweight was thanked and congratulated for completing his term of service as the Chair.
CMU Marketing:
- The Multi-Family Housing Task Group gave an update on the work they have done. The task group will reach out to the The Checkoff to see if this topic is something that Checkoff would pursue.
- The Carbon Resources task group gave an update on the status of their work. They are still in the very early stages of promotion. In the coming months, the task group hopes to work with a freelance writer to tell CMHA’s Sustainability and Carbon story.
- A new task group was created to help with developing marketing content on Carbon.
- The Checkoff Collaboration task group updated the committee on the Beauty of Block campaign. The team from Clutch updated the committee on all the work being done and shared the latest metrics from their campaigns.
- The 2025 National Student Design Competition hosted by CMHA and ACSA is off to a great start. Three projects have already been submitted and 22 teams have already registered to compete. This year the students are designing a Fire House. The registration deadline is April 9. Mark Wilhelms will be part of the judging jury. Student winners will be announced in the fall.
MSV Technical:
- Reviewed progress from task groups on Installation Guide Updates and Drainage Spaces.
- Discussed impact of changes to building code relative to dimensions of adhered veneer units. Established task group to review draft Frequently Asked Question on issue, with the intent of developing specific recommendations for different structural backing systems.
- Discussed recent revisions and proposed future changes to ASTM standards related to adhered veneer units and installation.
MSV Marketing:
- The content creation task group updated the committee on the status of the MSV blog posts on the CMHA website. To date, 14 blog posts have been published and they are gaining traction. The chair encouraged the members of the committee to share this content on their social channels and their websites.
- The Audience Exploration task group gave an update on their efforts. CMHA has worked out a media trade with the National Association for the Remodeling Industry (NARI). The task group also recommended establishing a paid partnership with the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). Benchmarks will be set to measure the success of these efforts.
- The committee was briefed about the 2025 HNA Awards and all were encouraged to participate.
- The committee thanked Sean Rustad for his service as Vice Chair and recommended Rick Perry as the new vice chair pending appointment by the CMHA Board Chair.
Hardscape Committee
Hardscapes Committee:
- Supported the Certification Committee’s recommendation to move away from an ISO Accredited Certification program to a CMHA Directed Certification Program.
- Will continue with the development of a production training program
- Requested staff develop some documents about Firescaping and creating defensible space using hardscaping.
- Recommended improvements to contractor member benefits to include
- Discounts for education courses to contractor members.
- Hosting 4 contractor focused webinars per year that can be used as CE credits for CMHAs certification program.
- Approaching Hardscape Magazine for collaboration and to provide content.
- Requested funding to
- Update segmental pavement detail drawings and PICP 5th Ed. manual
- Develop a moment slab design method for use above SRWs
- Conduct the Hardscape Production survey in 2026.
- Update the website to all distribution of co-branded hardscape marketing materials
- Update CMHA’s online contractor directory
- HardscapingIs… Digital Content to Promote Career Opportunities in 2026
- Create a CMHA Career Center with Naylor Careers
- Enhance the DOT Outreach program promoting PICP, ICP and SRW
Hardscapes Construction:
- A budget request was submitted for FY26 to upgrade CMHA’s online contractor directory to improve search filters, prioritize listing of those with certifications and membership status, and presentation formatting of information.
- Continuing Edge Restraint research funded by ICPI Foundation
- Working with the Segmental Pavement Technical Subcommittee to develop guidance related to ICP on open graded bases and bedding
- Created two new technical documents:
- PAV-TEC-026 Efficient Tools for Hardscaping
- SRW FAQ 005-024 Does the Installation of Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) Require Fall Protection and Fall Prevention
Hardscapes Marketing:
- The subcommittee supports outreach efforts for the current 2025 Hardscape Production Survey.
- A new task group was formed to help with creating a panel for HNA that would incorporate influencers. The task group will work on this for HNA 2026 as the education sessions have already been planned for 2025.
- The Hardscape Literature Review task group updated the committee and recommended moving forward with the rebranding of several hardscape materials for the website.
- Subcommittee members are encouraged to start thinking about what projects they would submit for the 2025 HNA Awards.
- The subcommittee was briefed on a possible opportunity with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture to host a student design competition for hardscapes.
- A task group was created to identify what marketing efforts should be considered to help with brand awareness for CMHA.
Segmental Pavement Technical:
- Task group continues working on:
- Updates to segmental pavements detail drawings
- Finalizing report on interlocking concrete pavement on open graded bases and bedding to return recommendations on this construction practice at the Midyear meeting.
- Reviewing research on CO2 sequestration of concrete pavers.
- A new task group was created to:
- Develop research objectives and deliverables for ICPI Foundation funded PICP Loading & Geometry Research to be conducted by North Carolina State University
- Review Permeable Design Pro and make recommendations for any updates.
- Review the PICP 5th edition manual and recommend updates.
- Developing guidance on the maximum separation between PICP pavers and edge restraint
- Any members interested in participating in new task groups should contact Robert Bowers
- Recommended becoming a member of ASPIRE in support of the wireless EV recharge research
SRW Technical:
- The subcommittee requested including SRWs in the government affairs subcommittee initiatives
- Review of all the SRW Installer course materials is ongoing
- Recommended creating a moment slab design example for this type of barrier on SRWs.
- The Multi-depth SRW Task Group is working to develop new recommendations for this special type of SRW wall.
Other Committee Updates
Dues and Bylaws:
- Recommended no dues rate changes for FY26 but considering process for future rate changes. FY25 represented the third of a three year phase in program for those companies whose rates changed as a result of unifying ICPI and NCMA.
- Changed CMHA policy manual to clarify roles of the Leadership Development Committee, proxies for those serving in ex-officio capacities, and management of Canadian Activities Fund.
- Considering strategies to address dues rate calculations for those companies who neglect to return renewal forms with updated information.
Government Affairs:
- Developed CMHA policy positions on issues expected to be addressed by the new U.S. Administration and Congress in the near term including taxes, federal regulations, and workforce issues.
- Reviewed the results of CMHA members survey on threats and opportunities associated with U.S. government activities. Addressing tax policies, federal regulations, and improving access were identified as top tier issues regardless of member type. Achieving better recognition for the value of more resilient construction was also listed as a priority for all member types. Checkoff support was also highly rated for those involved in the masonry industry. Industry supplier listed increased spending on infrastructure as a top priority. Of those that responded to the survey, 75% identified as leaning or strongly Republican.
- The committee reviewed the following conclusions from a CMHA Strategic Advocacy Summit conducted in December, 2024: 1) Better promote the CMHA brand on Capitol Hill, 2) Improve ability to influence both the legislative and executive branches since both provide opportunities for benefitting CMHA members, 3) Focus efforts on initiatives related to masonry and hardscape market advancement and less on business climate issues for CMHA members, 4) Ensure Checkoff is supported so that they can accomplish their objectives, 5) Monitor business issues and educate CMHA members, but address less political capital in driving these issues
- The committee recommended that CMHA double its investment in Government Affairs activity to promote resilient masonry, permeable pavement, carbon benefits, and other issues.
HNA Advisory:
- HNA 2025:
- Gained an extra 400 sf of exhibit space in West Hall, 1500 sf remain available to sell
- Onsite space selection went very well, resigned over 90% of 2024 exhibitors onsite
- Sponsorship sales and Outdoor Exhibit sales to begin in March 2025
- New sponsorship opportunities and revamped pricing for exhibitors coming in March
- HNA looking to greatly expand attendee marketing campaign and budget in 2025
- New HNA promo videos are now live on HNAs YouTube and Vimeo channels
- The Precast Show:
- New Masonry & Hardscapes Production Innovation Forum successfully attracts over 150 on Wednesday leading into The Precast Show – Free Event to all attendees. Featured 6 CMHA Associate Members with Innovation Presentations: Besser Company, Pathfinder Systems, QUADRA, Rekers, Topwerk Group, Water Treatment Solutions
- CMHA had 55 exhibiting members, which made up approximately 29% of the total show floor (26,300 nsf)
- Certification:
- Recommend removing CMHA’s application to ANAB for recognition of an ISO-compliant Concrete Paver Installer Certification Program
- Recommend transitioning the existing Concrete Paver, Manufactured Stone Veneer, Permeable Interlocking Concrete Paver and Segmental Retaining Wall certification/certificate programs into robust (but not ISO-compliant) CMHA-directed certification programs
- Gary Stowe from Stowe Contracting, Inc. was thanked and congratulated for completing his term of service as the Chair.
Education:
- The committee reviewed and discussed four new education courses: MSV Sales (online), MSV Hands-On (in-person), Hardscapes Introductory (online), and Paver Maintenance (online). The final courses are intended to be ready to review by Midyear Meeting.
- PICP 4th Edition will be available in the coming weeks for in-person training
- CMHA staff will be working with members monthly on webinars
- The Block Promoters Conference, set for March 4-5 in St. Louis, MO is SOLD OUT!
- Tasha Thomas from R.I. Lampus Company was thanked and congratulated for completing her term of service as the Chair.
Workforce Development:
- FY25 strategic plan goals for the paid digital campaign for HardscapingIs.com have been met! The goals for FY25 were 15,000 clicks (Young Adults) / 22,500 clicks (parents). As of Jan. 1, the campaign had 36,746 clicks for the parent campaign and 16,884 clicks for the young adult campaign.
- Key reasons for CMHA meeting our goals so early include expanded national targeting and the introduction of all the new content that has been added to the hardscapingIs.com website.
- Since September, CMHA has added 10 new blog posts, 7 new videos and 7 new day in the life profiles of people working in the industry. Examples of new content include blog posts on seasonal vs year-round work and what to know when applying for hardscaping jobs, interview tips for hardscape job seekers, resume tips for hardscape job seekers, women working in the industry and more.
- Since August, more than 34,000 visitors have made their way to the new HardscapingIs.com site. This is a 100% increase in content to the site over the same time-frame last year.
Foundation Updates
NCMA Foundation:
- The NCMA Foundation approved seven new programs totaling $226,788, including programs that: Document the impact of higher strength rebar in concrete masonry construction; Expand the Arizona Southwest Guide to Masonry publication; Improve the EleMasonry software; Develop a chapter on Storm Shelter Design in The Masonry Designer’s Guide; Perform a carbon study comparing concrete masonry to other building envelope types; Develop performance specifications to concrete block made with alternative cementitious materials.
- The Foundation announced the completion of nine previously funded projects, including those that: Supported the development of the first published Industry Average EPD; Developed virtual reality concepts to support collaboration between engineers and architects; Enhanced Masonry Assembly Thermal Simulation Software (MATSS); Supported student masonry programs at multiple universities; and Developed proposed standards for the design and construction of masonry constructed with dry-stacked units.
- The Foundation agreed to establish a new scholarship supporting those students engaged in researching SRW performance to complement existing Foundation scholarship programs supporting students of architecture and masonry related to concrete masonry.
- Erik Absalon from Basalite Concrete Products was thanked and congratulated for completing his term of service as the Chair of the NCMA Education and Research Foundation.
- Ryan Suszek of Besser Company was recognized as the income Chair of the Board of Trustees.
ICPI Foundation:
- Experienced a successful June 30, 2024 audit performed by Rogers & Co.
- Approved funding of $253,557 for the following Proposals:
- Wireless EV Charging on Segmental Concrete Pavement, ASPIRE – $168,000
- Editing of ASCE Permeable Pavement Manual 2nd Edition, SPS LLC – $25,000
- PICP Loading & Geometry, NCSU – $60,557
- Agreed to redirect the previously approved funding of the CO2 Sequestration modelling to 9 and 12 month sample testing.
- Recommended that CMHA should become an industry member (at no cost for non-profit organizations) of ASPIRE which will help reduce the University overhead cost.
- Reviewed and approved the Foundation Harmonization Task Group’s recommended revisions to the ICPI Foundation bylaws.
- Travis Hilldore from Pathfinder Systems was thanked and congratulated for completing his term of service as the Chair.
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