Patrick C. Dubbert, retired from Midwest Block & Brick, Inc., Jefferson City, Missouri, was presented with NCMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award on March 2, 2022, at the association’s Annual Meeting held at The Westin at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
This award is NCMA’s highest recognition for achievement or service by individuals through a member company (or companies). The award recognizes those individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to directly advance the industry and/or the association in a profound and lasting manner.
Pat was raised in the small rural community of Meta, Missouri. The population at the time of Pat’s birth was about 350 people. Throughout his life, Pat has made quite an impression on his hometown.
As a young man, Pat excelled in sports, playing high school football and competing as an accomplished competitive wrestler. He set a high school wrestling record in 1969 for quickest pin – 7 seconds – a state record that still stands today. After high school graduation in 1970, Pat continued participating in both sports at Central Missouri State University. In college, Pat helped lead the football team to the 1970 Division II national championship game. He also excelled in college wrestling, going all the way to the National Tournament in 1973. Pat was later inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in both football and wrestling.
In his freshman year of college, his path crossed with his future wife Marsha. They originally met in grade school but attended different high schools and colleges. He graduated with a B.S. in marketing from Central Missouri State University in 1974 and he and Marsha were married in August of that same year.
His summers were spent working construction jobs, but, just out of college, Pat joined Proctor and Gamble, and for a couple of years he sold a variety of consumer products.
Pat was lured away from Proctor and Gamble to become a sales rep for the Missouri Portland Cement Company. While he was a successful sales rep for the cement producer, his true goal was to pursue opportunities where he could have ownership of a company. In 1983 when one of Pat’s block customers asked him to partner in their company, he jumped at the chance. Then simply known as the Midwest Building Block Company, Pat went on to serve as CEO from 1983 to 2019 where he oversaw all aspects of the company, including production, sales and marketing, distribution and accounting.
He took great pride in building homes, businesses, and the economy of mid-Missouri. Under his tenure, the original one-plant company grew to over 20 locations, becoming Missouri’s largest masonry supplier.
Pat became an active member of NCMA in the late 80s. He was one of the founders and key promoters of the original ‘Fastest Trowel on the Block’ program. He even emceed the national competition at NCMA tradeshows.
Pat always viewed tradeshows as a vital way to ensure producers and suppliers worked collaboratively. For over a decade, his leadership kept tradeshows relevant, navigating through industry consolidation and challenging economic times. He worked to come up with new tradeshow formats (such as the popular Business to Business Exchange) and introduce new features (like virtual plant tours).
He always understood the critical role these events played in the prosperity and success of NCMA as a national trade organization. NCMA is indebted to Pat for his personal level of investment in this area.
Pat Dubbert’s passion for business was frequently recognized. He won the Missouri/Kansas Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002, the same year he was the Chairman of NCMA. He was also nominated for an Ernst & Young national award.
From a plan sketched out on the back of a napkin, Pat, along with Scott Weber, conceived and founded Concrete Products Group (CPG), a consortium of top concrete masonry producers. CPG was organized to provide consistent, top-quality products to regional and national customers.
Very few past chairs of NCMA have demonstrated Pat’s continual level of engagement. In the 20 years since his term as Chairman, he remained a passionate supporter of the association, investing his own personal energy to create opportunities for industry growth.
Pat has always been an advocate for innovations that improve the manufacturing, design and construction of concrete masonry. He personally led a campaign to raise $500,000 to support the Building Information Modeling for Masonry (BIM-M) initiative.
His relationships and advocacy efforts were critical to the passage of the 2018 Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education and Promotion Act. Pat’s proximity to and relationship with Senator Roy Blunt, one of the original sponsors of that bill, were instrumental in getting this vital legislation through Congress.
Pat’s wife Marsha has always played an active role in supporting the company and the industry. They have been married 48 years. Together with their three children– Jodi, Jami and Bo and six grandchildren, the two represent the very meaning of family.
In retirement, Pat admits he’s still “a bit of a workaholic”. He has a new venture, Triumph Solutions, where he’s working with both of his daughters and son to establish a new successful company
“Congratulations. Thanks for being a mentor and an even better friend. – Johnny Fizzano, Vice President, Fizzano Brothers Concrete Products, Inc.
For all his industry accomplishments and long-time unwavering support, NCMA is pleased to award its Lifetime Achievement Award to Pat Dubbert.