The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) welcomed new leadership at what it described as a record-setting AGG1 Academy & Expo floor.
Bob Weldon, NSSGA’s incoming chairman, talked about building on the successes from 2018 as he leads the association through the next year. Weldon is the president of Weldon Materials, based in Westfield, New Jersey.
He said: “You cannot build a road or bridge without aggregates. Our highways cannot be paved without our materials. Schools and hospitals cannot serve their communities unless they’re built with our materials."
Weldon explained that the association provides good paying jobs for the people of the communities in which it operates.
“We couldn’t think of doing our jobs without them. They’re indispensable, and over the next 12 months, I want to work toward having NSSGA seen the same way by you,” Weldon concluded.
Randy Lake, president of CRH Americas Materials, addressed the NSSGA Annual Convention crowd for the final time as chairman of the association.
"One thing that strikes me time and time again in our businesses, and across the aggregates and building materials industry, is the common thread among our people who are committed to safety, hard work, getting things done and doing a great job," Lake added.
During the convention, Rich Karlgaard, Forbes publisher, insisted that "late bloomers" could address employment gaps in the aggregates industry.
“Northwestern Mutual, for example, identified athletes from Division 3 colleges, military veterans, first generation Americans and women returning to the workforce as ideal candidates for their sales positions. Ivy-league educated graduates of prestigious universities don’t quite fit the bill," Karlgaard added.
