CONCRETE PAVEMENT PROGRESS 10 WWW.ACPA.ORG ACPA Sits Down With 2024 Chair Ernie Peterson ERNIE PETERSON, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES– MIDWEST AT ASH GROVE CEMENT COMPANY, WAS NAMED 2024 CHAIR OF ACPA’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS DURING ITS 60TH ANNUAL MEETING. ACPA SAT DOWN WITH PETERSON TO DISCUSS HIS PLANS FOR THE ASSOCIATION THIS YEAR. ⮶ What are your goals for 2024? ⮦ As chairman of the Board, my goals for this year are to continue advancing our mission and concrete paving, as well as safe, efficient transportation in general. It’s more important than ever to do concrete paving in a sustainable manner. We’re making concrete more sustainable by creating awareness about blended cement and addressing CO2 in concrete clinker production. We’re also focusing on using less energy to make the same amount of cement. Additionally, we need to find a way to show decision-makers how we create safe, efficient roads that last a really long time. We have a very good product that will last for decades, and we need to demonstrate that to people who can advance the industry. We need to advance the whole transportation industry as well, promoting safety, efficiency and sustainability. To do that, we need to improve our marketing and overall messaging. We must communicate what we’ve done with our strategic plan and goals as a group. We have great technical and engineering people—we just need to be able to bring that message to more people. ⮶ What challenges are impacting the industry most right now? ⮦ The general public should be able to see we’re doing our part to improve sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have a sustainable product, and we need to get to a point where people aren’t pointing fingers at the construction industry or construction materials as major pollutants. Additionally, there are funding issues and construction inflation issues. Hopefully, both will level out, and we will get to do a lot of concrete pavements around the country over the next year and several years into the future. I’m very lucky that in my part of the world, the Midwest, we do a lot of concrete paving and we get to participate in many concrete projects. I know other parts of the country don’t get to do that as much. I would love to see concrete use more widespread across the country. ⮶ How can we better promote the concrete industry? ⮦ I would love to revitalize ACPA’s Emerging Leaders Program, which is a great way to get people involved in membership and the industry in general. We need more people on the management side, as well as bidding and quoting. We also need people putting the product down on the grade. Getting more people to join our industry is an important aspect all around, and the Emerging Leaders Program can help. I also would like to encourage ACPA members to talk to their state legislators. We need to put in our two cents about continuing to upgrade poor construction by expanding bridges, highways and all those things that connect us. It’s okay to talk about pavements to legislative bodies and let them choose what they think is the best product for their needs. Keys to success are getting more concrete pavements in general, as well as letting people decide what pavement is best for them. I like to think in terms of growing the pie and then we can fight for our slice of it at the local level. So be vocal to your representatives. Visit elected officials, whether it’s county boards, state legislature representatives or at the federal level. Years ago, we talked about the “volunteer army,” referring to people selling products and materials. We can encourage this group to be proconstruction in terms of state and federal dollar allocation. ⮶ How can members get more out of their ACPA membership? ⮦ There are many opportunities throughout the year to get involved. ACPA has a mid-year meeting in Kansas City in June, and we would love for people to attend. 2024 CHAIR ERNIE PETERSON Ernie Peterson 2024 Chairman of the Board of Directors and Vice President of Sales—Midwest for Ash Grove Cement, American Concrete Pavement Association
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