President Preston Sparkman Quality Precast 813-685-5615 x 2228 email Vice President Steve Bishop Maschmeyer Concrete 561-848-9112 email Secretary Wade Mullins
Quality Precast Co
813-685-5615 x 2226 email Treasurer Adam Freeman A-1 Block 407-422-3768 email Past President Gary Clements Cement Products & Supply Company
863-686-5141
email
Board of Directors
Jeff Bishop
Maschmeyer Concrete
561-848-9112
email
Bobbi Griswold
Griswold Ready Mix
904-751-3796
email
Freddie Jahna
Jahna Concrete
863-453-5155
email
Mark Smith
Bell Concrete
352-463-6103
email
Executive Director
Michele Stropoli
407-333-4694
email
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Greetings!
It has been a struggle coming up with a message for my column this month. Let's just call it what it is, a case of writers block. As I was having dinner with my twelve year old son, he asked me, "Dad does it have to be something on your business?" I told him that I try to lean in that direction. His suggestion was to write on something that has always been dear to our family, Relay for Life. After some thought I guess that is one of the advantages I have is that I can talk to you about those things that are on my mind and from my heart. Thus, I am taking Ethan's advice this month.
Across our great nation, we are in the midst of one of the great fund raising events that happen during the year. Relay for Life was started in 1985, as a funding mechanism to aid in the fight against cancer. Today, it is one of the largest fund raising efforts of any charity. Cancer has had an impact on all of us, either in our personal  lives or maybe someone close to us. This event, which is held across the country at many schools and parks, is a 24 hour walkathon that teams and individuals will walk to earn pledges to support the fight against cancer. Our local event is this weekend at Plant City High School. Thus far, we have 885 participants, 72 teams and a commitment of $77,319. The reasons for walking in Relay for Life are as unique and special, as the story that motivates you. This is an opportunity to not only honor cancer survivors and remember people that we have lost, but also to raise funds and awareness to help save lives. I ask each of you consider helping this great cause in some way, if you are asked to participate or donate. If you need more information, please go to www.relayforlife.org. Thank you.
This month's FICAP meeting will be one of our famous roving meetings. It is such a great time for our members to get together in a relaxed social atmosphere. We will be meeting at Eco Rock in Orlando. Michele has been sending out announcements so please
plan on attending. The good folks at Eco Rock are extending to the industry an opportunity for see their facility and have some good food. I look forward to seeing you there.
Preston Sparkman
President of FICAP
Vice President of Sales
Quality Companies |
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Director's Corner
Friends of mine own a restaurant chain in the Orlando area - Huey Magoo's Chicken Tenders. I love their food and eat at their Winter Springs restaurant often. However, they've hired a new cashier with a very sour personality and I find myself not enjoying it as much. I actually groaned the last time I walked in and she was there. Now I love the food and the atmosphere, but I'm hesitant to go back because of the person I might face. That's huge!
Who's on the front line for you? Who interacts with your customers? Are they sour and negative, and spend time on your payroll grumbling, or are they positive and upbeat, honest and helpful? The latter will keep the customers coming back. The first might send them to the competition.
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It's almost convention time and we are going to ROCK the house! I was able to spend a few days at Longboat Key recently - you know just to make sure it's still OK for our members - and I can't wait to go back in July! It's beautiful and relaxing and oh so laid back; definitely FICAP's style. The pool bar is still fully functional too.
We are going to have so much fun because as everyone knows...
Happy Reading!
Michele Stropoli
Executive Director
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Upcoming Events
FICAP Roving Meeting - Tuesday, April 24, 2012 - Eco Rock
Orlando Plant - 4 to 6 pm
+ Reclaimed Concrete Presentation
Read More
11th Annual FICAP Clay Shoot - Saturday, April 28, 2012
Fishhawk Sporting Clays Corp. - 8 am to 1 pm
Industry Wide Event
Read More
FICAP Monthly Meeting - Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Holiday Inn - Universal Orlando - 2 to 8 pm
+ Presentations by Don Beers of the Masonry Association of Florida
and Joe Belcher from JDB Code Services.
Read More
Annual FICAP Convention - July 12-15, 2012
Longboat Key Club & Resort
Read More |
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Legal Corner
Your Next Arbitration Claim May Truly Be Timeless
 In my practice as a construction attorney I am often called on to draft contracts, purchase orders, invoices, credit applications, and the like. It is common for the parties to those agreements to elect arbitration as a means to resolve any future disputes arising from the contractual relationship. Arbitration proceedings are typically streamlined and cost effective and very often provide flexibility for the parties to determine the qualifications of the arbitrator and other details of the process. Read More
Rocco Cafaro
Board Certified Construction Attorney
If you have a question, please submit it to the FICAP office and we will
try to get you an answer and publish it in the next newsletter.
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Around the Industry
International Concrete Sustainability Conference
Join the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and other sponsors for the 2012 Concrete Sustainability Conference, May 7-10, Seattle. The seventh annual conference will provide... Read More
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Florida Department of Transportation Specification Development Documents for Industry Review
Proposed Specification: 3460000 Portland Cement Concrete
Proposed Specification: 1050302 Contractor Quality Control General Requirements - Compliance with the Materials Manual
Please submit your comments directly to the FDOT here. Deadline is Wednesday, April 25.
If you have any questions, contact Susan Blazo with the State Materials Office or Diep Tu with the Florida Concrete & Products Association.
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The Parliment Pages: Blind as a Bat
Over the past 45 days, I have spent an extensive amount of time talking with business owners from all around the country. Many were in our industry, some were in related industries, while others came from a totally different direction. The purpose of these calls was just to try to get a pulse on expectations for the coming year. In all of my years of talking with business owners, I have never received responses that were so... Read More
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Credit Corner
Credit Tip of the Month
Did you know that when you file a claim of lien Florida statutes, F.S.S. 713.08 94 (4) (c), require you to serve a copy of that claim to the owner "before recording or within 15 days after recording?"
The lienor is not required to serve copies to the bank, general contractor or the subcontractor. But, since you can serve the interested parties before actually filing the claim, it certainly makes sense to do so. Utilizing that collection technique has helped us get paid sooner on many occasions.
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Housing & Economics
The American Dream May Not be Dead After All
This is the challenge that exists when polling consumers about their intentions. They are very fickle creatures and their opinions can change swiftly when the situation is altered in some way. It is not that they lie exactly, just that... Read More
Orlando Home Values, Inventory Better in March
Metro Orlando existing home values jumped nearly 13 percent in March and inventory hit a level we haven't seen in the last six years, showed a new report from the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Read More
Orlando Housing on Most-improved List
Metro Orlando was among 101 improving U.S. housing markets for a second consecutive month, according to an index ranking released last week by the National Association of Home Builders. The four-county metro area ranked... Read More
Tampa Housing Starts Up 26% in Q1
Housing starts jumped 26.5 percent in the first quarter as builders began 1,040 new homes compared to only 820 last year. The news from Tampa's Metrostudy signals... Read More
Top Ten Metros with Largest Price Increases
$2 Billion Overhaul of I-4 Could Start in 2014
After years of talk and planning and seemingly little else, a major overhaul of Interstate 4 could be just two years away. State officials said Wednesday that they are... Read More
The Latest PMI Looks Pretty Good
The Purchasing Manager's Index has become the focal point for analysts every month. It is the index that has spawned... Read More
FL Businesses Post Best January Ever
It might be a shocker to some businesses still struggling with the aftermath of the great recession, but Florida Department of Revenue sales figures indicate... Read More
National Association of Credit Management e-News
Total commercial bankruptcy filings for the first three months of 2012 hit 15,833, a 19% drop from the 19,638 filings during the same... Read More
State Government Tax Collections Summary Report: 2011
This report is part of a continuing series designed to provide information on the structure, function, employment, and finances of the United States' nearly 90,000 state and local governments. The U.S. Census Bureau produces... Read More
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Business Strategies
When to Hire - or Not
The economy in general is showing signs of improvement: Kiplinger Letter reported home prices are on the rise in most states-presently thirty-eight states are reporting prices... Read More
...over the years, I've observed many leaders from the battlefield to the boardroom, and all of them shared certain leadership skills that you can use to win the RESPECT of your team... Read More
Feeling Your Pain
The last 24 hours have been instructive - some lessons on customer service from both the really bad to the really good. As I was trying to leave my home airport I discovered too late that I had entered the wrong gate complex. I fly about three times a week - every week. In all that time I had never entered a different gate complex and force of habit carried me to the usual place. I am through TSA inspection before realizing my error and it is at this point that some delightful TSA guy... Read More
Small Business Strategies: Make the Best of Bad Customers
Customers - You can't live with them, can't live without them. If you run a small business, you know what I mean. You love most of your customers. They're loyal, appreciative, responsive. But then you have... Read More
Florida Small-business Owners Hot on Social Media
Florida's small-business owners are more likely to use social media to connect with new customers than their counterparts nationwide, according to the American Express Open Small Business Monitor. The study found that.. Read More
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Go Green!
What's Happening with Housing
As reported in the e-newsletter of the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), a new McGraw-Hill construction study reports good news for the green residential building sector. Currently comprising 17 percent of the overall residential construction market in 2011, green homes are expected to... Read More
USGBC To Revamp the LEED Program
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is revamping the LEED rating system this year. LEED 2012 will focus on improving the rating system's clarity (providing more precise technical criteria) and making the system more user-friendly. Some may consider these competing notions, so... Read More
NRMCA Comments on LEED 2012 Third Draft
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