Two new states are now served by concrete professionals that have achieved the status of Certified Residential Foundation Company, according to CFA Executive Director, James Baty. Concrete foundations constructed in the states of Indiana and Utah will now be produced by each state’s first certified foundation company, Custom Concrete Company, Inc. of Westfield, Ind. and Solid Concrete Walls, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah have been approved this summer and elevated to certified status.
The Certified Foundation Company distinction is a program rating established by the Concrete Foundations Association of North America (CFA) offering third-party quality assurance for professional concrete foundation companies.
Recognizing the need for a national program to establish a consistent base of knowledge and quality assurance for the cast-in-place concrete foundation industry, the CFA created the Certified Foundation Company a decade ago. The program now recognizes certified companies in the states of Missouri, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska and now Indiana and Utah.
“The Certified Foundation Company program was a natural by-product of the introduction of Certified Foundation Technician,” states Baty. “Introduced in 2007, the technician program established a grueling examination of the knowledge base for understanding the codes and standards that shape the minimum requirements for today’s residential concrete foundations. However, having a person on staff, or even multiple project managers that know the important sections of code documents, was just the start. This industry needed a recognizable standard for operation of a quality foundation company.”
Custom Concrete, Inc. – Westfield, Ind.
Custom Concrete’s name has been synonymous with industry leadership for years. Beginning with company founder and former CFA Board President, Joe Carr, Custom has continually been a resource for cast-in-place concrete companies looking to grow, evolve or simply be challenged. “We at Custom Concrete are committed to the continuous improvement of everything we do, so it only seemed right to take this monumental step”, states Senior Vice President for Custom, Jason Ells. “I knew that we would be stretched and challenged during this process, but I did not realize how much we would actually learn from it.”
Custom started the process toward certification when Ells and one of the owners, Brad Schrock, also a former CFA board president, took the very first Foundation Technician exam given by the CFA in New Mexico (2007). Ells then completed one of the first re-certifications to maintain his name on the growing list of Certified Foundation Technicians after ACI took over the program. “The exam is no joke, it’s difficult, but I honestly believe we have a lot more to offer our customers because of what we have learned through it, states Ells.”
With Ells now serving the CFA Board, the company identified that one of the areas they had not pursued was establishing a third-party validation for their approach to business. Their entry into the company certification program and subsequent approval establishes another new state represented in the program and the first CFA certified company in Indiana. “We are excited and honored to be the first and only CFA certified company in Indiana. We hope this demonstrates our determination to install the best foundations our Indiana customers can buy.”
“Custom Concrete is one of the larger firms found in CFA membership and in certification,” states Baty. “Their multiple divisions and activity in the marketplace were ideal for the growth we are seeing in this valuable market program. As they applied their processes and company culture to this program, it was encouraging to understand how important the opportunity is for companies of all sizes and formats.”
For more information on Custom Concrete, Inc., contact Jason Ells at (317) 896-2885 or visit their website, http://customconcrete.com.
Solid Concrete Walls, Inc. – Salt Lake City, Utah.
Solid Concrete Walls, Inc. (SCW) has a long history of technical leadership in the concrete foundations industry. Kirby Justesen, president of SCW, served on the CFA technical committees charged with writing the three versions of the CFA’s own Standard (2004, 2006 and 2010) and has been a voting member of ACI 332, the American Concrete Institute’s Residential Concrete Code committee since the early years of developing that document. Much of the information that has become part of the individual certification comes from the documents served by these interests. When CFA completed the transition of individual certification to ACI, Justesen determined that it was time for the company to become a CFA Certified Foundation Company to build on the individual certifications they possessed now through ACI. It was time for the company to step out from behind the curtain and demonstrate the industry leadership he had helped to create.
“We at SCW know and value the importance of continuing education. We strive to be a leader in our industry through networking and understanding new technology, trends, and celebrating concrete in design,” states SCW operations manager, John Graber. “Becoming a CFA Certified Company is another step in that direction to provide our clients with a contractor that is willing meet their needs and bring more knowledge to their projects.”
SCW establishes a new direction for the company certification program extending into the western U.S. Nebraska had been the previous state with the western most certified company location until this month. “We are proud to be the first in Utah to hold this certification,” states Graber.
For more information on Solid Concrete Walls, Inc., please contact John Graber at (801) 301-4456 or visit their website, www.solidconcretewalls.com.
For more information on the CFA, please contact James Baty, Executive Director, at 866-232-9255 or [email protected] or visit the Association website at www.cfawalls.org and go to keyword Certification.
For more information on the American Concrete Institute and their individual certification programs visit their website, www.concrete.orgj
