WELCOMING NOTE FROM THE DIRECTORS
Dimitri Feys, PhD and Heath Pickerill, PhD

The first Missouri Concrete Conference was held in the late 1950’s, which makes it one of the oldest gatherings focused on concrete in the country. Dr. Dave Richardson served as the director starting in 1986 until last year when he handed over the reins and mentored us through the planning stages. We continue to build on his success and the directors before him. The conference has seen many changes over the years, growing from one-day to a day-and-a- half event. The location of the conference has remained primarily in Rolla but has shifted sites on campus. The introduction of industry exhibitors and corporate sponsors in the last 20 years has been a welcome addition. Throughout the years, the conference has maintained strong ties to the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Missouri chapter of the American Concrete Institute, and the Missouri-Kansas chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association as well as various industry representatives. The number of presentations has increased from 7 to over 20 and registration has swelled from 70 to well over 160 participants. This year through discussions with the planning committee, we are introducing a few small changes, including more sponsorship options and increased interaction between exhibitors and participants by placing the booths in the St. Pats ballroom.

The high quality of speakers, including nationally recognized professionals, has been a constant even though the topics presented have changed based on the areas of focus at the time. Presentations include various topics related to ready mixes, sustainability, and other hot topics in the industry. The goal of the conference has always been to provide timely, up-to-date, and relevant topics covering a wide spectrum of activities and current trends in the concrete industry at a reasonable price. Delivering this type of content is only possible through the hard work and expertise of the conference planning committee, made up of 10 to 20 members of the concrete profession.

We welcome everyone who works with concrete, including pavement, structures, design, specifications, construction, maintenance, and material production and supply. The conference is usually of particular interest to paving and building contractors, cementitious material suppliers, admixture manufacturers, aggregate producers, equipment suppliers, public agency engineers, consulting engineers, testing lab personnel, and staff at the local, state, and national levels. Please plan to join us the Missouri Concrete Conference to get your questions answered, learn new things, network with employers, and see old friends. Mark your calendars now!