As the last days of 2007 (and my term as TCA president) come to a close, it is the perfect time to reflect on accomplishments of the past year while making resolutions for 2008.

In this issue of Tilt-Up TODAY, you will find articles that highlight TCA’s successes in 2007. First, in an effort to reach architects at the earliest stages of their careers, the TCA held its first International Design Competition. The competition invited students in the field of architecture to submit conceptual designs for store-resistant housing along the Gulf Coast using site cast Tilt-Up wall panels. Submissions were received from 56 students from across the country, including one as far away as Bialyastok, Poland.

This year marked a milestone in the ACT/TCA Tilt-Up Certification program. Established in 2001, the program requires Tilt-Up Supervisors to re-certify every five years to ensure that they are remaining current in their Tilt-Up experience. Congratulations to the 94 Supervisors and Technicians, the second class to re-certify in 2007.

Industry partnerships are vital to the success of TCA and a vital agreement was reached in 2007 with the American Concrete Institute (ACI). TCA and ACI established a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in areas of technical committees, educational seminars, publications, certification and other related areas. While TCA and ACI have enjoyed a great relationship for years, this agreement formalizes the direction that each organization will pursue: TCA developing information and guidelines specific to the Tilt-Up industry, and ACI focusing on concrete codes, standards, and guidelines.

While this year had several great successes, it also marked the passing of an industry leader who will be truly missed, Alphonse Engelman, past president of the TCA and owner and CEO of Engelman Construction. One of Al’s greatest contributions to the TCA was the creation of the safety award, and Al would be thrilled at the success of this program. In only two short years, the Alphonse Engelman Safety Award recognized 13 TCA members for Zero Lost Time Accidents and another 16 with incident rates below the national average this year.

Looking ahead to 2008, one resolution I am making is to visit, and utilize, the TCA website more. The site contains a wealth of information, including extensive archives of past articles, projects and award winners. In 2007 alone, 40 journal articles and 33 projects were added to the site. Offering several important features, the website has an updated member directory, including an interactive map, and extensive links to our Global Suppliers, broken down into more than 40 product categories.

An lastly, did you know that you can attend the 2008 World of Concrete for free and receive reduced seminar costs by registering from the TCA website? That’s reason enough to visit the site and explore all that you can gain from the abundance of information that is available online.

In closing, I want to wish you Happy Holidays and a prosperous 2008. I hope to see you at the upcoming Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation on January 24 in Las Vegas.

David Tomasula, President

TCA Board of Directors