And Away We Go

By Jonathan Hixon, President, CMRA

As I write this it is hard to believe that it has been one year since I wrote my first article for C&D World as your new president. This year has been filled with many challenges, many of which were not unanticipated by a majority in our industry. The most interesting thing about the last year has been that we all saw a dark cloud looming overhead and we began to tighten our belts as we put up our umbrellas. Recyclers have an uncanny ability to forecast the markets ahead of time, especially when times are going to be difficult.

I have just returned from our Annual show, C&D World, in Las Vegas, and the attitudes I encountered were much more optimistic than I have seen over the past six months. Perhaps the sign that we are emerging from a long winter and that springtime brings hopes of increased tonnages into our facilities makes us all dream of the days we had just a few short years ago. One telling sign of how an organization is doing is to look at the numbers when they host an event, especially when times are tough.

The CMRA is considered the leader when it comes to the recycling of construction and demolition debris. People from around the country turn to this organization when they need answers to their questions. In a time when many organizations that deal with demolition, construction or any type of recycling are seeing numbers dropping off significantly for their shows, the CMRA is doing just the opposite. We create real value for our members and that is reflected in what I heard said in Vegas and consequently backed up by the numbers. We had our largest exhibition area ever at the Rio. Total revenue generated was up 40% from last year which had been our largest show to date. We had the largest number of sponsors for the past 15 years. The Issues & Education fundraiser and party was held at the  VooDoo Lounge, on the 51st floor of the Rio. We had the entire floor inside and out with spectacular views of the strip and some great food and drink for all that attended. I was delegated to be the emcee that evening and along with some jokes, a Penn & Teller routine and some song from yours truly, we raised the largest amount ever for the fundraiser, coming in just shy of $60,000. Not bad for an economy that has been less than forgiving.

The Issues & Education fund is available to members to help combat things like negative pending legislation or funding studies for C&D-related issues from around the country. This fund is here for you and is one of the great things about membership in the CMRA. During the show, I was approached by one of our chapters that is experiencing some disposal issues. We will be gathering all of the information we have on this issue from our vast archives and fund some of the additional information it might need to reach a satisfactory conclusion. We can move quickly and that is something I hear quite often.

Another great aspect of the CMRA  is the fact that our board of directors is so involved with the organization. Each member has a unique perspective related to C&D recycling and has encountered almost every problem you might have faced in our industry. The committees and chairs are as follows: Convention Comm: Leonard Cherry/Valerie Montecalvo; Member Services Comm: Rick O’Gara; Material Standards Comm: Dan Costello; Safety Comm: Rob Hosier; Nominating Comm: Jim Taylor; Shingle Recycling Comm: Jason Haus; and Publicity: Bill Turley/Jonathan Hixon. All board members are involved with a committee and this helps to bring a different regional perspective to every issue that is faced in C&D recycling. Ask us questions, if we do not know the answer we will find it for you.

Were you ever involved in something that you just knew was a good idea and about to take off? I had several people at our show come up to me and want to join the CMRA. They told me they liked the “feel” of the organization and the character of the people who were in attendance. Many had been part of larger associations and felt that they were not heard. The CMRA is in its infancy and like the little engine that could, we are chugging along up the mountain. In my youth I heard the saying, “the steeper the mountain the harder the climb the better the view from the finish line” and I think that fits this organization. Join us this year: you will learn a great deal and make some good acquaintances along the way. I will leave you with the words of one of my favorite comedians Jackie Gleason, “and away we go.” Come join us.

Besides serving as the president of the CMRA, Hixon is vice president of ERRCO C&D Recycling which is under the umbrella of LL&S Recycling, Gateway Metal Recycling, and DeVito Trucking with locations in Epping and Salem, N.H.

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