What can the CMRA do for you?

For those of you that attended our CMRA mid-year meeting in Cape Cod, Mass., I would like to thank you for your support. Each year before our annual meeting the board of directors gets together to discuss what issues are facing C&D recyclers around the country and we put together the final plans for our next annual meeting. Most years the meeting is held somewhere in the middle of the country, but because I was born and raised in New England I thought it might be interesting for some Westerners to get a taste of Old Cape Cod.

(To view the figures and additional pictures in this article, you must read it in our online magazine.)

September can be a hit or miss month for weather and after the rains we had this spring and summer it was nice to see the leaves turning and some classic New England fall weather for the meeting. One of our board members, Dan Costello and his wife Joan, were gracious enough to open up their home for the group and put on a traditional New England Lobster Bake complete with Boston Baked Beans and all the fresh lobster you could possibly crack into. Dan recently finished his new home after years of planning and being in the demolition business most of his life, his house was an amazing testament to what can be done with recycled materials from years of recycling old buildings. Built using recycled and re-milled old Southern Yellow Pine floors, to grey slate roofing from nearby Deerfield Academy and wooden beams from an old textile mill built in the 1890s that were hand carved to add even more character, his house was the epitome of recycling. This house was an inspiration to all that attended and we were even treated to a historical lesson about the founding of Cape Cod and its long history in the whaling industry and several ghastly ghost stories. Many found even more inspiration in his fully stocked wine cellar during the evening as recyclers from around the country talked of upcoming opportunities and better days ahead for our industry.

At the board meeting a wide range of topics were discussed and plans were put into place for the 2010 C&D World show on March 28-30 at the Rio Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. Our Treasurer, Valerie Montecalv from Bayshore Recycling, gave us the news that the CMRA was in its best financial position since its inception in 1996 and our Vice President John Adelman from CPRC Group made plans to ensure a strong board for the years ahead. Other committee chairs gave us their assessments and recommendations to improve conditions for all C&D recyclers.

We are proud to say that the CMRA has four area-specific Chapters around the country located in Illinois, the Pacific Northwest, California and New England. With the help of Greg Wirsen from Greenseal Environmental, our New England Chapter chair, we assembled the different board members from around the country to speak about their specific issues and opportunities. Mike Hammer with Waste Management, Rick O’Gara from SKB Environmental, and John Yeasting from Glacier Recycling, gave their unique perspectives on how regulations vary from each part of the country (to say the least) and how we can benefit from sharing ideas from different states to combine the good ideas that have worked and implement them for all C&D Recyclers. It is just this type of informational sharing that helps our membership improve their overall profits and raise recycling rates for C&D debris.

Next up was a great afternoon at the Ballymeade Country Club located in North Falmouth, Mass., where duffers and sandbaggers alike enjoyed a picture perfect day on the links. Handicaps were exaggerated, balls were lost in the pines and stories of astronomical recycling rates were the norm for the round on a beautiful, but difficult course. All in all it was an informative few days and I would encourage any business involved in the C&D industry to attend these chapter meetings in the future. Speaking of the future, you do not want to miss the C&D World Exhibition & Conference located in Las Vegas this March of 2010. If you are an equipment manufacturer or provide any type of service to the C&D Industry this is your chance to highlight your company to a national audience. The compliment I get the most is that this show features the “decision makers” from a wide range of companies and Las Vegas is the number one location in the country to sell recycling services and all sizes of equipment. Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorships are going fast. These sponsorships are a great way to highlight your company in front of a captive audience that is looking for someone to solve their problems and create opportunities.

I say to you all, get excited, look forward to the beginning of the turnaround in 2010, and come to the C&D World show to talk with colleagues about the issues. Remember the words of the great Zig Ziglar, “For every sale you miss because you’re too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you’re not enthusiastic enough.” Get your reservations now and I will look forward to seeing you all personally in March.

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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