Community Event Invites Joplin Area Residents to Think Harder about Building Option
JOPLIN, Mo. – Local professionals dedicated to rebuilding a strong and sustainable Joplin will offer a free fair to provide area residents an opportunity to learn more about green and resilient building.
Framed around the theme “Think Harder. Concrete,” the event, “Ideas for a Stronger Joplin” will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 20, 2012, at the Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center, 201 W. Riviera Drive, Joplin. The event is free and open to the public.
The community will have an opportunity to tour Convoy of Hope/TF insulated concrete form (ICF) homes and have one-on-one interaction with building professionals. There will also be group presentations on a variety of rebuilding initiatives. Free lunch and children activities will also be provided. Sponsored by the Portland Cement Association (PCA), it is the only such event scheduled for the four-state area.
“When we looked into the rebuilding efforts in Joplin, we were very impressed with the dedicated team of local companies that were using concrete to reconstruct better homes and businesses,” said Donn Thompson, PCA director of low-rise buildings. “This family-friendly event will allow community residents to see how concrete products are being used to provide a stronger, safer, and greener Joplin.”
More than a dozen local companies dedicated to resilient and green building will join the Portland Cement Association at the event, including:
- Joplin Concrete Company Inc.
- GreenTown Joplin
- TF Concrete Forming Systems
- Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center
- Global Green Building
Walter Wulf, president and CEO of Monarch Cement, the parent company of Joplin Concrete, will be master of ceremonies. Wulf lived in Joplin during the 1970s and still has close ties to the community and as such Joplin Concrete is actively involved in rebuilding the city. “In my opinion,” says Wulf, “building smartly, safely, sustainably and energy efficiently are all necessary to keep friends safe and business and industry competitive.”
Other speakers include George Van Hoesen of Global Green Building and contractor for the Convoy of Hope/TF homes, Mary Guccione from TF Concrete Forming Systems and Catherine Hart from GreenTown Joplin.
About PCA
Based in Washington, D.C., with offices in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs. More information on PCA programs is available at www.cement.org.