The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) created a high-profile presence at both the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia as one of the organizers of the “Connecting America’s Future – Runways, Rivers, Roads and Rails” event.
“With Congress out for seven weeks for the party conventions and the August congressional recess, it is important for NSSGA to maintain its visibility with these elected officials – especially in an election year,” stated NSSGA Senior Director of Government Affairs Jim Riley. “The conventions provide a unique opportunity to bring attention to the issues impacting the aggregates industry.”
Dozens of members of Congress including House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) attended the receptions in their respective convention host cities. Hundreds more people, ranging from congressional staff to convention delegates, were on hand for these events honoring congressional transportation leaders.
NSSGA has participated in both parties’ conventions since 2004, but this year was the first time that it took the lead in organizing such events. NSSGA, along with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), set out in late 2015 to put together receptions at each convention that were not simply sponsored by the transportation industry, but originated from within it.
NSSGA and NECA were joined by the American Traffic Safety Services Association and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association as top level sponsors for both events with FedEx also serving as a top sponsor for the event in Cleveland. Others sponsors included the American Trucking Association, Expedia, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and several members of the railroad industry such as CSX, Norfolk Southern, CN and BNSF making these events truly broad-based and multi-modal.