The Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association (TACA) welcomed more than 500 attendees to its 69th Annual Meeting, June 14-16, at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. The theme this year was “Leading the Way.”
Outgoing TACA Chairman Tim Foley, City Concrete Inc., noted the thinking behind the theme: “We represent the largest cement, aggregate and concrete production in the country. We run safe and clean operations. We give back to the communities – both as a group and, most importantly, as individuals. We really do ‘Lead the Way.’”
Josh Leftwich, president and CEO of TACA, provided the state of the industry address, highlighting Texas’ tremendous population growth: an additional 9,085,073 more residents between 2020 and 2022, which is more than any other state in the nation. “The state’s population growth means there is no end in sight for the construction materials needed to accommodate this expansion. That’s where TACA member companies come in,” he said.
For example, in 2022, the Texas industry produced 60.3 million cu. yd. of ready-mix concrete, 293 million tons of aggregate and 21.1 million tons of cement. That is 2.07 cu. yd. of ready-mix concrete, 10.1 tons of aggregate and 0.70 tons of cement for every person in Texas.
“The industry will continue to thrive, despite the many challenges of increased regulation, labor shortages, inflation and frequent misinformation about the industry,” said Leftwich. “We certainly have a great story to tell, as we work safely and efficiently to supply the materials Texas is demanding.”