Creating Our Checkoff

Eight years of grass roots outreach finally pays off on October 5th 2018. That’s when Congress passed the “Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education and Promotion” Act. That authorization finally gives us the chance to develop our own commodity check-off program.

Today, our industry is coming together to create a checkoff and it’s well on its way to becoming THE thing that makes a difference for the concrete masonry industry.

“Manufacturers and contractors in our industry invested a lot of time and energy to get to know their representatives and to share the impact of their businesses on local communities. We visited hundreds of congressional offices, secured nearly 300 bi-partisan co-sponsors when we were a stand-alone bill, and we were frequently praised on Capitol Hill for doing this the ‘right way’.”
Major Ogilvie, Chair, CMU Checkoff Program

History

Concrete masonry producers and masonry contractors first consider application of a checkoff program to our industry.
Industry leaders allocate resources to investigate the concept further and establish program if supported across the industry.
Concrete masonry stakeholders recommend focusing the creation of a national checkoff program for concrete masonry only and create a leadership team to facilitate the development process.
The concrete masonry checkoff program leadership team hosted over 50 industry “champions” (including member and non-member producers of NCMA and state associations, state association executives, industry suppliers, masonry contractors, and others) to a meeting in Dallas to present a proposed program concept, discuss a game-plan to refine that concept, share it with the rest of the industry, and ultimately bring it to fruition. I think that it is fair to say that our champions left Dallas with a 100% level of support," says Ogilvie, "believing that a Concrete Masonry Checkoff Program is a tremendous opportunity to positively impact the short term and long term success of our industry."
HR 3395 The Concrete Products Research Education and Promotion Act of 2011 is introduced in 112th Congress by the Representatives John Shimkus R IL and Tammy Baldwin D WI. the companion bill in the Senate S 3227 introduced in May of 2012 is introduced by Senators Bill Nelson D FL and Roy Blunt R MO. Both bills fail to move out of their respective sub committees with 54 Co-sponsors in the House and 8 in the Senate.
HR 1563 The Concrete Products Research Education and Promotion Act of 2013 is introduced in the 113th Congress by Representatives Brett Guthrie R KY and Kathy Castor D FL. The Senate version, S 429 is introduced by Senators Bill Nelson D FL and Roy Blunt R MO. S 429 passes out of the Commerce Science and Technology Committee on unopposed voice vote in April 2014. The Senate awaits further action until the House moves their bill. Through a large Grass Roots efforts both bills see large bipartisan co-sponsor support in both Chambers, 268 in the House and 22 in the Senate. Both bills fail to pass either House before the conclusion of the 113th Congress.
HR 985 The Concrete Products Research Education and Promotion Act of 2015 is introduced in the 114th Congress by Representatives Brett Guthrie R KY and Kathy Castor D FL.
On the opening day of the lame duck session of the 114th Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved HR 985, the Concrete Masonry Products, Research, Education and Promotion Act of 2015 by a vote of 355 to 38.
The U.S. Senate passed the Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education and Promotion Act, providing Congressional authorization for the concrete masonry products industry to develop its own commodity checkoff program to support needed industry initiatives.