Masonry Magazine May 1968 Page. 15
Mason Contractor News...
# Vermiculite Sales Have A Record Year
Vermiculite sales for 1967 rose substantially over 1966, which was a record-breaking year itself, R. B. Moran, president of the Vermiculite Institute, told industry executives attending the 27th annual meeting. It was held March 17-21 at the San Marcos Hotel in Chandler, Ariz.
Moran reported that industry summaries for 1967 showed sales increases all along the line. During the past 10 years, the total average growth amounted to 42 per cent, he said.
Two of the largest gains were made by water-repellent vermiculite insulation for masonry walls and by vermiculite concrete aggregate for roof decks.
N. F. Bushell, chairman of the insulation committee, said that the four-hour fire rating recently awarded to an 8"x8"x16" concrete block wall with the cores filled with vermiculite (MASONRY, January, 1968) was one of the past year's most exciting developments and predicted that it would substantially increase business for both concrete block and for water-repellent vermiculite. This was confirmed by L. A. Barron, the institute's managing director.
"There is a big new market coming up for fire-rated storage vaults for computer tapes," he noted. "Just last week I was in a Chicago bank, which has 7,000 tapes to store already. Their purchase value is $40 each, and when the tape is processed with data, its value is astronomical. This four-hour-plus concrete block wall is ideal for vault construction. It is just as useful to isolate the noise generated by computers and other machines; and makes (Continued on page 34)
# MEETING PLANNED
The Mason Contractors of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee will hold their Second Annual Meeting at the Broadwater Beach Hotel, Biloxi, Miss., on June 27-30. A full agenda of business matters will be considered by the group and an enjoyable ladies program is being arranged.
# Name Schowalter
A. J. Showalter, formerly a field technical service engineer for Kaiser Cement and Gypsum Corporation has been named Technical Service Manager for the Aetna Portland Cement Division of the Martin Marietta Corporation.
Announcement of the appointment was made by Robert R. Carson, president of Aetna. Showalter held technical service responsibility for the states of Washington, Oregon and Alaska under Kaiser. At Aetna, he will head an expanded technical service operation and will participate in the development of new technically-oriented services for Aetna customers.
Before joining Kaiser, Showalter spent several years as research engineer and subsequently as Chief Engineer with Rodeffer Industries, a large concrete ready-mix firm in Southern California.
# NPCA Appoints Walton
National Precast Concrete Association has announced that the group will be managed by the management firm of Harper & Walton, Indianapolis, Indiana. Robert W. Walton has been appointed Executive Director of NPCA.
COMING EVENTS
# 1968
June
27-30..2nd Annual Tri-State Meeting of MCAA Chapters in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. The Broadwater Beach Hotel, Biloxi, Miss.
August
1-4.. Annual Meeting of the Associated Masonry Contractors of Texas, Robert Driscoll Hotel, Corpus Christi, Texas. Contact: Gerald Sutherland, 322 Westchester Drive, Corpus, Christi, Texas.
1-4.. Summer Executive Board Meeting of the Mason Contractors Association of America, Breezy Point, Pequot Lakes, Minn. Contact: MCAA Executive Office.
3-8.. Mid-Year Board Meeting of the National Concrete Masonry Association, Brown Palace Hotel. Denver, Colorado.
September
7-11.. Annual Conference of the National Foundation of Health, Welfare & Pension Plans, Hilton Hotel, San Francisco, Calif. Contact: National Foundation 414-786-6700.
24.. All-Weather Conference sponsored by Mason Contractors Association of Columbus, Ohio in cooperation with the International All-Weather Committee. Contact: MCAA Executive Office.
# 1969
January
10-12.. MCAA Region F Conference. Portland Hilton Hotel, Portland. Oregon.
19-22..50th Annual Meeting of the Associated Equipment Distributors, Chicago, Illinois.
February
1-4.. Annual Convention & MCAA Educational Trade Show, Sheraton-Boston Hotel, Boston, Mass.
16-22.. Construction Equipment Exposition & Road Show, Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois.