NEWS
ACT
DECEMBER 2013
54
Mike Chalmers
provides
a look back at 2013, a
year filled with opportunity
and enhancement for
the SC&RA.
A
s we count down the remaining
days of this holiday season,
we do it with yet another
important year for SC&RA and its many
valued members productively in place.
With nearly 1,300 member companies
from 46 nations around the world, 2013
proved itself as both a challenge and
an opportunity for SC&RA to continue
its commitment to bringing members
together and addressing the issues that
industry professionals are most connected
and concerned with today. And what a
year it was.
Membership value remained at the top
of the priority list for the Association
this year, as it has for over
six decades. Working with a
multitude of organizations,
SC&RA members and staff
fight to keep regulations less
burdensome, while creating
and maintaining a safe and
healthy business environment.
Representatives work tirelessly to
advocate for a fair environment
in which companies compete
on a level playing field without
unnecessary government policy
or taxation.
Such advocacy serves to
strengthen an already-extensive
collection of membership benefits and
services. SC&RA’s four-way commitment
to members around the world through
advocacy, education, networking/
partnering and awards programs stands
as a continuous symbol of the lengths to
which the Association will go to serve as
the eyes and ears of the industry, and the
voice of its participants. Once again, 2013
stood as a reminder that there’s no better
time to be an SC&RA member.
700 strong
A perfect example of this value was on
display in the first quarter of the year
with the Annual Conference in April, in
Scottsdale, Arizona. The numbers speak
for themselves, with 707 attending, 63
of whom were first-timers, including 68
international members from nine different
countries. Meeting rooms and speaking
engagements enjoyed packed audiences,
and the exhibit floor was a hub of activity
and interaction, with 90 exhibitor booths.
But that didn’t stop attendees from
also enjoying the near-perfect Arizona
weather. The sold-out golf tournament
boasted 144 participants. The 5K Run/
Walk saw a new attendance record with
61 partakers. Even the tennis tournament
became a competitive affair, with 18
members taking part.
Membership value and recognition
was again on full display this year with
36 Longevity Awards given to member
companies. Additionally, five founding
members were present to receive the
65-Year Longevity Award. And the 249
members who enjoyed the Foundation
THE AUTHOR
MIKE CHALMERS
serves
as editor-in-chief for Thrive
Creative Services LLC, a
creative copywriting agency
based in Chicago.
Year in
More than 700 attended the Annual
Conference in April.
A sold out Exhibit Center broke records in
both number of booths and attendance at
the 2013 Annual Conference.
Educational sessions continue to be a key
attraction at SC&RA annual events.
Events in 2013
included the
Specialized
Transportation
Symposium, the
Annual Conference
and the Crane &
Rigging Workshop.
Winners of the SC&RA 65-year Longevity
Awards were Robert Wilhelm, Wilhelm
Trucking & Rigging; Bill Fiske, Southwestern
Industrial Contractors & Riggers;
Christopher Vlk, Dobson Industrial; and
Steve Freckmann, Dawes Rigging & Crane
Rental.
