Unity of concrete pipe associations mirroring the industry’s globalization

The North American concrete pipe industry is rapidly expanding its knowledge base of all materials, products, design and production tech- nology for drainage pipeline systems. Driving this expansion is the globalization of major suppliers to the industry and key concrete pipe pro- ducers based in the USA and Canada. The concrete pipe and precast industry has witnessed the morphing of the cement industry from local independent businesses into an international web of transnational corporations and distribution networks. Caught up in the flurry of merg- ers, acquisitions and sales of assets were several key concrete pipe producers that had traditionally held a core regional and national mar- ket focus. Mergers of large equipment suppliers like Hawkeye and Pedershab, brought opportunity from other countries to the doorstep of American concrete pipe producers. In the last century, only those who could join in a pilgrimage to bauma in Munich/Germany, gained insight into the future world of precast concrete production. And now, concrete pipe associations at the state and national levels are unifying to build a knowledge network and make the network available to every member of every allied association. North American concrete pipe associa- tions have an international interest which is a major development initiated in the early years of this century.

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