1-800-CONCRETE

Why the right phone number matters!

As Technology moves at the speed of light one thing has stood the test of technology, the phone number. Regardless of the industry you serve giving your customer base an easy method of contacting you will enhance your bottom line.  If you were to watch television or listen to the radio over a course of a week you may see or hear a variety of advertisements. In these ads there are two key elements vital to the ad. Some companies utilize these important tools while others fail to take advantage of these simple but import tools.  One is the phone number and second is the domain name. This month we will discuss why the phone number is important and why you should consider a better phone number for your business.  The phone number offers a business a highly effective call to action tool.  If your goal is for a potential customer to take action, to place an order, or to inquiry about a product having a way for someone to contact you immediately is priceless.  Here is an example.  You see or hear an ad for a wonderful mattress it offers a wonderful night sleep and is very affordable. The ad then gives you two options: go to www.goodnightsleep.com  or call 1-800-456-3425.  In this case the domain name is great but the phone number is unforgettable and as a result the proposition of a good night sleep may get lost among all the other ads you may see or hear. 

Here is another example you are a prime candidate for lasik surgery.  You hear an ad for lasik surgery that offer to fix your imperfect vision.  Once again the ad gives you two options: a web site to go to www.drxyzpdq.com or to get a free consultation call 1-800-EYE-CARE.  In this ad it is the domain which is not memorable while the phone number offers the consumer an easy to remember way of how to take action on the offer.  In addition if you are in an industry where consultation is vital to the transaction having an easy to remember number almost certainly guarantees a higher rate of return when it comes to a transaction taking place. Toll free vanity numbers offer this benefit in a variety of industries from the service industry, i.e.  a dumpster service may utilize the number 1-800-DUMPSTER or a Financial Services company may utilize the phone number 1-800-TERM-LIFE or a consumer goods company that sells flowers may utilize the number 1-800-FLOWERS.  Toll free vanity numbers will benefit your bottom line. Let us show you how you can take advantage of  the best phone number the concrete industry, 1-800-CONCRETE. For a free consultation call 1-800-CONCRETE so we can show you how you can utilize 1-800-CONCRETE for your business. 

       1-800-CONCRETE was established ten years ago now  We have established a network of Ready Mix Concrete Producers over the last ten years to service the needs of contractors on a local basis.   We have Concrete Producers Utilizing 1-800-CONCRETE on a regional basis from Los Angeles to Boston and markets in between.  Find out how 1-800-CONCRETE can help your business.  Call today 1-800-CONCRETE.

Construction spending rises for 3rd straight month

Here we are with three months of positive growth in the construction industry and better yet most of the monies from the federal stimulus which was issued in early 2009 has already been spoken for.  Is this the sign that things are final moving in the right direction or just another bounce along the bleak bottom. It still seems to be a market by market trend but as more markets come around due to restructuring by suppliers and pent up demand I expect to see thing to continue moving finally in the right direction. Along the way though you can still expect to feel some more pain almost like after the end of a good workout. As they say what doesn’t kill us only makes us strong. So look out for those of us still standing we will only get stronger.

The Concrete Industry its one step forward two steps back!

As the Ready Mixed Concrete business bounces along the bottom of the production cycle it seems like the companies willing to withstand the most pain may be the only ones to make it out of the current downturn alive.  We as an industry are going into our Fourth year of decreased concrete production and worse yet our pretax profit is at a record low of nearly -7.27 per yard* for the year 2010. This according to the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA).  Quite simply for a lot of producers they need to know what hurts worse losing money yard after yard or making no money at all and putting their plants into dormancy, laying off their staff indefinitely as we work our way through this.  As things look like they won’t get much worse things also look like they probably won’t get much better for a while as well.  Key factors that affect this assumption are the overhang of  the housing inventory, political unrest between democrats and republicans and no infrastructure strategy that would greatly improve the construction industry as a whole as well as enhancing The United States GDP through more efficient roads, railways, electrical grid and data networks making the United States still the best place in the world for business.  The biggest problem with this solution is who is going to write the check?

Fall is a great time to seal your Concrete Driveway or Patio.

Are you looking to extend the life of your concrete driveway or patio? The fall is the ideal time to apply a sealer to extend the life of your concrete driveway or patio from the upcoming harsh conditions of winter.  

Icemelters and water can play havock on concrete causing scaling and cracking in some instances.  By sealing your concrete you not only can prevent these things from happening you can also add to the appearance of your patio or driveway.

First thing to do before you seal the concrete surface is to clean it.  Make sure all debris is off the surface of the driveway or patio and then apply a five percent solutions of muriatic acid to the concrete surface. This is usually best done by using a hand pump sprayer, similar to one you may use to apply weed killer to your lawn. The purpose of the muriatic acid solution is to remove any unsightly stains from engine oil, etc. Once dry now is the time to apply the sealant.  There are many different sealers to choose from and if you feel really ambitious you can make your own with a 50/50 mix of linseed oil and turpentine.  Commercial sealants offer you a lot of choice when it comes to finish.  Some of the leading manufactures of concrete sealers include vseal ,seal-krete, and enduroseal.  Each of these companies have a variety of products to choose from with something ideal to fit your particular needs.  

This is my second blog

Hello Cruel World I am leave you today! Good Bye, Good Bye, Good Bye

The Ready Mix Concrete Industries Inches Forward

As we reach the half way point of the 2011 Concrete Season some realities have settled in.

• Its going to take awhile to get anywhere close to our Production Highs of the the mid 2000.

I recently did some analysis of the National Ready Mix Concrete Associations Production numbers for the Industry as a whole. From a historic prespective we are still twelve percent below the thirty six year average for Ready Mix Concrete Production in the US.  2010 final production numbers came in at 257.7 mil.  This is still twelve percent below the thirty six year average. 

• Those with the deepest pockets are going to be the ones he will benefit the most from this protracted soft patch in construction.