Annual ARM Convention & Gala

Description

Thank you to the following Sponsors!

The Gatsby:  Amrize, Ash Grove, GCC, Heidelberg Materials, Quikrete

The Speakeasy:  Advanced Technical Services, AET, Eco Material Technologies, Graymont, Kraemer Mining & Materials,  Martin Marietta, Master Builders Solutions, RMS

The Roaring Twenties:  Austin Powder, Chryso Saint-Gobain, Crush Mode Aggregate Solutions, Knife River, National Mineral Corp, RB Scott, Rock on Trucks, RTL Equipment, Tread Technologies, Unified Screening & Crushing

Bootlegger Row Exhibitors:  Advanced Technical Services, American Pressure, Austin Powder, Barr Engineering, Crush Mode Aggregate Solutions, Command Alkon, General Equipment & Supplies, Graymont, Purple Wave Auction, Quick Supply, RMS, Rock on Trucks, RB Scott, RTL Equipment, Sika Corporation, Sioux Corporation, Tread Technologies, Unified Screening & Crushing, United Dredging

2026 ARM Convention and Conference Agenda

Wednesday, December 2nd

7:00-8:00am - Registration and Breakfast - Sponsored by GC

8:00-9:45 - Opening General Session 

Welcome from 2026 ARM President; Bill Frazier; AVR, LLC

Conference Overview by ARM Executive Director, John Cunningham

Opening Remarks, Michael Beer, Assistant Commissioner, MnDOT 

Opportunities for a New Administration: A Panel Discussion

Glenn Engstrom, ARM of MN, Facilitator/Moderator

Abbey Bryduck, Executive Vice President, AGC of MN

Margaret Donahoe, Executive Director, MN Transportation Alliance

A Compliance Tool that Counts: CureComply

9:45-10:15am - Morning 30-minute Break with Exhibitors

10:15-11:30am - Construction Practices for Modern Concrete Mixtures (morning concurrent session)

A special session for contractors interested in practices that yield success with the latest generation of concrete materials in Minnesota.

Dan King, Principal Engineer, The National CP Tech Center

10:15-11:30am - MnDOT Construction Materials Update (morning concurrent session)

Grading & Base Office

Terry Beaudry, Retired Grading & Base Engineer

Concrete Materials Office

Maria Masten, MnDOT Concrete Engineer

10:15-11:30am - Business & Management Arena (morning concurrent session)

Economic Outlook & ARM's New Property Value Study

Patrick Luce, Senior Economist, Stantec

Social Media Engagement for Workforce Recruitment

Valerie Reddemann, President, Blue Flamingo Group

10:15-11:30am - Concrete Industry Management (CIM) Student Spotlight (morning concurrent session)

Student Capstone Project Presentations

11:30am-12:00pm - 30-minute Break with Exhibitors

12:00-1:00pm - Ballroom Buffet Lunch - Sponsored by Amrize

1:00-3:45pm - Construction Practices for Modern Concrete Mixtures (afternoon concurrent session)

A special session for contractors interested in practices that yield success with the latest generation of concrete materials in Minnesota.

Dan King, Principal Engineer, The National CP Tech Center

1:00-2:30pm - Technologies in Concrete (afternoon concurrent session)

Materials Related Distress in Concrete Structures

Alfred Gardiner, Concrete Science Director & Principal Engineer, Braun Intertec

Fiber Reinforced Concrete Technology Update

Manik Barman, Professor & Director of Graduate Studies, University of Minnesota - Duluth

1:00-2:30pm - Backyards and Barnyards: Permitting Today (afternoon concurrent session)

The Challenges of Permitting Today

Jim Aiken, Vice President & Senior Hydrogeologist, Barr Engineering

Interim Use vs. Conditional Use Permits

Jake Dalbec, Director of Environmental Consulting Services, Sunde Engineering

1:00-3:45pm - Concrete Industry Management (CIM) Student Spotlight (afternoon concurrent session)

Student Capstone Project Presentations

2:30-3:00pm - Afternoon 30-minute Break with Exhibitors

3:00-3:45pm - Deployment of AI in the Materials Industry (afternoon concurrent session)

Hadi Rashidi, Director - Engineering and Technical Policy, NSSGA

3:00-3:45pm - How to Prepare Concrete Bid Submittals (afternoon concurrent session)

Ron Koran, Project Engineer - Concrete Science, Braun Intertec

3:45-5:30pm - Return to General Session for Day's End

The Year That Was 2026 in Politics

Marty Seifert, ARM Government Relations, Flaherty & Hood P.A.

Excellence in Concrete Awards

ARM Scholarship Awards

ARM Lifetime Achievement Award

Great Gatsby Gala, December 2nd

Turn back the pages of history for a gala experience that has been 100 years in the making! - Sponsored by Ash Grove, Heidelberg Materials, and Quikrete

5:30-6:00pm - Reception

6:00-10:00pm - Great Gatsby Gala

Thursday, December 3rd

7:00-8:00am - Breakfast - Sponsored by GCC

8:00-9:45am - General Session

The National Perspective: A Panel Discussion

Glenn Engstrom, ARM of MN, Facilitator/Moderator

Brian Killingsworth, Chief Technical and Industry Officer, NRMCA

Dan King, Principal Engineer, National CP Tech Center

Hadi Rashidi, Director - Engineering and Technical Policy, NSSGA

Avoiding Antitrust Beartraps & Pitfalls

Jim Cownie, MnDOT General Counsel

9:45-10:15am - Morning 30-minute Break with Exhibitors

10:15am-12:00pm - ARM Annual Business Meeting & Election Results (concurrent session)

Bill Frazier; 2026 ARM President; AVR, LLC

10:15am-12:00pm - Concrete Technology Today (concurrent session)

Concrete Construction in Space

Kevin MacDonald, Beton Consulting Engineers, LLC

The Hard Truth About Curing Concrete

Gerard Moulzolf; VP of Operations, Principal Geologist and Petrographer; AET 

10:15am-12:00pm - Ethics Update for Professional Engineers

Jim Cownie, MnDOT General Counsel