In May, Greg and I attended the Western Bridge Preservation Partnership Meeting in Salt Lake City.
Not only did we get to talk to other people in the industry about Washington Rock’s products, but we also listened to lectures and participated in interactive peer groups.
My favorite lecture was “Polymer Materials for Bridge Deck Rehabilitation and Preservation.”Learning New Things
There were a lot of interesting lectures presented by many different industry experts: the Federal Highway division, personnel from multiple Departments of Transportation (including Utah, Washington, and Oregon), BYU, the University of Massachusetts, and epoxy companies. The topics ranged from bridge deck maintenance and preservation to polymer materials.
Greg and I took turns running our booth and answering questions.Presenting at Our Booth
Between lectures and group discussions, Greg and I teamed up to run a booth. We took turns visiting other booths and meeting people at our own booth. It was amazing how many people had heard of Washington Rock’s Armorstone overlay aggregate. Our booth included samples of our products and a slideshow of past projects we had worked on. Some of the conference attendees were excited to see projects they had contributed to showcased on our slideshow.
Greg and I networked with a lot of different people, answered questions, and made a lot of new contacts.
Our table had print materials and small samples visitors could take with them.Problem Solving as a Team
My favorite part of the conference was working with interactive peer groups. Greg and I joined groups that included members of the different Departments of Transportation, epoxy companies, engineers, and a BYU research professor. We brainstormed ideas for how to solve common problems, such as the effects of using salt as a de-icer on roadways and the effects that freeze-thaw seasons have on roadways.
Our group talked about how we could fix these problems and what we could do to preserve roadways more efficiently in the future. It was incredible to see a group that included competitors working as a team to come up with solutions. No one was trying to push their products or systems.
The meeting was a great experience, and I’m excited to learn more and meet new people at the next one.