Summer is one of my favorite times of year because it's when we really begin to see months of planning come together.Over the last several weeks, we've continued expanding our outreach efforts and prepared for another opportunity to connect directly with producers through our upcoming Regional Town Halls. These Town Halls allow us to move beyond national updates and focus on what's happening closer to home.
Whether you joined us at the CMHA Midyear Meeting in Michigan, plan to attend your Regional Town Hall or are simply following along through our monthly updates, thank you for your continued support. Every new resource, educational program and market activation is made possible because of your investment in growing concrete masonry.
IN THIS EDITION:
Letter from Kim
Feature Focus: Regional Town Halls
Announcements: National Town Hall Recap, CMHA Midyear Meeting Recap, Upcoming Webinars
Block the Date:Regional Town Halls, August Live Session, Upcoming Block Learning Hub Webinar
FEATURE FOCUS
Regional Town Halls Are Almost Here
Beginning August 3, the Concrete Masonry Checkoff will host five Regional Town Halls designed specifically for investors.
These virtual meetings will provide a closer look at how Checkoff investments are supporting growth in your region, including updates on regional marketing initiatives, Block Design Collective activity, financial performance and upcoming opportunities.
In addition to hearing from regional leadership, attendees will receive updates from CEO Kim Spahn, Program Director Alicia Hodges and program leaders from across the country, followed by a live Q&A.
Whether you join your own regional session or attend additional regional Town Halls to learn what's working across the country, these conversations are an opportunity to stay informed, ask questions and help shape future priorities. The regional series is designed to connect national strategy with local impact and reinforce how Checkoff investments are creating value across every market.
We appreciated the opportunity to share updates on our strategic priorities, program progress and the impact Checkoff investments are making across the industry.
If you missed the live session or want to revisit the discussion, the recording is now available to watch on demand.
We’d also appreciate your feedback on the Town Hall and welcome any outstanding questions you may have. Please take a few minutes to complete our brief survey and share your thoughts.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the CMHA Midyear Meeting in Grand Rapids. We had a great week connecting with producers, investors and industry leaders and sharing what’s next for the Checkoff.
We appreciated the opportunity to highlight the important role marketing plays in driving regional demand, showcase new marketing tools available through the Checkoff, demonstrate how the Block Design Collective supports project adoption through design assistance, and launch a new Marketing Task Group to help expand investor involvement in future initiatives. Our conversations throughout the week helped advance our industry's broader strategic planning efforts and reinforced the collaborative approach driving the Checkoff forward.
We're excited to build on the momentum from Grand Rapids and continue working alongside producers and industry leaders to grow demand for concrete masonry.
COMING SOON
Inherent Fire Resistance of Concrete Masonry Construction
Our next Block Learning Hub webinar will examine one of concrete masonry's greatest advantages: inherent fire resistance.
Participants will learn how concrete masonry provides passive fire protection beyond code minimums, how one- through four-hour fire ratings are achieved using International Building Code calculation methods, and how designers can specify assemblies that balance safety, performance and cost.
Event Details:
August 5, 2026 | 1:00 PM CT
Presenter: Irene Li, West Technical Director of the Block Design Collective
Built for Learning: Concrete Masonry & Resilient K-12 Schools
Thank you to everyone who joined our July Block Learning Hub webinar featuring Shawn Mulligan, Founding Partner of Design Clarity.
Attendees explored how concrete masonry supports the design of resilient, durable and high-performing K–12 schools while examining structural performance, acoustics, fire resistance, life-cycle costs and sustainability considerations.
The session also highlighted how concrete masonry compares to other wall systems and why its long-term performance continues making it a strong choice for educational facilities.
Join us for our next live session, Outreach in Action, featuring an investor update highlighting three Checkoff-funded outreach programs that are helping introduce more students, educators and communities to the benefits of concrete masonry.
Hear the latest progress from the National Youth Promotion and Outreach initiative, Region 2 Youth Promotion and Outreach efforts, and the Region 3 Mobile Masonry Trailer program. We'll share what's been accomplished so far, what's next and how these initiatives are maximizing the impact of Checkoff investments while expanding awareness of the industry.
The Producer Map provides a centralized resource for showcasing concrete masonry manufacturing locations across the country, helping architects, engineers and contractors quickly find local producers and connect with suppliers in their area.
To support the accuracy and effectiveness of the map, we encourage all producers to review their listings and ensure facility information remains accurate. Keeping information current helps strengthen the visibility of the industry and prepares the map for future expansion to design professionals.
Need to add, update or remove a facility? Complete the Producer Map Request form at any time. If submitting multiple updates, the Excel template available with the form can help streamline the process.
Each of our Regional Technical Directors is now sharing monthly updates on the Checkoff’s website to keep you in the loop on their local progress and initiatives.
Looking for branded apparel, event giveaways or team gifts?
The Beauty of Block storefront remains stocked with apparel and promotional items designed specifically for concrete masonry advocates.
New users can receive access using the one-time registration code: BofBMerch
Inventory remains limited on select items, so be sure to explore the latest offerings while supplies last. Once styles sell out, they will not be restocked.
