MFM Building Products will be celebrating the company’s 60th Anniversary in 2021.

The company was founded in 1961. Initially, MFM manufactured products used for wrapping underground pipe to protect from water penetration and pipe contents becoming contaminated. Over the years, MFM expanded this technology to develop sealing and waterproofing products for use within the building envelope. In 2017, MFM became an ESOP company and still holds true to its original core values.

According to President Tony Reis, “MFM can offer our customers a complete envelope of waterproofing solutions—everything from the rooftop to the foundation. This single-source option gives our customers several competitive advantages.”

The VersaFlex Family of Companies announced it has reached a definitive agreement to be acquired by PPG. VersaFlex is a manufacturer specializing in polyurea, epoxy, polyurethanes, custom plural component equipment, and geotechnical and insulation foams. Lazard Middle Market served as exclusive financial advisor to VersaFlex. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

VersaFlex is a trusted partner that understands and meets its customers’ needs with proven and innovative protective coatings and foams. “We are excited to join PPG, a global paint and coatings leader, with its world-class resources and leading-edge technologies. Their high standards and commitment to deliver sustainable value to their customers will be a benefit for our customers' continued success,” said Rob Pawlak, VersaFlex president.

Simpson Strong-Tie announced the opening of the application window for its Student Scholarship Program. The online scholarship application for the 2021–2022 academic year is now available to students in participating universities at strongtie.com/scholarships. The deadline to apply is March 15. Awards are for undergraduate study only (junior and senior years) in civil/structural engineering, architecture and construction management.

The Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarship Program supports education and encourages the design and building of safer structures in our communities by assisting university students in meeting their education costs. Up to 100 scholarships of $2,000 per recipient are awarded every academic year to university students from more than 100 participating schools.

The Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarship Program is administered by Scholarship America, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals.

The Centers for Disease Control has clarified that construction workers will likely receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the third phase of its rollout program.

According to the guidelines, Phase 1 of the vaccine rollout will take place in three sub-phases. The third sub-phase, Phase 1c, will distribute the vaccine to non-health care essential workers like those in the construction sector. This phase could begin as soon as the first or second quarter of 2021.

Initially, the construction sector only included those working in housing and shelter-related projects. ENR reports that Phase 1c should cover all types of construction workers regardless of project or trade.

“We checked with them and CDC staff indicated the words ‘shelter’ and ‘housing’ were given only as examples and that the prior classification of all construction workers as essential was intended,” Brian Turmail, a spokesman for Associated General Contractors, told ENR.

The Trump administration has said the initial round of vaccinations would be available to all Americans free of charge, but has left most of the distribution logistic planning to the states.

When it comes to vaccinating employees, contractors are able to mandate vaccines, but there are some conditions. Cotney Construction Law CEO Trent Cotney said in the past, both the EEOC and OSHA have said it’s fine to mandate vaccinations like those for the flu, but previous health conditions or religious reasons can play a factor.

“One of the things I would caution employers before they mandate vaccines for their workers is they need to think about a couple of different things,” Cotney said. “You’ve got to think about retention and recruitment. Is this something that you really want to do, or do you want to consider a voluntary vaccine program coupled by social distancing and continued mask wearing until you hit a certain number so that COVID disappears?”

Though usually not a fan of mandating policies, Mark Fowler, executive director of the Stucco Manufacturers Association, feels that the vaccine is most likely our best defense against COVID-19.

“I feel all of us have a civic responsibility to get the vaccine, not just to protect ourselves but to protect others as well. For me personally, I will be in line when I am allowed to get it. The last year has shown us we need to be more proactive on prevention.”

Phase 1a will go to frontline health care personnel like hospital workers and outpatient clinics. This will also include residents in long-term care facilities. Phase 1b, consisting of roughly 49 million people, will include frontline essential workers like police, firefighters and grocery store workers and persons aged ≥75 years.

Phase 1c will also include people who are 65 to 74 years old and people aged 16 to 64 years with medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19.

The American Concrete Institute announced that the ACI Virtual Concrete Convention will be held March 28-April 1. Originally scheduled as an in-person event in Baltimore this 100 percent virtual event will provide ease for participation from anywhere around the world while prioritizing attendee safety.

“The ACI Virtual Concrete Convention held last October provided a record-breaking number of attendees the opportunity to participate in our programming,” said Ronald G. Burg, PE, executive vice president, American Concrete Institute. “For this coming March, we’ve assembled a lineup featuring hundreds of the industry’s brightest speakers sharing industry-leading information on a diverse offering of concrete materials, design, construction, and repair topics. Registered attendees to the ACI Virtual Concrete Convention will be presented with five days packed full of live presentations, expert discussions, committee meetings, virtual networking opportunities, and more.”

A total of 45 technical sessions will be presented live with on-demand viewing available afterwards, providing substantial opportunity to advance knowledge and earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs)/Professional Development Hours (PDHs).

The ACI Virtual Concrete Convention will also include 300+ virtual meetings enabling ACI committees the opportunity to collaborate on advancing concrete codes, specifications, and practices. Additional convention programming open to registered attendees include an Opening Session with keynote speaker, International Forum, Concrete Mixer, President’s Reception, and several student activities.

Sponsors of the ACI Virtual Concrete Convention include Advancing Organizational Excellence (AOE), Concrete Sealants, Inc., and GCP Applied Technologies. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.

Discounted registration is available to ACI members, and complimentary registration available to ACI student members. Learn more and register at ACIConvention.org.

The International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants has postponed its 2021 International Convention and Trade Show. The event will now take place September 15-20 at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown and the Phoenix Convention Center. It was previously scheduled for March 4-9.

“We are excited that we will be able to host an in-person meeting in 2021, even though it will be a little later than our usual event. I cannot wait to see our IIBEC members and industry partners next September for the best IIBEC convention yet. I applaud the IIBEC team for their resiliency and ability to improvise for the benefit of our members and the profession,” said IIBEC President Scott Hinesley.

IIBEC’s premier annual event will feature more than 25 hours of educational seminars, a two-day trade show with more than 140 exhibitors and live product demonstrations, as well as an auction hosted by the RCI-IIBEC Foundation and RCI Foundation Canada.

“We are excited to be planning for an in-person meeting in 2021; we have missed the in-person interaction with IIBEC members and industry partners. IIBEC’s annual convention is the place for building enclosure professionals to find solutions to the challenges they are facing in their consulting practice and we look forward to continuing to see everyone in Phoenix in September,” said Brian Pallasch, IIBEC CEO.

Continuing our tradition of enabling students to learn using real-life experiences and education, the RCI-IIBEC Foundation and RCI Foundation Canada will host students from colleges across the U.S. and Canada to attend the 2021 Annual Convention.

IIBEC and its meeting partners will follow the highest safety standards as outlined by the CDC and the local and state governments to ensure the health and safety of all participants.