IGGA Recognizes Contributions to Grooving, Grinding and Concrete Pavement Preservation/Restoration

The International Grooving and Grinding Association (IGGA), a non-profit organization dedicated to serving as the leading promotional and technical resource for acceptance of diamond grinding and grooving, as well as pavement preservation and restoration, has announced the winners of its annual awards program.

Presented at IGGA’s annual awards banquet, held in Marco Island, Fla., Nov. 27, the purpose of the program is to honor individuals and companies/organizations for lasting contributions made to the grooving, grinding and concrete pavement preservation/restoration industry.

The 2012 Concrete Pavement Restoration Promoter of the Year Award was presented to Matt Zeller, executive director of the Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota, for his promotional efforts during the years and his work on grinding and saw slurry in Minnesota this year. The award recognizes an individual or company for exemplary efforts towards promoting diamond grooving, grinding and CPR.

According to Terry Kraemer, president, Diamond Surface Inc., Zeller led the charge on getting a bill introduced into legislation and signed into law that allowed for the placement of grinding/saw slurry along the slopes of roadways in Minnesota, rather than having to haul it off site for disposal.

Zeller has been with CPAM since 2001 and has more than 20 years of experience in the concrete paving industry. He holds responsibilities for running the day-to-day operations, directing promotional efforts and working with MnDOT to develop policies in support of quality concrete pavement.

The Operator of the Year (Iron Man) Award was presented to Larry Meyer, Diamond Grinding superintendent and operator, Interstate Improvement Inc., Faribault, Minn. The purpose of this award is to recognize the men and women who work in the field for their leadership with special emphasis on his/her dedication to quality and getting the job done right.

Meyer has worked at Interstate Improvement since 2005. Having worked on more than 80 projects in 20 different states, he has an aggregate contract value of more than $150 million. He was awarded the Operator of the Year Award for his exceptional work ethic and achievements in completing quality work both timely and within budgets.

According to Jeremy Gibbs, president of Interstate Improvement, Meyer is seen as one of the most valued employees. “He has an extraordinary work ethic and is committed to providing the best customer service to our customers that meets their needs and exceeds their expectations. Larry has earned the respect and loyalty of his employees because of his extreme dedication to the company and the diamond grinding industry,” Gibbs says.

This year, Tom Yager, distinguished research associate at the NASA Langley Research Center was selected to receive the Government Official of the Year for his decades of commitment toward the efforts to improve aircraft ground handling performance in adverse weather, specifically with diamond grooved pavement surfaces. The Government/Public Official of the Year Award recognizes leadership in transportation activities with special emphasis on grooving, grinding and CPR.

“Recognition by the IGGA for my work promoting pavement grooving and grinding is an honor to me,” says Yager. ”I started doing NASA research on grooved pavements in 1964 here at Langley. Back then, we were interested in minimizing tire hydroplaning only on wet runways during aircraft landing and aborted takeoff operations. From here, this technology spun-off to highways and walkways. I understand that currently, in just the U.S., there are nearly 1,000 runways with transverse grooving installed to improve aircraft wet pavement braking performance.”