As the leadership team at Duininck Concrete began to explore the National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA), the leading industry advocate, Mat Pond found ideas he could translate into the company. One snagged his attention quickly – the Mixer Driver Rodeo. “All the testimony [from the event videos] supported a culture of caring and compassion that our company longed for.”
As General Manager, Mat wanted to see a Mixer Driver Rodeo come to life for his employees. “Employees are ‘all in’ at work – and during our busy season, their loved ones at home don’t see them often or even understand what they do daily. I hoped to build a family-friendly event that drew everyone into one central location where we could thank them for their time with our company, build deeper relationships, and show a different face than we have before.”
So, the company kicked off the first Annual Mixer Driver Rodeo in 2023, designating a mid-summer Saturday where a representation of their ready-mix truck driver workforce competed against each other in a written test and driving course to demonstrate skills and prepare a first-place winner for the National Mixer Driver Rodeo event hosted by NRMCA in the fall of the year.
Click to watch the Duininck Concrete Mixer Driver Rodeo in action.
The qualifying winner proceeds to the national event, where more than 100 ready mix drivers from around the U.S. compete in the same type of course. The event ends with a special award ceremony hosted for competitors, their family and friends, and industry personnel – a crowd that often swells in size to nearly 2,000 proud attendees.
The local Duininck Concrete event has been a stellar opportunity to capture a half day of fun, food, prizes, and some impressive skills. Duininck Concrete’s in-house digital marketing manager and content creator since April, Alli Nash, enjoys being part of an employee team that executes the Mixer Driver Rodeo for their work peers. “I participated mostly as the videographer behind the scenes of the rodeo but also in planning for the event and prizes. The best thing is just getting to see and meet different employees from all our different plant locations across Minnesota.”
Chris Gosch, Duininck Concrete’s southern area manager, was part of that team pulling off the event this past summer through setup and judging the day of the event. “It’s a great time overall for friendly competition and conversation,” he shared.
“I honestly enjoy watching the kids – seeing their smiles as they see a parent or grandparent do what they do to help our company succeed,” said Mat. “Our workforce is a resilient and dedicated bunch…and our drivers are the backbone of our industry.”
