Silver Spring, MD - Bill Emerson of Irving Materials, Greenfield, IN, was named the winner of this year's National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) National Mixer Driver Championship held in Nashville, TN, in conjunction with NRMCA's ConcreteWorks. Along with the title and trophy, he also earned the champion's check of $5,000.

Now in its third year, this year's contest "was the closest competition to date," according to NRMCA's Senior Vice President of Operations and Compliance Gary Mullings. Thirty six drivers, which included state rodeo champions as well as NRMCA member company champions from around the nation, competed to be the "Best of the Best". The champion was selected based on a cumulative score derived from competitions that included a driving challenge course, visual vehicle inspection and 90-minute written examination. Awards were presented for the top three finishers, with all other drivers tied for fourth.

Emerson has been driving a ready mixed truck with Irving Materials for 30 years. He currently drives a Terex Advance - 5 axle truck. He is an IMI Certified Driver and holds a "Class A" CDL endorsement. Emerson won the first IMI corporate driver event last year and finished second in last year's championship held in Phoenix.

Second place and a check for $1,500 went to Bobby Sanders of Transit Mix Concrete and Materials Company, Dallas. He has been driving a mixer with Transit Mix for seven years, currently driving a 2006 Mack with a McNeilus mixer. Sanders holds a Class A license and is a certified professional driver/trainer. Darren Lowe of the Knife River Corp from Central Point, OR, finished third, receiving a check for $1,000. He has been with Knife River for more than nine years and is a Top Drum Certified Driver and the Knife River Materials 2008 Southern Oregon Regional Mixer Truck Rodeo Champion.

NRMCA, based in Silver Spring, MD, represents the producers of ready mixed concrete and the companies that provide materials, equipment and support to the industry. It conducts education, training, promotion, research, engineering, safety, environmental, technological, lobbying and regulatory programs.