TAUC congratulates Fluor's Ric Carter on forthcoming retirement

April 3 2012

“I drew my first construction paycheck in 1964 from the Gerometta Construction Company in Gary, Indiana working in their stock yard,” Ric recalled. “I began field work as a summer permit hand in 1966, and joined a building trades union in 1968. My professional career began in 1972 after college graduation, and I believe I’ve seen it all: the very good, the good, the bad and the really ugly. I never intended to go into the construction business; it just worked out that way – and what a great career move it turned out to be!”

Ric’s affiliation with TAUC began in the early 1970s when the organization was known as the National Erectors Association (NEA). Led by Joe La Rocca, the NEA – in addition to acting as the premier trade group for steel erection contractors – also helped create the National Maintenance Agreements. “In 1974, Joe La Rocca called me to discuss membership in the NEA after I had applied for NMA coverage at the Culley Power Plant in Yankeetown, Indiana,” Ric said. “While we did not join NEA at the time, the use of the NMA on the project was a huge success and made me an advocate for the Agreement, the NMAPC process and the professional staff at the NEA and, later, TAUC.”

As he prepares for retirement, Ric says he has very few regrets. “I believe I have represented my employers well, did what I could to promote the industry, and provided the best service available to our clients. In order to succeed, our industry needs a backbone, a common denominator, a vehicle that drives delivery on a constant, uninterrupted basis. For many of my Mid Valley and Fluor Constructors projects, that backbone was the NMA. Consistent delivery, dependable service, and fair and equitable treatment under the NMAPC process are hallmarks of the program.”

“In the years that I have known and worked with Ric, I have always found him to be the consummate professional and a real advocate for the union construction industry,” said Steve Lindauer, TAUC CEO and NMAPC Impartial Secretary/CEO. “He always focused on ways to bring us up to the next level and never shied away from offering constructive criticism of our business model from time to time. Ric has long recognized that we can always do better through collective recognition and action, and that labor and management must work together to grow our opportunities.”

TAUC thanks Ric for his years of service, both to our organization and the industry as a whole, and wishes him the best in his retirement.