Alexandria, VA – November 4, 2026
Concrete Delivery Professional Jon Sheets of Irving Materials, Inc, in Fishers, IN, earned the top honors at this year’s National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s (NRMCA) National Mixer Driver Championship held last month at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN, in conjunction with NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks 2026.
Mr. Sheets (seen at right) took home the “Mullings Cup” and the champion’s check of $6,000. He has been driving concrete mixers for 12 years and finished in fourth place at the 2025 National Mixer Driver Championship as well as placing first in the respective Irving Materials, Inc. internal rodeos in 2023 and 2024. Mr. Sheets is also the 2025 and 2026 Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s State Rodeo Champion.
The champion’s trophy is named after longtime NRMCA staff member Gary Mullings who was instrumental in creating the championship and retired in 2024 after 50 years with the Association.
“Congratulations to Jon Sheets and all the drivers who competed at this year’s National Mixer Driver Championship,” said NRMCA President and CEO Jim Riley. “This event continues to showcase the exceptional skill, professionalism and dedication of the men and women who deliver ready mixed concrete every day. Their performance on the course and in the classroom reflects the high standards that define our industry and we are proud to recognize the best of the best. Events like this strengthen our commitment to safety, excellence and the people who make the ready mixed concrete industry possible.”
Now in its 20th year, this year’s national contest drew 125 drivers representing 41 states, said NRMCA Vice President, Operations and Compliance, Steve Lindley. The driver field included state rodeo champions as well as NRMCA Producer member champions from across the U.S. who competed to be crowned the “Best of the Best.” Mr. Sheets was selected based on a cumulative score derived from competitions that included stationary and driving challenges, visual vehicle inspection, delivery ticket station and a two-hour written examination. Awards were presented for the top five finishers. The Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB) along with Grooms Equipment were the premier sponsors of the event and the driver prize money as well as making the entire event possible.
Second place and a check for $3,000 went to Lemuel Mejia with Concrete Supply Company, LLC out of Charlotte, NC. Mr. Mejia has been driving professionally for 13 years, all for Concrete Supply Company.
Third place and a check for $2,000 went to Mark Nieciecki with VCNA Prairie Materials, LLC from Schaumburg, IL. Mr. Nieciecki brings 30 years of professional driving experience, including 24 years operating mixer trucks. His accomplishments include a fourth-place finish in the 2024 NRMCA National Mixer Driver Championship and a first-place victory in the 2024 Prairie Materials Rodeo.
The fourth-place finisher, receiving a check for $1,500, was Joey Melton with Thomas Concrete, Inc. Mr. Melton of Anderson, SC, has been driving professionally for 23 years, all of them with Thomas Concrete. Mr. Melton is the six-time defending champion of the Thomas Concrete company rodeo and the 2022 NRMCA National Mixer Driver Champion.
The fifth-place finisher receiving a check for $1,000 was Nick Giron from Hawaiian Cement – Knife River, in Halawa, HI. He has been driving professionally for 14 years, 12 of them in a mixer truck. Mr. Giron is the 2026 Hawaii State Rodeo Champion and finished in the top five in the Knife River internal rodeo. (From top to bottom at right are Mejia, Nieciecki, Melton and Giron.)
This year’s competition featured a series of driving challenges designed to test each driver’s ability to maneuver a mixer truck through a variety of demanding, high-pressure situations. Drivers put their skills to the test in several stationary challenges, including “chute hoops,” hockey, a hole-in-one challenge, bowling and more. Participants who excelled in these events received commemorative medallions in recognition of their achievements. The competition concluded with a 90-question written exam, testing drivers’ knowledge and expertise.
The drivers were honored at the National Mixer Driver Championship Awards Banquet where more than 1,000 family members, coworkers and industry colleagues gathered to celebrate their accomplishments.
Drivers delivered impressive performances throughout the day, both on the driving course and across the various skills challenges. Among the highlights were several competitors who achieved a hole-in-one during the golf challenge. The top performers on the golf challenge were Jordan Mull from Ozinga, Shawn “Bo” Bowles from BMC Enterprises, Inc., Ryan Lamadeleine from The L. Suzio Concrete Company, Inc., Jeff Gibbons from Central Carolina Concrete, LLC, and Daniel Miller from Smith Concrete.
There were two drivers of the field of 125 who managed to score a strike on the bowling challenge. Jim Whitney from Ozinga and John Brezina from Lyman-Richey Corporation, a CRH Company, both managed to knock down all 10 pins, earning them top scores on the challenge.
Drivers also put their reflexes to the test using computerized equipment designed to measure reaction times. Tom Sawicki of Concrete Supply Company, LLC, earned the top score, taking home the title of “Fastest Gun in Nashville.”
Another challenge tested drivers’ ability to identify strategically placed defects on ready mix trucks, simulating the federally required pre-trip inspection process. All competitors did an excellent job recognizing potential safety concerns, but five drivers distinguished themselves with particularly strong performances: Hunter Clore from Ernst Cobb County, Inc., Luis De Loera from Dolese Brothers Co., Robert Turner from Ernst Concrete, Inc., Thomas Robison from MMC Materials, Inc. and Lemuel Mejia from Concrete Supply Company, LLC, found the greatest number of defects out of all participants.
The drivers were also required to take a written examination as their final challenge and for the second year this year’s examination was conducted electronically. More than 20 drivers earned an A on the written exam. It’s a difficult exam that covers every aspect of ready mixed concrete delivery from chemistry, safety, operations and customer service to many topics in between. The knowledge required to achieve an A on the exam is highly technical and demonstrates a driver’s ability beyond just driving a mixer truck like a true professional. The highest score on the written exam was accomplished by Ashley Gassaway from CEMEX.
Finally, taking the top spot on the Driving Challenge Course was this year’s champion, Jon Sheets from Irving Materials, Inc.
About NRMCA – Founded in 1930, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association represents the ready mixed concrete industry through advocacy, education, certification, promotion, workforce development and technical leadership. NRMCA works to strengthen the industry and position ready mixed concrete as the preferred construction material for resilient and sustainable communities. For more information, please visit www.nrmca.org.