Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute

What Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute does

The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI), founded in 1993 and now operating as the Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA) following its merger with the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), is a US-based non-profit trade association headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia. CMHA serves the North American concrete masonry, hardscapes, segmental retaining wall, segmental pavement, and manufactured stone veneer (MSV) industries by developing and maintaining codes and standards, providing technical resources, operating a dedicated materials testing laboratory (CMHA Lab), and delivering professional education and certification programs through its CMHA Edge platform.

The association operates a platform-plus-modules product architecture: core offerings include CMHA Edge education and certification, technical resources and the CMHA Lab, and searchable member/product directories; supplementary modules include market reports, industry awards, the Hardscape North America trade show, project profile galleries, workforce development initiatives, sustainability programs, and government affairs advocacy. CMHA also operates two integrated foundations (ICPI Foundation and NCMA Foundation) supporting research, student design competitions, and workforce development, and distributes continuing education content via an AEC Daily partnership.

CMHA monetizes through five primary revenue streams: recurring membership dues from producer, affiliate, and design professional segments; fees from education, certification, and continuing education programs; event registrations across the Annual Meeting, Midyear Meeting, Hardscape North America, Canadian Hardscapes Activities Meeting, and The Precast Show; e-news advertising; and corporate sponsorship of courses and events. The organization employs 11-50 staff, is member-owned rather than externally funded, and serves a horizontally-segmented base spanning manufacturers, contractors, distributors, and design professionals across the United States and Canada.

Name

Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute

Legal name

Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association

Website

https://icpi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CMHA is a US-based non-profit trade association that develops codes and standards, delivers education and certification, and runs industry events for the North American concrete masonry, hardscapes, and manufactured stone veneer sectors, serving manufacturers, contractors, distributors, and design professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Masonry Contractors (23814), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Retail-Lumber & Other Building Materials Dealers (5211)

akta.pro primary industry

Stonework & Masonry (Stone Veneer, Brick, Block) (HSAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB), Manufacturing, Industrial Equipment & Automation Shows Organizers (THAHABAF), Masonry (Brick, Block & Stone) (EDAOAAAB)

Keywords

• Concrete masonry standards
• Industry education certification
• Hardscape technical resources
• Trade association membership
• Building codes advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Herndon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for producer members, affiliate members, and industry professionals providing recurring revenue
2. Education & Certification Programs: Revenue from course fees, certification programs, continuing education, and instructor training
3. Event Registrations: Fees from Annual Meeting, Midyear Meeting, Hardscape North America, and other industry events
4. E-News Advertising: Advertising opportunities in CMHA's electronic newsletters distributed to industry professionals
5. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for courses, events, and programs

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The organization is a North American trade association that represents manufacturers, contractors, distributors, and design professionals in the concrete masonry, manufactured stone veneer, segmental retaining wall, and segmental pavement sectors. It sells paid membership subscriptions, professional education and certification programs, market research reports, technical laboratory services, and event registrations that connect industry participants with codes, standards, and workforce training.

Product overview

The Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA) is a unified industry organization formed from the merger of ICPI and NCMA, offering a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include CMHA Edge education and certification programs, technical resources with a dedicated laboratory, searchable member/product directories, and building solutions resources. Supplementary modules include market reports, industry awards, annual events (Hardscape North America, Midyear Meeting), project profile galleries, sustainability initiatives, and government affairs advocacy. The association serves producers, contractors, and affiliate members across concrete masonry, manufactured stone veneer, segmental retaining walls, and segmental pavement sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CMHA Edge Education and Certification Comprehensive paid education platform offering in-person training, online learning, certification programs, webinars, on-demand courses, and continuing education for industry professionals in concrete masonry and hardscapes.
• Technical Resources and CMHA Lab Technical support services including a dedicated testing laboratory, concrete masonry technical resources, hardscapes technical resources, and codes and standards documentation for industry professionals.
• Market Reports Industry market analysis and research reports providing insights on trends, challenges, and forecasts for the hardscaping and concrete masonry sectors.
• Member and Contractor Directories Searchable online directories enabling users to find products, contractors, and member companies within the concrete masonry and hardscapes industry.
• Hardscape North America Event Annual industry trade show and exhibition held in Louisville, KY, connecting professionals in the hardscape and masonry industries with products, education, and networking opportunities.
• Building Solutions Resource Platform Comprehensive resource covering four building solution categories: concrete masonry, manufactured stone veneer, segmental retaining walls, and segmental pavement, with associated project profiles and a contractor finder.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NCMA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCMA Foundation is part of the CMHA organizational structure, focused on concrete masonry research, education, and industry advancement. The foundation supports student design competitions and workforce development initiatives.
• ICPI FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ICPI Foundation is integrated into CMHA following the merger of ICPI and NCMA, supporting interlocking concrete pavement research and technical advancement.
• Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACSA partners with CMHA and NCMA Foundation on the annual Concrete Masonry Student Design Competition, engaging architecture students in innovative design using concrete masonry products.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brick Industry Association: BIA is the trade association for clay brick manufacturers and distributors with similar technical resources, design-professional education, and codes & standards advocacy. It overlaps with CMHA's manufactured stone veneer and segmental retaining wall programming for designers.
• Tile Council of North America: TCNA is a trade association for the tile industry that develops installation standards, certification, and technical resources. It mirrors CMHA's standards-and-certification model in an adjacent building-product category and serves similar designer and contractor audiences.
• American Concrete Institute: ACI is a standards-setting body for concrete design and construction with overlapping code-and-standards authority, certification programs, and educational publishing. It overlaps directly with CMHA's technical-resources and certification mission in the broader concrete industry.
• Portland Cement Association: PCA represents cement manufacturers with a comparable mix of advocacy, technical resources, codes & standards, and market intelligence. It operates upstream of CMHA's hardscape and masonry member base using an identical trade association model.
• National Ready Mixed Concrete Association: NRMCA is a trade association representing ready-mixed concrete producers with comparable services—membership dues, technical standards, certification programs, government affairs, and industry events. It serves an adjacent concrete segment with a similar member-driven, non-profit model.
• National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association: NSSGA is a trade association for aggregates producers with parallel member services including advocacy, technical standards, safety programs, and industry events. It is a directly comparable trade-body peer for the upstream materials CMHA members depend on.
• Mason Contractors Association of America: MCAA represents masonry contractors with a similar mix of membership dues, certification, technical resources, and workforce development. It serves the installer side of CMHA's contractor member base with directly comparable programming.

Emerging players

• American Society of Landscape Architects: ASLA is a professional association for landscape architects with overlapping continuing-education and hardscape specification content. Its members are a primary downstream audience for CMHA's design-professional courses and segmental pavement/segmental retaining wall resources.

Broad incumbents

• Associated Builders and Contractors: ABC is a national construction industry trade association providing workforce development, certification, and advocacy across multiple trades. It is a broader-incumbent peer competing with CMHA for installer training market share and member mindshare.
• National Association of Home Builders: NAHB is a much larger trade association representing the residential construction industry, including builders, remodelers, and suppliers. It competes for design-professional mindshare and workforce development dollars with CMHA's hardscape-specific programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/intent/tweet/?text=Home&url=https://www.cmha.org
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICPIFANS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/interlocking-concrete-pavement-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute