The 2016 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship Roster is set!

Words: Ashley WolfeAfter four months on the road and 20 tour stops across North America the 2015 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Regional Series is officially complete and the “Road to Las Vegas” is paved for the 20 teams that won their qualifying competition. With the roster set for the 2016 World Championship event, which includes the 2015 returning Champion Fred Campbell and SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN Garrett Hood, plus a bricklayer from Australia, a total of 23 elite bricklayers and their respective mason tenders will be headed to Vegas to compete for the title: “World’s Best Bricklayer!”

The 14th Annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship event will be held on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry tradeshow in the Gold Lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center. With as many as 4,000 spectators in attendance and thousands of live webcast viewers tuned in to watch 23 world-class masons compete, the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 is the largest masonry competition in the construction industry. In a town where “cash is king” it’s only fitting that these masonry teams will compete for approximately $100,000 in cash and prizes, including a 2016 Ford F-250 XLT 4x4 Crew Cab truck.

The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 is revered as the premier promotion of the masonry industry that showcases the skill and craftsmanship of its tradesmen. The competition is unique in that it promotes masonry both regionally and internationally through an exciting year-round campaign that culminates in Las Vegas during the World of Concrete tradeshow. The mission of the program is to unite all the major players in the masonry trade: manufacturers, suppliers, associations, contractors, masons, mason apprentices, mason tenders, media and their enthusiastic families to promote masonry construction and the trade. The competitions inspire a sense of fun, family, pride, and a love for the skill of masonry while calling attention to the value it offers to our world.

The roster for the 23 teams competing in the 2016 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship is as follows:

1. Returning 2015 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Champion
Mason: Fred Campbell
Mason Tender: Tony Shelton
Contractor: Creative Masonry, Inc., Greenville, TN

2. Ohio
Mason: Emilio Dibra
Mason Tender: Charlie Cheatham
Contractor: United Masonry, Cleveland, OH

3. Eastern Tennessee
Mason: Jason Peek Mason Tender: Jake Peek Contractor: Peek Masonry, Churchill, TN

4. Utah
Mason: Scott Tuttle
Mason Tender: Brian Tuttle
Contractor: Quik Trowell, Clearfield, UT

5. Alabama
Mason: Darrell Evett
Mason Tender: Joey Evans
Contractor: Evett Masonry, Scottsboro, AL

6. Illinois
Mason: Steve Cleveland
Mason Tender: Sedat Süpürgeci
Contractor: Midwest Masonry, Valparaiso, IN

7. Colorado
Mason: Esteban Cabral Ceballos
Mason Tender: Oscar Luis Gaucin
Contractor: Phoenix Masonry, Thornton, CO

8. Pennsylvania
Mason: Vince Polverini
Mason Tender: Richard Small
Contractor: D.M. Sabia & Company, Inc., Conshohocken, PA

9. Wisconsin
Mason: Nick Brock
Mason Tender: Jake Brock
Contractor: Exteriors Plus, LLC, Jefferson, WI

10. Washington
Mason: Phil Evans
Mason Tender: Brenden Evans
Contractor: R & D Masonry, Marysville, WA

11. South Carolina
Mason: David Kelly
Mason Tender: Matthew Kelly
Contractor: Kelly Masonry, Pendleton, SC

12. Returning 2015 SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN
Mason: Garrett Hood
Mason Tender: Ed Huntley
Contractor: Huntley Brothers Company, Monroe, NC

13. Oklahoma
Mason: Darian Douthit
Mason Tender: Andy Zepeda
Contractor: Providence Masonry, Miami, OK

14. Ontario, Canada
Mason: Mario Alves
Mason Tender: Kevin Avila
Contractor: A & M Masonry, Hamilton, ON, Canada

15. Western Tennessee
Mason: Bruce Miller
Mason Tender: Jorge Goitia
Contractor: Miller Masonry, Inc., Riverside, IA

16. California
Mason: David Jones Sr
Mason Tender: Mark Starkweather
Contractor: Bratton Masonry, Inc., Fresno, CA

17. New England
Mason: Mark Wells Sr
Mason Tender: Mark Wells Jr
Contractor: American Masonry Corp., Beverly, NJ

18. British Columbia, Canada
Mason: Riel Voigt
Mason Tender: Theo Van Tunen
Contractor: S & S Masonry, Langley, BC, Canada

19. Texas
Mason: Jacobo Ramirez
Mason Tender: Jesus Zepeda
Contractor: Ranch Masonry, Houston, TX

20. North Carolina
Mason: Matt Cash
Mason Tender: Chet Huntley
Contractor: Huntley Brothers Company, Monroe, NC

21. Alberta, Canada
Mason: Ken Rutley
Mason Tender: Logan Kessler
Contractor: Mayzes Masonry, Inc., Medicine Hat, AB, Canada

22. Arizona
Mason: David Puga Arce
Mason Tender: Filiberto Granados
Contractor: G & G Masonry, Glendale, AZ

23. Australia
Mason: Travis Sweetnam
Mason Tender: Anthony Giordano
Contractor: T & A Bricklaying, Mornington, Victoria, Australia
About: Featured
 0
MASONRY STRONG Podcast Episode 6 Recap: Phil & Donnie Williams, DRP Masonry

On this episode, the MCAA had the pleasure of chatting with Phil and Donnie Williams, two brothers with deep roots in the masonry industry. Join us as we share their story, learn from their experiences, and explore how the masonry world has evolved over t

By: Justin Stengel
About: Featured
Read More
2024 Architectural Awards: Excellence In Masonry Winners

The Masonry Advisory Council held the 2024 Excellence in Masonry Awards on Saturday, October 26th at 167 Green St., Chicago, Illinois. Honoring 80 projects from over the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Area. The Awards program celebrates outstanding ar

By: Ashley Kelly
Read More
NSI and ISFA Announce Silica Exposure Literature Review

NSI and ISFA are proud to present a literature review that summarizes the growing library of studies related to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure. Completed by Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the study covers 34 publications and d

By: Amy Oakley
Read More
La Maison Franchère: How Masonry Turns Functional Buildings Into Timeless Beauty

La Maison Franchère, or the Franchers’ House, stands as a notable relic of stone architecture in Saint-Mathies, a small Quebec town on the edge of the Richelieu River. Unlike the neighboring homes, this towering, two-and-a-half-story mansion immediately c

By: Vera Autushka
Read More