The 2016 MCAA Convention Annual Convention wrap-up

Words: Karen HickeyThe 2016 World of Concrete took place in Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 1—5, 2016. This annual event draws approximately 1,450 exhibitors and covers more than 675,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Held in conjunction with World of Concrete is the World of Masonry, as well as the MCAA Annual Convention and MASONRY MADNESS day.

Attendees listen as Dave Jaykins leads the Foreman Development Course.
Attendees listen as Dave Jaykins leads the Foreman Development Course.

Educational Courses

On Monday, Feb. 1, the MCAA kicked off its annual convention with two educational courses to promote workforce development and continuing education in the masonry profession.

The Foreman Development Course was taught by Dave Jaykins of Sun Valley Construction, who has been the course instructor for several years running. Jaykins told Masonry, “It is very nice to see the support from mason contractors across the nation, as they continue to send their foremen to attend this course. Every year it’s a new group, and they all bring something new to the course. I try to incorporate these things into the next year’s class to keep the content as up-to-date as possible, as this is the best return on investment for the mason contractors that participate.”

Bill Lula of Masonry Estimating Service teaches the Advanced Masonry Estimating Class.
Bill Lula of Masonry Estimating Service teaches the Advanced Masonry Estimating Class.
The second course, Advanced Masonry Estimating, was taught by Bill Lula. The class focused on Tradesmen’s software, one of the latest BIM products. One of the students in the class, Eugene LeGrand from Cantarella & Son, Inc., said afterward to Mr. Lula, “Thank you for all the good information at your class this past week. I think it will definitely speed up my estimating.” John Johnson of JEI Masonry also said, “I found the time I spent in your class very helpful. I would highly recommend your class to anyone that wants to improve their estimating and Tradesmen skills.”

Committee Updates

MCAA Committees met to provide an update on their activities on Tuesday, Feb. 2 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Reports came from the following committees: Marketing, Membership, Legislative, Safety, South of 40, Education, Certification, Technical and Workforce Development. The recent efforts of the Workforce Development committee have coincided with many of the other committees, as there is a strong need to draw young people into the industry. Many of MCAA’s programs are geared toward recruiting and training the next generation of talent.

A magician kept guests entertained during MCAA’s South of 40 event, which was held at Señor Frogs.
A magician kept guests entertained during MCAA’s South of 40 event, which was held at Señor Frogs.

South of 40

The annual South of 40 event took place Wednesday evening, Feb. 3 at Señor Frogs Restaurant and Bar at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. Nearly 200 people attended, taking the opportunity to network and socialize.

Networking and socializing opportunities abound at the South of 40 event.
Networking and socializing opportunities abound at the South of 40 event.
Jake Broder, a project manager/estimator with Leidal & Hart Mason Contractors in Livonia, Mich., was one of the attendees. He told Masonry, “South of 40 gives me the ability to meet masons from around the country and meet suppliers that can offer services I would not be able to find just by research. My favorite part is meeting people in person that I’ve only spoken to over the phone. An example is a project I did this past summer with Midwest Cast Stone. South of 40 gave me the opportunity to meet their employees and put a face to a name. Also, it is very interesting to compare notes with other companies in the industry about markets, practices and new innovations in masonry.”

MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp (left) presents Charles Newsome (right) with the C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award.
MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp (left) presents Charles Newsome (right) with the C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award.

Annual Meeting

The MCAA held its Annual Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 4. A new slate of MCAA officers was approved at this meeting, thereby transferring the chairmanship of the organization from Mark Kemp to Mike Sutter of Sutter Masonry in El Mirage, Ariz. Kemp is transitioning to chairman of the Masonry Foundation, an organization which will work on many projects to benefit the masonry industry, including high-quality education, in-depth research (e.g., BIM) and overall promotion of the masonry industry.

Main points of the meeting included BIM and building relationships with legislators to promote workforce development.

During the meeting, Kemp presented the 2016 C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award to Charles Newsome of Carolina Stalite Co., Salisbury, N.C. Newsome has been a senior executive of Johnson Concrete Co. for over 40 years and has served Carolina Stalite Co. for more than 25 years. He has served on the boards of the Carolinas Concrete Masonry Association (CCMA), the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), and the NCMA Foundation. He has been a key leader of the Concrete Masonry Checkoff Program, which would help support research, education, and promotion intended to benefit all within the industry.

Newly appointed regional vice presidents of the MCAA were also recognized.

2016 Masonry Hall of Fame inductees (left to right): Robert V. “Buddie” Barnes Jr., J. Gregg Borchelt, Richard Matthews, Harry E. McGraw, Ryan M. O’Brien and John J. Smith Sr.
2016 Masonry Hall of Fame inductees (left to right): Robert V. “Buddie” Barnes Jr., J. Gregg Borchelt, Richard Matthews, Harry E. McGraw, Ryan M. O’Brien and John J. Smith Sr.

Closing Dinner

A closing dinner was held at Maggiano’s Little Italy on Thursday evening, Feb. 4. Mark Kemp gave his last chairman speech as Mike Sutter was welcomed as the new MCAA chairman.

Six individuals were then inducted into the 2016 Masonry Hall of Fame class. The 2016 Masonry Hall of Fame inductees included Robert V. “Buddie” Barnes Jr., J. Gregg Borchelt, Richard Matthews, Harry E. McGraw, Ryan M. O’Brien and John J. Smith Sr. Full biographies of this year’s inductees can be found at www.masoncontractors.org/hall-of-fame.

The Masonry Hall of Fame recognizes and awards individuals who have dedicated their lives to the masonry industry. Each year, nominations are accepted to recognize individuals who have had a major impact on the masonry industry, not necessarily with just the MCAA, and have been in the industry for a minimum of 25 years.

Spectators walk into the Masonry Madness area of the Gold Lot to watch the day’s competitions.
Spectators walk into the Masonry Madness area of the Gold Lot to watch the day’s competitions.

MASONRY MADNESS™

The Gold Parking Lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center featured Masonry Madness Day on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Students and professionals alike showed off their talents in several competitions.

Masonry Skills Challenge

MCAA’s Masonry Skills Challenge is an annual competition of masonry apprentices in their first, second and third years. Contestants are divided by skill level and challenged with building a project after seeing the drawings just moments before the competition. This year, for the 17th annual challenge, they had three hours to complete the project with the given materials.
The top-placing contestants for each skill level were:

Chaz Tomberlin, 2016 Masonry Skills Challenge First Year winner.
Chaz Tomberlin, 2016 Masonry Skills Challenge First Year winner.
First Year Apprentices

First Place: Chaz Tomberlin, McGee Brothers Co., Monroe, N.C.
Second Place: Andrew Siefert, JP Cullen & Sons Inc., Janesville, Wis.
Third Place: Jaris McClurg, WASCO Inc., Knoxville, Tenn.

Heath Maclean, 2016 Masonry Skills Challenge Second Year winner.
Heath Maclean, 2016 Masonry Skills Challenge Second Year winner.
Second Year Apprentices

First Place: Heath Maclean, WASCO Inc., Nashville, Tenn.
Second Place: Mack O’Dell, Fort Scott Community College, Pittsburg, Kan.
Third Place: Ken Hernandez, Vandermay Construction, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Lane Mullis, 2016 Masonry Skills Challenge Third Year winner.
Lane Mullis, 2016 Masonry Skills Challenge Third Year winner.
Third Year Apprentices

First Place: Lane Mullis, McGee Brothers Co., Monroe, N.C.
Second Place: Neal Hydeman, D & D Masonry, Kansas City, Mo.
Third Place: Nicholas Bracy, Bracy & Jahr, Quincy, Mich.

All winners received trophies, cash prizes, and Marshalltown Co. tool bags. First place winners also received engraved trowels from Marshalltown Co. and concrete calculators from Calculated Industries. All contestants received a level from competition sponsor Stabila and additional prizes.

Journeyman masons and their tenders compete in a 20-minute heat in the Fastest Trowel on the Block competition.
Journeyman masons and their tenders compete in a 20-minute heat in the Fastest Trowel on the Block competition.

Fastest Trowel on the Block

Fastest Trowel on the Block
The annual Fastest Trowel on the Block competition drew a big audience to catch the fastest 20 minutes in masonry and see who would win the $8,000 grand prize.

The contest pits journeyman masons, accompanied by their favorite tender, against one another in a show of speed. Each contestant’s goal was to complete as much of a 30-foot-long wall as possible, using 8 x 8 x 16-inch CMU and the provided mortar in a 20-minute heat. But speed alone won’t net the $8,000 check for first place. Contestants were also judged on craftsmanship, and use of normal masonry practices and hand tools.

Each mason worked quickly to build a quality wall, while the crowd cheered them on throughout the 20-minute competition.

The top-placing contestants in this year’s competition were:

First Place

Jose Noe Martinez, Stone Cold Masonry, Phoenix, Ariz.
Tender: Heriberto Estrada
Block Count: 116

Second Place

Jose Soto, Sargon Masonry, Phoenix, Ariz.
Tender: Israel Mendoza
Block Count: 119

Third Place

Arcadio Armenta, Sutter Masonry, Inc.. El Mirage, Ariz.
Tender: Guadalupe Aragon
Block Count: 113

First, second and third place winners, and their tenders, from the 2016 Fastest Trowel on the Block competition.
First, second and third place winners, and their tenders, from the 2016 Fastest Trowel on the Block competition.
Winners were presented with trophies, plus first place took home $8,000, a special trophy from Marshalltown, and a 10-pack of mortar boards from GATORBACK. Second place received $2,500; and $1,500 was awarded to third place. Cash prizes were provided by SPEC MIX, Inc. All winners received a Marshalltown tool bag and tools, a gift certificate from STIHL, and additional prizes. All contestants received a level from competition sponsor Stabila.

The 2017 MCAA Fastest Trowel on the Block will be held Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, during the MCAA Convention at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in Las Vegas.

For more information about the competition, visit www.fastesttrowel.com.

The MCAA would like to thank all the judges, sponsors, contributors and strategic partners in both the Masonry Skills Challenge and the Fastest Trowel Competition.

Left to right: mason tender Brian Tuttle and his brother, mason Scott Tuttle, on the winner’s stand.
Left to right: mason tender Brian Tuttle and his brother, mason Scott Tuttle, on the winner’s stand.

SPEC MIX Toughest Tender and BRICKLAYER 500

SPEC MIX sponsors the Toughest Tender competition and the BRICKLAYER 500 during Masonry Madness Day.

In the Toughest Tender, the world’s top mason tenders compete for the fastest time setting up their SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 workstation. They haul tons of brick, block, equipment and materials to beat their peers and take home $2,500 cash and other prizes.

The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 is the largest masonry competition in the construction industry, showcasing the skill and craftsmanship of its tradesmen. At the 2016 event, teams competed for about $100,000 in cash and prizes, including a 2016 Ford F-250 XLT 4×4 Crew Cab truck.

Scott Tuttle of Clearfield, Utah, with the help of his older brother and mason tender, Brian Tuttle, beat out 22 other world-class masons by laying 775 brick in one hour to earn the title “World’s Best Bricklayer,” a 2016 Ford F-250 4×4 Super Duty truck, and $15,000 in cash and prizes.

Franklin Wagner demonstrates a saw from IQ Power Tools that collects nearly 100% of the dust while it cuts.
Franklin Wagner demonstrates a saw from IQ Power Tools that collects nearly 100% of the dust while it cuts.

World of Concrete/World of Masonry

Masonry magazine was on the scene for the 2016 World of Concrete/World of Masonry exposition. The event drew 60,110 registered professionals, up from 55,779 in 2015, and featured more than 1,532 companies exhibiting across more than 743,889 net square feet of space, an increase of more than 67,000 net square feet from 2015. This was the largest World of Concrete in seven years.
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