Masonry Magazine April 1986 Page. 9
There was plenty to be learned from the five workshops presented on Saturday. Dick Felice and Jim Cope encouraged mason contractors to "stay on offense, not defense. Do research, do your homework before you go in." Felice recommended joining as many civic organizations as possible, especially those involving builders and developers. Local chambers of commerce and business groups are among such organizations that potentially can lead to opening the right doors when masonry projects come up. Be a salesman for your industry as well as yourself, they concluded. The remaining speakers, Howard Noziska and Bob Schuerman, covered, respectively, marketing/profit factors and energy conservation in masonry construction.
Workshops Are Well-attended
Five workshops, each lasting about one and a half hours, represented the meeting schedule for Saturday, March 1. The topics and the speakers were:
* "Cash Flow Management-Your Computer Can Do It" by William C. Veneris, Interactive Management Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colo.
* "Ready-Mix Mortars-Are They For Real?" by Robert L. Nelson, Robert L. Nelson & Associates, Inverness, III.; Michael Pistilli, American Mortar & Concrete Services, Chicago, III., and Sylvester Schmidt, Addiment Incorporated, Doraville, Ga.
* "Corrosion That Deadly Enemy" by Mario Catani, Dur-O-Wal, Inc., Arlington Heights, III.
* "Maintenance the Basic Ingredient of Efficient Material Handling," moderated by Tony Luczynski, chairman, MCAA Material Handling Committee, and assisted by Tony Hagger, JCB, Inc., White Marsh, Md., and Dean Osby, Lull Engineering Co., Inc., St. Paul, Minn.
* "Financial Planning" by Clifford T. Fay, Jr., of Fay, Conmy & Co., Ltd., Chicago, III.
Bill Veneris's workshop provided a comprehensive look at the concepts and the details of computer-aided cash flow projections for mason contractors. It demonstrated how a computerized model can enable contractors to project cash flow more accurately and avoid unpleasant surprises. Veneris explained that a computer model is an attempt to simulate a past or future event and can be used as a prediction tool. It lets you think about what you are going to do, rather than react to events already beyond your control, thus enabling you to avoid cash flow pitfalls and make your business more successful. Both computerized spreadsheets and estimating software used in cash flow modeling are available from Interactive Management Systems, 555 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite
Jerry Pope lectures on "Masonry Estimating For a Profit."
This crowded room was typical of the attendance.
JCB, Inc. and Lull Engineering explained forklift maintenance procedures in the hotel parking lot.