Masonry Magazine April 1996 Page. 22
L.C. Pardue
Immediate Past President, Mason Contractors Association of America
Building the Future
We have been fighting an uphill battle in our industry and will continue to do so now and in the future. We are fragmented into small companies from coast to coast, from border to border. It does not matter if you are American or Canadian, we are brothers. We are Mason Contractors.
No branch of the construction industry works harder than the trowel trades yet by its very nature we are kept separated and beaten down by the factions that would have us grow. Within this very association there was a faction that attempted to keep us from taking in our open shop competitors thus perpetuating the civil war which split our industry for so many years. We have declared a truce with our open shop brothers and we must now begin the job of healing our industry and uniting for better times ahead.
I believe that this association, with your help, can make a dramatic difference in your quality of life, that of your employees' and your companies future. The officers and staff of the Mason Contractors Association of America recognize that there are four main areas that impact your growth, profit and survival in the construction industry, as a mason contractor.
These areas are: an ample skilled workforce; expanded markets in which to complete government regulations; legislation and contractor education; and new technologies. The mason contractors' markets are affected by other construction industries such as precast concrete, glass, steel, wood, aluminum and many new high tech products such as Dryvit. Government adds new regulations daily. Competing mason contractors are becoming better educated and learning new ways to compete. Our workforce seems to consist of too few well trained workers with the right attitude.
Understanding this the MCAA has developed and continues to expand services and programs to help the member contractor earn greater profits and thrive as a business into the future. More importantly, MCAA has become a vital partner with the mason contractor in building a larger masonry industry.
The mission of the Mason Contractors Association of America is to advance and serve the common interests of its members as well as to enhance their position as industry leaders and innovators. In order to become the sole leader for the mason contractor in the construction industry, MCAA has and will continue to work aggressively in the legislative process, in educating and training of its members and their employees, research, promotion and safety.
Through MCAA's strong committee structure and chapter network, we have developed and provided programs and services to help member contractors thrive in an ever changing business environment.
TRAINING & EDUCATION
Recognizing the need for expanded educational and most importantly training and recruitment programs for our industry, MCAA is dramatically expanding it's programs and services to assist the contractor in all aspects of education and training.
Seminars
Educational seminars such as the implementing a safety program and Masonry Quality Institute have broadened contractor education outside of the traditional seminar offerings from MCAA.
These traditional educational programs include topics such as Estimating, Computer Estimating and Management For A Profit. The list of seminars that MCAA has offered over the past two years include Strategies for Successful Estimating, Team Building, Reduce Your Cost By Increasing Jobsite Productivity, Attitudes That Cost You Money, People