Masonry Magazine December 1996 Page. 7
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Recently, Mar and I returned from our MCAA mid-year meeting at Disney World to find our answering machine full of messages. The one that really caught our attention was from our grandson, Jason. "Grandma tell me all about Mickey and what you saw at Disney World" was his comment. Naturally, we called him right away and Grandma proceeded to tell him all about the Disney characters, the 25th anniversary celebrations with the fireworks and just about everything a good tour guide would expound on. There wasn't much left for me to tell him except for all the beautiful new buildings we saw and how we liked Main Street USA, with all the old crafts being displayed, that we rarely see anymore. I told him about the glass blowers, the potery makers, along with shoe makers, basket weavers, wood worker, and how these craftsmen impressed us with their skills used in the past. Then it hit me. How long will it be before there is a display showing bricklayers working, building a fireplace or an arch or whatever? Is "Once Upon A Time" that far off for us? There was a time, not too long ago, where there was a bricklayer or someone associated with the masonry industry living on almost every block of our country. Technology is rushing head long into the future at a pace that takes one's breath away, but the excitement and the progress comes at a price. No one knows that better than the people whose jobs are the most vulnerable... Ours!!! With the precast and tilt-up market booming throughout the country, and EIFS, with all their trouble, have sliced into our market like a knife cutting through hot butter. We have seen our market share dwindle, especially in the warehouse and housing markets.
Our masonry industry is at a cross-road which is the most serious in our history and we must address these problems jointly.
There will not be your MCAA as we know it, if we do not save our industry!!!
There will not be a BAC if we do not have a masonry industry!!!
There is no need to have other organizations such as BIA, NCMA, PCA, ESCSI, TMS if we fail to save this industry.
During our mid_year meeting in Orlando, John Ries, Barrett Reese and Tom Holm from the Expanded Shale Clay and Slate Institute (ESCSI) gave a presentation to our membership concerning the compelling reasons our industry must "change or die." It was a very eye opening presentation concerning our customers gravitation to construction methods other than masonry and the organized efforts by other industries to take larger shares of the masonry industry.
As I stated before, it is unconscionable to believe that this threat is not being addressed by our national organizations. If any of the Fortune 500 Corporations experienced this much of a market loss they would call an emergency Board of Directors meeting and adjourn until a market plan was developed. Again, I call on all our national organizations to be united in meeting this threat by convening a summit to meet the actual challenge, "Rome is burning while Nero fiddles." If any one thing could unite our industry it should be this external threat. We should be united in the service to our industry and not be concerned with what organization we belong to, but how well our industry is being served.
Our stating this problem is not a mere matter of words for you but one of urgency, that is carried to you in the spirit of complete conviction. Since you as a Mason Contractor, that being the "Ultimate Responsible Person," it is only logical for our Association to call for the convening of this summit, (in Washington D.C. with all the major organizations being invited on Monday, November 25, 1996). You will be kept informed on our future plans.
But this summit is not enough. We are calling on each and every contractor along with his employees as well as all those who earn their livelihood from our industry to