MCAA Regional Report, Region E

ECONOMIC CLIMATE AND MARKET EXPANSION

Iowa
No report.

Minnesota
According to Construction Bulletin, a regional publisher or construction activity, first-quarter contract awards for 2005 totaled $1.5 billion, up 16 percent from the first three months of 2004.

Much of this jump was due to highway projects.

In addition, privately funded construction projects jumped 72% for the first three months of 2005, compared to last year.

The first three months of 2005 witnessed a noticeable decline in the volume and number of publicly financed construction projects in Minnesota and the Dakotas. A 40% dip occurred in

January-March 2005, with this decline traced to the failure of the Minnesota legislature to pass a bonding bill in the 2004 session, thus delaying or postponing numerous project that were scheduled to begin in 2004 or early 2005. Note that 2005 Minnesota legislature did pass a large bonding bill, and is expected to consider another bonding bill in the 2006 session.

Note that due to the illness of Editor George Rekela of Construction Bulletin, construction award numbers are only available through April. We wish Mr. Rekela well on his road to recovery. He is a true leader in the construction industry.

According to Federal Reserve reports, construction activity continues to grow in this region. The real estate market remains strong. A well know commercial real estate firm is predicting a vacancy rate below 16% by the end of the year, down from 18% at the beginning of the year. Industrial and retail marketed remain robust. Retail construction in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is strong, especially in the suburbs. A Minneapolis commercial real estate firm is forecasting construction of 2.9 million square feet by the end of the year, which would be a new record!

Missouri
As of June 30, 2005, hours for the region are 2.3 higher from last year. Tuckpointers, Cleaners and Caulkers are reporting substantial backlogs as renovation of existing structures continue to be emphasized. There are mixed reviews from residential and commercial contractors, with some reporting soft future projects in the pipeline while others heavy. Work on the new Cardinals stadium is proceeding ahead of schedule. In September, city officials broke ground in the historic downtown Bottle District. The $300 million project will include a concert hall, condos, and retail.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Iowa
No report.

Minnesota
This past summer the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local Union #1 of Minnesota and North Dakota offered a six week pre-job training program. 25 students enrolled in the program with 20 completing the classes, and eight being placed with contractors.

The Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Apprenticeship Program began the 2005-06 year in early September with 81 apprentices enrolled in the metro portion of the program. This number includes 35 first year bricklayers, 27 second year bricklayer apprentices, and 19 apprentices working on their third year. In addition, there are 53 bricklayers apprentices enrolled in the out-state bricklayers program for a total of 134!

Changes in the metro brick program allow apprentices working in PCC to use their own specific courses. These changes were made due to industry demand and limited numbers of participants. During the PCC training students will receive JLG training and certification, suspension scaffold training and certification, and OSHA 10-hour certification. The students will also be trained in mortar removal, mortar matching, re-pointing mortar, caulking and cleaning, and 'new technologies. According to Mark Wickstrom, Apprenticeship Coordinator, these changes will strengthen cooperation with restoration contractors and promote participation levels of PCC apprentices.

Apprenticeships in out-state Minnesota and North Dakota are now using the identical training materials as those used in the metro program. All assignments, exams, and course materials will be processed at the metro facility instead of the previous practice of using a local community college.

After pre-job training, the workers receive 55% of the Journeymen's wage ($15.34 per hour wages, $2.50 vacation, and $1.05 for dues, for a total of $18.89 per hour taxable income and benefits). The current hourly wage rate for a Journeyman Bricklayer in the Twin Cities Metro is $31.44 plus $11.50 for benefits for a total of $42.94 per hour taxable income and benefits.

The St. Paul based tile finisher and tile layer apprenticeship program has 61 students registered. That number includes 23 first year tile finishers and 15 second year tile setters, as well as, 15 first year tile layers and 8 second year tile layers. In addition, there are 18 students registered as out-state tile finisher and tile layer apprentices for a total of 79 students in the tile program!

In 2004, mason hours for the Bricklayers Local 1 of Minnesota totaled 3,123,000 hours. In 2005 BAC Local #1 continued to consolidate its membership in the region by absorbing the North and South Dakota membership, as well as, the membership of "Greater Minnesota." The total hours reported for the metropolitan Minneapolis-St. Paul area is projected to be down slightly in 2005 from last year.

On May 1, our contractors entered the second year of the three-year labor agreement with the bricklayers, cement masons, laborers, operators, ironworkers, and carpenters. All of the new labor agreements reached with the union trades were focused on "journey worker training" and "worker readiness." MC&MCA was pleased with the efforts to improve in this area. Bricklayer's Local #1 is anxious about the new language in the agreement setting a minimum journeyman apprentice ratio of 10 journeymen to one apprentice. According to Wickstrom, they are hopeful that this new ratio is enforced and will greatly improve the employment opportunities for the apprentices.

Missouri
The Bricklayers' Apprenticeship School started September 7, 2005 with approximately 151 apprentices (27 who are in their last 6 months and 39 new). Long-time apprentice coordinator Mr. Tim Corcoran has retired; instructor Mr. Mark Kreutzman has moved up to the apprentice coordinator position and veteran bricklayer Mr. Steve Jahnsen is the new instructor. Contractors continue to lend their expertise and support to the school's staff by visiting the school on an assigned day to observe the classes and speak with the students. The contractors then submit their observations to the Joint Apprentice Training Committee, who evaluate and implement curriculum suggestions.

The local technical schools continue to be a good feeder program for the Bricklayers' Local # 1 apprentice program.

OSHA & SAFETY

Iowa
No report

Minnesota
According to Minnesota OSHA, the most frequently cited safety standard in the construction industry in 2004 was violation of the general requirements of fall protection in construction. State OSHA issued 129 citations in over the year for construction fall protection violations.

A close second most cited construction standard was in Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction (AWAIR) Program with 126 citations, third was fall protection in residential construction with 125 citations, fourth was fall protection on scaffolds above ten feet with 99 citations, and fifth with 81 citations was lack of hardhats in construction.

Spokespersons from MN OSHA spoke at a dinner event regarding enforcement and compliance, scheduling of inspections, and discussed trends that they are seeing in construction job site situations.

Missouri
The MCA's PCC (Pointers, Caulkers and Cleaners) Committee is developing a best practice program for working with silica. Working with the Laborers' Mid-West Health & Safety Fund, the PCC Committee is customizing a Model Silica Protection Program for contractors as well as a Personal Protective Equipment Program. Once the programs are completed, training will be conducted. Since silica is a prime concern of this market niche, the PCC Committee is planning an Open House for all contractors, both MCA members and non-members, to discuss the challenges of the PCC Contractor.

The MCA's partnership with OSHA has been in existence for over two years. There are now eight contractor members. Review of the 300 Logs indicate there has been a 2.23% reduction in the DART (Days Away Restricted Time) Rate subsequent to joining the partnership. The partnership has begun gathering details about the types of injuries, such as body location of injuries, hoping to identify new opportunities for training. For example, lacerations from handling re-bar are trending upwards. The partnership will be having a meeting to review the incidents with the contractor partners and suggest additional training and safeguards.

The MCA also worked with OSHA to update the "Five For Safety" toolbox talks. These 5minute safety awareness topics are available in hard copy and on CD ROM for contractors who wish to supplement their Safety and Health programs.

The MCAA will be hosting an educational program for OSHA compliance officers in Region 7 at the St. Louis chapter as part of the ongoing alliance between the MCAA and OSHA.

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Iowa
No report.

Minnesota
MC&MCA current membership of 110 companies includes 49 contractor companies and 61 associate member companies. Six of our members are self-performing masonry, concrete, or general contractors.

Our Minnesota MCAA membership totals fourteen Minnesota contractors. Dick Dentinger, the MCAA Membership Recruitment Chair, continues to recruit MCAA members from Minnesota and is encouraging Minnesota projects to be entered into the annual MCAA Excellence in Masonry Contest.

The MC&MCA continues to provide its members with a monthly meeting where industry representatives and other speakers are engaged to address our general membership. Topics range from new services and products, as well as, current events and politics! These monthly meetings provide members an opportunity to participate in invaluable networking with other contractors and suppliers.

We continue to recruit new members using direct mail, phone calls, faxes, emails, and one-on-one meetings.

We continue to expand and enhance our web site. MC&MCA can be reached through the Internet at www.mcmca.com. We provide a link to MCAA's web site, as well as, other state and national concrete and masonry sites. We have added a counter to the site and the "hits just keep on coming!"

IMI Activities
IMI worked for state amendment approval of the adoption in the upcoming 2003 IBC that will substantially reduce the lap lengths required for rebar in reinforced masonry. Planning is complete and brochures are done for upcoming Fall/Winter engineer's series at the University of Minnesota. Go to www.cce.umn.edu/masonry for details. IMI retained Prof. Arturo Schultz Ph.D. to teach a summer "short course" on masonry design for young engineers who didn't have an opportunity to take the course in college. Fifteen people registered and attended the 3hours class every Tuesday evening for eight weeks from early July through the end of August. Interest is strong for another offering of the course in the late winter/early spring of 2006 since the University of Minnesota will not be offering it then in its regularly-scheduled slot.

IMI joined with the other national masonry related organizations in hosting the 2005 University Professor's Masonry Workshop with the Architecture and Civil Engineering faculty at the University of Minnesota. The program was one of the best attended in recent years, and evaluations were very positive. An intense half-day of hands-on and presentation activities was held at the BAC Local #1 MN/ND training center in St. Paul, cited by many as the highlight of the workshop. Several contractor members of MC&MCA participated in a panel discussion centering on what contractors would like architecture and engineering students to know when they graduate from college. Evaluations for the panel were extremely complimentary. The keynote presentation for the event was given by a team of people from the Leo A. Daly architecture/engineering firm, showing the design and construction of the 2004 St. Paul Winter Carnival Ice Palace as a unique form of masonry construction. IMI sponsored the registration fees and expenses for roughly 35% of the attendees.

IMI staff prepared the entries for MC&MCA's projects entered in the BAC craft awards competition. These entries captured two of the top awards presented nationally, Best Marble Project (Gonda Building, Mayo Clinic, Twin City Tile and Marble); and Best Restoration/ Rehabilitation/Maintenance Project (Nativity of Our Lord Church, St. Paul, American Masonry Restoration). The top Community Service Award went to the 2004 Winter Carnival Ice Palace, led by Gresser Concrete Masonry.

IMI is working closely with Public Art St. Paul on the upcoming International Stone Carving Symposium scheduled for May/ June 2006. Go to www.publicartstpaul.org and click on the "Minnesota Rocks" button for more details. IMI sponsored a reception to kick off the countdown to the event which will involve stone carvers from around the world working alongside Minnesota stone carving artists in an outdoor "studio" near the St. Paul Cathedral.

Students from Dunwoody Technical Institute attended a hands-on event at the Local #1 MN/ND training center in May. Many of these students are studying to be project managers or construction managers.

The IMI staff and BAC office converted their lead-tracking systems to Reed Construction Data (formerly CMD) recently. Information sent to contractors from this point forward will be from this service, as well as, from other tracking mechanisms we employ.

Academy Draws Diverse Audience
For 10 years the Minnesota Masonry & Concrete Academy has been helping high school industrial arts teachers (now called technology education, or "tech-ed", teachers) learn about masonry and concrete so they can provide new classroom activities and new career options for their students. During that time, trainers from the BAC Local #1 MN/ND training program and Local #1 field staff have been visiting these high schools to do classroom presentations, participate in Career Day programs and provide all-day hands-on activities for those schools requesting help. Literally hundreds of these visits have happened since the program was launched in 1996, and many new recruits have joined the masonry ranks as one result. Another benefit has been the nearly 200 teachers and others who have become masonry ambassadors in their communities, spreading the word to countless others about the benefits of masonry and the career opportunities it provides.

Over time, the program has evolved from a simple 2 'h - day workshop to a full two-week summer session run through St. Cloud State University, and now also attracts students of construction management and project management. It's a wellknown fact that various form of Construction Management or Design/Build project delivery systems are in increasing use. Therefore, it is critical that students in these programs have positive learning experiences with masonry before they graduate. To that end, the Academy has broadened its focus to include both CM students and Technology educators, and it's a combination that is working well.

Dr. Kurt Helgeson at St. Cloud State, works with IMI and members of MC&MCA, MCMA and BAC Local #1 staff to provide speakers for the sessions, transportation for the tours, tour guides, some meals, overnight lodging, printed materials, coordination of hands-on activities and other needed elements. In the words of one of the class members, the Academy ". . . covered everything, from the quarry to the wall."

Class members commented most frequently on two things: One was the eye-opening effect of the tours Page and the other was the opportunity to hear from contractors, craftworkers, construction managers, association staff and manufacturers of masonry materials about the real-world challenges of getting a project built. One also said, "I was struck by the technology "savvy" of the people in this industry - from the driver who uses GPS technology (global positioning system) in his or her truck, to the computer-controlled manufacturing processes in the plants." Many were impressed with the number and variety of careers available in the masonry industry as well.

Excellence Contest
The MC&MCA is in the process of judging 60 entries into the 2006 Excellence in Concrete & Masonry Construction and Design contest. This marks our 24`h Annual Contest. Last year MC&MCA recognized 11 masonry and five concrete project winners. Members enter their best commercial and residential buildings constructed in concrete and masonry. They will be judged early this fall on location by teams of architects and other industry professionals. The winners were announced at our awards banquet held at the conclusion of a two-day convention in March. The winners are notified in advance so they can invite owners, general contractors, and architects to the dinner.

Participating judges are invited to attend the awards dinner as our guests. Over 200 people attended the awards banquet this year!

The winning entries are featured in a four-page, five-color public piece that is inserted in the annual AIA directory. Photos of the winning entries are scanned into our web site to "showcase" them to architects, owners, potential members, and the general public. The contest and awards banquet is one way to recognize the quality of concrete and masonry to the design community. One of our masonry winners landed on the cover of a natural masonry magazine!

MC&MCA, working with IMI, submits our winning masonry award winners into the national BAC Craft Awards, a contest conducted by the International Union of Bricklayers and Craftworkers. This past year three Minnesota winners were recognized!

Publications & Events
The MC&MCA provides a monthly newsletter and email alert system to keep our members and friends informed as to schedules, events, news, etc. We also print an annual Directory and Buyers Guide each April. Our annual June golf outing fills out each year! In October we will be hosting our second annual Sporting Clays Shoot!

Committee Work
The MC&MCA has 10 standing committees to assist the board of directors in carrying out the work of the association. One of those committees, the Apprenticeship & Education Committee, is currently working on the production of power point presentations that will deal with masonry and concrete problems and how to avoid them.

Goals and Objectives
Our goals for 2005-2006 include working closely with our construction industry contractors, as well as, suppliers of goods and services that our industry uses every day. We will continue to work with the architectural community to design and specify more masonry and concrete projects. We will also continue to work with the unions on employee recruitment and training. Other goals include providing programs and other membership services that our members want and deserve.

We are meeting with and working with the MCMA and the IMI in order to better coordinate, partner, and cost-share programs and projects of interest and valued to the masonry industry.

Missouri
The MCA's Associate Advisory Committee held a BBQ Cook-off in the MCA parking lot on September 6, 2005, with over 20 supplier members grilling everything from homemade sausage and the ubiquitous St. Louis pork steaks to swordfish from Florida. Kirchner Block and Brick earned the trophy and bragging rights with some awesome ribs. Over 110 members and guests enjoyed the food, drinks and the first annual MCA Cornhole Tournament. Proceeds from the Cornhole Tournament were donated to the MCA St. Louis Political Action Committee fund. Attendees also generously contributed to the American Red Cross's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

The MCA will hold its October 2005 monthly meeting at Alberici Headquarters, a local general contractor awarded a LEED^® v2 Platinum Rating for New Construction. Touring this "green" building and learning how to incorporate these ecology-friendly methods into new construction will be educational for our members.

The MCA's proactive approach with silica, as well as our safety and educational programs, has drawn new members. On September 20, 2005 the MCA offered Blueprint Reading training, with the second session of Quantity Surveys scheduled for

October 27, 2005. The Certification Committee is sponsoring a contracts seminar on November 15, 2005, presented by local legal and insurance professionals. A review of changes to the International Residential Code will be on December 16, 2005. The Certification Committee has also recruited Mr. Greg Borchelt to join us on April 25, 2006 for another design educational seminar.