Masonry Magazine March 2009 Page. 58
INDUSTRY NEWS
1993, and retired as the VP of technical services. He was known not only for his accomplishments, but also for his good and gracious nature and for making the pursuit of work objectives fun. Callahan was also a member of the ASTM for 27 years, from 1974 to 2001. He is survived by his wife, Jean, and by seven children and numerous grandchildren.
Sika Acquires Technology Leader in Liquid Membranes
Sika AG acquired lotech Group Limited, with headquarters in England and subsidiaries in the U.K., the U.S. and Belgium. lotech Group revenues totaled $55 million for 2008. Previously, the company was privately owned. lotech specializes in formulation, production and supply of polyurethane liquid membranes and intermediates.
With this acquisition, Sika substantially expands its technology and market know-how, and builds a market position in polyurethane liquid membranes for roofing. In the United States, lotech's Liquid Plastics Inc. has a strong market position in liquid membranes for roofing and waterproofing applications, which fits well with Sika's construction business activities in roofing, joint sealing, concrete repair, and protection.
Belgard Backyard Makeover Winner
Belgard named Gail Bartels of Watertown, Wis., as winner of the "Invite the Unexpected" sweepstakes. Bartels's entry was randomly selected from about 50,000 entries. A landscape architect will visit her home to develop a custom backyard design. Belgard and Oldcastle Surfaces will then provide paver and retaining-wall products to begin construction on the hardscape portion of the design, such as water features, bars and/or countertops. KitchenAid will provide a built-in grill package, refrigerator and preparation unit with an outdoor sink. Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights will provide outdoor fixtures and lighting.
Mangum wins 2009 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500
The 2009 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 National bricklaying championship was held during World of Concrete in Las Vegas in February. The contest allows participants 60 minutes to complete a 26-foot, double-wythe brick wall. The competition has four awards: first, second and third place (based on the highest brick count meeting the quality standards), and a fourth award, the SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN, for the most sellable wall over 500 brick.
The first-place winner was Tyke Mangum with McGee Brothers Co. in North Carolina. He won a 2009 Ford F-250, XLT truck, $5,000, and thousands of dollars in sponsor prizes. The TOP CRAFTSMAN award was given to mason Bert Schneider with Helander Masonry in Illinois. He won a 2009 Bobcat 2200 4WD Utility Vehicle, $5,000, and thousands of dollars in sponsor prizes, including a MH-10 MUD HOG mixer that will be given to a masonry-training center of his choice.
The second-place winner was Garrett Hood with McGee Brothers Co. in North Carolina. He won $4,000 and thousands of dollars in sponsor prizes. The third-place winner was Alejandro Lopez with Alejandro Lopez Masonry in Texas. He won $3,000 and thousands of dollars in sponsor prizes.
The SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER winner was Ken Huizenga with Illinois Masonry in Illinois. He won $2,500 and hundreds of dollars in sponsor prizes. IMAS
Dinkel Wins WEATHER GUARD Contest
Knaack LLC announced the winner of the WEATHER GUARD Tough Truck Give-away promotion, Dave Dinkel, a Plantation, Fla., resident. The 2009 Toyota Tundra pick-up truck was outfitted in WEATHER GUARD truck equipment during the 2009 World of Concrete show in Las Vegas in February, including an aluminum saddle box, aluminum lo-side boxes, and an ATR ladder rack with accessory side rails, valued at $2,700. Participants entered the contest online. Dinkel was randomly from more than 33,000 entries. IMAS
Building America's Future's Enhanced Web Site
Building America's Future (BAF), a bipartisan and national infrastructure coalition comprised of state and locally elected officials, announced significant upgrades and improvements to its Web site, Investn-Infrastructure.org. New features include an interactive map of coalition members, a comprehensive newsroom that daily highlights the most important infrastructure