Masonry Magazine November 2006 Page. 54
News
Local, State &
Regional
# Colorado
Alliances, marketing and advocacy are the key elements to market retention and expansion for the masonry industry. That's the message that Colorado-based contractors, brick producers, block producers and cement manufacturers heard at the August 2006 annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute (RMMI). A perfect Colorado summer morning was the scene for the meeting, which was held in one of the state's most beautiful resorts, the Mountain Thunder Lodge in Breckenridge, Colo.
Michael Adelizzi, executive director of the Mason Contractors of America Association (MCAA), and Mark Hogan, president of the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), were on hand to present their views and engage in discussions with the audience. Both association leaders began their presentations focusing on the value of industry alliances and what they mean for the members of key industry organizations. "Everything we do together is to advance the industry," Adelizzi said.
Adelizzi and Hogan's presentations also addressed initiatives being undertaken at the national level to protect the industry and advance local market share. Hogan presented supporting statistics from several respected industry sources reporting similar construction growth figures, and added, "While producers of concrete masonry and segmental retaining wall units are continuing to see greater sales, we would also note that there are segments of the market that have remained constant."
Contractors, brick producers, block producers and cement manufacturers demonstrated their intense interest in what's happening at the national level and the future of the industry with a Q&A session that lasted more than an hour.
Adelizzi told the group that, while the industry spends three years training masons in the installation of brick and block, no time is spent on education about adhered masonry. To demonstrate his point, Adelizzi asked a contractor in the crowd how he had learned to install adhered stone. The reply was: "I researched it online and taught myself."
Adelizzi explained that MCAA is working on a national certification program for all masons, which would incorporate some of the regional certification programs, such as the one offered by RMMI. "As a national association, in the past we fought certification because good masonry contractors do a good job, but as long as companies pick the lowest bidder, why make masons get certified?" he said. "MCAA is meeting with the AIA [American Institute of Architects] in an attempt to have certified masons specified in their programs."
Referring to the growing popularity of design-build projects, Hogan noted that general contractors are beginning to look at more than the lowest bid. "They are looking at quality products and quality installation," Hogan said.
Adelizzi added, "There are 20,000 masonry companies out there, and we need to make sure the difference between quality and non-quality is so wide that a certified member is the first choice. National certification would let chain stores, like Wal-Mart, know that a certified mason in one part of the country is just like a certified mason in another part of the country."
Further details of the MCAA national certification program will be available at the national convention in Orlando in February 2007.
Addressing the need to increase masonry market share, Hogan said he would like to see an increase in efforts to get the message across that masonry is faster and less expensive than tilt-up. "The public, general contractors and architects need to be presented with facts and statistics to battle the efforts of the tilt-up industry, which has been redesigning projects in order to increase its market share," he said.
"The lion's share of responsibility rests at the local level. Your marketing messages should be seen in the home section of local newspapers," Hogan said. "Where we have an important role to play at the national level is on marketing research efforts, such as NCMA's popular strategic market mapping, which clearly established the difference between how various audiences view concrete masonry products and charted a clear road-map that
Masonry Showcase 2007 Online Registration
The Masonry Showcase 2007 website is now online! Please visit www.masonryshowcase.com to view information on highlight events, educational programs, competitions and much more! Exhibitor materials, including an interactive floor plan and exhibitor listings, are also posted to help plan your Masonry Showcase 2007 experience.
Masonry Showcase online registration is also available on MCAA's website, as well as online registration for The Peabody Orlando, host to Masonry Showcase 2007.
Please visit www.masonryshowcase.com to stay informed on the latest exhibitor and Showcase program updates. We hope to see you in February in sunny Orlando!