Masonry Magazine March 2011 Page. 43
developing relationships with architects
who work with masonry designs in their market area. They discuss moisture management as well as available masonry products and practices. By taking these steps, they are not only promoting their company's reputation, but also adding value to the industry by encouraging the use of masonry as the building material of choice.
I am pleased to report that a considerable percentage of my conversations were with masons in their 20s and 30s. Matias Sposato of Sposato Masonry in Watchung, N.J., is one example. He embraced technology as he toured the booths to learn about the products on display. Sposato began his visit to each booth with a digital video of the products displayed. He then asked questions and continued to record the answers and explanations provided by the booth staff. Curiosity caused me to ask if he was going to use the recordings to share with his staff, who weren't able to attend the convention.
Sposato replied, "Not exactly. I am going to show these to my prospective customers, so that they will be confident I am keeping up with masonry developments and products. They will also then know what accessories are available to them, and why they should consider using them in their homes."
This attitude and his proactive practice will, no doubt, serve this young man well as he travels down his career path. We may all benefit by the spread of masonry techniques and knowledge to homeowners, which in turn will help the overall reputation of the masonry industry.
We need to further our support of today's youthful masons who will be the future of masonry. Promotion and sponsorship of events like the MCAA's Masonry Skills Challenge, held during the MCAA Convention at World of Concrete/World of Masonry, that excite and energize our future masons will only serve our industry. The MCAA's fundraising event held during the Convention at the Hofbrauhaus raised money for their South of 40 Committee, a group whose mission is to "provide members the opportunity to learn, to become more involved, and to introduce a more youthful voice into the masonry industry. We should not only support these and similar efforts, but each of us should consider creating this type of synergy in our communities. Some options could include guest speaking at bricklaying and masonry classes at community and technical colleges. Other options might be hosting a field trip or sponsoring a regional version of the Masonry Skills Challenge. These types of activities do require some resources, but can go a long way to secure our industry's future.
Masonry suppliers also have much to offer. As an example, Potomoc Valley Brick, headquartered in Rockville, Md., offers free monthly breakfasts that provide education credits and assist designers and builders in the proper design and use of masonry products. Even more notable is their developing relationships with architects who work with masonry designs in their market area.
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