MCAA's 2007 Masonry Showcase Wrap-up

Words: Mason Contractors
https://masoncontractors.azurewebsites.net/Public/News/20070319153956-1.jpg" width="300" height="200" border="0" alt="Mason contractors from across the country congregated in Orlando, Florida for the MCAA Masonry Showcase from February 22-24, 2007.">
Mason contractors from across the country congregated in Orlando, Florida for the MCAA Masonry Showcase from February 22-24, 2007.

Mason contractors from across the country congregated in Orlando, Florida for the MCAA Masonry Showcase from February 22-24, 2007. The event brought together contractors and suppliers for a trade show and presentations that addressed industry issues, created opportunities to further business development and offered several educational sessions to mason contractors working towards certification.

The event kicked off on Wednesday night with a joint awards reception between the Mason Contractors Association of America, the National Concrete Mason Association and the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute. The MCAA would like to congratulate the winners of the 2007 International Excellence in Masonry Awards:

Education K-8
San Elijo Elementary School - San Marcos, CA
Mason Contractor: New Dimension Masonry, Inc.
Architect: HMC Architects

Education 9-12
Valley Center Maxine Theater - Valley Center, CA
Mason Contractor: New Dimension Masonry, Inc.
Architect: Davy Architecture

Education College & University
Grinnell College - Joe Rosenfield '25 Center - Grinnell, IA
Mason Contractor: Forrest & Associate, Inc.
Architect: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

Government/Institutional
Holy Innocents Parish - Duvall, WA
Mason Contractor: Ward's Masonry
Architect: Becker Architects

Industrial/Commercial
Mason Structure Office - Warehouse - Lexington, KY
Mason Contractor: Mason Structure, Inc.
Architect: Sherman Carter Barnhart PSC

Pavers/Retaining Walls/Landscaping
Lake Bluff Residence - Lake Bluff, IL
Mason Contractor: R. Sanchez & Sons, Inc.

Rehab/Restoration
Tufts University - West Hall Project - Medford, MA
Mason Contractor: Phoenix Bay State Construction, Co., Inc.
Architect: McGinley Kalsow & Associates, LLP

Residential
Senior Services of King County - Seattle, WA
Mason Contractor: B&B Tile and Masonry Corp
Architect: Weinstein A|U Architects and Urban Designers

Project information and pictures can be viewed on the International Excellence in Masonry pages of our website.

The MCAA would also like to congratulate the winners of the NCMA /ICPI Safety Awards and NCMA Design Awards of Excellence.

Wednesday also marked the first day of the Masonry Quality Institute (MQI) and Foreman Development Course. Both sessions allowed contractors to begin work towards earning industry certification. MQI is a required course for certification and worth 20 educational credits. For more information about certification, please visit the Masonry Industry Certification page of our website.

On Thursday, MCAA President Frank Campitelli officially welcomed attendees of the 2007 Masonry Showcase to Orlando at the Opening Session luncheon, where he delivered the 2007 State of the Association address, which can be viewed in full online. The crowd was then treated to an entertaining speech by former major league baseball player, Billy Ripkin.

Following the Opening Session, the MCAA Board and members met for the Annual Meeting. The voice of the mason contractor was heard loud and clear during the meeting, as on initiatives throughout the past year were discussed along with future projects. Members proved that they're in it for the long-haul and are fighting every step of the way for their industry. Committee Reports and Regional Reports can be found online at www.masoncontractors.org.

Several key people were also recognized for the support and contributions to the masonry industry. Both Chris Huckabee and Alan Griffin were awarded the C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award for their exemplary leadership in advancing the masonry industry. The QUIKRETE Companies were also recognized for the second straight year as the Supplier of the Year. The MCAA would like to congratulate Huckabee, Griffin and The QUIKRETE Companies and thank them for their support of the industry.

Over fifty vendors exhibited their masonry products for attendees on Friday and Saturday. From small hand tools to large equipment, the 2007 MCAA Masonry Showcase offered something for everyone.

The International Masonry Skills Challenge was held on Friday, February 23. The final projects looked great, and the apprentices should be very proud of their three hours of hard work. The judges were very impressed with the quality of the apprentices' construction, and were tasked with the tough decision of choosing the winners. The top-placing contestants for each skill level were:

First Year Apprentices

First Place
Roberto Lopez
Top Quality Masonry, Phoenix, AZ

Second Place
Gaspar Wielman
Gentry & Painter, Chattanooga, TN

Third Place
Jason Walker
Advanced Masonry, Hunt Valley, MD

Second Year Apprentices

First Place
Eric Orozco
SS Smith & Sons Masonry, Corpus Christi, TX

Second Place
Sam Huhn
Adams Masonry, Chattanooga, TN

Third Place
Elizabeth Cleckley
Baltimore Masonry, Inc., Eldersburg, MD

Third Year Apprentices

First Place
Mark Brown
Liedel and Hart, Livonia, MI

Second Place
Tony Woodson
Jenkins Masonry, Chattanooga, TN

Third Place
Mark Ferreira, Jr.
Williams and Sons Masonry, Inc., Lakeside, CA

More information and pictures from the event can be found on the International Masonry Skills Challenge pages of our website.

The Fastest Trowel on the Block Competition was held on Saturday, February 24. The contest was as exciting as ever, as all the masons worked quickly and with great quality. The top-placing contestants in this year's competition were:

First Place
Ray Robinson
J.A.M. Construction, Inc., Gainesville, FL

Second Place
Mike Canez III
Triple M Masonry, Inc., Phoenix, AZ

Third Place
Gonzalo Lopez
Fyffe Masonry & Plastering, Inc., Glendale, AZ

More information and pictures from the event can be found on the Fastest Trowel on the Block pages of our website.

The MCAA would like to congratulate the winners of both competitions.

The 2007 Masonry Showcase wrapped up with a joint closing reception with the National Concrete Masonry Association at Universal Studios. The event started with a private reception at the Groove Lounge and later moved to the Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Attendees and their guests were able to experience the thrills of Dr. Doom rocketing them 150 feet into the air, following Spider-Man high above the streets of New York City and the horror of changing from Bruce Banner into the Hulk at speeds of over sixty miles per hour on the ultimate roller coaster adventure! The event was fun and entertaining; a great time was had by all who attended.

The 2007 Masonry Showcase was a huge success. Please visit www.masoncontractors.org for news and information about future MCAA events.
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