MCAA - Convention Review

MCAA's 2007 Masonry Showcase

Timothy W. O'Toole
Manager of Information Technology
Mason Contractors Association of America

Mason contractors from across the country congregated in Orlando for the Mason Contractors Association of America's (MCAA) 2007 Masonry Showcase, Feb. 22-24, 2007. The event brought together contractors and suppliers for a tradeshow and presentations that addressed industry issues, created opportunities to further business development, and offered several educational sessions to mason contractors working toward certification.

International Excellence in Masonry Awards
The event kicked off with a joint awards reception for the MCAA, the National Concrete Mason Association (NCMA) and the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI). See page 60 for information and images of the MCAA International Excellence in Masonry Awards.

The MCAA would like to congratulate the winners of the 2007 International Excellence in Masonry Awards, as well as the winners of the NCMA/ICPI Safety Awards and NCMA Design Awards of Excellence.

Education Sessions and Seminars
The Masonry Quality Institute (MQI) and Foreman Development courses both allowed contractors and their employees to begin work toward 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 located on the MCAA website at www.masoncontractors.org.

Opening Session
On Thursday, Feb. 22, 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 (see March 2007, pg. 19).

Former major league baseball player, Billy Ripkin, then treated the crowd to an entertaining speech.

Annual Meeting
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 members discussed and voted on initiatives from the past year, as well as envisioned future MCAA projects. Members proved that they're in it for the long haul and are fighting every step of the way for their industry.

Here are a few of the items discussed:

• Introduction of new MCAA members
  
  
• Continued dedication to increasing attendance at the MCAA Showcase by those in the industry
  
  
• Introduction and implementation of the National Mason Contractor Certification
  
  
• MCAA's membership telemarketing initiative has garnered a renewal rate of 91 percent in 2006
  
  
• Establishment of additional funding to research market share loss and to increase marketing of the masonry industry
  
  
• An update on MasonrySystems.org
  
  
• MCAA's participation in the Industry Tour of Italy, Oct. 2-12, 2007.

Several key people were also recognized for their support and contributions to the masonry industry. Both Chris Huckabee and MCAA Past President Alan Griffin were awarded the C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award for their exemplary leadership in advancing the masonry industry; Huckabee is the first MCAA nonmember to receive this honor. 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.

Masonry Showcase
More than 50 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.

International Masonry Skills Challenge
The International Masonry Skills Challenge was held on Friday, Feb. 23. The final projects looked great, and the apprentices should be very proud of their three hours of hard work. The judges were impressed with the quality of the apprentices' construction, and were tasked with the tough decision of choosing the winners.

The finalists for each skill level were:

First Year Apprentices
First Place
Roberto Lopez, Top Quality Masonry, Phoenix

Second Place
Gaspar Wielman, Gentry & Painter, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Third Place
Jason Walker, Advanced Masonry, Hunt Valley, Md.

Second Year Apprentices
First Place
Eric Orozco, SS Smith & Sons Masonry, Corpus Christi, Texas

Second Place
Sam Huhn, Adams Masonry, Chattanooga, Tenn.

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

Third Year Apprentices
First Place
Mark Brown, Liedel and Hart, Livonia, Mich.

Second Place
Tony Woodson, Jenkins Masonry, Chattanooga, Tenn.

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

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

Fastest Trowel
The Fastest Trowel on the Block competition was held on Saturday, Feb. 24. The contest was as exciting as ever, as all of 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, Fla.

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

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

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

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

Final Night Event
The 2007 Masonry Showcase wrapped up the conference with a joint closing reception with the NCMA 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 60mph 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.