Masonry Magazine November 2001 Page. 6
president's message
It amazes me that the older I get, the years just seem to fly by faster and faster. It only seems like yesterday that we were looking forward to summer. All of a sudden it's October and the mad rush to get our masonry projects completed before the winter is upon us. If you're like me, its difficult to slow down and think about the cold winter ahead since we are so busy right now.
It has been another hectic construction season for everyone. Suppliers rushing to get us materials, contractors rushing to meet deadlines, all of us scrambling to get paid and finish the year in the black and fight the fatigue of struggling to build and maintain a successful business. Many of you may not even have the time to actually read this column. It's difficult to think ahead.
The one thing that is somewhat comforting is the fact that we are not in this alone. Every mason contractor and supplier in the masonry industry deals with the difficulties of building our futures. We just tend to do it alone without the camaraderie of fellow mason contractors or suppliers to share experiences with, to learn from each other and share many of the horror stories that we live with every day. But there is one place that we can all turn to find support and to rejuvenate our excitement about our business and our industry. The networking available to us through MCAA is invaluable. Over the many years that I've attended our convention and show, I've found that our problems are never unique.
WHERE WE WILL BE MEETING
The MASONRY SHOWCASE is where we will be meeting this coming February 6-9 in Phoenix. It's where nearly fifty local masonry associations will come together to share ideas about the future of our industry. It's where we can find thirty educational workshops that we can attend to hopefully learn something new about survival in our industry. It's where you can send key employees to attend a seminar on becoming a foreman, estimator or a competent person in scaffold erection. It's where we can send a key architect or engineer to attended a three day seminar on designing masonry. It's where we can watch our industry's best apprentices and journeymen compete in skills contests. It's where we can view what's new in masonry equipment. And it's where we can meet with each other and our local suppliers and gain the knowledge that we are all in this together. It's where we can go and relax!
Last month, you all received a complete registration brochure outlining all of the programs that are offered at MASONRY SHOWCASE. Pick it up, thumb through it and register to attend right now. Why would you delay coming to the show where the industry will be meeting? Oh you have a choice of shows. You can go to a concrete show with a masonry pavilion inside. But no matter how you look at that show, it's still the concrete show. But the one choice you have where you can be a part of what's happening within the masonry industry is the MASONRY SHOWCASE. I don't know about you, but given the choice, I would much rather spend several days at a show where there is nothing but masonry professionals all around me. I compete enough with concrete tilt-up and precast. I don't need to spend several days with concrete people all around me. I choose to retain my focus on masonry...because that is my life.
This year, make your choice, the industry's choice. Make it the MASONRY SHOWCASE next February, 6-9, 2002 in Phoenix. It's where we will be meeting. I look forward to seeing you there.
Richard M. Johnston,
President MCAA