Masonry Magazine November 2001 Page. 15
The most innovative thing
about our company is?
We have spent a lot of effort and company resources over the years implementing new ways of doing things. Davenport was in the vanguard on implementing TQM which has paid huge dividends for the company. We were one of the first to send employees to MCAA's Foreman Development training class. Most recently, we, in conjunction with BAC-9, have begun a mentoring program for our apprenticeship training. We are also one of a few mason contractors that publishes a newsletter for our employees and customers.
How did you get into the contracting business?
Unlike many in our industry, my family was not in the masonry business. We were in the farming business, but I felt that I had better long-term opportunities in construction. So I began my career as a laborer and then moved my way up into ownership.
We became a member of the Mason Contractors Association of America because?
I believe that associations are a poor form of government. I don't know of any other way to collectively get things done. Where else do you bring it all together, especially in a splintered industry like the masonry industry? Associations are a way for all of us individually to accomplish something significant that we could not do on our own. The MCAA is our way of implementing change for the benefit of mason contractors and I believe that by being a member of the association, I am affecting positive change for our industry that I couldn't do on my own.
I find the thing I most like about being a member of the MCAA is?
What other national association is there that brings us together as mason contractors? The IMI represents too small a portion of the industry. If you really want to affect change for the betterment of the whole masonry industry, you can't be bogged down in a debate between union vs. non-union. The MCAA gets things accomplished without wasting energy on union vs. non-union. They recognize that our true enemy is not a fellow mason contractor, but a tilt-up contractor or a metal stud and drywall contractor. Our efforts need to be focused on not battling with them, but improving our operations to bring more value to the table for our customers.
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MASONRY NOVEMBER, 2001 15