Masonry Magazine March 2002 Page. 32
areas that impact their businesses, yet membership hasn't increased directly with the association's service level. Why do you suppose many contractors haven't joined the MCAA yet?
Because many people believe that they can let someone else deal with the problems. There will always be joiners and takers. Unfortunately there are too many takers. It is my job to make sure that the followers join our efforts to broaden our knowledge pool and resource base. In the past we have done a good job of informing the nation's mason contractors who the MCAA is. We did a poor job of closing the deal and asking them to join. During my two-year term as President, I plan on doing a better job of asking them to join and making themselves accountable.
MASONRY MAGAZINE: Why do you feel every mason contractor should become a member of the Mason Contractors Association of America?
Free information: it is getting to listen to opinions, views and experience from fellow contractors both positive and negative. If I had a problem, being a member gives me the resource to talk to a fellow member to find a solution. Getting real answers from people who experienced the problems before me. You have chosen the masonry field. You are building the industry for yourself, your family and your employees. You have to have the pride of the industry, to be successful and to give back and that's why they should become members...to give something back to the industry that has supported them. We are not in a disposable industry; we can show our families the projects that we have done and know that they will last well into the future.
MASONRY MAGAZINE: How expensive is it to become a member of the national association?
About four hours of an attorney's time.
MASONRY MAGAZINE: Do you have any advice for small mason contractors trying to expand?
Learn, learn and learn. You can not learn enough. You've already proven that you are a risk-taker because you're in business. You're only in business to make money, otherwise get out. So to help you make money you need to continually learn. All of the answers are not in high school or college. Many of the answers and knowledge will come from your experiences. Find the resources and learn. A major resource is the association.
MASONRY MAGAZINE: Two years from now, you will call your term in office a success if...
We will have a full-time government representative. We will have a national headquarters that we own, which will allow us to expand our information and training, to enhance the knowledge of our business. It will be a success if we can formulate a more cohesive industry highlighted by a unified industry trade show which includes the brick side as well as our allies in Canada. And through this increase, the ability to promote masonry more effectively. We have more money spent on promotion than most industries - we need to create a greater focus for those dollars that are targeted to our customers.
Disappoint a lawyer.
(Prevent work-related injuries.)
Don't wait for a lawsuit. Participate in our Safety and Health Consultation Program, ASAP. It's free. It's confidential. And it will help you reduce work-related injuries and illness as well as help reduce the cost of doing business. Not only will this program help ward off the lawyers. As an added bonus, it will keep OSHA off your back, too, by teaching you how to comply with OSHA regulations. But act fast. The vultures could be circling your workplace right now.