Masonry Magazine May 2003 Page. 14
Contractor
MCAA member contractors respond to the industry issues of the day.
If you can see it in your mind, you can build it with brick.
The tilt wall industry is probably our biggest competitor at this point, and the man power issue is a constant fight. We're constantly training and trying to get new blood into this industry. It's a tough business. With the computer age the way it is, most people don't want to go out and pick up brick and block. But, the satisfaction of seeing your work completed and people enjoying it is a feeling that stays with you.
Masonry: Where do you think the masonry industry is going to be 10 years from now?
Greer: I think it's going to be stronger than ever in ten years. I actually think that there's a resurgence of masonry products and wall systems, from the economic stand-point of heating and cooling buildings to the use of the material being more diverse than any other. Things are cyclical. You can only go so far with tilt wall, but masonry is constantly - constantly-changing. It's an art, not a science. You cannot paint all of the pictures that can be painted, is the way I look at brick. If you can see it in your mind, you can build it with brick.
Masonry: Which group do you feel has the bigger impact on masonry's future: architects, engineers or general contractors?
Greer: I believe engineers will have the largest impact, but they go hand-in-hand with architects. The engineers know the enormous capabilities of masonry that they design. In this era, masonry is a superior product for protecting you and your family. Architects know what masonry can do aesthetically and they are the "Rembrandt's' The two need to work together to make sure that the material will function to its fullest capacity.
Masonry: What do you like most about being a member of MCAA?
Greer: The fact that I have an open line of communication to every part of the country and receive information from masons and manufacturers on their practices and methods from the different areas is a tremendous asset. For the five years that I've been a member of the MCAA, the information that I have gathered just from networking with people is something that I just would not have gotten from being involved with the local associations. The information available is invaluable and has helped L.F. Jennings stay on the leading edge of the construction industry.