Masonry Magazine June 2006 Page. 25
WHEN IT COMES TO HARDSCAPING, most consumers don't typically turn to the masonry industry for their projects, but that could soon change. Masons have constructed dramatic, award-winning projects involving pavers, patios, water elements, retaining walls and more that are beyond the ability of most landscaping companies.
"The landscaping field is an unusual area for traditional brick masons; there are not very many brick masons who do landscaping work that I know," said Buddie Barnes, president and CEO of Dee Brown Inc., a Garland, Texas-based firm. "We cannot compete with the typical landscapers, who do the dry-stack walls, but where there's a lot of sculpture and detail work required, we can compete with anyone."
Landscaping companies generally rely on less-experienced labor, so they can usually underbid masons. Big jobs that involve hardscaping and anchoring walls, however, require a mason's expertise.
"I think we're better equipped than landscapers because we're used to setting stone," said Richard (Dick) Felice, president and CEO of Forrest & Associate Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa.
Breaking the Myth
A POPULAR BELIEF in the masonry industry is that large mason contractors are too big to do landscaping work. However, that myth has been shattered by several well-established masonry companies that have found landscaping to be both enjoyable and lucrative.