Looking Ahead to the New Year

Words: Stephen BorgCongress recently adjourned for the Presidential Nominating Conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia and their four-week summer District Work period. As a result, news out of Washington, D.C., will likely be slow or overshadowed by the November elections. Therefore, I wanted to take this time to put an important event on your radar: the 2016 MCAA Midyear Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Oct. 2—4. Your participation will help the Mason Contractors Association of America’s (MCAA’s) leadership, legislative committee, and myself lay the groundwork for our legislative agenda moving into 2017, when we will have a new U.S. President and a new Congress being sworn in.

Looking into my crystal ball, I foresee MCAA continuing to place a heavy priority on workforce development issues and the impact that many of the regulations put forth by the Obama administration have had and will continue to have on our industry and economy. However, it is imperative that you, the MCAA members, show up in Scottsdale in order to continue conversations on issues that are impacting your business, your states and our industry. MCAA’s leadership, legislative committee and I will be there, having conversations on the issues we need to make a priority in Washington in the upcoming year. We would love to meet with as many of you as possible.

It may seem like the start of 2017 is a long way off from the beginning of October. But presidential transition planning will have already begun within both parties, returning committee chairmen will have their eyes on moving major legislative packages in the first couple months of the new presidency, and both chambers will be staking their flags on major issues. One issue that has the potential to impact the masonry industry immensely – and which has already started to be talked about on both sides of the aisle – is the need for a comprehensive overhaul of our nation’s tax code. We need to hear from you on how the tax code impacts your business, both positively and negatively. What better place to begin having those conversations than in sunny, warm Scottsdale?

I have used this column many times in the past to encourage you to participate in the MCAA Annual Convention, the annual Midyear Meeting, and the annual Legislative Fly-In. Let me use this column again to encourage you to get involved, to stay involved, and to make your voice heard. The MCAA has been building a brand and respect in Washington, D.C., for many years, but it can only be as strong as you, its members, make it. Decisions are being made every day in Washington and in state capitols throughout the country that impact your business and our industry. If elected officials are not hearing from us, I can guarantee you they are hearing from the other side of the issue.

So, as you take a break from the summer heat and transition into the fall, take time to think about how the government is impacting your business, take time to talk to your colleagues in the masonry industry, and make plans to join us in October for the Midyear Meeting. We need to hear from you, we need you to be involved, and we want to engage those who are making decisions every day that impact your business and the masonry industry as a whole.
About: Legislative
Chairman’s Message: When Things Don’t Go as Planned
June 2026

Not every day in this business goes the way we planned. Some days, everything lines up. The crew is moving well. Materials are on time. The job is flowing the way you hoped it would. And then there are the other days. The ones where something breaks. T

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Fechino Files: Trust Your Subs, Just Document!
June 2026

When I was working for a large masonry contractor, we typically performed masonry work with our own employees. When we would construct large Segmental Retaining Walls, often we would require a subcontractor who had larger equipment for different portions

Steve Fechino
Fechino Files
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Borobudur
June 2026

For masonry contractors and suppliers, few structures offer as much practical insight as Borobudur. Built in the 9th century in Central Java, this massive stone monument remains as one of the most advanced examples of large-scale masonry construction ever

Cassandra Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
Wrapping Up Our Year And A Look Ahead
June 2026

It is amazing another year has gone by and what a year it has been. We have seen a lot of progress on so many fronts. All of this happens specifically due to the support of our members. Your support this past year is positioning our industry to make huge

Jeff B
President's Message
Read More