Chairman's Message: Midyear Recap

Words: Larry Vacala

Larry Vacala, MCAA Chairman

2022 Midyear meeting in Lake Geneva turned into another great MCAA event! It was a record-breaking turnout. There was a lot of positive feedback. It was all made possible by our great sponsors, the attendees and the MCAA staff. There is much to report on. Sunday evening kicked off our Opening Reception. The weather was perfect for our outdoor reception. Kent Huntley gave a beautiful blessing before the meal. The evening closed out with the Chairman’s After-Hours Party and a front-row seat to the Grand Geneva’s firework show. Thank you Glen-Gery for sponsoring the after-hours event. Monday morning started off with our Committee Chair Meetings. It was great to have a room full of participants. The Chair for each committee reported on their action items.
  • Safety - Zach Everett
  • Education - Tom Vacala
  • Legislative - Melonie Leslie, Mackie Bounds and Steve Borg
  • Workforce Development - Neal Adams and Dave Masterson
  • Marketing - Brian Carney
  • Membership - Kent Bounds and Hoss
  • South of 40 - Mason Hill
  • Technical – Jeff gave an update
  • Union Committee-Mark Kemp
There was plenty of good discussion for each of the committees. The Masonry Foundation Board met and awarded $100,000.00 in grants to industry programs throughout the nation. Foundation Chairman, Gary Joyner, announced the Masonry Foundation has surpassed $5,000,000 in pledges exceeding the initial goal. That was fantastic news! Thanks to all that have pledged and played a part in this important program for the future of our industry. The MAC PEC Golf Outing took place on the Brute Course. 80 golfers played the 18-hole scramble. It was special for me to see many family members participate. My two sons, Tyler & Lane, brothers Mike, Chuck, Tom and nephew Billy participate in the outing. Thank you EZG Manufacturing, SPEC MIX, Amerimix, Telligent Masonry Construction, Restore Masonry LLC, Tex-a-Con Cut Stone, ESCSI, CrewTracks, Brazos Masonry, J. Construction Masonry, and Hill Masonry for sponsoring this event and making this outing possible. Tuesday morning was Speed Dating. Thank you STABILA for sponsoring breakfast before the Speed Dating event. Our presenters included Amerimix, EZG Manufacturing, EZ Scaffold, FRACO, Hydro Mobile, Non-Stop Scaffolding, Norton Clipper, Pettibone, PROSOCO, SOLA, SPEC MIX, and Xtreme Manufacturing. It’s great to see some of the newest products in our industry on display. After a long day of networking, guests attended our Sunset Dinner Cruise sponsored by 3 Promise Labor Services, CrewTracks, and Cultured Stone. The boat toured the Lake Geneva shoreline while guests socialized, relaxed, and took in the beautiful scenery. Wednesday morning Board Meeting was called to order and started with a beautiful invocation from Donnie Williams. The meeting was well attended. Attendees were given the highlights from our committee meetings. 2022 MCAA Safety Awards were presented by Federated Insurance for exemplary performances in safety. The following companies received awards: First Place for Less Than 100,000 Hours (Three-Way Tie): Cantarella & Son Inc., Corner Stone Construction, and Hill Masonry, Inc. First Place for Greater Than 100,000 Hours: Superior Masonry Builders Inc. Congratulations to our winners! Following the Board Meeting, the Contractor Roundtable took place. Discussions were led by Paul Cantarella Jr. They were centered around current issues affecting our industry. Fuel surcharges, supply chain issues and labor shortages to name a few. The discussions were interesting, and many contributed. That evening was The MCAA Masonry Hall of Fame Dinner at the Grand Geneva Chalet. Mackie Bounds started us off with a sincere and heartfelt invocation. It was truly a special night as Gary Joyner and Richard “Mike” Johnston were inducted into the MCAA Masonry Hall of Fame. Both gave emotional speeches about their history growing up, family, and involvement in the masonry industry. Both inductees have truly made a positive impact on our industry. Congratulations to you both, it was well deserved! Thank you SOLA for sponsoring our Hall of Fame Dinner. Thank you to all that attended the Midyear Meeting in Lake Geneva. Thank you to all our sponsors, Jeff and all the MCAA staff. You guys did a great job! Stay Safe and Stay Strong, Larry Vacala
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