Our Recap

Words: Todd Fredrick

Dan Kamys, Editorial Director - dkamys@masonrymagazine.com

  In this issue, you’ll find our World of Concrete recap. I have to say; the show was one of the best I’ve seen since being here. A huge congratulations to all of the winners of the competitions and inductees into our Masonry Hall of Fame. Inside this issue, you will find all the major highlights from World of Concrete along with plenty of valuable content, including a moisture control article, a new GEN NXT article featuring a bricklayer apprentice April Ruiz, and an informative moisture control article to name a few. 

MCAA Resources

  The remainder of this Editor’s Note is not a typical one. We wanted to address the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and the way it’s going to inevitably change many aspects of our lives and work. The MCAA is committed to staying on top of the latest news and information.   Please visit the homepage of masoncontractors.org and you will see updates as we receive them. We aim to be a resource and guide for many business owners who are navigating the economic situation.    Please be well.     dsig
Managing the Mysterious Job Site Slowdown
August 2026

Every contractor knows the feeling. A job looks good on paper. The schedule makes sense. The crews are lined up. The material is supposed to be there. Then, for no obvious reason, the whole job starts crawling. That is what makes it so frustrating. Nobod

Damian Lang
Contractor Tip of the Month
Read More
Sainte-Cécile Cathedral
August 2026

Imagine being handed a set of plans calling for the largest brick cathedral in the world. Now imagine building it without modern cranes, engineered scaffolding, forklifts, power tools, or structural analysis software. That was the challenge facing medie

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
Why SkillsUSA is the Keystone to MCAA’s Outreach
August 2026

When I stepped into the role of the MCAA’s first Director of Youth Outreach and Education, I knew we had a massive job ahead of us. I am a fourth-generation brick mason, and I have spent over two decades teaching the trade, from working with apprentices a

Robert Melgaard
Outreach Outlook
Read More
The First Paycheck
August 2026

Several years ago, Huntley Brothers hired a young apprentice. It was his first real job, and he had never had a paycheck before. Friday rolled around, and he got paid just like everyone else. Later that day, one of the guys told me something I have never

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More