Masonry's Future

Words: Paul OdomPaul Odom, MCAA Chairman As I write this month’s message, I’m still thinking about how AMAZING the National SkillsUSA contest was. I’m so glad I got to travel to Louisville, Kentucky for this great event.  Seeing that many young adults out there in one place, competing to show off the skills they are learning to improve our nation’s workforce, is so encouraging. Of course, being a mason myself, I’m partial. I went through an apprenticeship, participated in a few contests, and I have judged and attended more than I can count throughout the years.  I love watching the speed and quality that each of these young people put into their projects.  But what I love more than that is what this competition represents:  the future of our industry. These kids are our future. Our future, as the masonry industry, depends on workforce development.  If you’re a mason contractor, you’ve probably faced a labor shortage several times in the past few years. [caption id="attachment_19884" align="alignnone" width="640"] MCAA Skills USA Contestants 2018[/caption] Workforce development is something we must continue to focus on.  We see the shift in schools to support trades again and that’s great.  However, we must be diligent to ensure that masonry is one of the trades your area schools push.  I encourage you to reach out to your local and state associations and area schools to see how you can help.  Recruiting students intomasonry programs is also key.  This is a great profession, but we must share this passion and pride with both the prospective students andtheir parents to recruit the best. We have a lot to share. Masonry is a proud industry and one in which teamwork and family principles thrive.  You can see this in everything we do.  Even at the SkillsUSA contest, we all pitched in to set up and clean up together. We, as mason contractors, all work together and it is one of the things that I love most about being part of the masonry industry.  To quote MCAA, “Together we are Stronger.” Next month we’ve got the opportunity to grow stronger together at the Midyear Meeting in Austin, Texas, my home state.  I look forward to welcoming many of you there as we gather to learn and network as an industry.  You won’t want to miss it.  Be sure to check out the event lineup on MCAA’s website.  Also, remember that the offer still stands that I’ll cover 50% of your membership for first time members.  I continue to be that convinced that you’ll love this association as I do. Until next month… Paul
About: Chairman’s Message
Color Trends Shaping Today’s Masonry Projects
July 2026

Homeowners today are coming into projects with a lot more opinions than they used to have. Between social media, home shows and contractor sites, most customers already have a look in mind before you even quote the job. For masonry contractors, having a

Chad Riley
Stone Savvy
MAP Partner
Read More
The New Equation for Masonry Profit: Predictable Hardware and Proven Data
July 2026

The masonry industry is built on tradition, but modern growth requires a shift from guesswork to absolute certainty. When we talk about the philosophy that you cannot improve what you do not measure, we are looking at the literal minutes and manpower lost

Erin Koets Shayne Sanders
Build Smart
MAP Partner
Read More
Owen Heimbach
July 2026

This month, the MCAA had the pleasure of speaking with SkillsUSA First Place Winner Owen Heimbach, a young mason just starting out whose enthusiasm for bricklaying is truly contagious. His passion for the craft was evident throughout our interview.

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Backfill Your Foundation
July 2026

I’ve been noticing an uptick in a very specific kind of application lately, and once you see the pattern, you can’t unsee it. The résumé usually reads like a family photo album. “Started helping my dad when I was 15.” “Worked summers, then full time.” “R

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More