Mark Kemp Awarded C. Dewitt Brown Leadman Award

Each year, the Mason Contractors Association of America presents the C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award to an individual who has provided exemplary leadership in advancing the masonry industry. All of the individuals who have received this prestigious award have demonstrated a tireless dedication to our industry through years of volunteer support and hard work. They have helped to ensure that our industry remains vital for the nearly 500,000 people employed through masonry. MCAA Chairman Mike Sutter presented the 2017 C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award to Mark Kemp of Superior Masonry Builders, Inc. in Butler, Wisc. at the MCAA Annual Meeting during the MCAA Convention at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in Las Vegas on Thursday, January 19, 2017. “The individual that we honor here today has served and been a leader in the masonry industry for several years,” said Sutter. Mark Kemp has been in the construction business since the late 1960’s. He started as a yard employee and worked for Superior Masonry Builders during his college years. In 1973, he started a brick washing company called Badger Brickwashers, cleaning brick for various mason contractors. This gave him practical business knowledge while attending UW-M and majoring in Business Administration. He graduated from UW-M in 1975 with a Business Degree and proceeded to work for Superior Masonry Builders as Secretary-Treasurer. While running the office, he soon took over the operations of both the concrete and masonry divisions. In 1982, he took over full control of Superior Masonry Builders, becoming President and acting as CEO. This growing up through the ranks is what helps solidify the office and the field. Kemp has served on the MCAA Board for several years, holding the positions of Region D Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice Chairman, and Chairman. He currently serves as the Chairman of The Masonry Foundation. “It is my honor and pleasure to present the C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award to Mark Kemp,” said Sutter.
Words and Photos: Masonry Magazine
Terminations: The Hardest Part of Leadership
May 2026

Throughout my career, I’ve faced a wide variety of challenges, some technical, some interpersonal, and many that forced me to adapt quickly. These days, most of my work is behind a computer in an office, but the lessons I’ve learned apply wherever I go.

Damian Lang
Business Management
Read More
The Compliance Shield: Navigating the New Standards of Field Oversight
May 2026

The modern job site is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation. While the physical act of laying a block remains the core of the trade, the environment surrounding that work is becoming increasingly data-driven. We are moving away from the era o

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
PROSOCO Breaks New Ground With ICC‑ES Listing For Blok‑Guard and Anti‑Graffiti Products
May 2026

After years of pushing to raise the bar on third‑party verification, PROSOCO has reached another industry milestone, this time for anti‑graffiti and surface protection technologies.

Darcy Boyle
MAP Partner
Read More
Elevating Masonry: Old Habits, Familiar Tools, and the Real Reason Masonry Contractors Aren’t Making the Switch
May 2026

Ask a masonry contractor how they run their jobsite, and the answer probably sounds familiar: paper logs, a flurry of texts, maybe a shared email thread. It works until it doesn’t. And yet, even as purpose-built field management software has become more a

Erin Koets
MAP Partner
Read More