Masonry Magazine September 2001 Page. 48
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MASONRY INDUSTRY PITCHES IN TO HELP HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
RICK FRISCH DISPLAYS THE CONCENTRATION THAT KEEPS HIS WORK AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
MIKE HEITKAMP'S BIG SMILE SHOWS HE'S ENJOYING LAYING BRICK FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
Like knights they came. Eight mason contractors from the Mason Contractors Association of St. Louis (MCA) and their crews of bricklayers (Bricklayers' Union Local No. 1 of Missouri) and laborers (Eastern Missouri Laborers' District Council), responding to the call for help from Habitat for Humanity St. Louis. The Habitat organization, which builds homes for the poor with volunteer labor and gifts in-kind, needed bricks laid as part of it's recent housing blitz in Wellston. The blitz was in honor of the chapter's 15th anniversary, and officials planned to celebrate by building 15 houses in 15 days. Six of the houses would receive brick fronts.
To get the masonry part of the job done fast and professionally, project organizers turned to the Mason Contractors Association. Habitat officials quickly learned that the quality of the people in the organization was equal to the quality of their work. "When Habitat originally contacted me," said Doug Nichols, president of the MCA as well as Doug Nichols Masonry, "they said that they wanted to pay for the brick work." But when Nichols went to the MCA membership with Habitat's offer, their response was a firm "no." Not no, they wouldn't do it, but no, they wouldn't accept money for the work. Their contributions had to be all volunteer. That says a lot for our local contractors," said Nichols. "They insisted that they would do it only if they could donate their time and expenses."
Besides Nichols Masonry, other mason contracting firms contributed their crews and equipment, including: Spencer Brickwork, John J. Smith Masonry Co., Heitkamp Masonry, Grant Masonry Contracting Co., Fred L.
FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT. ANDY CARVALHO, STEVE BAILEY (BRICKLAYERS' UNION #1). BOB GUINN (BRICKLAYERS UNION #1). SECOND ROW: MARK BLECHLER, DANNY PRATT, SCOTT PETTED.
FROM LEFT: MIKE BROWN, RANDY MUNGLE, RON HUMPHRIES.
Davis Co., Frisch Masonry and Brinker Contracting Co. Masonry materials were donated by Raineri Building Materials, Buchheit Supply, and Kirchner Block & Brick. Richards Brick donated brick. Also on hand to coordinate activities with the MCA were officials of Bricklayers' Union Local No. 1 of Missouri-Alan Martini, president of the Union, and Bob Guinn and Steve Bailey, Business Representatives.
"I hope that our work here helps restore the city," said Martini. "I think what the Bricklayers' Union and the mason contractors are doing is a good start."
"I'm very happy that our union is involved with the Habitat project and helping the needy," Guinn added.
The Masonry Institute of St. Louis would like to add a note of thanks to the members of the MCA, Bricklayers' Union Local No. 1 of Missouri, and the Eastern Missouri Laborers' District Council, who pitched in on the project. As John Motley, general manager of Richards Brick, said in summing up his company's role: "We are interested in helping to build neighborhoods that last. And working with Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful opportunity to give back to our community."
FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT. STEVE GANTNER, MIKE FOX, TOM DAVIS, MIKE VENETUCCI, DOUG NICHOLS, ERIC GILMORE. SECOND ROW: ALAN MARTINI (BRICKLAYERS' UNION #1), STEVE BAILEY, BOB GUINN. SECOND ROW: MARK BLECHLER, DANNY PRATT, SCOTT PETTED. NEXT TO HOUSE: JIM HAYS.
FROM LEFT: JEFF KNOLL, PAT GREISER, MIKE HEITKAMP, RAY BRINKER, TIM ASTON.
FROM LEFT: TOM THIEMANN, BOB ALLMAN JR.. NATALIE BROWN (OWNER), JEFF NICHOLS, STEVE BAILEY, BOB GUINN, ALAN MARTINI
FROM LEFT: RAY FRISCH, MIKE ORLANDO, TIM HUELLINGHOF, JOHN ORLANDO, GREG THURMAN, NICOLAS FRISCH, RICK FRISCH.
Excerpts of this article were reprinted with permission from the Masonry Institute of St. Louis's MASONRY newsletter (Vol 8, Issue 3).