Masonry Magazine June 2004 Page. 39
We designed the tower right the first time-no Non-Stop has ever collapsed in use, ever. I'm really proud of that," he continues. "We also work closely with OSHA to make sure it's completely safe. If you keep your guardrails up, OSHA citations are pretty much a thing of the past."
Lessening Labor
MIKE GRESSER, President of Gresser Company, Inc., and Co-founder of ReCon Wall Systems, Inc., of South Eagan, Minn., has taken masonry to a whole different level.
Gresser and Co-founder Matt Barron sketched out a way to create a less laborious way to build large-scale retaining walls - thus ReCon Wall Systems, Inc., was born. Weighing in at almost a ton each, the blocks are placed in half the time with the use of machinery and are almost half the cost of using poured concrete. Plus the ReCon blocks can be shaped, stained and textured to resemble natural stone.
"When I look at what's happened out there, particularly the advent of tower scaffolding systems becoming so much more efficient, and water infiltration preventers and mortar systems becoming more advanced, it's all helping but it still comes down to the fact that masonry is a very labor-intensive business," Gresser says. "If we can't control the cost of labor and keep an efficient source of labor coming, in the long-term it will make it difficult for masonry to be competitive.
"What our product does is it lacks the labor intensity of other engineered retaining wall products. They're laid by hand, and ours are laid by machinery."
"Being a mason contractor, it's all about efficiency," states Gresser. "It's all about going and winning the work and performing it efficiently and safely."
Stuck in the Routine
ONE HURDLE TO OVERCOME with new inventions for the industry is that masons are used to doing things the "old fashioned" way.
"Any time you introduce a new product to the marketplace, even if it's an improved product to a product that's already out there, you have those people out there who are stuck in their ways," says Stutler. "Even though it's better, you get the 'this is what I've always done and I'm going to continue to do it this way' mentality.
"It's our mission to change the industry standard in masonry wall construction. It's something that is going to require a little bit of time, but we'll get there."
Lang not only shows that his new products are better in the field, but also on mason contractors' bottom lines.
"In order to sell a new product, you must prove that the product will save or make others money," Lang simply states.
Listening to the Customers' Needs
THE INVENTORS aren't the only ones moving this industry forward.
"There are a lot of contractors out there who have tremendous ideas, if only the manufacturer would listen to them," says Lang. "Wayne Long with L.F. Jennings suggested the idea to build the Hog Cart. Harold Trogdon with Trogdon Masonry, Eric Reihl with Corna Kokosing and others who attended my seminars sparked ideas to help me create the Hog Legs for bracing masonry walls. Dennis Knowlton with Knowlton Construction offered feedback when I was developing the Mud Hog.
"Most manufacturers build products the way they want to build them themselves," he continues. "We like to build EZ Grout products the way our users want them built."
Goudreau uses a similar philosophy to create a better product. "I'm waiting to hear back from some people who purchased the E-Z Rod at one of the shows," says Goudreau. "I'm getting ready to follow up on that to see how they liked them and how it's been working for them."
Conclusion
THE BOTTOM LINE is that these products, big and small, are being created to put more money in the mason contractors' pockets, make it safer for the masons and other laborers, and overall to make the industry more viable.
"It's a great feeling really," says Breithaupt. "I know that contractor is making better money than he or she did on frames, and that the job is going a lot smoother. I know that bricklayer on the scaffold will go home without a sore back because it's so much more comfortable for him or her. I think it also contributes to the professionalism of the mason contractor in the eyes of the architect and the general contractor.
"I think our products have made a positive contribution to the masonry industry, and I'm really happy about that."
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June 2004
Masonry 37