2015 MCAA Midyear Meeting in Review

Words: Dan KamysNovember 2015

Another Successful MCAA Midyear Meeting

By Tim O’Toole

[caption id="attachment_11379" align="alignnone" width="600"]Having a great time at the MCAA Midyear Meeting in Key West. Having a great time at the MCAA Midyear Meeting in Key West.[/caption] The 2015 MCAA Midyear Meeting was held Sept. 28-30, 2015, in Key West, Fla. Attendees were welcomed to the MCAA Midyear Meeting with an opening dinner on the dock and beach, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Following dinner, attendees boarded the Marquesa, a fast 69-foot catamaran with more than 2,300 feet of deck space, for a dessert reception and scenic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. The two-hour sail was a great opportunity for attendees to say hello to old acquaintances and meet new friends along the way.
[caption id="attachment_11374" align="alignnone" width="255"]The MCAA Inshore Fishing is underway! The MCAA Inshore Fishing is underway![/caption] [caption id="attachment_11381" align="alignnone" width="255"]The 2015 MCAA Midyear Meeting welcome bag The 2015 MCAA Midyear Meeting welcome bag[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11372" align="alignnone" width="215"]MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp, winner of the MCAA Fishing Tournament, poses with the championship trophy. MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp, winner of the MCAA Fishing Tournament, poses with the championship trophy.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11385" align="alignnone" width="295"]On the MCAA Walking Pub Crawl On the MCAA Walking Pub Crawl[/caption]  
[caption id="attachment_11378" align="alignnone" width="600"]Beautiful Key West, Fla. Beautiful Key West, Fla.[/caption] MCAA’s Speed Dating was held on Tuesday morning. Speed Dating is a rapid series of short and concise business-to-business meetings between mason contractors and manufacturers/suppliers to openly discuss business needs as well as the latest product and equipment innovations advancing the masonry industry. Contractors were able to meet with 11 companies set up in an intimate setting, where they presented their latest products and services. [caption id="attachment_11371" align="alignright" width="270"]Opening Dinner on the pier Opening Dinner on the pier[/caption] Throughout the week, attendees were able to participate in important committee meetings and networking events, while experiencing everything Key West had to offer, from the MCAA Fishing Tournament and snorkeling to the Walking Pub Crawl and a Jet Ski Island Tour. The MCAA Midyear Meeting concluded on Wednesday evening with dinner and an update on the 2016 Presidential election from Matt Keelen.
[caption id="attachment_11380" align="alignnone" width="255"]Raffle prizes for MCAA’s Speed Dating Raffle prizes for MCAA’s Speed Dating[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11377" align="alignnone" width="255"]A Key West resident going for a climb A Key West resident going for a climb[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11376" align="alignnone" width="255"]The MCAA Jet Ski Island Tour is about to depart! The MCAA Jet Ski Island Tour is about to depart![/caption] [caption id="attachment_11373" align="alignnone" width="255"]The MCAA is going deep sea fishing! The MCAA is going deep sea fishing![/caption]
The Mason Contractors Association of America would like to thank everyone who attended the 2015 MCAA Midyear Meeting in Key West, including our Strategic Partners:
  • [caption id="attachment_11370" align="alignright" width="300"]Dessert reception aboard the Marquesa Dessert reception aboard the Marquesa[/caption] Airplaco Equipment Company
  • Dow Building Solutions
  • EZ Grout Corporation
  • iQ Power Tools
  • Kennison Forest Products, Inc.
  • Mortar Net Solutions
  • Non-Stop Scaffolding
  • Oldcastle Architectural, Inc.
  • SPEC MIX, Inc.
  • Stabila
  • The QUIKRETE Companies
  • Tradesmen’s Software, Inc.
  • Trinity Lightweight
MCAA’s Corporate Partners:
  • Advanced Building Products, Inc.
  • Amerimix
  • Concrete Products Group
  • Hohmann and Barnard, Inc.
  • Hydro Mobile, Inc.
[caption id="attachment_11375" align="alignright" width="300"]Imani Brodie meets a feathered friend in Key West. Imani Brodie meets a feathered friend in Key West.[/caption] And our event sponsors including:
  • EZ Grout Corporation
  • Mortar Net Solutions
  • Solomon Colors, Inc.
  • SPEC MIX, Inc.
We hope everyone enjoyed their time in Key West at the MCAA Midyear Meeting. If you weren’t able to attend or would like to relive your favorite moments from the 2015 MCAA Midyear Meeting, you can view photos from the event on Facebook and Flickr. We hope to see everyone again this coming February at the 2016 MCAA Convention at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in Las Vegas. Learn more at www.masoncontractors.org/convention.
Tim O’Toole is the director of marketing, education, and information technology for the MCAA. He has a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University and has worked in the masonry industry since 2003.

Safety Advantage Awards

Six Companies Awarded for Safety at MCAA Midyear Meeting
The MCAA presented the MCAA Safety Advantage Awards to six companies on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, during the MCAA Midyear Meeting in Key West, Fla. The MCAA Safety Advantage Awards are presented based on a mason contractor’s incident rate. Awards were presented to the top companies with greater than 100,000 hours worked by all employees, and the top companies with less than 100,000 hours worked by all employees.
[caption id="attachment_11390" align="alignleft" width="200"]MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp (right) presents the first place MCAA Safety Advantage Award for Less than 100,000 Hours to Paul Cantarella from Cantarella & Son Inc. MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp (right) presents the first place MCAA Safety Advantage Award for Less than 100,000 Hours to Paul Cantarella from Cantarella & Son Inc.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11389" align="alignleft" width="200"]MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp (right) presents the first place MCAA Safety Advantage Award for Less than 100,000 Hours to Paul Cantarella from Cantarella & Son Inc. MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp (right) presents the first place MCAA Safety Advantage Award for Less than 100,000 Hours to Paul Cantarella from Cantarella & Son Inc.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_11391" align="alignleft" width="200"]MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp (right) presents the second place MCAA Safety Advantage Award for Greater than 100,000 Hours to Mackie Bounds from Brazos Masonry Inc. MCAA Chairman Mark Kemp (right) presents the second place MCAA Safety Advantage Award for Greater than 100,000 Hours to Mackie Bounds from Brazos Masonry Inc.[/caption]
The winners were:

Greater Than

100,000 Hours

First Place Stone Cold Masonry Phoenix Second Place Brazos Masonry, Inc. Waco, Texas

Less Than 100,000 Hours

First Place (3-Way Tie) Cantarella & Son, Inc. Pittsfield, Mass. Legacy Masonry, LLC Waco, Texas Molter Corporation Tinley Park, Ill. Second Place A. Horn, Inc. Barrington, Ill. The goal of the MCAA Safety Advantage Awards is to help draw attention to the need and benefits of performing safely. Visit www.masoncontractors.org/safety/awards for more information.
 
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