Masonry Magazine December 2007 Page. 6
For the Record
Jennifer Morrell
Editor
jmorrell@lionhrtpub.com
MASONRY
The Voice of the Masonry Industry
MASONRY Magazine
Official Publication of the
Mason Contractors Association of America and the
Canadian Masonry Contractors Association
MASON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
President Frank Campitelli
Vice President Tom Daniel
Secretary Mackie Bounds
Treasurer John Smith, Jr.
Regional Vice Presidents
Robert V. Barnes, Jr. Douglas Nichols
Ron Bennett Tim Spiker
Elvin Davenport Mike Sutter
Mark Kemp Roy Swiadal
Executive Director
Jeff Buckiewicz
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Director of Government Affairs Jessica Johnson Bennett
Membership Director Ayana Lopez
Manager of Information Technology Timothy W. O'Toole
Events Coordinator Erin Anderson
Administrative Assistant Ane Trownsell
Consultant Rashod Johnson
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Robert L. Nelson (Robert L. Nelson & Associates, Inc.), David Jollay (Jollay
Masonry Contractors), John Chrysler (MIA), John Melander (PCA), David Hall
(Pettit Construction Co.), John J. Smith (Cute J. Smith Masonry Co.), Brian Grant
(Grant/Jack's Masonry), Jerry Painter (Painter Masonry, Inc.), Doug Nichols
(Doug Nichols Enterprises), G. Alan Griffin (Griffin Contracting, Inc.), Tom Daniel
(GBC Concrete and Masonry Construction, Inc.)
Executive Office
33 South Roselle Road
Schaumburg, IL 60093
Phone: 847.301.0001 or 800.536.2225
Fax: 847.301.1110
MASONRY is the official publication of the Mason Contractors Association of
America (MCAA) and the Canadian Masonry Contractors Association (CMCA).
The magazine acts as a sounding board without approving, disapproving or
guaranteeing the validity or accuracy of any data, claims or opinion appearing
under a byline or obtained or quoted from an acknowledged source. Opinions
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stitute an endorsement by MCAA or CMCA of product featured.
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www.masonrymagazine.com
Publisher John Llewellyn (jllewellyn@lionhrtpub.com)
Editor Jennifer Morrell (jmorrell@lionhrtpub.com)
Assistant Editor Cory Sekine-Pettite (cory@lionhrtpub.com)
Contributing Editor Tom Inglesby (tom@editor.com)
Art Director Alan Brubaker (abrubaker@lionhrtpub.com)
Production Designer Christopher Jahn (chrisjohn@lionhrtpub.com)
Production Assistant Kat Wong (katwong@lionhrtpub.com)
Online Projects Manager Patton McGinley (patton@lionhrtpub.com)
Advertising Sales Marvin Diamond (marvin@lionhrtpub.com)
Reprints Kelly Milwood (kelly@lionhrtpub.com)
Keeping up With Technology
My grandfather lives alone in a home on the banks of the Flint River in south Georgia. He has bird feeders, a small aluminum boat for fishing and a lot of time on his hands. Although he's one of the sweetest people I know, he can also be stubborn. Case in point: My family had to fight an all-out battle with him regarding the telephone. Since he is outdoors nearly all of the time, he was rarely answering the phone. A couple of years ago, my parents bought him a cordless phone (yes, they've been around since the 1980s, but you don't know my grandfather).
At first, the cordless phone served no purpose, because he wouldn't remove it from the receiver. But after a lot of convincing (read: nagging), he began to carry it around with him or, at least, have it outside within earshot. He's a little easier to reach now, but we are nowhere close to the possibility of him carrying a cell phone.
It just goes to show that technology really has to grow on some people. Then there's that segment of the population who can't get enough bells and whistles, blinking digital lights and wireless e-anything.
Depending on your business, the incorporation of software may stand less of a chance than a cell phone does with my grandfather. This is unfortunate, since the software industry has made so many strides for business owners in our industry. From estimating to regular old business management capabilities, the right software can be a huge money and time saver.
Then again, you might be a driver of the ship of the masonry industry, implementing great software products any way you can. Or, maybe, you're somewhere in the middle.
Like it or not, computer software, the Internet and eCommerce in general are a huge part of how we do business today. And yet, according to the latest Small Business Research Board (SBRB) study, small businesses in the construction and contracting industry lag behind all other industries in embracing the Internet.
The study, co-sponsored by Business Today magazine, disclosed that 57 percent of the small construction and contracting firms participating in the study do not have Web sites. The poll also indicated that the construction and contracting industry would continue to trail other industries, with fewer than 14 percent projecting sales resulting from their eCommerce efforts.
For an industry that is so important to the growth and future of the world on so many levels, it would seem we should be leaders in embracing technology when it can improve and streamline business.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Email me at jmorrell@lionhrtpub.com, or call 770-431-0867, ext. 255, with comments on what technology means to your company.