July 2008: President's Message

MCAA: A Critical Investment in Your Future

Tom Daniel President, Mason Contractors Association of America

This is the time of year when the MCAA sends out renewal invoices. While many of us in the industry are feeling the impact of the economic downturn, it is extremely important to keep the MCAA in your plans for the year ahead. As the volunteer president of the organization, I can assure you that your dues dollars are having a direct impact on the future growth of our industry. This last year alone, MCAA committed $200,000 of direct dues dollars to marketing efforts specifically designed to increase market share.

One of these efforts will be showcased later this month: the development of the masonrysystems.org Web site. Even before the site's completion, the national AIA expressed interest in linking to the site to assist their members with masonry design. Efforts like these are not possible without contractor support of both national and local associations.

In addition to marketing efforts, the MCAA is heavily involved in other areas that impact your bottom line such as lobbying in Washington for issue that are important to you, such as estate tax, immigration reform and responsible OSHA regulations. Our job in D.C. is huge, and your support is critical. Another area of direct impact is codes and standards. Having the contractor's voice heard at ASTM, MSJC, IBC and other code meetings is critical to influence those groups. Your dues dollars support our efforts in this area and, in some cases, the MCAA is the only representative voicing your concerns at these meetings.

As you can see, your support is critical to the future of our industry. As the volunteer leader of the organization, I urge you to renew your membership today and make a commitment to the industry for another year. If you are not a member yet, I encourage you to join today. Please contact the MCAA office at 800-536-2225 to learn how, or visit www.masoncontractors.org to learn more about the organization.