October 2008 Table of Contents

Words: Dan KamysTable of Contents

FEATURES

Green Building: Initiating the Initiative in Your Business Everyone is going green. Find out how being green can affect your operation, and what it means to your company to comply with this way of doing business. 2009 MCAA Convention The 2009 MCAA Convention is only a few months away, so now is the time to learn what will be offered and how you can best take advantage of the many valuable programs, events and activities that will be available. Mortar Meets the Challenge The world of mortars is ever changing and highly technical. Masonry will give you a glimpse into the current state of the mortar industry. Power Tools That Pack a Punch Masonry will examine the latest and greatest power tools that can help make your jobsite run efficiently and effectively.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS For the Record President's Message Government Affairs Making the Grade New Products Estate Planning Full Contact Project Management My Masonry Life Story News Classified Advertising

Managing the Mysterious Job Site Slowdown
August 2026

Every contractor knows the feeling. A job looks good on paper. The schedule makes sense. The crews are lined up. The material is supposed to be there. Then, for no obvious reason, the whole job starts crawling. That is what makes it so frustrating. Nobod

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral
August 2026

Imagine being handed a set of plans calling for the largest brick cathedral in the world. Now imagine building it without modern cranes, engineered scaffolding, forklifts, power tools, or structural analysis software. That was the challenge facing medie

Why SkillsUSA is the Keystone to MCAA’s Outreach
August 2026

When I stepped into the role of the MCAA’s first Director of Youth Outreach and Education, I knew we had a massive job ahead of us. I am a fourth-generation brick mason, and I have spent over two decades teaching the trade, from working with apprentices a

The First Paycheck
August 2026

Several years ago, Huntley Brothers hired a young apprentice. It was his first real job, and he had never had a paycheck before. Friday rolled around, and he got paid just like everyone else. Later that day, one of the guys told me something I have never