November 2011: Successful Midyear Meeting Held in San Antonio
Words: Dan Kamys
Moisture Management
By Tim O’Toole
The MCAA 2011 Midyear Meeting was held in San Antonio in September. Attendees were able to participate in fun and educational events throughout the week, while taking in the beautiful sights of the Texas Hill Country.
Three premium educational programs aimed at improving a mason contractor’s bottom line were held, including Forming Peer Groups, Shifting from Mason Contractor to Brand Builder, and Increasing Production.
Mason contractors from around the country joined special celebrity guest and former Dallas Cowboy, Jay Novacek, for a relaxing afternoon of golf on The Palmer Course at La Cantera, designed by the master himself, Arnold Palmer. All proceeds from the event support MAC PAC/PEC and will be used to help elect federal candidates to office who are pro-construction, and to fight legislation negatively affecting mason contractors.
The Midyear Meeting wrapped-up on Friday with a day at the Enchanted Springs Ranch, an 86-acre working ranch with rugged, natural beauty; exotic animals; and cowboys and cowgirls. Congratulations are in order: Mike Sutter of Sutter Masonry Inc. in El Mirage, Ariz., won the quick draw gun competition. Kelsie Bounds of Brazos Masonry Inc. in Waco, Texas, threw a cow pie the farthest.
Among attendees at the Midyear Meeting were Strategic Partners, who include CavClear, EZ Scaffold, Indian Mill Corp.; Non-Stop Scaffolding; Oldcastle Building Products; The QUIKRETE Companies and SPEC MIX Inc.
All-inclusive sponsors were Amerimix; Brazos Masonry Inc.; Dee Brown Inc.; John J. Smith Masonry Co. and Sutter Masonry Inc. The opening reception and dinner was sponsored by EZ Grout Corp., while the Thursday breakfast was sponsored by. AIRPLACO Equipment Co. and Hoggatt LP. The Friday breakfast and board meeting were sponsored by The QUIKRETE Companies and SPEC MIX Inc. “Forming Peer Groups” was sponsored by Tradesmen’s Software Inc., while “Shifting from Mason Contractor to Brand Builder” was sponsored by SPEC MIX Inc.
The Legislative Committee Meeting was sponsored by Superior Masonry Builders Inc. (See full report on p. 10.) The Education/Certification Committee Meeting was sponsored by Mortar Net USA Ltd. (See sidebar on p. 16 for a full report.)
The Certification Committee reported that nearly 30 mason contractors have been certified nationwide, with 50 to 60 more working toward certification. Architects are interested in specifying nationally certified mason contractors through MCAA as well.
The Workforce Development Committee is establishing a presence with SkillsUSA, and has held online Workforce Forums with instructors. The committee also is working on updating training programs, and formalizing a mason tender training program.
The South of 40 Committee announced that the annual fundraiser will take place at Pete’s Piano Bar, Jan. 24, 2012, in Las Vegas (www.masoncontractors.org/southof40). The group is planning a convention with other industry young professionals to network and share thoughts and ideas, and also would like to hold a mixer at the Legislative Conference with young Congressional staff members.
The TEAM Awards will be held in fall 2012 during the Midyear Meeting in Park City, Utah. Registration will open Jan. 2, 2012 (www.masoncontractors.org/team). Vision Award nominations are needed, and the awards committee is working to create a Masonry Hall of Fame.
The Marketing Committee is working on Vision 2020, and is forming programs to educate contractors on how to market their companies. The Safety Committee is continuing “Safety Talk Tuesday” website safety talks, with nearly 200 topics already available. The committee also is working to promote MCAA Safety Advantage; continuing to work with OSHA; creating a safety awards program, creating new safety classes and webinars, and has held online Safety Forums with contractors and safety directors.
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