February 2011: President's Message

February 2011

Mackie Bounds President Mason Contractors Association of America

By the time you read this article, we already will have been to Las Vegas and will be back home at work. I hope I will be able to tell you in the next article that we had a great convention and we all came home smarter. That is one of the greatest things about being a member of MCAA, learning from each other and being able to decide, together, how we are going to make our industry better. The word “learning” brings back childhood memories of coming home from school, and your Mom asking you what you learned that day. Some days, I could answer that question, and other days, well we just won’t go there.

Now, I am nearing age 54, and I am still learning. A short while back, the MCAA put together a great certification program for mason contractors. I thought it was great, and I supported it. The only problem, I have not pursued certification for my company. I told one of my employees a few months back, as she was questioning me about the program, that I would do it, but it had not been in existence that long. She informed me, time flies by for us older folks. What hurts worse, she was right and some of my good friends here in Texas had already achieved it.

So I rolled up my sleeves and went to work. Wow! I respect each of you who have already been certified, and I know you are a better company for doing it. What has amazed me as I take the different courses is I still can learn. I am several hours away before taking the test but I am having so much fun learning. I knew the big picture but some of the details that make up the big picture, I have learned about. Never think for a moment that you are too old to learn. The webinars have been great, and the presentations are fantastic. I promise, you are not wasting time. Don’t let the time fly by, and then find yourself behind everyone else. I will assure you that we will all be better business people for doing it.

You can achieve many of your certification hours while you sit at your desk, through webinars and other online training. Then attend our annual and mid-year conventions, and there are many more opportunities. I encourage you to go to your state and local associations, and encourage them to have courses that will lead you toward certification.

You might be sitting there, wondering right now why you should do all of this work just to become certified. First of all, it will make us better business folks. Second and very important, the architects I have visited with tell me it cannot happen fast enough. It will bring about great dividends in our industry and our individual companies. The certification program will help you and me become the most important folks on the job once again. It will help us achieve what Vision 20/20 is all about: going out and reclaiming our market share. And you might just learn something that you didn’t know before.

Don’t let time fly by and find yourself behind your competition. Act now, and contact our MCAA office for more information. In the mean time, this old cowboy says, “Shoot for the moon and, even if you miss, you will land among the stars.” Have a great and prosperous NEW YEAR.