News From IMI

Words: Dan Kamys

News From IMI

Apprentices Compete for ‘Top Trowel’ Honors at Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers’ International Apprentice Contest

A select group of talented, relative newcomers to the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) earned the distinction of top apprentices in eight trowel trades crafts at the BAC/IMI (International Masonry Institute) International Apprentice Contest, held in September at the BAC/IMI John J. Flynn International Training Center.

A total of 103 contestants competed in eight craft categories that included brick, cement, marble, plaster, PCC/restoration, stone, tile and terrazzo. BAC apprentices receive their training through Local Union training programs and the IMI.

1st place winners:

Brick:

Darren Tobolt, BAC Local 40 Ohio of the Ohio Administrative District Council

Terrazzo:

Michael Sell, Sr., BAC Local 7 New York/New Jersey

Marble:

Nikolajs Pastuhovs, BAC Local 1 Washington

Stone:

Ray Lowden, III, BAC Local 9 Pennsylvania

Plaster:

Christos Katechis, BAC Local 1 New York

PCC:

Daniel McInerney, BAC?????? Local 3 Massachusetts

Tile:

Rey Barrios, BAC Local 3 California

Cement:

Jesse Steger, BAC Local 11 of the Wisconsin Administrative District Council??

For more information, visit www.bacweb.org.

Sustainable Certification??

Developed by the IMI, the Sustainable Masonry Certification Program educates union mason contractors on the nuts and bolts of sustainability practices and their roles in the LEED certification process, making contractors a valuable part of LEED project teams.

The course addresses subcontractor responsibilities from estimating and project scope, to project management and documentation. It covers the LEED credits every mason contractor should know, plus green strategies like site use and construction-waste management. Contractors are tested to verify their abilities to fulfill LEED responsibilities.

For more information and reviews, visit www.imiweb.org.


PPE That Workers Actually Wear: Building Buy-In Through Education and Smart Selection
August 2026

In masonry construction, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defense between a worker and an injury. Yet despite its importance, PPE compliance remains one of the most common challenges on jobsites across the country. The realit

Greg Brown
Safety Library
Read More
Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
Why "The Software Can't Track That" Is Finally Going Away
August 2026

For as long as specialty contractors have used field software, most of them have kept a workaround somewhere: a spreadsheet on a foreman's laptop, a whiteboard in the trailer, or a text thread where crew leads send block counts at the end of the day becau

Erin Koets
Build Smart
MAP Partner
Read More
Monadnock Building
August 2026

Chicago’s Monadnock Building doesn’t dominate the skyline the way it once did. Surrounded by steel-and-glass towers, the dark brick structure can seem almost understated. But for anyone in the masonry industry, it remains one of the most important buildin

Cass Stern
American Treasure
Brick Clay Brick
Read More