News From IMI

Words: Dan Kamys

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:

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

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

Nikolajs Pastuhovs, BAC Local 1 Washington

Ray Lowden, III, BAC Local 9 Pennsylvania

Christos Katechis, BAC Local 1 New York

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

Rey Barrios, BAC Local 3 California

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


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.



The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon