October 2009: President's Message

Words: Dan Kamys

October 2009

President's Message Tom Daniel

A Successful Mid-Year Meeting

Tom Daniel President Mason Contractors Association of America

We just completed our 2009 Mid-Year Meeting held at the Hyatt Manchester on the waterfront in San Diego. Our meeting was also held in conjunction with the California Conference of Mason Contractors Association. Both of our groups had excellent attendance. For those of you who were not able to attend, we had a great time. We were able to network and discuss the current economic situation in everyone’s respective areas. Coming to the MCAA meetings lets you recharge your batteries while learning something new. There was no better place to do this than San Diego. This year, we were very fortunate to have four excellent educational presentations added to our regular program. If you are a member of the MCAA and did not get a chance to attend, you are able to view two of these four programs in the Member’s Only section of the MCAA Web site, free of charge. The programs that will be available are:

  • Family Succession (passing on the family business) and

  • Immigration/E-Verify Update.
We had a fantastic final evening in PETCO Park watching the San Diego Padres take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately for us from San Diego, Arizona got the best of us that evening. Check out a picture summary of the event at the MCAA Facebook page. I am sure that the other attendees of the program feel as re-charged as I do and are looking forward to February, when we will once again have the opportunity to attend the MCAA Convention in Las Vegas, held in conjunction with World of Masonry. The MCAA will be at the Venetian Hotel, and registration for the program is currently open online. Go to convention.masoncontractors.org to make your plans today. I look forward to seeing you there! Return to Table of Contents
About: President's Message
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