2023 Masonry Hall of Fame Inductees
Words: Isa Stein
On Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 during the MCAA’s Midyear Meeting, the Mason Contractors Association of America will induct four individuals into the Masonry Hall of Fame Presented By SOLA.
The Masonry Hall of Fame was created to recognize and award those individuals who have dedicated their lives to the masonry industry. Each year, nominations are accepted to recognize individuals who have been a part of the masonry industry for 25 years or more and have had a major impact on the trade.
All inductees are nominated by their peers and carefully reviewed by a panel of judges. Nominees must receive two-thirds of the eligible votes in order to be accepted into the Hall of Fame.
The 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees are Calvin Brodie, Stephen Getz, Daniel L. Hiltebeitel, and Bill McConnell.
Calvin Brodie
Mr. Brodie is the founder and president of Brodie Contractors in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has, and continues to be, a major figure and influencer in the masonry community both in the Carolinas and across the country. Mr. Brodie will make a worthy addition to the honor roll of Hall of Fame members.
Through the years, Calvin has used the resources of his company to help with the building of the current Bunn High School (BHS) football field complex, BHS baseball field wall, and Bunn Elementary School concession stand for the recreation league. In 2019, he was inducted into the Bunn High School Hall of Fame. He has employed many young men, given advice and opportunities, paid tuition to truck driving school, and college tuition to deserving young people with only one request, "go make us proud!"
Calvin became a member of the Raleigh Chapter of the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association in 1985, serving as the Chapter President in 1990. He then served as the State Vice President, Regional Vice President, State Secretary-Treasurer, and the NCMCA President 1993-1995.
Calvin has been recognized by Engineer News and Record, Masonry, and Black Enterprise magazines. In 2021, and in other years, BCI was ranked "First" by number of employees on the list of minority-owned businesses in the Triangle area by The Triangle Business Journal. In 2022, in Business North Carolina magazine, BCI was among the 25 excelling minority-owned companies in the state.
He has Co-Chaired the Annual masonry Apprenticeship Skills Contest at the NC State Fair for more than 35 years and has sponsored many top journeymen masons as apprentice participants.
Calvin was among the first to earn Certified Masonry Executive (CME) status in the NCMCA Masonry Contractor Certification Program. BCI was among the first firms to become a Certificate Masonry Contractor in the NCMCA Certification Program. He is a member of the National Masonry Instructors Associations Hall of Fame.
In his spare time, Calvin enjoyed caring for his cows, chickens, hunting, a collection of deer, elk, and duck displays, ocean fishing, bike riding, watching sports, traveling to an NFL Dallas Cowboys game, and playing golf -- which now that he is slowly slowing down working in the business, he plays frequently. But his most favorite time of golfing is the annual "Murdell" golf trip to Myrtle Beach, SC with about forty of his closest friends in the business. They are his competitors and colleagues, but more importantly, his friends.
With many testaments to his accomplishments, Calvin Brodie is a true success in both business and in life. Despite the unfair challenges that minority people encounter in most any endeavor, he has earned admiration and genuine respect from his peers, competitors, and customers. And he's done it as a minority businessman always intent on rising about societal challenges, holding no one responsible for his success or failure except for himself. Calvin is a valuable and trusted person; he is a gentleman's gentleman. Calvin Brodie exemplifies what the Mason Contractors Association of America's Masonry Hall of Fame is all about.
Stephen Getz
For over 48 years, Stephen Getz has been a productive figure in the concrete and masonry construction and fastening industry. Stephen’s career began in 1974 after graduating from Indiana Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Since then, he has worked for some of the most prominent companies in the concrete and masonry construction business.
Stephen’s exposure to the cement products industry started after graduation from college at General Portland Cement Company. His construction products experience continued to develop as he was employed by ITT Phillips. He was responsible for the development of fasteners used in concrete and masonry structures for 10 years. It was during this period that he created new anchors for the masonry restoration markets. One patent and the submittal of 9 others occurred during his tenure at Phillips.
In 1986, Dur-O-Wal hired Stephen where he contributed to the development of new products (one patent and one application) for the masonry construction and restoration marketplace. His tenure of 17 years expanded his talents as an engineer, salesperson, and marketing expert in the masonry construction and restoration marketplace.
Following his Dur-O-Wal experience, Stephen spent three years at Blok-Lok as V-P of Sales and Marketing. In 2005, CTP, Inc was founded by Stephen to focus on the development of a company which captures his vast product knowledge and apply it to the masonry and concrete construction industry. CTP’s vision was to supply quality products and service to the masonry and building restoration marketplace that are functionally cutting edge in technology and provide superior performance characteristics.
Over the years, Stephen grew CTP into a thriving family business in masonry anchoring with his wife, Julie Getz, and daughter, Kelly Morris. He worked alongside Julie in manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and inventory while teaching Kelly the technical and sales portion of the masonry anchoring business. In June of 2019, CTP was acquired by PROSOCO, a manufacturer known for masonry cleaners and a technical approach to preserving, as well as restoring masonry, so adding the anchoring line provided another opportunity for the masonry world to clean, protect, AND stabilize masonry buildings. Through Stephen’s mentorship, Kelly has been able to help develop the anchoring division at PROSOCO, as Stephen continues to provide technical advice, design, and instruction for the PROSOCO team and customers. He is looking forward to semi-retirement, but before leaving he is working with a young engineer that will hopefully have the same impact on the masonry industry that Stephen has.
Stephen is a member of The Masonry Society Committee 402/ACI 530/ASCE-5 Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures. Past active memberships include the American Society of Testing and Materials- Sub Committee E-6; the American Metallurgical Society, the Construction Specification Institute; the American Concrete Institute; the Association for Preservation Technology; Sealant, Waterproofing and Restoration Institute; International Concrete Repair Institute; International Concrete Repair Institute; and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
With various testimonials, the impact he has had on the masonry industry is monumental. The technical knowledge and business skills learned from Steve are used every day in the masonry industry.
Daniel L. Hiltebeitel
Dan started his masonry career at age 14 laboring for a general contractor in Downingtown, PA. By 16 he labored for a mason contractor and started his apprentice training and continued through high school and college. While serving in the US Marine Corps, he did concrete jobs on weekends in Southern CA and continued to apprentice after being discharged from the Marines and when he moved back to PA.
In 1979 he started teaching masonry at Central Chester County Vo-Tech in Coatesville until 1998. From that point on Dan was the Director of the Masonry Program at Williamson College of the Trades in Media, PA. Throughout his tenure at Williamson, his students have consistently won top awards at the Skills USA and Skills PA competitions. Dan has a unique passion for masonry.
Bill McConnell
Bill McConnell began his career in the masonry industry working for Anastasi Brothers Masonry in Philadelphia. He continued to expand his successful career path by studying Architecture at Temple University in his early days in business. In 1968 Bill moved to the Boston Area to work in Anastasi’s new office location. He established himself over the next 16 years taking on many different roles. Following employment from Anastasi, he moved on to Manganaro of New England where he stayed for several years.
In 1986, Bill McConnell and James McEttrick founded Architectural Paving & Stone, Inc. Early on their focus was on hardscape work. However, over the years Bill broadened his product lines to include vertical masonry. Bill has a long list of prominent projects in which he contributed. Some of these include: Rowes Wharf, Deer Island WWTP, Central Artery/Tunnel, and Battery Wharf.
During the entire time he guided his company through the challenges of managing a successful masonry business, Bill was a steward of the masonry industry. Bill has been active in numerous associations with contractors organizations, labor unions whose members he employed, and other stakeholder associations. Bill was always volunteering for both local and national associations. He was regularly called on by his local contractor association, the Mason Contractors Association of Massachusetts (MCAM), and as a management trustee on his region’s local union fringe funds. Throughout the east coast, Bill McConnell is held in highest regard for his dedication to the masonry trade as he is an ally in providing a healthy future to the craft.
Bill is a past President of both, the Mason Contractors Association of Massachusetts (MCAM), and the Masons Contractors Association of America (MCAA). He has also served on the Board of the Bricklayers and Allied Crafts Local 3, Pension and Health and Welfare Fund. To this present day he still co-chairs this fund. Bill also continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the International Council of Employers of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (ICE/BAC.org)
While Bill has been enjoying retirement with his wife Joanne and is no longer active on a day-to-day basis with his company, Architectural Paving & Stone, Inc, he continues to stay involved with stewardship of the masonry industry. He remains a steady and dependable resource of knowledge and experience to the MCAM. In addition, Bill continues to volunteer as a chairman on the local union trust funds to ensure the health of the masonry contractors interests remains protected. His efforts help to make certain the masonry industry in his region continues to prosper for the next generation of leaders.
Nationally, Bill McConnell was an active MCAA contractor member dating back to the founding of his masonry business in the 1980s. He quickly shined through MCAA committee positions and eventually became part of a key group of leaders within MCAA during the 1990’s and into the 2000’s. Throughout its history, MCAA has counted on its leadership to navigate the challenges of the era and ensure a productive association. Bill’s time on the executive board was a period of thoughtful and aggressive expansion. However, perhaps most importantly, Bill was the first contractor representing the northeastern part of the U.S. to be on the MCAA board since Charles Velardo of Boston (Chairman -1974-76) and Anthony Perri of New York (Chairman 1966-68). Bill’s impact on MCAA through his dedication and stewardship pulled the northeastern region of the U.S. back into MCAA’s umbrella of coverage to the masonry industry.