Education and Experience - A Winning Combination

Words: Dan KamysBrian Anderson, an 18-year old apprentice mason from Havre de Grace, Md. earned second place honors in his division of the national masonry contest in Kansas City last year. The contest is held annually in conjunction with the SkillsUSA-VICA National Leadership and Skills Conference.

Anderson was awarded his high school diploma at Harford Technical in Bel Air, Md. in 2001 as well. Throughout his high school days, he worked at small masonry jobs with his instructor, Gary Siler. He is currently employed by Tolle's Masonry and plans to return to school later this year.

Encouraged by his mother, Anderson has enrolled in the masonry program at Penn College in Williamsport, Pa. As he says, "I'm really looking forward to it. I'll probably get involved with VICA and get back in competition again too."

When he's not working or studying, Anderson spends his time restoring a 1936 Oldsmobile. Hopefully, he's not using mortar.

The Behind-the-Wall Secrets Every Mason Already Knows (But Some Ignore)
March 2026

You’ve been around long enough to know this already: stone doesn’t fail on the face; it fails behind the wall. You can lay the prettiest veneer in the county, but if the prep is junk, that wall’s gonna start telling on you after a couple of winters. Manu

From the Mound to the Mortar: Jon Rauch’s Tall Order in the Masonry Industry
March 2026

In the record books of Major League Baseball, Jon Rauch is a literal giant. At 6 feet, 11 inches, he remains the tallest player to ever step onto a Big League mound. But today, the Olympic Gold Medalist and 11-season MLB veteran isn’t looking for a strike

Case Study: The Scoop
March 2026

Leading UK architecture firm, Corstorphine & Wright, has announced the completion of ‘The Scoop’, a unique concave office building in Southwark, London. The innovative design reuses an existing building and integrates a conical cut-out façade in white gla

Executing Color-Driven Designs Without Compromising Craftsmanship
March 2026

On today’s jobsites, masonry contractors are being asked to do more than install manufactured stone veneer (MSV). They’re being asked to interpret design trends and execute them with precision. Homeowners arrive with curated Pinterest boards. Designers r