He's Number One!

Josh [Kimrey] has a great attitude and is a hard worker," said Scott Griffin, president of Griffin Masonry in Charlotte, N.C. Kimrey is also the 2006 first place winner in the national masonry high school competition held in conjunction with the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Mo.

A recent graduate of Mount Pleasant High School in Mount Pleasant, N.C., Kimrey is now enrolled at Stanly Community College. When he can find the time, he is an avid hunter and fisherman.

Kimrey's high school masonry instructor, Doug Drye, calls Kimrey "an exceptional young man."

"I had him for three years, and he always had a strong desire to achieve in the field of masonry," Drye said. "Josh is a very well-rounded individual, as exemplified by his membership in the National Technical Honor Society, an organization which recognizes the high academic achievement of students enrolled in technical, as well as academic, courses."

Griffin agreed, and stressed that it takes a community to help bring these bright and successful apprentices into the masonry industry.

"Our apprenticeship program was approved last year by the North Carolina Department of Labor," Griffin explained. "That program, and our partnership with Mount Pleasant High School, brought Josh to work at our company. Employees like Josh are hard to find, and we are very excited to have him on our team. I truly believe that young men like Josh are the future of Griffin masonry and the masonry trade in general."