FIND A CONTRACTOR BUYER'S GUIDE
BECOME AN INDUSTRY PARTNER
MCAA Logo
MEMBER LOGIN JOIN
NEWS
2026 Midyear Meeting Registration is OPEN ↗

Masonry: It's a Good Thing

Words: Dan Kamys
/Public/News/20080812083200-1.jpg" width="300" height="200" border="0" alt="Matthew Redden does what he loves for a living.">
Matthew Redden does what he loves for a living.
Some people are lucky. They happen to love what they do for a living, and not everyone can say that.

Matthew Redden is one of the lucky. "Both my Dad and my instructor wanted me to do something I liked," says Redden. "I guess it's a good thing I like masonry."

"Matt started out with great work habits and a great attitude," says Edwin Radford, Redden's instructor at the Academy of Careers and Technology in Beckley, W.V. "He was focused on doing his own good work while assisting his fellow students. He was a pleasure to teach and work with."

Redden is currently employed by Premier Masonry, LLC. He is serving his masonry apprenticeship with three other students from Radford's technical training program.

Redden graduated from Shady Spring High School in Beaver, W.V. While a student there, he participated in football, wrestling, track, 4-H and FFA. He made the All-State football team as an honorable mention linebacker, and as a wrestler, Redden placed first in the state.

Redden represented West Virginia in the national masonry contest held at Bartle Hall in Kansas City in June 2007.

As time permits, he enjoys hunting, fishing, riding his four-wheeler and rafting.

"Matt is a fine young man and an excellent mason," says Radford. "I'm sure he will have a job in our local area as long as he wants one."
 0
The Behind-the-Wall Secrets Every Mason Already Knows (But Some Ignore)
May 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

Rob McKay
Technical Talks
Read More
Masonry Innovation in Action: Belden Brick’s Glazed Thin Brick Redefines Design Possibilities
May 2026

Masonry innovation is pivotal in shaping the built environment, and The Belden Brick Company is at the forefront of this evolution. Architects, designers, and contractors increasingly seek materials that marry high performance with bold aesthetics, and Be

Kristie Fitzgerald
MAP Partner
Read More
Celebrating Craftsmanship and Country
May 2026

The 250th anniversary of the United States is more than a date. It is a reflection of centuries of progress, innovation, and determination. STABILA has chosen to mark this milestone with a product that mirrors those same qualities. The Patriot Series Maso

Elsa Bueno
MAP Partner
Read More
Rethinking Shelf Angle Design for High-Performance Masonry Walls
May 2026

If you've been around masonry construction long enough, you know the shelf angle is one of those details that’s easy to take for granted. It’s been used the same way for decades, set it at the slab edge, support the veneer, move on. But as building requir

Erica Oliveraz
MAP Partner
Read More