Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
World of Concrete 2027 registration is LIVE
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

Eyes on the Prize

Words: Dan Kamys
/Public/News/20090513081900-1.jpg" width="530" height="298" border="0" alt="Codey Rogers at the National Masonry Contest, held in Kansas City, Mo., in conjunction with the National SkillsUSA Leadership Conference.">
Codey Rogers at the National Masonry Contest, held in Kansas City, Mo., in conjunction with the National SkillsUSA Leadership Conference.
Codey Rogers says his masonry instructor has been his greatest influence. In June 2008, Rogers participated in the national masonry contest, held in conjunction with the 44th Annual SkillsUSA Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Mo. Since then, he’s been working hard in hopes of returning to the contest next month, following his senior year of high school.

Currently, Rogers works for his father’s company, Mike & Sons Inc. of Lake City, Fla. He operates heavy equipment, restoring and maintaining state parks and managing the water resources of the Suwanee River. At school, he’s an active FFA member and president of his SkillsUSA chapter. A self-described “outdoors guy,” Rogers enjoys hunting, fishing and “muddin’.”

“I’ve been laying all the brick I can,” says Rogers. “Recently, I volunteered to do a job at a high school in Jacksonville (Fla.) that was organized by Mr. Al Herndon of the Florida Masonry Apprentice and Education Foundation. Over the course of a couple of weekends, we built a brick backstop for a softball field. I worked mostly on the veneer.”

Rogers Participated in Another Skills

USA regional competition and qualified for the Florida state-level competition for the third time. He hopes to return to Kansas City to participate in the national contest this summer.

Rogers’ instructor thinks he has a strong chance of making that Kansas City trip. “Codey is driven to succeed,” says Michael Beville, masonry instructor at the Bradford-Union Area Career Technical Center in Starke, Fla. “He works hard, and he’s an inspiration to his fellow students. His physical skills, combined with his ability to learn the technical aspects, are superior and demonstrate exactly what will help our industry in the future.”

Rogers has a strong work ethic and comes from a hard-working family. He also enjoys working outdoors, so the combination is a recipe for success.

“Codey is in a great position right now,” says Beville. “He has two major contractors in the area competing to employ him as soon as he graduates this June.”
 0
The Return of Restraint: How "Quiet Luxury" Is Influencing Masonry Design
November 2026

For years, exterior design seemed to follow a familiar cycle: bigger statements, bolder contrasts, and whatever trend happened to dominate social media that season. Today, many customers are asking for something different. They're asking for homes that fe

Chad Riley
Stone Savvy
Sponsored
Read More
Rent or Buy? Making Smarter Mixer Equipment Decisions
November 2026

For masonry contractors, deciding whether to rent or purchase a concrete or mortar mixer involves more than comparing rental rates with purchase prices. Equipment availability, crew productivity, maintenance, and frequency of use can all influence the lon

Abigail Spung Allyssa Costanza
MAP Partner
Read More
Bonding with Masonry 2026: Q4
November 2026

This issue’s questions come from an Engineer and a Masonry Inspector. What questions do you have? Send them to info@masonrymagazine.com, attention: Technical Talk. Q. An Engineer states that he attended a seminar and was told that to design reinforced

David Biggs
Technical Talks
Read More
Hohmann & Barnard, Inc. Returns as a Cornerstone Partner in 2027
November 2026

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is thrilled to announce that Hohmann & Barnard, Inc. will return as a Cornerstone Partner in the 2027 Masonry Alliance Program.

MAP Partner
MAP Partner
Read More