2013 MCAA Convention

Words: John Smith Jr.I would like to send a personal invitation to every member of the MCAA to join us this February in Las Vegas at the Wynn Hotel for our annual convention. We are very excited about some changes in the schedule this year. First and foremost is the change to our Wednesday. We have moved just about every association related function to alternate days to make Wednesday our day to enjoy the Gold Lot and three masonry competitions. The Masonry Skills Challenge will now join the MCAA's Fastest Trowel on the Block and the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® on game day. You will not want to miss this great new addition to Wednesday.

All that being said please make sure you check the schedule as we have had to move our committee meetings to mostly Monday afternoon in order to clear our Wednesday. We will conduct our meetings similar to how we have done at the Midyear Meeting with an open forum and all committees reporting in one large meeting. I am excited to have a day to enjoy our trade and take in all the wonderful skills of our current workforce and future workforce Wednesday afternoon. We will need all the support we can get that day as we are increasing our need for judges and helpers throughout the day.

Our South of 40 group is excited to once again offer a fun event for our membership that is scaled back from the traditional dinner they have done It will now be a nice informal reception. The great news is they have selected El Segundo Sol which is right across the street from the Wynn in the Fashion Show Mall. The nice reception will give attendees the opportunity to see friends and still have most of their evening available to take in Las Vegas nightlife

View more information and register online at www.masoncontractors.org/convention. I look forward to seeing you all in Las Vegas!
GEN NXT: Mason Paolini
May 2026

This month, the MCAA got to talk with Mason Paolini, a mason who has a clear passion and talent for the trade he has such high praise for. Read about Mason’s story and why he sees a future in this industry. Mason Paolini’s career began with a simple desi

Marvelous Masonry: Tianjin Zhongshuge Library
May 2026

It is not unusual today for masonry to be treated as a surface decision rather than a structural one. Too often, brick enters a project late in the process, trimmed back by budgets or reduced to a veneer once the “real” building work is finished. The Tian

Fechino Files: Concrete Pavers around a Pool
May 2026

Many folks over the years have placed concrete pavers around their pool as a nice form of decorative pool deck. Early in the 2000’s, I took a class held by the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute, then known as the ICPI. At the time I attended the class

Chairman's Message: Staying the Course
May 2026

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. There’s energy in the air. Jobs are picking up. Crews are hitting their rhythm. Schedules are filling up. You can feel momentum building again. And every year around this time, I find myself thinking about con