Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
World of Concrete 2027: Join Us in Las Vegas
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

Competitiors showed their skills at the Top Trowel competition

Words: Lyn OlesonCongratulations to Top Trowel competitors, Jane Frederick High School masonry students in Stockton Unified School District CTE. They showed their skills at the Top Trowel competition at the Fastest Trowel hosted by Baselite Concrete Products in Dixon.

The apprentices start in the dark of the dawn, to build a block wall, 5 course high, within time allowed, to complete their project before judging begins. All MITA students received prizes and tools. Winners got all that and were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals and prize money.

Top Trowel winners were 1st place Shawn Phang, 2nd place Francisco Dominguez, 3rd place Steven Juarez.

Meanwhile a few yards away, the NorCal Masonry Skills Challenge regional qualifier for apprentices was won by 1st year Apprentice was Anthony Guerrero — a former Jane Frederick High School student trainee, who graduated, joined local BAC3, and is now employed at John D Wait Masonry.

MITA Board of Directors Dale Piwinski, an industry leader and Baselite Concrete Products Sales Manager, along with his Baselite associates put on an amazing event. Hear it first hand from Instructor Tom Miller, who trains students towards jobs.

MITA assists hundreds of students to learn masonry skills each school year from September to June. MITA trainees have accomplished pre-apprenticeship and are seeking work, summer jobs, part-time, and full-time. Classes begin with how to pick up a trowel and get them started. From there, they move on to seek a future career in the masonry field as bricklayers, tenders, mason finishers, and in the whole realm of opportunity such as block salesperson, architect representative, and positions with suppliers and contractors.

See the video at www.trainmason.org.
About: Tools
 0
Designed for the Way Contractors Work Today
September 2026

Every piece of equipment tells a story about the challenges contractors face. For more than 30 years, the EZG Manufacturing team has listened to those stories—through customer relationships, job site visits, dealer feedback, a

Abigail Spung
Manufacturing Efficiency
Read More
Chemicals In Masonry
September 2026

Mason contractors must deal with chemicals on the job site. One of the main ones comes in the form of dust. Another is acid. From high-rise commercial structures to residential facades, masonry work involves handling raw materials that require careful man

Zach Everett
Safety Library
Safety
Read More
Brick Staining Dos and Don'ts: Managing Modern and Historic Masonry Construction
September 2026

Every mason contractor has encountered it, or will. A replacement brick arrives from a different production run. A cast stone repair patch or perhaps a darker panel stands out against the surrounding installation. Mortar color varies unexpectedly. A clea

Jennifer Gill
Technical Talks
Brick Staining Masonry Staining Staining
Read More
Gables Republic Square & Hotel ZaZa
September 2026

Gables Republic Square / Hotel ZaZa is a 24-story mixed-use boutique hotel and urban residential tower with street-level retail located on a 0.75-acre site in downtown Austin. Camarata Masonry Systems, Ltd. (CMS) was responsible for the supply and instal

Dawn Kornegay
Case Study
Brick Clay Brick Residential
Read More