ESCSI Honors Its 2017 Holm Award Recipient

Words: Abigail GabbardThe Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate Institute honored its 2017 Holm Award recipient at the ESCSI Midyear Meeting held May 15-18, 2017 in Park City, Utah. Each year, ESCSI honors individuals and/or companies who have made significant contributions to the lightweight aggregate industry through their leadership and dedication. This year’s recipient, Michael Robinson, joins that distinguished list.
The Thomas A. Holm Award is presented each year to an individual employed in the industry who has contributed to research, development and use of expanded shale, clay and slate aggregate. Michael Robinson has spent his career making such contributions.

A long-time associate of the concrete and lightweight aggregate industries, Michael Robinson is currently the Territory Manager and Senior Technical Consultant at the Carolina Stalite Company. He actively participates and has served in leadership capacities in numerous industry-related groups including the Carolinas Chapter of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the National Capital Chapter of ACI, ACI 213 Lightweight Aggregate and Concrete Committee and other ACI Technical Committees. Michael is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute and the 2013 recipient of ACI’s Cedric Willson Award. He is also an ESCSI representative to the Masonry Alliance for Codes and Standards and the Alliance for Concrete Codes and Standards.

“Michael has tirelessly devoted his career to codes and standards which are the foundation upon which the construction industry is built,” said Bill Wolfe, Senior Engineer at Norlite, LLC. “His focus on ensuring that products manufactured with lightweight aggregate are accurately represented in the building codes has helped the industry grow in a very positive manner.”
Monadnock Building
August 2026

Chicago’s Monadnock Building doesn’t dominate the skyline the way it once did. Surrounded by steel-and-glass towers, the dark brick structure can seem almost understated. But for anyone in the masonry industry, it remains one of the most important buildin

Britt Stokes, Acme Brick’s Director of Marketing, Retires.
August 2026

Fort Worth, Texas – After faithfully serving Acme Brick Company for 40 years, Britt has chosen to retire – although he will still be involved with Acme on various projects. Britt began his career with Acme as staff photographer and through dedicati

Why SkillsUSA is the Keystone to MCAA’s Outreach
August 2026

When I stepped into the role of the MCAA’s first Director of Youth Outreach and Education, I knew we had a massive job ahead of us. I am a fourth-generation brick mason, and I have spent over two decades teaching the trade, from working with apprentices a

The First Paycheck
August 2026

Several years ago, Huntley Brothers hired a young apprentice. It was his first real job, and he had never had a paycheck before. Friday rolled around, and he got paid just like everyone else. Later that day, one of the guys told me something I have never