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World of Concrete 2026 Registration Is Open ↗

Apprentices Compete for ‘Top Trowel’ Honors

Words: Francine AbramoffA select group of talented, relative newcomers to the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) earned the distinction of top apprentices in eight trowel trades crafts at the BAC/IMI (International Masonry Institute) International Apprentice Contest, held in September at the BAC/IMI John J. Flynn International Training Center.

A total of 103 contestants competed in eight craft categories that included brick, cement, marble, plaster, PCC/restoration, stone, tile and terrazzo. BAC apprentices receive their training through Local Union training programs and the IMI.

1st Place Winners

Brick
Darren Tobolt, BAC Local 40 Ohio of the Ohio Administrative District Council

Terrazzo
Michael Sell, Sr., BAC Local 7 New York/New Jersey

Marble
Nikolajs Pastuhovs, BAC Local 1 Washington

Stone
Ray Lowden, III, BAC Local 9 Pennsylvania

Plaster
Christos Katechis, BAC Local 1 New York

PCC
Daniel McInerney, BAC Local 3 Massachusetts

Tile
Rey Barrios, BAC Local 3 California

Cement
Jesse Steger, BAC Local 11 of the Wisconsin Administrative District Council

For more information, visit www.bacweb.org.
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