Report of the MCAA MasonrySystems.org Committee

Words: Brian Grant

Direction from the MCAA Board

The MCAA Board has charged the MSO committee with making the website the centerpiece of the 2020 campaign. The Board asked that the web site be the location where the whole industry can come together. It is also important that “special interests” do not take over this project.

The Board has stressed the importance that the website be self-funded through advertising and industry dollars.

Goals of the Committee

The Committee will meet a minimum of four times per year.

The Committee has set a main goal of enhancing the content of the website. The website should have clear individual paths throughout, based on whether the visitor is a designer, contractor, owner, city official, or other. The website is to contain a cost guide, enhanced safety content, and LEED and Green resources. The committee stressed the importance of promoting the website to both contractors and designers.

Committee Ground Work

Tim O’Toole has been instrumental in collecting content and enhancing the website on an on-going basis. Tim continues to track website traffic and log new and unique visitors of the site.

The committee established three Task Groups to meet the objectives set forth by the Board. The Task Groups are entitled; LEED, Advertising and Self-Funding, and Promotion.

LEED Task Group

Jim O’Connor is the chairman of the LEED Task Group. Jim’s group has been working to enhance the LEED and Green website content. This Group is currently exploring methods to create links with other Industry websites that contain expansive LEED information.

Advertising and Self-Funding Task Group

Lynn Nash is the chairman of the Advertising and Self-Funding Task Group. Lynn’s group is currently reviewing the existing advertising price structure for possible changes. This group will look into generating income from Industry groups. The group will begin a marketing campaign once the committee feels the site is at a strong sell position. This group will also look into proposals for grant money.

Promotion Task Group

Dave Gillick is the chairman of the Promotion Task Group. Dave’s group has already begun to promote through a MSO business card outreach program. This group will focus on framework for a train-the-trainer push. The idea is that a network of individuals throughout the country would be well versed with the MSO website and will be able to help Industry professionals navigate through the site.

Year 2011

The committee will work very hard in 2011 to achieve the goals as listed in this report.

The committee will work to develop and promote MSO so that it will become a top rate tool for the Masonry Industry.
The Science of a Straight Line: Why Masonry’s Smallest Decisions Make the Biggest Differences
September 2026

There is a unique phenomenon in construction: the human eye can spot an out-of-plumb wall from 50 yards away across a crowded job site. We might not always be able to explain the exact mathematical deviation without a laser level, but our brains instantly

The Utah Masonry Council's Masonry Education Day
September 2026

The 2026 Masonry Education Day at Interstate Brick in West Jordan is bringing together members of Utah’s architecture, engineering, and construction community for a day focused on education, technical understanding, and workforce development. The event r

MCAA Upstate New York: Regaining Market Share Through Education
September 2026

The Upstate New York chapter of the MCAA was established in 2014 by a dedicated group of both union and non-union masonry contractors, producers, and suppliers who shared concerns about the declining use of masonry. T

GEN NXT: Luis Sontay
September 2026

For this month, the MCAA got to sit down with aspiring mason Luis Sontay. From taking an interest in masonry as a kid to placing 1st in a postsecondary competition, Luis’ dedication and passion for the trade is clear. Luis describes his early passion fo