Amerimix
CrewTracks
EZ Scaffold Corp.
EZG Manufacturing
Hydro Mobile, Inc.
Loot
Non-Stop Scaffolding
PROSOCO, Inc.
SOLA/Keson
SPEC MIX LLC
Stabila
Westlake Royal Stone Solutions
Find-a-Contractor Masonry Buyer's Guide
December 2002

Let's Not Lose Sight of Training

President’s Message

By

It's no secret that this past year has been very difficult for all of us who run a quality company. But most of us who have worked decades building a contracting business have been through difficult times before.

We have seen the cyclical nature of construction. One minute we are booming; the next we're scrambling for the next job to bid. One thing remains true: we will once again face booming time when we have more work than we can handle.

During the last several years, we all faced shortages of quality workers to hire to allow us to bid on all of the work we had. And like in past boom years, the industry reacted by throwing money around in a feeble attempt to develop our labor force. But like previous years, we lacked the cohesive sustained effort to truly build our workforce. Over the past year, I have heard little about the need for workers. In fact, many contractors can't keep the workers they have busy. Once again, like we have done so many times before, the masonry industry goes into a shell and takes its eye off of the commitment to expand our workforce. This is a reality that the Mason Contractors Association of America will not allow to happen again.

At the MCAA Midyear Meeting in Boston, the Board of Directors approved the continued commitment of the MCAA in the area of workforce development. However, with one exception: MCAA will focus its total efforts on recruiting a quality workforce, primarily through our nations high schools. In the past few years, the MCAA provided career recruitment materials and then sought the participation of the industry's contractors and suppliers to seek career recruitment opportunities in our nation's 18,000 high schools... an effort that had marginal success.

What we seek now is to take a more proactive approach. Instead of asking contractors to make the contacts with the high schools, the MCAA will now continuously seek career recruitment activities with our nation's high schools. Several times each year, we will contact every high school in the country and seek out a career day. Once we have the commitment of a career day, we will then turn to our members and industry suppliers to conduct the event. We have a deep belief that once an appointment is made to speak to our nation's high school students, contractors will go talk to them.

However, we can't just leave the future of our workforce to conducting career days each year. The MCAA will also make available our "Check Out a Career in Masonry" kit to every high school career library. It is so important that when a young person is seeking out career opportunities, masonry has information in every career library. Clearly, this is an area where we have been most deficient.

Lastly, it is our goal and vision to drastically expand masonry classes offered in high schools. If a vocational class is offered in a high school in any trade, then we must work hard to offer an option in masonry. If a high school student has the opportunity to try their hand at masonry from a motivated and competent instructor, then the industry will benefit from an increase in motivated individuals who seek apprenticeship classes to enroll in after graduation.

During the past several years, when we had more work than we could bid on, is there any doubt that we continued to lose market share to our industry's competitors? We may have all been busy, but if we had an increasing number of skilled workers, we could have increased our industry's market share, not just kept ourselves busy with what we had in front of us.

As the only association that represents all of the industry's mason contractors, the MCAA and its Board will allocate increasing association resources to developing our workforce. Regardless if you are a union or open shop mason contractor, we must all get behind educating the greatest labor force our industry has ever enjoyed. I urge you all to get behind the MCAA, join the association today and support our efforts to make you more successful. If you are not sure you are a member, call us today at 800-536-2225 and join the one association that represents your interest as a small business owner.

Chairman’s Message Archive

The American Dream

August 2019
The American Dream

Doing Our Part

May 2019
Doing Our Part

Preparing for D.C.

April 2019
Preparing for D.C.

Recent Updates

September 2018
Recent Updates

Masonry’s Future

August 2018
Masonry’s Future

Worthwhile Work

June 2018
Worthwhile Work

A New Beginning

February 2018
A New Beginning

Givers Gain

January 2018
Givers Gain

Things to Remember

March 2017
Things to Remember

Looking Forward

February 2017
Looking Forward

A Fresh Start

January 2017
A Fresh Start

Who Moved My Cheese?

September 2016
Who Moved My Cheese?

Giving back

December 2015
Giving back

An exciting year ahead

February 2015
An exciting year ahead

Defining success

December 2014
Defining success

Staying busy for you

August 2014
Staying busy for you

Ready for action

February 2014
Ready for action

Thanks

January 2014
Thanks

Happy holidays

December 2013
Happy holidays

MCAA Midyear update

November 2013
MCAA Midyear update

The MCAA in D.C.

August 2013
The MCAA in D.C.

A Lot Happening

July 2013
A Lot Happening

Eye opening

June 2013
Eye opening

Positive movement

March 2013
Positive movement

Headed to Vegas

February 2013
Headed to Vegas

New beginning

January 2013
New beginning

It’s finally over

December 2012
It’s finally over

My trip to the Rockies

November 2012
My trip to the Rockies

The 2012 election

October 2012
The 2012 election

Stay involved

September 2012
Stay involved

Networking

August 2012
Networking

Summer time

July 2012
Summer time

Exciting time

June 2012
Exciting time

Working for you

May 2012
Working for you

New beginnings

March 2012
New beginnings

Farewell!

February 2012
Farewell!

One more to go!

January 2012
One more to go!

Join us in Vegas

November 2011
Join us in Vegas

As the world turns

August 2011
As the world turns

A Bright Future

May 2011
A Bright Future

Tidbits From MCAA

March 2011
Tidbits From MCAA

Time Flies By

February 2011
Time Flies By

The End of the Year

December 2010
The End of the Year

Busy Times!

November 2010
Busy Times!

South of 40

October 2010
South of 40

What Are We Doing?

August 2010
What Are We Doing?

Moving Forward

March 2010
Moving Forward

A Fond Farewell

February 2010
A Fond Farewell

A New Year

January 2010
A New Year

Start the Year Strong

December 2009
Start the Year Strong

MCAA in D.C.

September 2009
MCAA in D.C.

Brick Voids

August 2009
Brick Voids

Vision 2020

February 2009
Vision 2020

State of the Association

February 2009
State of the Association

The Silver Lining

January 2009
The Silver Lining

Impact on the Hill

June 2008
Impact on the Hill

New Horizons

February 2008
New Horizons

Wrapping up Another Year

December 2007
Wrapping up Another Year

Greetings From Italy!

November 2007
Greetings From Italy!

We Need Your Help!

January 2005
We Need Your Help!

The Strength of Unity

November 2003
The Strength of Unity

Changing of the Guard

February 2002
Changing of the Guard

“The MCAA is working to solidify our industry.”

Donald McCauley
Hunt Country Masonry, Inc.
MCAA member since 2010

Learn More