Kenny Foeste

In 1963, at the age of 22, he entered the masonry field as a hod carrier. He naturally progressed into the Bricklayer Apprentice program and became a Journeyman Bricklayer on April 8, 1969. Four years later, after working for both Drury Company and Ste. Genevieve Building Stone, he started his current company, Kenneth E. Foeste Masonry. His company was incorporated six years later in 1979 and his wife, Judy, joined him full-time as Vice President and Senior Estimator in 1980. They both are still in the field and in the office on a daily basis overseeing operations. Their son, Mark Foeste, has worked in the field for the company from a young age, but became officially employed after he graduated high school in 1983. Within the last four years, three of their grandchildren have also joined the company. Two in the field and one in the office.

Foeste Masonry has long been known and respected as the largest mason contractor between St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn. Kenny has overseen many large projects in the Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky areas. Some of the larger ones being the Closed Maximum Security Prison in Tamms, Ill. in 1997; the Procter & Gamble Paper Making Plant in Cape Girardeau, Mo. in 1999; the United States Federal Courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Mo. in 2006; and the Jackson High School Addition in Jackson, Mo. in 2008.

Kenny has been a long time member of the Mason Contractor’s Association of America and also the Mason Contractor’s Association of St. Louis. He was a member and past President for many years of the Mason Contractor’s Association of Southeast Missouri. He has carried the title of Certified Mason Contractor for most of his career. At one point in time he served as an Instructor at the Bricklaying School in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He is also a HEK Platforms and Hoists, Inc. Qualified Instructor and was the first mason contractor to bring HEK scaffolding to projects in the Southeast Missouri area. He has also served as a judge for the Fastest Trowel competition in Kansas City, Mo.

Kenny has always felt strongly about promoting masonry within the building industry. As President of the MCA of SEMO, they would invite and send an area architect yearly to the Masonry Showcase to help educate and promote masonry in the architectural/design process. He has also attended many area job fairs educating and encouraging young people to get into the masonry trades. You will always find apprentices on his jobsites as he tries to help educate and train more individuals in the trade.

Kenny was very impactful in the fight for the rights of the “Laborers on Lifts” in this region. It was due to his petitioning and persistence that they were able to keep those rights in the laborers’ agreements versus the operators’. This was a major issue that required court appearances during the construction of the multimillion dollar Tamms, Ill. Maximum Security Prison project.

Kenny Foeste is up every day about 3:00 AM and drags into bed as the sun goes down only because his body cannot go 24 hours a day, because he would if it could. Masonry has been his life and his passion for the past 54 years. People in the Southeast Missouri region and communities who know of him know of his business and his work ethic and will always associate the masonry trade with his name.

Plaque Engraving

Began masonry career in 1963 as a hod carrier. Established Kenneth E. Foeste Masonry in 1973. Longtime member of the Mason Contractors Association of America and the Mason Contractor’s Association of St. Louis. Member and past President of the Mason Contractor’s Association of Southeast Missouri. Served as an instructor at the Bricklaying School in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Felt strongly about promoting masonry within the building industry, and helped educate and promote masonry in the architectural/design process. Attended many area job fairs, educating and encouraging young people to get into the masonry trades. Impactful in the fight for the rights of the “Laborers on Lifts” in the Missouri region. Masonry has been his life and his passion.