Gold Medals for NCNorth Carolina has added additional SkillsUSA

National Medals to an already impressive collec-tion. Luke Dutton, West Rowan High School, and Alex Ossowski, Central Cabarrus High School, each earned masonry Gold Medals at the June National SkillsUSA Conference.

North Carolina’s total masonry medal count, including the two new ones: 31 Gold, 15 Silver, and 2 Bronze. No other state comes close.

Nearly 400 North Carolinians from 15 col-leges and 41 high schools traveled to Louisville to participate in the 51st annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference June 22-27, 2015.

Total attendance was over 16,000 with every state and U.S. territory represented. All the North Carolina teams did well. North Carolina had the third largest delegation for 2015 and earned 54 medallions, the third highest medal count in the nation, including 23 “Gold” (second highest in the nation,) 20 “Silver” (fifth highest in the nation,) and 11 “Bronze.”

See Page Three

In this Issue:

Message from the President Page 2Sponsor’s Page Page 3WorldSkills in August Page 4Welcome new Members Page 4Joyner MCAA Report Page 5Instructor Association Officers Page 5Certification Update Page 5State Fair Contest in October Page 6SPEC MIX BL 500 Regionals Page 6State Golf Tournament Page 7Member News Page 8Dates to Note Page 9SCMA Update Page 10

The masonry trade was strongly represented by 43 young bricklayers from 32 states. The high school masonry Silver Medal went to Tyler Hack of Fort Wayne, Indiana and Eric Kurtz of Perrysburg, Ohio claimed the Bronze. Cody Palmer of Media, PA won the post-secondary/college masonry Silver Medal and Jose Hernandez of Phoenix won the Bronze.

Luke Dutton is eighteen-years-old and is the son of Hope and Harold Dutton of Salisbury. He has two sisters, Ashley and Allison. He plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte beginning in the fall. Luke enjoys fishing and 4x4 trucks.

His instructor at West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla is Rodney Harrington, who begins his twelfth year of teaching in the fall after previously running his own masonry contracting firm for ten years. Rodney says, “(Luke) said he was nervous but had a great deal of confidence in what he was

September 2015 Vol. 41 No. 3

The Newsletter of The North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association

National Champions Luke Dutton of West Rowan High School (left) and Alex Ossowski of Central Cabar-rus High School brought home the “Gold” from the June National SkillsUSA Conference in Louisville, KY.

MasonrySystems.orgNCMCA.com

see “Medals” continued page nine

This issue sponsored by

Photograph by Bryan Light

Page 2 NC Masonry News September 2015

Sign of a Professionalwww.ncmca.com

Ashlee K. Moore, CMP, PresidentKoontz Masonry, Lexington NC

Robert Gates, CME, President-ElectGates Construction Company, Mooresville, NC

Kent Huntley, CME, Secretary TreasurerHuntley Brothers Company, Monroe, NC

Gary Joyner, CME, ChairmanJoyner Masonry Works, Inc., Greenville, NC

Chris Bruner, CMP, Central Vice Pres.Gates Construction Company, Mooresville NC

Doug Burton, CME, Eastern Vice Pres.Whitman Masonry, Benson, NC

Don Caldwell, Western Vice Pres.C & R Masonry, Candler, NC

John Cramer AAI, Insurance ConsultantTriSure Corporation, Raleigh, NC

Pete Schantz RHU, Insurance ConsultantMountcastle Insurance, Winston-Salem, NC

Lynn Nash, Executive Vice PresidentHickory, NC

The Quarterly Newsletter of The North Carolina

Masonry Contractors Association

109 11th Avenue NWPost Office Box 3463

Hickory, NC 28603-3463Telephone (828) 324-1564

Fax (828) 324-2179Information@ncmca.com

Andy-the-Cat Productions

Photographs by Andy-the-Cat Productions unless otherwise noted

September 2015

Here at NCMCA we are hoping you and your company have had a fantastic and productive summer. As summer is winding down, we are gearing up for fall.

September 9th we have our Board of Directors meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott in Greens-boro. I hope to see many of you there. We will be discussing upcoming events and news and we always appreciate and welcome your thoughts.

Shortly after on Thursday September 24 we have our annual State Golf Tournament in Mebane . It promises to be a fun day of golf and fellowship fol-lowed by delicious barbecue cooked by non-other than the Argos USA team. If you haven’t already

A Word from the President

Western Carolina Chapter Outing For more than fifty years, Statesville Brick Company has hosted the NCMCA Western Carolina Chapter at their conference center at “Sunset Point” on Lake Norman for a steak dinner. Left to right, Scott and Sonny Rankin of Statesville Brick Company greet NCMCA President Elect Bob Gates, NCMCA President Ashlee Moore and Western Carolina Chapter President and Past NCMCA President Wayne Starr at the June 9, 2015 gathering. Everyone cooks their own steak over the humongous charcoal barbecue pit, and then hangs around to watch a spectacular sunset over the waters of the lake.

done so please take a moment to sign up for a team or sponsorship for that day.

Currently, we are driving to increase our mem-bership at NCMCA. We offer many benefits to small masonry businesses as well as the larger firms. We have valuable resources and many opportunities for training and continued education. Together as a group, we have a strong voice to help promote masonry not only in our state but nationwide. I know I don’t have to tell you how good the masonry industry is so let’s work together to let others know.

- Ashlee K. Moore, CMP

Photograph by C.E. Moser

Presidential Birthday Presi-dent Ashlee, second from left, celebrated her birthday at the Central Piedmont Chapter’s An-nual Danny Koonts Memorial Golf Tournament in early June. Left to right, sister Darin Koontz Buchanan, President Ashlee Koontz Moore, cousin Sabrina Koontz Beck, Chapter President, and sister Carin Koontz Ellis.

September 2015 NC Masonry News Page 3

An Ongoing PartnershipMountcastle Insurance is proud to be a part of the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association and the NCMCA Masonry Contrac-tor Insurance Program. When Mountcastle Insurance acquired

McMahan Insurance & Employee Benefits in 2012, our 125 year-old company brought exceptional strength, resources and experience together with unique masonry and construction industry exper-tise. For some thirty years, McMahan Insurance & Employee Benefits worked with and for NCMCA to develop an insurance and benefits program tailored for masonry contractors. The combined resources and experience make Mountcastle Insur-

ance’s partnership in the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Asso-ciation stronger than ever. When you need health insurance, supple-mental care policies or advice for navigating today’s special health benefits challenges, call us. We welcome the opportunity to be of service to our fellow NCMCA members! Sincerely,

Pete Schantz, RHU

Mountcastle Insurance provides a wide selection of health insurance and voluntary benefit products. With our help, your business will continue humming along with highly satisfied employees. Contact us today at 336-777-8500 to ensure your business stays up and running into the future. www.mountcastleinsurance.com

Page 4 NC Masonry News September 2015

NC at WorldSkillsApprentice Daniel Furr (left) of Concord and his

instructor/coach Todd Hartsell of Central Cabarrus High School represented SkillsUSA in the masonry competition at the August WorldSkills Conference in Sãn Paulo, Brazil. Daniel came just shy of a medal-winning score, building the three project-modules pictured above.

Using a scoring system somewhat different than what we are accustom to, twenty-eight competitors won eight masonry medals with top honors going to Italy with a “Gold” medal, Silver Medals going to Vietnam, Denmark, Brazil and Australia, and Bronze Medals going to Korea, Austria, and Germany.

Hartsell said, “Daniel missed receiving a medal by 10 points, but he did an outstanding job representing the US. The talent at WorldSkills was unbelievable and the experience was outstanding!”

Daniel is no stranger to masonry competition having won a SkillsUSA Gold Medal in 2014, the NCMCA David R. Sigmon Award in 2014, and the MCAA First Year Division International Skills Com-petition earlier this year. He studies engineering at NC State University and was a high school masonry

Photograph courtsey of SkillsUSA

Project photographs by Todd Hartsell

student of Ryan Shaver at Mount Pleasant High School.

Todd Hartsell is now the SkillsUSA “Masonry Ex-pert” for WorldSkills and will have responsibility for selecting and training the USA masonry competitor for the next WorldSkills Conference two years from now in Abu Dhabi. Hartsell students have won six SkillsUSA National Gold Medals including a post-secondary gold medal in July by Alex Ossowski at Louisville. (See front page.)

Taylor Clay Products, Johnson Concrete Company and Amerimix provided special practice materials to mimic the contest materials encountered in Brazil when Hartsell and Furr were preparing for the contest during June and July.

2016 Convention in April

Mark your calendars! The NCMCA Annual Con-vention and Business Meeting returns to the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia Thursday April 28 to May 1, 2016. Please note the date is dif-ferent than what was poster earlier. The change was necessary to accommodate the 2016 NC Skill-sUSA Greensboro Conference April 19 - April 21.

A great schedule of convention events and activi-ties is planned. New officers elected and installed. Entertainment once again by Barry Herndon and The Party Nuts. Spectacular golf! Be a part of it!

Find out how your firm can be a sponsor. Call (828) 324-1564.

Welcome New MemberTaylor Thompson Masonry

Taylor Thompson (R1)Denton, NC

Recruited by President Moore

Southeastern Contracting, Inc.Ben Price (R4)Blacksburg, VA

Recruited by Chery Gaw & Kevin Scheele

September 2015 NC Masonry News Page 5

MQI Certication Class In June, Michael Callahan, in the blue shirt right, of Callahan/Roach & Associates was at McGee Brothers Company in Greensboro to present The Mason Contractors Association of America’s “Masonry Quality Institute” class to nineteen participants working toward MCAA and/or NCMCA masonry contractor certification. Attendees hailed from not only North Carolina but also South Carolina, Maryland, and Tennessee. Left to right, Mike Bailey, Matt Cable, Glenn Feldstein David Bass and instructor Callahan enjoying a light moment of MQI instruction.

The sixth series of NCMCA Certification Program certification classes was completed earlier this year so now it’s time to begin planning for a new series. Ideally, we would have commitments of twenty-plus individuals to begin the series, in addition, to those who need a missed class or two to complete their personal certification. Most likely, a new series will begin shortly after the first of the year. Please let the state office know if you or individuals from your company expect to participate in the next classes. Much planning is involved in arranging the classes. Along with earlier class series, the sixth series of classes mostly took place at McGee Brothers Company in Greensboro. The Certification Program Board of Governors expresses gratitude on behalf of the Association for McGee Brothers Company’s generous contribution of their classroom facilities.

Adams, an Oldcastle company, is providing an opportunity for a full day of approved certifica-tion program continuing education on Wednesday October 13, 2015. The Adams/Oldcasttle Masonry Expo will be at the NCSU University Club in Ra-leigh. Presenters will include David Biggs, PE, who is among the leadership team working on the BIM

Certification Program Updatecomponent for masonry. NCMCA certified individu-als who attend and submit necessary documentation can use the Expo to acquire annual continuing education credits in the NCMCA Masonry Contractors

Certification Program. For details, contact Robert Carmody: robert.carmody@

oldcastle.comPromotion of the certifica-

tion program to specification writers, engineers and archi-tects continues. The prime venue has been the partner-ship with the Southeastern Concrete Masonry Associa-

tion (CCMA) in presenting their “Understanding Masonry”

lunch-and-learn programs. Ad-ditional program are planned across

the state through the fall.

FEDCON 2015 The North Carolina Military Business Center

(NCMBC) will host with Senator Richard Burr and Senator Thom Tillis the 2015 Southeast Region Fed-eral Construction, Infrastructure & Environmental (FEDCON) Summit at the Wilmington Convention Center on October 28-29, 2015. Details here:

http://www.ncmbc.us/2015FEDCON.php Telephone (910) 678-0193

Instructors Elect NCMIA Officers

The North Carolina Masonry Instructors Associa-tion has announced new officers for the 2015-2016 term.

The new president is Todd Hartsell of Central Cabarrus High in Concord.

The rest of the new administration: Past President, Nathaniel Degraffinreaidt, Grimsley High, Greens-boro; First Vice President, Rufus Terry, J F Webb High School, Oxford; Second Vice President, Matthew Mcknight, Davie High School, Mocksville; Treasurer, Rodney Harrington, West Rowan High, Mt. Ulla; and Secretary, Eric Hicks, Newton-Conover High, Newton.

Complete contact information is included on NCMCA.com and in the NCMCA Membership Direc-tory.

MCAA News By Gary Joyner

Being involved with the Mason Contractors Asso-ciation of America (MCAA) opens new relationships with masonry contractors across the nation. It is quite interesting to me to see the way people operate

in other areas of the country.

Every year MCAA has a mid-year meet-ing that is held in different parts of the country. The last week in September, we will convene in Key West, Florida to strictly discuss busi-

ness matters facing the masonry industry! I urge everyone to attend. (Oh, and be careful, you might learn something relating to profitability to your everyday business affairs.)

MCAA’s biggest project over the last year has been getting our foundation up and running. Most of NCMCA’s involved are aware of this program because we are the largest contributor as a group. To date, North Carolina has committed to over $ 350,000 in pledges for the Masonry Foundation endowment.

If you didn’t already know it, NC is the strongest masonry contractors association across the nation. I might add, people tell me all the time how envious they are of our group.

Please visit the MCAA’s website beginning Sep-tember 27th for more details about the Masonry Foundation: http://www.masoncontractors.org Or give me a call.

Gary Joyner, CME, is MCAA Region Two Vice President and is NCMCA Chairman of the Board. Reach Gary at garyjoyner@joynermasonry.com (252) 752-1578

Gary Joyner

Page 6 NC Masonry News September 2015

Golf Tournament Gold Sponsors

as of press time

State Fair Contest Calvin Brodie is again chairing the Annual State-

Fair Masonry Apprentice Skills Contest. This year marks the Sixty-Second Anniversary of

the contest at the State Fair Grounds in Raleigh. Pre-viously sponsored by the North Carolina Department

of Labor, the 2014 contest began a new run as an event spon-sored by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The former Department of Labor Apprenticeship and Training Division was transferred to the Department of Com-

merce in 2014. The date is Monday, October 19, 2015 at the State

Fair Grounds in Raleigh. Contestant entry information is available at this

link: http://www.ncstatefair.org/2015/Competitions/Entering/documents/ApprenticeContests.pdf

Contest participation is limited to the first twenty-five qualified apprentices to register. The deadline is September 18, 2015. Apprentices must be sponsored by a firm registered with the Depart-ment of Commerce.

McGee Brothers Company presently holds the championship title with last October’s win by Lane Mullis.

Donations to the prize fund are solicited. As is customary, each local NCMCA chapter is requested to make a $250 donation. Donations from masonry contracting firms and material suppliers are also appreciated. In 2014, NCMCA members, chapters and friends provided more than $6,000 in cash, tools and materials for the contest.

Make checks payable to “NCMCA” and note “Fair Contest” on the memo line. Mail checks to the NCMCA state office at Hickory.

For information, contact the NC DOC Division of Workforce Solutions: (919) 814-0400.

It’s that time of year again when masons across North America put their skill, speed and stamina to the test at their local regional competition with the hope of earning a spot at the World Championship in Las Vegas.

But before they can advance to the final round and compete for the title: “World’s Best Bricklayer,” they have to take first place at one of the 20 regional events around the country. In both the Regional and World Championship events, each bricklayer works with their favorite mason tender to build a 26-foot, double-wythe brick wall totaling 500 or more units in just 60-minutes.

The walls are judged by experienced masonry experts focusing on quality workmanship standards. Any infractions result in deductions from the total amount of brick installed in the wall. The bricklayer-mason tender team with the most bricks laid after any deductions wins the event.

The winners of each Regional battle are added to the roster of the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship held in Las Vegas on February 3, 2016. The Event attracts over 4,000 attendees during the World of Masonry tradeshow, and is widely recog-nized as the world’s largest tradesmen competition offering the greatest purse of cash and prizes, valued at over $100,000, including a 2016 Ford F-250 4x4 truck. The 20 Regional winners will compete against the returning 2015 World Champion, Fred Campbell of Tennessee and SPEC MIX Top Craftsman®, Gar-rett Hood of North Carolina, who laid 743 and 723 bricks respectively.

Carolina area regional competitions: South Carolina, Thursday, October 1, 2015, Tucker

Kirby Co., 2701 Shop Rd., Columbia, SC 29209.North Carolina, Thursday, October 22, 2015,

Tucker-Kirby Co., 3825 Wilkinson Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28208.

Participants, volunteers, judges and sponsors are solicited. Details: Ryan Coyne (404) 702-5944 or Marty Schiraldi (305) 812-0687.

For more information and to download a schedule go to: www.specmixbricklayer500.com

Tucker-Kirby Hosting

SPEC MIX Regional Contests

Board of Directors Meeting

The next NCMCA Board of Directors meeting is 1:00 Wednesday September 9, 2015 at the Courtyard by Marriott, West Wendover Avenue, Greensboro.

The board is made up of the president and vice-president of each local chapter as well as elected state officers. Be sure your chapter is represented. Proxies are not permitted. Chapter presidents and committee chairmen are requested to provide writ-ten reports to be included in the pre-meeting packet not later than Friday September 4th.

Board meetings are “open” to all NCMCA mem-bers however, motions/voting is reserved for board members.

Calvin Brodie

September 2015 NC Masonry News Page 7

NCMCA’s Twenty-Third Annual State Golf Tournament

Thursday, September 24, 2015 - 12:00 PM Shotgun Tee-OffMill Creek Golf & Country Club - Mebane, NC

Proceeds support NCMCA Projects Directions: I-40/85 to Exit 154, turn north of interstate onto Mebane-Oaks Rd, half mile, turn right on NC-119 / S. 5th St.,

proceed 3 miles onto NC-119. North of Mebane, turn right onto St Andrews Drive to club house. Soft spikes and collared shirts required. No blue jeans.

Be at course no later than 11:15 PM. “Shotgun” start at Noon

Join us for great fellowship and golf as you support NCMCA. Four-person* modified “Super Drive” format: $110.00 per player for green fee, cart, practice balls, refreshments, awards, and barbecue afterwards by Argos USA. First 110 golfers registered receive an NCMCA-logo beverage cooler.

NAME: HANDICAP: EMAIL:

Team Member “A” ___________________________________________________________

Team Member “B” ___________________________________________________________ Team Member “C” ___________________________________________________________ Team Member “D” ___________________________________________________________

Be a sponsor and promote your company as you support NCMCA! Gold - $850 includes four players, special recognition sign Silver - $750 includes four players, special recognition sign Bronze - $650 includes 4 players special recognition sign Hole Sponsor - $110 for tee sign

For Sponsors - Name for Sign: ____________________________________________________ Prize donations are welcome. Contact David McQueen (919) 815-4813 or Dwayne Bryant (336) 213-2100

Number of Golfers __________@ $110 each $___________

Tee Sponsorships __________@ $110 each $___________

Special Sponsor (circle one) @ $850 - $750 - $650 $___________

Total Enclosed: $ ___________ Payment must accompany application. Mail to: NCMCA Golf Tournament Post Office Box 3463 Hickory, NC 28603-3463

Application Completed by:

Name: _______________________________

Phone: _______________________________

Email: ________________________________

Make Checks Payable to “NCMCA” (No Credit Cards)

* Important: Only four-person teams are eli-gible for the tournament championship. Regis-trations submitted with fewer than four players are welcomed but should be submitted early to secure placement on a complete team. (Good faith effort will be made, however no guarantee of four-person placement is implied.) It is sug-gested that late registrations be submitted only with four players. Cancelation deadline: 5:00 PM Tuesday September 22, 2015

Contributions and registration fees paid to the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. However, they may be tax deductible as ordinary and necessary business expense.

Page 8 NC Masonry News September 2015

Member NewsSeveral NCMCA member firms have been recog-

nized as part of BIA’s 2015 Brick in Architecture Awards. Statesville Brick Company and Master Masonry received Gold Medal recognition for the Chapel at Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory. (The chapel is featured on the cover of the new NCMCA membership directory.) Simmons Masonry and Pine Hall Brick Company won a Silver Medal for the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church project in Fayetteville. The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida earned Bronze Medal recognition for Pyramid Masonry. Also receiving recognition for projects around the country: General Shale Brick, Carolina Ceramics Brick, Brick Yard Ltd, Hanson, and Taylor Clay Products. Winners were selected from more than 115 entries from across the USA. Look for complete details and pictures coming soon to the BIA website: http://www.gobrick.com/architectureawards

Matt Cable of Pinnacle Masonry contributed an article to the latest issue of Smart Dynamics of Masonry magazine. Read “Adding More Masonry Rights Budget at Parkside Town Commons, Cary, NC” on page 27.

Mike Rogers’ (Michael J. Rogers Masonry) young-est son is a hero. It happened June 30th in Pisgah Forest when an 83-year-old woman with dementia walked away from her caregiver and got lost. Isaiah Rogers, 6, was at his family’s business when they were alerted about the missing woman. That’s when Isaiah’s parents asked him to look around out back near a field. “I came around there and then I saw her laying down on the ground,” Isaiah said. Isaiah ran to tell his parents. The woman was unresponsive but alive after suffering a heat stroke. “I didn’t in a million years imagine that she would be down here,” Mike said. “We were getting ready to leave and had he not found her it would have been a different story today. I’m very thankful and grateful for her and for the family.” Isaiah’s heroic actions got him a lifesaving award from the sheriff and a feature story on Asheville television news. Isaiah says he now has the best story to share when he starts first grade in the Fall.

Mike Williams at Pyramid Masonry rode in the 24 Hours of Booty charity bicycle ride again for the sixth time in July and says, “I had a blast last year and was very happy about riding with my 8 year old daughter, Lori. She did great for her first time and rode an impressive 7.5 miles! The 24 Hours of Booty is a fundraising event for national and local cancer initiatives (a portion of the donations will go directly to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte and other local organizations that help those with cancer). I am asking you to help by supporting my fundraising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will make a real difference in the cancer community… Make your donation online using this link: http://

www.24hoursofbooty.org/donate/ Or send your tax-deductible contribution to this address: 24 Hours of Booty, 500 E. Morehead, Suite 218, Charlotte, NC 28202. Please join me in raising as much as possible to try and win the battle against cancer!”

Past President Danks Burton and his son did a Rocky Mountain wilderness trek at the Philmont Scout Reservation, “I went with Drew and other members of his Boy Scout troop for a twelve-day journey through the mountains of northern New Mexico. For ten of those days I had no access to phone, email, good food, beer, coffee, etc. Great expe-rience. I’ve done this trip twice now, once as a scout some 35 years ago and now as an adult advisor.”

Congratulations to The Quikrete Companies. Founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1940, they are cel-ebrating their 75th Anniversary this year.

Holcim completed its merger with Lafarge on July 15th. The combined company, LafargeHolcom, is based in Zurich and has over 2,500 plants operating in ninety countries with some 115,000 employees.

Retired South Lenoir High School Masonry Instructor Jack Davis, Jr. died as a result of injuries received during an invasion of his home in July. Nancy St. John of Adams Products in Goldsboro,

who worked with Mr. Davis at their annual Hardy Memorial Ma-sonry Contest for years, said of Mr. Davis, “After his retirement he con-tinued helping with our masonry contest as a judge up until this past contest. He was a

dedicated teacher and a wonderful person. He will be greatly missed in our community.” Mr. Davis was 71 and lived in Kinston. He was inducted into the National Masonry Instruc-tors Association’s “Hall of Fame” in 2012.

NCMCA Chairman Gary Joyner and NCMCA Sec-retary Treasurer Kent Huntley represented the ma-sonry industry for an update presented to masonry instructors and other school officials at the July North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Annual Career, Trade and Industrial Education Sum-mer Conference in Greensboro. Joyner and Huntley answered questions and made predictions about the future of masonry and masonry training.

Kelton McGee of McGee Brothers Company is fea-tured in a nice article in the July 2015 issue of the on-line “Trowel Tales” magazine: http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/speo/issues/2015-07-22/6.html

Jameel Sheriff is the new masonry instructor at Kittrell Job Corps Center in Vance County. Reach him at sheriff.jameel@jobcorps.org

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has ap-pointed Toby Brodie to the Board of North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro. Toby, the son of NCMCA Past President Calvin Brodie, works for a

commercial building company in Austin, Texas. Brodie, who got his bachelor’s degree in accounting from A&T in 1997, received his MBA from Walden University in July.

Central Piedmont Chapter Treasurer Nick Ferrucci and wife Michelle have a new baby girl. Marissa arrived July 27 and makes number four.

Barek Brent Moore has arrived in America from Ethiopia. One-year-old Barek is the new son of Presi-dent Ashlee and Brent Moore, and the grandson of past NCMCA president Freddy Koontz. Brent, Ashlee and their family presented a program at the August Central Piedmont Chapter meeting about their July trip to Africa and about the construction boom pres-ently taking place in Ethiopia.

California Polytechnic State University students won the 2015 National Concrete Masonry Asso-ciation’s Student Design Competition with their innovative “FlipBlock” during NCMA’s August Midyear Meeting in Montreal. In this annual NCMA Foundation-sponsored competition, architectural students are challenged with designing a “new” concrete masonry or hardscape unit that can be produced on a block machine or big-board ma-chine. Through this process, students learn about the manufacturing process and how to create new block shapes. Seven schools participated with the top three presenting their block shapes at the NCMA Midyear Meeting. Iowa State University students were awarded second prize and North Carolina State University received third prize.

Guy Johnson, Jr. has joined Giant Cement Com-pany and will be the firm’s representative for upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina.

The Cirrus Aircraft company has posted a YouTube video about McGee Brothers Company Greg Hunt-ley’s successful deployment of the parachute built into his airplane, which allowed the entire aircraft to float to the ground when the engine quit in the early morning darkness over Lexington, NC back in October. View the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuHZ806Ohxk A story with a very happy ending.

Helen Kerr, the Grand Matriarch of Kerr’s Hickory Ready Mixed Concrete, passed away August 27th after a brief illness. She was the mother of James and Roger Kerr and had been at the family business working every day right up until her recent illness. Mrs. Kerr was 91 and lived in Hickory. The company was founded in 1942 by her late husband Jim and his brother Gene.

Herman Hammer is retiring from Southeastern Concrete Products at the end of September after working at the Statesville company in all its various manifestations for 51 years. Angie Holt will be join-ing the company as Herman begins his retirement.

Ned Bolick, retired from Master Masonry, lost his wife Janice on August 28th. Mrs. Bolick was 74 and lived in Hickory. She was the sister of the late Sigmon brothers, David and Dwayne.

Jack Davis Jr.

September 2015 NC Masonry News Page 9

doing with all the hard work he had put in. He had a lot of fun with all the competitions… it made him work harder to get better.”

Alex Ossoski is twenty-one and the son of Andrew and Ann-Marie, Ossowski. He has a brother Philip, and sister, Cynthia. They live in Midland. Alex is studying Mechanical Engineering Technology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and does masonry and grading work on the side. (“I bought a Bobcat last summer to do these projects.”) A busy young man, he is working part time at Hendrick Motorsports, and says, “I do a lot of independent masonry work on the weekends. I plan to save up money to be debt free when I graduate and have enough money for a down payment on a house. I do plan to further my career as an engineer, eventu-ally moving up to a position of management.” Alex enjoys working on cars and riding a motorcycle. “I really enjoy working with my hands, as a metal fabricator and brick mason I enjoy every part of my job… My interests all involve either laying brick or improving my fabrication abilities. I am very serious about having a secure future financially and try to be the best that I can be at whatever I do.” Of the competitions, he says, “The contest is a true chal-lenge and great experience. Not only does it allow for the students and apprentices to express their competitive nature, but it establishes a community of those in the construction industry… Not only is it good for the students, but the companies that volunteer and sponsor the event.”

Alex’s instructor at Central Cabarrus High School in Concord is Todd Hartsell, no stranger to success in masonry competitions himself. Hartsell’s students have won a total of seven national gold medals including this newest one. He says of Alex, “Alex is an outstanding young man with many talents and has a great future ahead of him. He has tremendous work ethic and has put in foundations, built garages, porches, steps and other masonry projects… He is hard working, as well as goal driven, and will be very successful in life and his career.”

Instructor Hartsell was named “Masonry Expert” for SkillsUSA earlier this year and in August attended the WorldSkills competition in San Paulo, Brazil with USA masonry contestant Daniel Furr of Concord. (see page four)Furr won the National SkillsUSA Masonry Gold Medal in 2014 and the NCMCA “David R. Sigmon” Award in 2013.

The North Carolina SkillsUSA Conference ma-sonry contest to determine who will represent North Carolina in the 2016 national competition is April 19 to April 21 at the Greensboro Coliseum. NCMCA will join with instructors and other masonry indus-try organizations to provide materials, volunteers, judges and equipment for the contest.

SkillsUSA is the national organization for stu-dents in trade, industrial, technical and health occupations education. It sponsors the SkillsUSA

Championships annually to recognize the achieve-ments of career and technical education students. In Louisville, over 6,000 students participated in hands-on competition in 100 different trade, techni-cal, and leadership fields.NC SkillsUSA Masonry National Gold Medals

1969, Memphis, TN - Waverley Brinkley, J.R Hawkins High, Warrenton, Instructor, W.E. Exum

1972, Roanoke, VA - Frank Walter, Beaver Creek High, West Jefferson, Instructor, Bobby Absher

1975, Washington, DC - Rocky Canupp, Central Cabarrus High, Concord, Instructor, Louis Suther

1980 - Atlanta, GA - Harold Trogden, South John-ston High, Four Oaks, Instructor, Phillip Hagwood

1986, Phoenix, AZ - Timmy Medlin, Clayton High, Clayton, Instructor, Jesse Grissom

1987, Wichita, KS - Chandler McGee, Central Cabarrus High, Concord, Instructor, Louis Suther

1990, Tulsa, OK - Shann Womble, Mount Pleasant High, Mt. Pleasant, Instructor, Doug Drye

1992, Louisville, KY - Frank Paul, Mount Pleasant High, Mt. Pleasant, Instructor, Doug Drye

1993, Louisville, KY - Ryan Shaver, Mount Pleas-ant High, Mt. Pleasant, Instructor, Doug Drye

1994, Kansas City, MO - Jason Hamby, South Caldwell High, Hudson, Instructor, Jesse Fox

1995, Kansas City, MO - Jason Hamby, South Caldwell High, Hudson, Instructor, Jesse Fox

1997, Kansas City, MO - Brandon Tarlton, Union County Career Center, Monroe, Instructor, Tim Kidd

1998, Kansas City, MO - Chad Smith, Mt. Pleasant High Mt. Pleasant, Instructor, Doug Drye

1999, Kansas City, MO - Bryan Crouse, South Caldwell High, Hudson, Instructor, Jesse Fox

2000, Kansas City, MO - Ben Petrea, Mount Pleas-ant High, Mt. Pleasant, Instructor, Doug Drye

2000, Kansas City, MO - Joseph Issak, Caldwell CC (Post Secondary) Hudson, Instructor, Jesse Fox

2001, Kansas City, MO - Garrett Hood, Central Cabarrus High, Concord, Instructor, Todd Hartsell

2003, Kansas City, MO - Cody Alward, Mount Pleasant High, Mt. Pleasant, Instructor, Doug Drye

2004, Kansas City, MO - Cody Alward, Mount Pleasant High (Post-Secondary,) Mt. Pleasant, Instructor Doug Drye

2005, Kansas City, MO - Dallas Caudle, Central Cabarrus High, Concord, Instructor, Todd Hartsell

2005, Kansas City, MO - Josh Morrison, Central Cabarrus High (Post-Secondary,) Concord, Instruc-tor Todd Hartsell

2006, Kansas City, MO - Josh Kimrey, Mt. Pleasant High, Mt. Pleasant, Instructor Doug Drye

2007, Kansas City, MO - Marcus Hefner, West Stanly High, Oakboro, Instructor, Tim Kidd

2009, Kansas City, MO - Jared Gandy, Mt. Pleasant High, Mt. Pleasant, Instructor, Ryan Shaver

2011, Kansas City, MO - Dylan Ennis, Central Cabarrus High (Post-Secondary,) Concord, Instruc-tor, Todd Hartsell

2012, Kansas City, MO - Jordan Hartsell, Central

“Medals” continued from page one Cabarrus High (Post-Secondary,) Concord, Instruc-tor, Todd Hartsell

2013, Kansas City, MO -Brent Austin, Central Cabarrus High (Post-Secondary,) Concord, Instruc-tor, Todd Hartsell

2013, Kansas City, MO -Andrew Mullis, South Rowan High School, China Grove. Instructor, Ronnie Milller

2014, Kansas City, MO –Daniel Furr, Mount Pleas-ant High School, (Post-Secondary,) Mount Pleasant, Instructor, Ryan Shaver

2015, Louisville, KY –Luke Dutton, West Rowan High School, Mount Ulla, Instructor, Rodney Har-rington

2015, Louisville, KY - Alex Ossoski, Central Cabarrus High School, Concord (Post-Secondary) Instructor, Todd Hartsell

Dates to Note9/9/15 Board of Directors Meeting, 1:00 PM

Courtyard, Wendover Ave - Greensboro9/24/15 NCMCA State Golf Tournament, Mill

Creek Golf & Country Club - Mebane9/28-10/1/15 MCAA Mid-Year – Key West10/1/15 SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 SC Regional

Qualifier, Tucker-Kirby Company – Columbia SC10/7/15 NCEER Construction Career Day,

Cabarrus Arena – Concord10/13/15 Adams/Oldcastle Expo (continuing

education) NC State University Club – Raleigh10/19/15 Department of Commerce State Fair

Masonry Contest, Fair Grounds – Raleigh10/21/15 SCMA Second Annual BlockYard 500,

GoPro Motorplex - Mooresville10/22/15 SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 Regional

Qualifier, Tucker-Kirby Company - Charlotte10/28-10/29/15 SE Federal Construction, In-

frastructure & Environmental Summit - Wilming-ton Convention Center

11/4/15 Metrolina Chapter Golf Tournament, The Warrior Golf Club – China Grove

1/15-1/17/16 Raleigh Chapter Annual Murdell Golf Tournament – Grand Strand

2/1-2/5/16 World of Masonry/World of Con-crete, Convention Center – Las Vegas

2/1-2/5/16 Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) Annual Meeting – Las Vegas

2/3/16 SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500, World of Masonry - Las Vegas

4/19-4/21/16 NC SkillsUSA State Conference (masonry contest) - Greensboro Coliseum

4/28-5/1/16 Annual Convention, The Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, VA

5/21/16 NCMCA Masonry Apprentice Skills Contest, Carolina Stalite, – Gold Hill

6/26-6/29/16 SCMA Summer Meeting, Grande Dunes – Myrtle Beach

Additional details and registration forms are always available on the “Calendar” page of NCMCA.com.

N

Page 10 NC Masonry News September 2015

See more pictures from NCMCA events and

activities linked at the NCMCA.com News page

This Issue Sponsored by

Kirby and Company are Number Two! The Triad Supply & Rental Team won the June Annual Central Piedmont Chapter “Danny Koonts Memorial Golf Tournament in Lexington. Pictured left to right, Larry Kirby, captain of the Kirby Construction Services second-place team as determined by a scorecard play-off when the teams tied at “55,” Chapter President Sabrina Beck; Mark Nelson, second-place team; Matt Wall, first-place team; Brian Nelson, second-place team; Don Clement, first-place team; Ron Sanders, second-place team; and first-place team captain, Brent Beck. Not pictured, the fourth player on the first-place team, Jay Baity.

SCMA UpdateBy Byard Stevens

The Southeast Concrete Masonry Association held its first summer meeting as a new organization in July at the Marriott Grande Dunes Resort in Myrtle Beach. Attendance was up over twenty percent from the previous year with support from across the in-dustry! Thank you for all in attendance.

Speakers included Nick Lang with the National Concrete Masonry Association, Tina Subasic, PE, Consulting Engineer, SCMA and Dr. Richard Ben-net, PhD. PE, Consulting Engineer, SCMA. Topics included LEED and its future, Code Development and Implementation and the CMU Check Off initiative. SCMA, formerly the Carolinas Concrete Masonry Association, was formed with the inclusion of Ten-nessee and Virginia into the organization.

Thank you to NCMCA, Brandon and Meredith Hartsell, and Gates Construction for your support of SCMA.

Understanding Masonry Southeaster Concrete Masonry Association President Byard Stevens (front) was in Charlotte in August to once again present the SCMA program “Understanding Masonry.” The engaging presentation dispels misconceptions about masonry costs and perceived problem issues, and reinforces the benefits of all-masonry construction. Above, members of the Charlotte Architectural Collaborative listen to the program, which included a segment about NCMCA’s Masonry Contractor Certification Program. The Understanding Masonry program has been presented to architects, owners and engineers in both Carolinas, Virginia and in Tennessee. In most North Carolina presentations, NCMCA representatives have participated by introducing attendees to the certification program. NCMCA President-Elect, Bob Gates, seated far left, joined Stevens for the Charlotte program.

The Second Annual Blockyard 500 Scholarship Fundraiser will be held at the GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville on Wednesday October 21, 2015. Mark your calendars for another great day of competitive Kart Racing. We have added an additional thirty minutes of track time for the racing schedule this year. More details to follow.

Byard Stevens is President of the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association. Reach him at (336)580-5457 bstevens@scmaonline.org

Metrolina Golf Tournament

Metrolina Chapter President Brandon Hartsell has set a goal of one-hundred players for the chapter’s annual golf tournament set for Wednesday Novem-ber 4, 2015 at The Warrior Golf Club on Lake Wright Road in China Grove. Registration is 8:30 and the shotgun start is 10:30. Fees include barbecue! Lots of opportunities for sponsorships. For details, down-load a registration form here: http://www.ncmca.com/PDF/MetrolinaGolf2015.pdf or call President Brandon at (704) 664-2121 or cell (704) 310-1674.