60th Annual Fair Contest

This Issue Sponsored by
The Newsletter of The North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association
December 2013
See Page Three
Vol. 39 No. 4
In this Issue:
Success at the Fair Kelton McGee, an apprentice with McGee Brothers Company in Monroe, is the champion
of the Annual NC Department of Labor State Fair Masonry Apprentice Skills Contest. Top row, left to right,
NCMCA President Gary Joyner; Contest Chairman Calvin Brodie; NC Department of Labor Commissioner
Cherie Berry; Champion Kelton McGee; Second Place Finisher Brennan Huntley, Huntley Brothers Company,
Inc; Scott Bissette, Associate Commissioner of N C Forest Service NC Department of Agriculture; and Contest
Head Judge Doug Burton. Bottom, left to right, Fourth Place Finisher Juan Rodrigues, Brodie Contractors;
Third Place Finisher Trevin Munn and Fifth Place Finisher Harvey Mullis , both of McGee Brothers Company.
60th Annual Fair Contest
Contest Chairman Calvin Brodie and Head Judge
Doug Burton have announced that seventeen-yearold Kelton McGee of McGee Brothers Company in
Monroe is the 2013 Champion of the October NC
Department of Labor 60th Annual State Fair Masonry
Apprentice Contest.
Finishing second through fifth in the Apprentice
Division respectively were Brennan Huntley, Huntley Brothers Company, Inc; Trevin Munn of McGee
Brothers Company; Juan Rodrigues, Brodie Contractors; and Harvey Mullis of McGee Brothers Company.
Brent McClellan of Mount Pleasant High School
finished “First” in the high school/pre-apprentice
division, followed respectively with Joseph Hodge of
South Rowan High School of in Second Place and
Bradley Flowe of Central Cabarrus High School in
Third Place.
New Champion Kelton McGee finished in Third
Place in the 2012 Fair Contest and finished in Fifth
Place at the NCMCA Masonry Apprentice Skills
Contest in May 2013. He is the son of Chris and
Lori McGee of Monroe, and is the younger brother of
Wriston McGee, a past winner of the Fair Contest and
the only person thus far to win the NCMCA Annual
Masonry Apprentice Skills Contest two years in a row.
NCMCA members provided volunteers, judges,
materials, equipment, tools and more than $5,500
in cash for prizes and expenses.
Next year, the contest will move from the Department of Labor to the Department of Commerce as
the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training moves
from DOL to the Department of Commerce in 2014.
Message from the President
Page 2
Board Meeting in January
Page 2
Sponsor’s Page
Page 3
NC State Design Competition
Page 4
Certification Program Update
Page 5
September Board Meeting
Page 6
SPEC MIX Regional Qualifier
Page 8
Member News
Page 8
Students Build Monument
Page 9
Dates to Note
Page 9
Welcome New Members
Page 8
New Safety Award Coming
Page 9
State Golf Tournament
Page 10
NCMCA.com
MasonrySystems.org
Page 2 NC Masonry News December 2013
Sign of a Professional
www.ncmca.com
Gary Joyner, CME, President
Joyner Masonry Works, Inc., Greenville, NC
Ashlee K. Moore, CMP, President Elect
Koontz Masonry, Lexington NC
Robert Gates, CME, Secretary Treasurer
Gates Construction Company, Mooresville, NC
Larry Kirby, CME, Chairman
Kirby Construction Services, Conover,NC
Chris Bruner, CMP, Central Vice Pres.
Gates Construction Company, Mooresville NC
Don Caldwell, Western Vice Pres.
VIP’s in Raleigh MCAA Chairman-Elect Mark Kemp (center) and MCAA President & CEO Jeff Buczkiewicz
(not pictured) attended the November meeting of the Raleigh Chapter. Jeff and Mark offered the Raleigh
Chapter a review of current priorities for the country’s masonry industry. Jeff, Mark and NCMCA President
Gary Joyner (left) made an appeal for MCAA membership, and attendance at the MCAA Convention and
World of Masonry in Las Vegas January 21-24. On the right, Raleigh Chapter Vice President Calvin Brodie.
Glenn Sipe, First President 1974-75
A Word from the President
Doug Burton, CME, Eastern Vice Pres.
Whitman Masonry, Benson, NC
C & R Masonry, Candler, NC
Glenn W. Sipe & Son, Conover NC
John Cramer AAI, Insurance Consultant
TriSure Corporation, Raleigh, NC
Fred McMahan CLU, Insurance Consultant
Mountcastle Insurance, Lexington, NC
Lynn Nash, Executive Vice President
Hickory, NC
December 2013
The Quarterly Newsletter of
The North Carolina
Masonry Contractors
Association
109 11th Avenue NW
Post Office Box 3463
Hickory, NC 28603-3463
Telephone (828) 324-1564
Fax (828) 324-2179
Information@ncmca.com
Andy-the-Cat Productions
Photographs by Andy-the-Cat Productions unless otherwise noted
To put the “time flies “ expression into perspective, every time I turn around, the executive office
is asking me to write an article for Leaders’ Bulletin, quarterly newsletter and / or whatever else
comes up. Our Exec VP is quite serious about the
Association’s publications. One time, I sent in
my comments and you would have thought I had
slapped him ‘side the head. “Is this it,” he asked
me? Well, I guess it AIN’T, SIR. So I expounded
further on what I had attempted earlier. Point
being, the man spends numerous man-hours on
our publications and expects everyone else to take
it as seriously as he does. Especially the newsletter,
where we have a circulation of over 600.
NCMCA has been quite busy. Our annual golf
tournament fundraiser was again quite successful,
turnout and monetarily. Again, thanks to all of
the check writers!
“Calvin Brodie’s” annual NC DOL State Fair
contest was, as always, fun and successful. Ms.
Berry (Labor Commissioner) was there to address
the kids about their future in OUR world.
The October Sigmon Memorial Scholarship Design Competition at NC State once again continues
to be a great introduction to masonry for future
architects and designers.
Last month Lynn, Bob Gates and myself
spent a day together traveling to the GreenvilleSpartanburg area. The South Carolina masonry
contractors are trying to establish a purpose and
become unified as one state association. As of now,
they operate as two independent chapters. They
ask us advice on moving forward. To maybe have
an association as we do.
I thoroughly enjoy sharing our (NCMCA) achievements with others.
Our next board meeting is January 8th in Greensboro. The program is a tour of the Homestead, site
of our annual meeting in April.
It’s the Holiday Season. Cheers to everyone.
- Gary Joyner, CME
President
Board of Directors
Meeting January 8th
The NCMCA Board of Directors will meet 1:00 PM
on Wednesday January 8, 2014 at the Courtyard by
Marriott on West Wendover Avenue in Greensboro.
The meeting will feature a discussion of the
upcoming April Hot Springs, Virginia convention.
The 2014 Convention will feature the installation
of new officers for the 2014-2016 term and a return
engagement of “Barry Heardon and the Party Nuts”
for after-banquet entertainment. Details of the
educational session are being developed but will feature a panel discussion tentatively titled “Masonry
Contracting; Where We’ve Been and Where We’re
Headed.” Several of the nation’s most successful and
influential masonry contractors have been recruited
for the presentation. You won’t want to miss it!
All NCMCA members are welcomed to attend
NCMCA Board meetings, although making motions
and voting is reserved for board members.
December 2013 NC Masonry News Page 3
Feeling “Scrooged” by your
Workers’ Comp Insurance?
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Thirteenth Annual NC State Sigmon
Memorial Design Competition
The North Carolina State University team of through the entrance, he or she can experience the
“Enzo” Yi-Chang Liao, Nicole Peterson, Lydia Watt, depth and texture of the surrounding brick. Once
and Michael Wengenroth has claimed the 2013 NCSU inside, an overhead series of brick vaults shows that
Sigmon Memorial Scholarship Masonry Design brick is not limited to wall construction, but also has
Award and will share a semester’s in-state tuition the capability of spanning.”
as their prize.
Finishing second was the team of Kadmiel
NCMCA Past President Doug Burton and Cary Mutanga, Meredith Smith, Connor Flaherty, and
architect Mark Reyer served as jurors for the
Zhendong Ding.
October 15th competition, which required
The third place
the team to design and model a hypothetical
team was Dylan
masonry office building. The competition is
Thomson, Elizapart of Professor Patrick Rand’s “Architecbeth Morgan,
tural Construction Systems” class at North
Zach Bradshaw,
Carolina State University’s College of Design.
and Maryssa TimTwelve teams participated. The Winners:
berlake.
Michael Wengenroth is from Cary and
Finishing in
his degree program and year is “Master of
fourth place was
Architecture 2015.” He plans to work as a
the team of Kyle
registered architect.
Semon, CourtNicole Peterson is from
Raleigh. Degree program
and year: Environmental
Design in Architecture,
undergrad, 2015. Future
/ Career ambitions: “Work
as a registered architect,
gain knowledge in interior
design, and own my own
firm.”
Lydia Watt is from Raleigh. Degree program
and year: Undergrad in
Environmental Design in
Architecture, 2015. Future
/ Career ambitions: To work
as a registered architect
and Disney “Imagineer.”
“Enzo” Yi-Chang Liao is
from Taiwan. Degree program and year: Master of The Winning Design The NC State team of stuArchitecture 2015. Future dents (left to right) “Enzo” Yi-Chang Liao, Nicole
/ Career ambitions: Work Peterson, Lydia Watt, and Michael Wengenroth
as a registered architect. has claimed the 2013 NCSU Sigmon Memorial
The team provided Scholarship Masonry Design Award and will
comments about their share a semester’s in-state tuition as their prize.
design intentions and how they were expressing ney Richeson, Adam
masonry in the project: “Our brick cavity wall design Dunn, and Brandon
builds on the concept of how brick used to function Porterfield.
and its broadened versatility today. The facade’s
The students in the second through fourth place
overall organizations is inspired by a running bond teams received a selection of quality masonry tools
pattern. Along the bottom of the facade, which is as prizes and mementoes of their participation.
designed as a load bearing cavity wall, a pattern of
The scholarship is named in memory of David,
extruded and subtracted bricks display the thickness Randy, and Dwayne Sigmon. 2013 marks the
of the load bearing wall. The pattern continues thirteenth year for the NC State/NCMCA design
upward and transitions to voids; voids which dem- competition. The competition also takes place at
onstrate the thinness of a brick screen. As one walks Appalachian State University in Boone.
Letters
Dear(NCMCA,)
It is with extreme gratitude that I write this letter
of thanks to you. My name is Yi-Chang Liao. I am
honored to be chosen as one of the first place team
members in The NC Masonry Contractors Association
Sigmon Memorial Scholarship juried competition. I
wish to express my thanks to you for your generosity
and for looking out for architecture students.
I grew up in Taipei city, Taiwan, where I earned
my Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
While I was studying microstructure of light weight
concrete, I was fascinated with the regular and irregular interstitial space made by the aggregates. It
reminded me of the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu,
who states that visible, tangible construction, which
deals with matters of minimum materials and
maximum load, is never fully manifest without the
intangible, void space. The desire of learning the
basic architectural task, “embodying the most vital
intangible content in architectonic form”, pushed
me to pursue a Master of Architecture degree at
North Carolina State University, which has a solid
program for learning the
relationship between solid
and void.
After one year of intensified learning at North Carolina State University, The
NC Masonry Contractors
Association Sigmon Memorial Scholarship juried competition once again made me
ruminate on the balance of
tangible construction and
intangible structure. Only
through detailing and aesthetic construction can one
define a beautiful space. The
competition also strengthened my belief that an architect will not succeed without
the love and the support of
the people who care such as you which motivates architecture students to push further
in design. Thank you again for being part
of the support that reminds me that I have
to devote myself more and get ever deeper
involved in learning architecture.
Sincerely, Yi-Chang Liao
Dear (NCMCA,)
My name is Michael Wengenroth. As a recipient
of the 2013 NCMCA Sigmon Memorial Scholarship,
it is with profound gratitude that I write this letter
of appreciation to... the North Carolina Masonry
Contractors Association, and to the Sigmon family
who have made this scholarship possible.
I am currently in my second year in the Master
of Architecture program at North Carolina State
December 2013 NC Masonry News Page 5
University. After graduation in 2015, I hope to begin working as an architect intern and ultimately
as a fully licensed architect. The Masonry Design
Competition in Patrick Rand’s class gives students
an opportunity for hands-on exploration of the value
and versatility of masonry. The Sigmon Memorial
Scholarship takes that experience even further by not
only helping students with the financial demands of
higher education, but also by building a relationship
between future architects and the people and trades
we look forward to collaborating with professionally.
Throughout my education I have striven for success. In 2012, I graduated “with Distinction” from
the University of North Carolina and have committed
that same work ethic in my graduate studies at North
Carolina State University. I am deeply honored and
grateful to the Sigmon family, (and) to the NCMCA
...for granting me this recognition. Thank you for
your great generosity in being part of the competition
and for making this scholarship possible.
Sincerely, Michael Wengenroth
Dear (NCMCA,)
I would like to send you many thanks for your
generosity with this special scholarship. Upon
hearing about our winning, my reaction was pure
excitement. Of course this would not be possible
without the help of my other team members; they
are a great bunch of people and it is a pleasure
working with them.
I have lived in Raleigh my whole life so far, and it
was quite convenient to have my top choice college
program less than thirty minutes away. Currently on
my third undergraduate year majoring in Environmental Design in Architecture here at NC State, looking into attending graduate school, and eventually
becoming a licensed architect. During my freshman
year of college I heard about Disney Imagineering
and my interest in this career continues to grow. I
have a passion for telling stories and creating experiences via music, creative writing, film, design, and
architecture, therefore, Disney Imagineering may be
my optimal career choice.
This scholarship will surely support my education
here at NC State which will help me achieve my aspirations and goals. Your support in my education is
highly valued and I send you my deepest gratitude...
Sincerely, Lydia Watt
The NCMCA Annual Convention
April 24 - April 27, 2014
Hot Springs, Virginia
Certification Update
Recent applications approved by the Certification
Program Board of Governors include the following:
Certified Masonry Professional (CMP) - Joseph
Canitano, Jerry David Venable, and Wesley Drye, with
Old North State Masonry, Matthews; Kevin Hunter,
Brodie Contractors, Raleigh; Cheryl Gaw and Kevin
Scheele, Adams, an Oldcastle company, Morrisville;
Fred Hammonds, Greg Argetsinger, and Steve Mello,
Pyramid Masonry Contractors, Charlotte.
Certified Masonry Executive (CME) - Marion
Magee, Piedmont Masonry, Huntersville; Joseph Anastasi, Old North State Masonry, Matthews;
Edgar P. Boettcher IV, Boettcher
Masonry, Bay City, MI; Mark Shepherd, Shepherd Masonry, Lansing; Chuck Walden, Metro
Masonry, Charlotte; and
Gayle Williams, CityLink
Construction, Raleigh.
Certified Masonry Contractor (CMC) - Old North
State Masonry, Matthews;
and Piedmont Masonry of
Huntersville.
At the September Board of Directors’ Meeting, Byard Stevens, President of
CCMA, and Danks Burton of Pinnacle Masonry were
reappointed to new three-year terms on The NCMCA
Certification Program Board of Governors. Their
new terms expire May 1, 2016. The CCMA Board of
Directors nominated Stevens, and Danks Burton is
an NCMCA Contractor Member appointment. Danks
Burton and his company hold certification in both
the NCMCA program and in the MCAA Certification
Program. A complete list of the Governors, their
contact information, and their terms can be found
in the Guide to Masonry Contractor Certification:
http://www.ncmca.com/PDF/GuideToCertificationDec2012.pdf
The last module for this present series of classes
is “Leadership Boot Camp,” an elective for both CME
and CMP candidates. Module 11, instructed by Bob
Dusin of Kansas City, is Tuesday December 10th at
McGee Brothers in Greensboro. Company owners
and managers may wish to consider the class for
“up-and-comers” in your organization, even if the
individuals are not enrolled in the certification
program. The boot camp is a good workshop for
potential and new leaders and managers.
Certified individuals who have not already taken
the Mod 11 class may enroll for continuing education credit.
At their meeting in November, the Certification
Program Board of Governors gave the “green light”
to a new series of certification classes beginning early
in 2014. Please let the state office know if you have
potential participants.
It is not required that the modules be taken
in sequence. Persons planning to begin the new
series may get a head start with class requirements
by taking Module 11, an elective class that may not
be offered in every series of classes, depending on
demand.
“Masonry University 2014” for continuing education is planned for February or March. Details
are pending.
Watch the NCMCA.com “Scheduled Events” page
for updates on both the new series of classes and the
schedule for “Masonry University 2014.”
Annual Audit forms for certified companies have been mailed and should be
completed and returned in a timely
fashion. Failure to return the
audit will result in suspension
of company certification. An
audit that reveals a firm to
have fallen out of compliance
with certification requirements will be contacted about
the “grace period” allowed for
returning to compliance.
In November, NCMCA joined Byard
Sevens and the Carolinas Concrete Masonry Association for another presentation of
CCMA’s “Understanding Masonry,” this time to the
Structural Engineers Association of Charlotte. Some
twenty-five were in attendance for the “lunch-andlearn” meeting that included details of the NCMCA
Masonry Contractor Certification Program.
Success at the Fair In October, Brent McClellan
of Mount Pleasant High School finished “First”
in the high school/pre-apprentice division of the
2013 NC Department of Labor State Fair Masonry
Apprentice Contest.
Page 6 NC Masonry News December 2013
September Board Meeting
The Board of Directors of met September 4th in
Greensboro. The following is a summary of that
meeting.
Treasurer Bob Gates reported assets as of August 31, 2013: $609,604.20, including liabilities
of $62,570.97. NCMCA ended 2012 with a loss of
$22,166.98. A loss of $20,600 is projected for 2013,
which is less than the loss projected at the beginning of the year.
Freddie McMahan made brief remarks concerning
his pending retirement and the confidence he has
that Pete Schantz is a great choice to continue the
NCMCA Insurance Program as he, Freddie, “eases
out.” Freddie reported, “We currently manage
benefit packages for 10 NCMCA employer groups representing just north of 300 covered employee lives.
We also have assisted several indirect members with
their individual insurance needs (individual medical
for former employees, spouses, children, etc.)
“The group and individual medical insurance
market has continued to change since our last
report at the convention. We have worked hard to
communicate and advise NCMCA members of all
options available to them through e-mail, phone,
face-to-face meetings, the quarterly N.C. Masonry
Newsletter, as well as chapter meetings throughout
the state.
“The closer we inch towards 2014, the faster the
information (and misinformation) is coming. To
ensure NCMCA members received correct information, we held a Healthcare Reform Webinar August
19 in which 45 members participated.
“October 1, 2013 will be a very important date
as it relates to health insurance as it marks the first
day of open enrollment for the Health Insurance
Marketplaces or Exchanges as they are more commonly known. Open enrollment is the opportunity
for people who don’t have access to affordable and/
or comprehensive coverage to sign up for Health
Insurance coverage through the government which
will start going into effect January 1, 2014. We feel
enrollment will be robust not only for a lot of North
Carolinians, but quite a few NCMCA employees.
Mountcastle is prepared for the enrollments and
hope that many NCMCA employers will direct any of
their employees who wish to explore the exchanges
our way for sound advice.
“Employers are required to distribute several
notices to employees over the next several months.
We are customizing these notices for our clients and
will advise any NCMCA groups on what their responsibilities are for these time sensitive requirements.
“The most important service we will be offering
NCMCA contractors and associate members over
the next several months and years will be the best
direction for the health insurance needs for your
company – be it offering group insurance coverage,
cancelling group coverage and directing employees
to the exchanges, being fully insured, self insured,
implementing management carve-outs, etc. We are
here to serve you with your best interests in mind.
“Again, we thank you for your friendship, support
and partnership as we move forward. - Pete Schantz
& Freddie McMahan.”
TriSure’s John Cramer, noting this meeting is the
first time he ever saw Freddie McMahan without a tie
(“now that he’s about to retire,”) provided a report
on the Association liability and workers’ compensation program: “INSURANCE- Masonry volume seems
to have leveled off, or slightly declined into the 3rd
NCMCA in SC NCMCA President Gary Joyner, second from left, visited the Upper South Carolina Masonry
Contractors Association (USCMCA) in November at their invitation to discuss the details of NCMCA organization and administration as the South Carolina masonry contractors consider creating a state-wide association of their own. In the photo, left to right, NCMCA and USCMCA member Bryan Patterson of Cherokee
Masonry, Joyner, USCMCA Vice-President Brandon McGee, who conducted the meeting, and Abner Hazen,
President of the Greater Columbia Masonry Contractors Association.
quarter of this year. Estimated payrolls still appear
to be roughly half of what they were 5 years ago.
“We are cautiously monitoring the increases in
the Experience Modification Factors for all our construction clients, including masonry contractors, as
well as our other construction related accounts. We
think the average increases will be a minimum of 5
to 10%. This is a combination of the new calculation
increasing the split point from $5,000 to $10,000
starting in April; the last four years of very low
payrolls, and the last four years of increased claims
activity, which is indicative of a weak economy and
high unemployment. The “capacity”, i.e., the ability
for an individual risk to sustain losses has dec1ined,
and mods will increase for most construction risks
to reflect that diminished capacity.
“Currently, we have 26 participating members.
The estimated premiums have decreased to 1.6 million. A significant part of this is OCIPS and CCIPs,
but does reflect a general decrease in the overall
construction economy. Every company is smaller,
and every company is running leaner.
“Commercial insurance carriers have had significantly poor results on Workers Comp for the last
three years, with an industry average loss of $1.18
for every $1.00 in premium at fye 2011. The rates
for Workers Comp are going to continue to increase
steadily this year, at a 5-10% average. Insured’s that
have had poor losses in recent years will see dramatically more than that, and “best in class” will average
slightly less. There are fewer and fewer insurance
companies wanting to write Workers Comp, at any
price, and those that remain in the market are expecting to make money on it by tighter underwriting
and increasing rates. The industry does recognize
the mod increases are helping to support their
need for higher rates. Other lines, such as General
Liability, Automobile, Equipment, will also average
5-10% increases on renewal. Accounts with high loss
ratio’s and losses that were high could see as much
as 25 to 50% increases.
“While no one likes to experience an increase
in insurance, especially in this poor economy, the
market had continued to decrease for the last 10
years, and a correction was inevitable. One effect of
the hardening market is fewer insurance companies
will be willing to consider masonry and other heavy
construction trades as prospects, and it should allow the NCMCA program to grow as many markets
withdraw. Appetite for construction WC is decreasing
rapidly and subsequently, pricing is increasing.”
Cramer noted new legislation concerning who
must have workers’ compensation, which greatly
broadens the requirement for sub-contractor workers. “Basically everyone. No exceptions.”
President-Elect Ashlee provided an apprenticeship and training report: “SkillsUSA Contest - In
April 2013, the NC Skills USA Contest was held at
the Greensboro Coliseum. Andrew Mullins of South
Rowan High School won 1st place and went on to
December 2013 NC Masonry News Page 7
represent NC in the 49th Annual Skills USA Contest
in Kansas City in June of 2013. Andrew Mullins
and Brent Austin went on to win gold medals and
bring NC to a total of 28 gold medals in all. NCMCA
Apprenticeship Contest - In May 2013 the Masonry
Apprenticeship Skills Contest was held at the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center in Williamston, NC. Adams, Oldcastle Company co-hosted
the competition with the Eastern Carolina Chapter.
Julio Eric Lopez of Gates Construction won 1st place.
Johnson Concrete Company will be hosting our 2014
contest Saturday May 17, 2014 in Gold Hill, NC.”
Nash told the board that he and Cieslak had
attended the masonry instructors’ July summer
conference meeting in Greensboro. The instructors
were pleased with the April NC SkillsUSA masonry
contest and liked the one-day contest event. The
2014 contest will also be a one-day event.
Calvin Brodie, who once again chairs the NC
Department of Labor State Fair Masonry Apprentice
Skills Contest reported the 60th Annual Contest is
Monday October 21st. Nash added that contributions
to the fair contest fund have been short of incurred
expenses the last several years and made a solicitation for contributions. New South Construction Supply offered to donate to the fair contest one-percent
of all sales to NCMCA members during the month
of September. Doug Burton will once again serve
as contest Head Judge.
John Cramer provided a Safety Committee report:
“OSHA is continuing to have a Silica emphasis
program. If anyone in the group is tested, please
forward the results to me so that I can continue to
compile the results, confidentially, and we can use
this data to use as a base-line that will benefit the
entire Association going forward.
“OSHA has a new Hazard Communication Standard rolling out December 1st of 2013. We will be
providing resources to our clients for training and
compliance. More to follow on that in the next
few weeks.
The Board approved a proposal from TriSure for
an Annual Safety Award program that would be
presented annually to member masonry contractors
who have exemplary safety, loss prevention, and low
frequency and severity of losses. This will recognize
two categories of Masons, those with greater than
100,000 man-hours, and those who are less than
100,000 man hours per year. From the proposal:
“This program will recognize masonry contractors
who exemplify superior safety and loss prevention
practices and accomplishments during the preceding calendar year. The purpose will be to award
and recognize those masonry contractors who far
out-perform competing masonry contractors in
Safety and Loss Prevention. Promote the awareness
of Safety in the NCMCA. Promote Masonry to General
Contractors, Owners, Architects and Government as
a professional, safety focused, and highly- trained
industry. This award will promote safety and
awareness in the Masonry Association and increase
awareness throughout the construction and building
industry. Winners of Award will be promoted on the
NCMCA Website, in the NCMCA newsletter, and will
have written documentation that can be promoted by
the individual contractor in their own publications,
pre-qualification statements, newsletters, local and
regional newspapers and trade journals. Applicant
must be a Masonry Contractor and active member of
the NCMCA. Provide a copy of a written, current and
comprehensive safety and loss prevention program.
Provide documentation of continuous training on
safety and loss prevention during the year. Document through their OSHA 300 log, DART (Days Away,
Restricted and Transfer), and TCIR (Total Case
Incident Rates) to determine the individuals own
rates versus competing masonry contractors, as well
as compare to state and national statistics. Provide
a copy of the Experience Modification Factor from
NCCI as additional documentation to support the
injury and loss time reports. Deadline for entries
will be March 15 of following year and Awards
presented at NCMCA Annual Convention. All cost,
plaques, awards, judging, etc., will be done/carried
by TriSure.”
John continued with the safety report: “OSHA continues to receive pressure to increase the number of
inspections and Serious Violations they are charging
against employers. We encourage all our masons to
call us immediately if they have an inspection with
violations to discuss their rights and alternatives.
In his convention report, Nash reported the 2013
meeting made approximately $18,300 on total
income of $60,555, $16,500 of which came from
convention sponsors. The 2014 convention is at The
Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia, Wednesday April
23 – Sunday April 26, 2014. The Board instructed
to obtain a proposal from Kingston Plantation in
Myrtle Beach for 2015. April 2014 will be the 40th
Anniversary for NCMCA.
Central Office Report: Total members down by
two since April but up by two since the beginning of
the year. Present total member firms: 137. (65 Associate, 3 “Life,” and 69 Regular.) 15 member firms
voluntarily pay double-dues as “Distinguished” and
“Leadership” members. President Joyner noted
that 9 of the 15 double-dues-firms are represented
at the board meeting “suggesting these firms don’t
just contribute financially, they also are active
participants.”
The board approved accepting the nominations
and reappointed Danks Burton and Byrard Stevens
for three-year terms on the NCMCA Certification
Program Board of Governors. Danks Burton is a
contractor representative from NCMCA and Stevens
is nominated as the representative from Carolinas
Concrete Masonry Association (CCMA.) Their new
terms run from May 2013 to the end of April 2016.
The national “Building Information Modeling
for Masonry” (BIM-M) initiative was discussed.
NCMCA made a $5,000 contribution to the project
after the 2013 convention when convention speaker
David Biggs, who heads the masonry industry BIM
project, offered to waive his speaker’s honorarium
if NCMCA would make such a contribution. There
was discussion of NCMCA’s ongoing financial support of the initiative with annual contributions of
$5,000 to $10,000 considered. President Joyner
noted that in 2013, NCMCA will financially support
masonry industry initiatives in the amount of about
$10,000, including the BIM contribution, MasonrySystems.org, membership in The Masonry Society,
and support of the Masonry Alliance for Codes and
Standards. Danks Burton, who serves on the MCAA
Promotion Committee, says MCAA has committed
to provide $100,000 annually for BIM development
for the next five years. Other industry organizations
will also be participating. The initial cost to develop
the masonry component of BIM is approximately
two million dollars. The issue was tabled until the
January board meeting.
Eric Johnson and Pete Cieslak provided an update
on BIA-SE activities. BIA-SE’s largest member left
the organization at the end of June. Pete said their
membership represented approximately 25% of the
association’s budget so “that became an issue of
survival.” The BIA-SE board has determined to go
on, however, and will be more closely considering
the budget ramifications at their meeting the end of
September. Pete informed the board of his intention
to be fully retired by the end of June 2014 “and living
in Florida.” President Joyner thanked Mr. Cieslak
for his service to the industry and said he recalled
when Pete came to work for Marion Cockran and
The Brick Association of North Carolina way back
in the eighties.
There was open discussion of the status of the
NCMCA Masonry Contractor Certification Program.
Nash opened the discussion stating that he did not
wish to come across as “negative” because the program has been “wildly successful” by any measure,
but nonetheless, the program is having what he
described as “growing pains,” which he listed:
1) Tracking. Projects we are unaware of are being
bid with the specification included in the documents.
We need to be sure certified contractors are aware of
the projects and that there is a perception of competitive masonry bidding on these jobs. There may
even be instances where our best course of action
will be to suggest the specification be removed from
a specific project.
2) Recruitment. More masonry contractors need
to become certified. Especially larger, commercial
contractors. Coverage/representation remains very
weak in parts of the state.
3) Performance. No doubt there will one day be
a certified masonry job that does not go well. But
that day needs to be a long time into the future
when certified masonry has well established itself. I
know not everyone agrees with me on this point, but
Page 8 NC Masonry News December 2013
certified masonry contractors need to look over each
other’s shoulders. Put competition away after bid
day. Every certified masonry contractor needs every
certified masonry contractor to succeed, especially
on certified projects. Offer assistance, join forces,
request help, threaten; whatever it takes.
4) Standardization. With inquires from surrounding states, with MCAA’s program having some
success, and with other organizations developing
masonry certification, there is potential for confusion to the detriment of our program. We need to be
open to discussion of aligning the NCMCA program
with a national standard for masonry contractor
certification. I’m confident in suggesting that the
NCMCA program is the most successful in the country. That should provide us a very good position from
which to negotiate.
Certification Board of Governors Chairman Doug
Burton identified additional issues including accurate/truthful timely yearly audits and incorrect
categorizing of employees in determining percentages. He stated concern that, of the 31 firms that
are certified, nine of the firms qualify under the
10-or-less employee/less-than-a-million category.
“Big companies are at a disadvantage,” he pointed
out. He expressed concern that the spirit of the
program, that those small companies should most
always have certified individuals present when work
is being performed, is not always honored. Doug
also mentioned tracking of certified and potentially
certified jobs and agreed that there might be occasions when the certified spec might not be in the best
interest of a specific project, especially if there is little
or no chance of the specification being maintained
when the project actually gets underway.
Danks Burton, who is both NCMCA and MCAA certified and who serves on the MCAA Certification Committee, provided a comparison of the two programs,
noting major similarities and differences. Among
differences is online training, which is permitted for
MCAA certification and continuing education, but
not utilized at all for the NCMCA program.
Nash spoke in favor of alignment with the two
programs saying a clear benefit might be that certification across the country might more quickly reach
the “critical mass” needed to put a full-time staff to
work on certification promotion and maintenance.
He pointed out that the MCAA program, covering
the entire country, does not presently have even one
staffer assigned to certification full time.
Online training was discussed. The pros for online
training are convenience and the ability to proceed
at one’s own pace, which might help an issue raised
by Joe Anastasia about the long duration between
beginning the process and actual certification. Joe
also had concerns about having to put too many
key people in class (and not on the job) at one time.
There was discussion about the need to provide
certification classes, and thus, the means to get
certified, even when the numbers of potential class
Bricklayer 500 Carolina Qualifier Mason Jerry Goodman and his tender, daughter Heidi, are the winners
of the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 Carolina Qualifier held in October at Tucker-Kirby Company in Charlotte. Mr.
Goodman of Jerry Goodman Masonry in Blythewood, South Carolina also won the Craftsmanship Award for
most sellable wall. The Goodman team won their regional contest in 2012 so they will be making a return
engagement to the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 competition at the World of Masonry in Las Vegas Wednesday
January 22, 2014. The second place team was mason Matt Cash with tender Chet Huntley of Huntley Brothers Company in Monroe; the third place team was mason Bobby Holyfield and his tender, wife Melissa, of
B & H Masonry (pictured in foreground) in Snow Camp. Bobby Holyfield is the son of Past-NCMCA State
President Ray Holyfield (term 1985-1987) who was on hand for the competition.
participants makes providing classes cost prohibitive.
“Online” training and alignment with MCAA and
other certification programs around the country
might be part of the solution. Also mentioned was
the money generated from the success of early
classes to be used to cover the cost of unprofitable
classes in the future. It was noted that, other than
class tuition, the certification program generates no
income that can be dedicated to administration of
the program. Gates suggested an annual fee assessed
with the annual audit of certified companies might
become necessary.
Nash, pointing out the huge individual investment
NCMCA member companies have made in certification, reminded everyone of how much is at stake in
shepherding the continued success of the program
by addressing these issues.
President Gary set the date for the next board
meeting as Wednesday January 8, 2014 at 1:00 PM at
the Courtyard on W. Wendover Ave. in Greensboro.
Member News
Geneva Joyce, who worked at the Carolinas Concrete Masonry Association (CCMA) with Paul LaVene
for over twenty years, is battling cancer. Ms. Joyce has
discontinuing treatment and is home, where she and
the family are being assisted by Hospice. Paul reports
she has been feeling better as of late.
Jim Sobeck, President of New South Construction
Supply, LLC says, “I have compiled 124 of my blog
posts into a book of business tips. If you have an
interest in business and want to download a copy
while it’s free, click on The Real Business 101: Lessons From the Trenches https://www.smashwords.
com/books/view/357842. It’s available on the Kindle,
iPad, Nook, and all other e-Readers.”
Land of the Sky Chapter President Gary Kitchen
married Wanda Jenkins August 28th in Fairbanks,
Alaska. Mr. and Mrs. Kitchen honeymooned in
Alaska and western Canada.
C.E. Moser has joined the Jimmy Wall-Adams’
retirement program. Still with us, but not as much.
Several NCMCA member firms joined NCMCA in
making contributions to The Masonry Society for
repairs after TMS offices were soaked in the recent
Colorado floods. Donation checks were sent from
Brodie Contractors, Gates Construction, Joyner Masonry Works, Kirby Construction Services, Pinnacle
Masonry, and Whitman Masonry.
Metrolina Chapter Secretary Carson Greif has
joined Johnson Concrete Company as “Architectural
Products Manager.” Ryan Fitzgerald now has her
former position at Boral Building Products.
Metrolina Chapter Treasurer Terry Ward won the
Gold Roll at the chapter’s October meeting and immediately contributed the winnings to the NCMCA
Sigmon Memorial Scholarship Fund. This time, it
was only $23 but still… The last time Terry contributed Gold Roll winnings, the amount was $500.
‘Works out good for NCMCA when Terry wins!
Cheryl Gaw, Adams/Oldcastle, lost her mother late
in September. Viola M. Finley was 83 and lived in
December 2013 NC Masonry News Page 9
North Gouverneur, New York.
Chapter Vice President Leland Eckard sold the
winning ticket to Keith Moretz, whose name was
pulled earlier this month at the Western Carolina
Chapter’s annual gun raffle.
In November, Joe Anastasi, Old North State
Masonry, completed the 26.2 mile New York City
Marathon. His time was three hours and 43 minutes
at a pace of 8:33 minutes per mile. Overall place:
8,827 out of 50,700 who started.
Gus Ward, Roanoke Cement, is recovering from a
two-story fall from his roof onto a concrete patio in
early September. Broken bones, broken back. But
the good news is that he is doing better and a full
recovery is anticipated.
Cliff McGee, McGee Brothers Company, will apparently keep all his fingers after his hand was smashed
last month by a forklift boom that had to be raised
off his hand with a wrecking bar. That’s good news.
The earliest prognosis was not optimistic.
Jim Yost, Giant Cement, married Gina Wells in
Charleston the morning of Thursday November 7th.
Retired long-time Western Carolina Chapter
member Melvin Sigmon is in long-term care in
Hickory, immobilized in traction, recovering from
a recent fall.
Triad Chapter President Randall Cox says Teresa
Griffin, a waitress at Marie’s where the Triad meetings are held, won the chapter gun raffle. “She was
there and was extremely happy. After expenses we
cleared around $ 2300.00.”
John Cramer and Heidi O’Connor (TriSure Corporation) lost their stepfather November 17th. Don
L. Carney was 82 and lived in Raleigh.
David Bates, Corporate Production Manager for
Johnson Concrete Company, passed away unexpectedly on November 21. He
was sixty-one and lived in
Salisbury. The family suggests memorials be made
to Thyatira Presbyterian
Church, 220 White Rd.
David Bates
Mt. Ulla, NC 28125.
Land of the Sky Chapter Life Member James
McCarson is battling cancer at his home in Hendersonville.
Tom Hayes, TriSure, is home recovering from hip
replacement surgery.
Don’t tell anyone yet, but Sam McGee will be
inducted into the MCAA Masonry Hall of Fame on
Thursday evening January 23rd at the MCAA Convention Closing Banquet at the World of Masonry
in Las Vegas. Mr. McGee will join seven others in
the Masonry Hall of Fame, including Glenn W. Sipe,
NCMCA’s Charter President, inducted in 2011. The
MCAA Convention runs January 20 to 24, 2014.
General Shale has acquired the Cleveland County
plant of Cunningham Brick Company. Cunningham
President Neal Cunningham said the sale comes as
Photographs courtesy of Central Cabarrus High School
Students Construct Monument Left to right, Stephen Hartsell, Chris Cramer, Bradley Flowe, and fellow
students in Todd Hartsell’s masonry class at Central Cabarrus High School, recently completed the masonry
work on the new Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial in Concord. The monument is on Corban Avenue beside the
Cabarrus County Government Building across from the Concord Police Department.”
the Lexington-based company exits the brick business. About two years ago, the 104-year-old company
shuttered its only other plant in Thomasville.
Dates to Note
12/1/13 OSHA Deadline for Haz-Com training
12/10/13 Mod 11 Certification Class “Leadership
Boot Camp” McGee Brothers – Greensboro
1/8/14 Board of Directors Meeting – 1:00 PM
Courtyard, W. Wendover - Greensboro
1/11/14 Western Carolina Chapter Winter Social,
details pending – Hickory
1/17-1/19/14 Raleigh Chapter “Murdell” Golf
Tournament & Bus Tour – Grand Strand
1/21-1/24/14 MCAA Convention/World of Masonry – Las Vegas
1/28-1/29/14 BIA Brick Forum, Sheraton / Koury
Convention Center - Greensboro, NC.
4/8-4/11/14 NC SkillsUSA Conference (masonry
contest,) Coliseum - Greensboro
4/24-4/27/14 NCMCA Annual Convention, The
Homestead – Hot Springs, VA
5/17/14 Annual NCMCA Masonry Apprentice
Skills Contest, Johnson Concrete/Stalite – Gold Hill
9/25/14 Annual NCMCA State Golf Tournament,
Mill Creek Golf & Country Club - Mebane
4/15-4/19/15 NCMCA Annual Convention, Kingston Plantation – Myrtle Beach
4/21-4/24/15 NC SkillsUSA Conference (masonry
contest,) Coliseum - Greensboro
Additional details and registration forms are always available on
the “Scheduled Events” page of NCMCA.com.
Welcome New Members
Joseph Sutton Company
Joe Sutton (R1)
Greensboro, NC
Recruited by NCMCA
Chandler Concrete Company
Neil Ragsdale (A2)
Danville, VA
Recruited by NCMCA
First Annual
Safety Awards
2014 will be the first year of the annual NCMCA
Safety Award. The award will have two categories.
Masonry contractors with less than 100,000 annual
man hours in 2013, and masonry contractors with
over 100,000 man hours.
The purpose of the award is to recognize masonry
contractors who exemplify superior safety and loss
prevention practices and have the lowest incident
of recorded injuries and loss time accidents. This
award will help promote the awareness of Safety in
the NCMCA as well as provide the winning contractors with recognition by not only the NCMCA, but a
tool to help promote their own safety culture within
their organization as well as to General Contractors,
Owners and Architects, etc.
Application will be available to all masonry
contractor members of the NCMCA in January.
Applicants must me a member of the NCMCA in
order to be eligible. Completed applications will
be reviewed and scored by John Cramer and Tom
Hayes of TriSure, who will underwrite the cost of
this annual award. Deadline for entries is March 15,
2014. The winners will be announced and presented
at the annual NCMCA convention in April at The
Homestead in Hot Springs.
Murdell Golf Trip in January
The NCMCA Raleigh Chapter 26th/15th Annual
Murdell Golf Tournament weekend at Myrtle Beach
and the Grand Strand is Friday January 17 to Sunday
January 19, 2014. Download a registration form and
additional information:
http://www.ncmca.com/PDF/RaleighGolf2014.pdf
Registration deadline is January First. Defending Champions: Drew Bullock, Dwayne Bryant, Gus
Ward, and Sheryle Crocker.
Call Doug Burton at Whitman Masonry for
information: (919) 894-8511
NCMCANCertified
Masonry Contractors
November 2013
Alward Masonry Contractors, Inc.
Ariel Masonry
Beam Construction Co., Inc.
Brodie Contractors Inc.
CRQ Masonry, Inc.
Carolina Masonry Unlimited
CityLink Construction Company
Concept Masonry, Inc.
Eddie Land, Inc.
Gates Construction Co. Inc.
Jerry Bayne, Inc.
Joyner Masonry Works Inc
Kirby Construction Services, Inc.
Kiser Masonry, Inc.
Koontz Masonry, Inc.
LPS Enterprises, Inc.
Lanier & Associates Masonry
Manning Masonry, Inc.
Masonry Unlimited of Cherryville, Inc.
Mattachione Construction Company, Inc.
Michael J. Rogers Masonry, Inc.
Moxley Masonry Inc.
Old North State Masonry, LLC
Piedmont Masonry of NC, Inc.
Pinnacle Masonry, Inc.
Pyramid Masonry Contractors
Randall Cox Masonry
S.M. Elmore Masonry, Inc.
Stone Creek Masonry, Inc.
Terry Masonry
Whitman Masonry, Inc
Post Office Box 3463
Hickory, NC 28603-3463
This Issue Sponsored by
Golf Tournament
Thanks!
Gold Sponsors: Adams, an Old Castle company;
Brixment/Essroc, Brodie Contractors, CEMEX, Gates
Construction Company, Holcim (US) Inc., Lynn Ladder & Scaffolding, Mountcastle Insurance, Pine Hall
Brick Company, and TriSure Corporation.
Barbecue Chicken Dinner: Courtesy of Argos
and the team of Danny Batten, Sean Varner, Danny
Alford and Donnie Howard.
Bronze Sponsors: Johnson Concrete Company,
Kirby Construction Services, Tucker-Kirby Company,
Oldcastle
Tee Sponsors: 04200 Estimating, CalStar Products, Custom Brick & Supply, Fay Block Materials,
Giant Cement Company, Joyner Masonry Works, Old
North State Masonry, LLC, Palmetto Brick Company,
Pinnacle Masonry, Ready Mixed Concrete, Sigmon
Memorial Scholarship, Triad Supply & Rental,
Triangle Brick Company, White Cap Construction
Supply, Whitman Masonry, and WireBond
Thank You Volunteers! Katie DeJarnette , Katie
Dosch, Justin Helms, Herb Jeffries, Starling Johnson,
Gene King, Ashlee Moore, Brent Moore , Angie Puckett, Trevor Thomas, and Ray Walls
Rules Committee Chairman: Doug Burton
Tournament Chairman: David McQueen
Page 10 NC Masonry News December 2013
State Golf Tournament Chairman David McQueen announced the following results of the 2013 Annual
NCMCA State Golf Tournament: Nearly $11,000 raised for The Sigmon Memorial Scholarship and other
NCMCA projects to promote masonry; First Place Winners, the Essroc Team (pictured above, left to right)
of Randy Clayton, Mike Rochelle, Steve Walkman, and Leo Gettelfinger; finishing second was the Joyner
Masonry Works Team of Gary Joyner, Ray Love, Bill Brooks and Dave Lewsey; the 2012 Defending Champions, The Gates Construction Team of Larry Kirby, Bob Gates, Mark Nelson, and Bryan Nelson, finished
in Third Place. The longest-drive prize was claimed by Danks Burton. Mike Rochelle won the par-three
“Beat-the-Pro” contest AND “Closest-to-the-Pin competition. Some one hundred golfers competed on a
perfect September afternoon at the Mill Creek Golf & Country Club in Mebane, and enjoyed a barbecue
dinner prepared by the Argos team of Danny Batten, Danny Alford, Sean Varner and Donnie Howard. Plan
to participate in the 2014 tournament Thursday September 25th.