“The Super Bowl of Apprentice    Contest”

KINSTON—Colson Childers of Griffin Masonry is the 2023 Champion of the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Associations Annual    Samuel A. McGee Memorial Masonry Apprentice Skills Contest and takes home the “David R. Sigmon Award” for “top-score” in the     competition.  His win also earned a thousand-dollar cash prize and a large selection of masonry tools.  The win qualifies him to compete in the Mason Contractors Association of America Skills Challenge in Las Vegas.  The event took place at EastWest Products in Kinston, NC.  EastWest Products provided everyone with a delicious lunch from   Mission BBQ and Sunset Slush Italian Ice.  The Eastern Chapter sponsored and provided all the man-power involved in prepping and  tearing down for the contest.

The Sam McGee Memorial has been referred to by many across the State as the Super Bowl of masonry contest. This contest is for working apprentices that have less than 3 years or 6000 hours in their apprenticeship cycle. A new project is drawn each year so that it always challenges the contestants. Most contests have 3 hours to build a project, but this contest is very challenging because contestants only have 2 hours.  The apprentices are judged on nine different criteria.  The field of contestants are always so competitive that the top 5 will always be within points of each other.

This year’s contest was a great show of what our apprentices have to offer, and the skill set that they have! We were hosted by EastWest Products in Kinston, NC.  It was a beautiful day for a masonry contest! We had 43 apprentices from 14 companies competing.  EastWest had     t-shirts made for all the contestants and observers. The contestants also received a NCMCA hat to wear during the contest. The Eastern Chapter went out of their way to setup, tend, and clean up after the contest! We had 47 total sponsors that donated just over $20,000.00 to make this contest happen! Each apprentice received a tool bag full of tools along with a new 4′ Stabila level.

After the judging was complete, Griffin Masonry’s, Colson Childers was crowned the champ! There were 6 companies represented in the top 10 with only 9 points separating 1^st place from 10^th place! This was truly one of the best contests that showed talent and skillset that North Carolina has in our young apprentices. This definitely shows that North Carolina is leading the charge for our future workforce in the Nation. We also had a first-year contest for new apprentices that have just picked up a trowel.  The contest had 7 contestants competing and Mason Ridenhour from Ridenhour Masonry claimed the top prize.

Next year’s contest will be hosted by Adams, an Oldcastle Co. in  Asheville, NC on May 18th, 2024.  NCMCA encourages every member to come and witness the “Super Bowl of Apprentice Contest” in person and let’s keep our young people going in the right direction for our industry! Thank you to all that help each year with this contest and all the other events we have across the State!!