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NCMCA Workforce Development & Training Coordinator Ryan Shaver guides us on a 15-minute video tour of NCMCA’s new Mobile Training Unit acknowledging the many individuals and firms that helped to make it possible. NCMCA’s newest tool for training and recruitment is on the road!

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO

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NCMCA’s fifth president (1978-1979) died January 22 after several years of declining health. Ivey L. Griffin, Jr. was ninety-one. In 1957 Ivey and his father, Ivey, Sr. founded Griffin and Son, a masonry contracting company. Later the company name was changed to Griffin Masonry and Tile, Inc adding tile installation to their line of business. In 1987 the company became Griffin Contractors, Inc. recognizing their expansion into general contracting. Mr. Griffin was a founding member of the Western Carolina Chapter of the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA,) which would eventually evolve into the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association. He served several terms as president of the Western Carolina Chapter and was an MCAA Regional Vice President for a number of years. The Western Carolina Chapter awarded Mr. Griffin with the chapter’s “Founders Award” in 2013. He was a Navy veteran, a volunteer fireman and served terms as a county commissioner for Burke County. Mr. Griffin is the father of NCMCA’s seventh president, G. Alan Griffin, who holds the distinction of being the only MCAA President to come from North Carolina thus far. The family suggests memorials be made to Abernethy Memorial United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 127, Rutherford College, NC 28671.  Read the complete obituary at this link

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As the new year gets underway, NCMCA Workforce Development & Training Coordinator Ryan Shaver (right) is continuing his program to train NCMCA member firm apprentices. In January, NCMCA apprentices from the Raleigh area were hosted for training by Johnson Concrete Products at Willow Spring. Photo by Tu Phan

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The November SPEC MIX BL500 Carolina Qualifier held in Bowman, South Carolina, included a Junior Bricklayer Competition for apprentices and masonry students. Contestants were given twenty minutes to lay as many brick as possible. The Columbus College & Career Academy team of Annayeli Dionosio and tender Leslie Maldonado (pictured) won with an adjusted score of 182. They are instructed by Fred Mason.  David Hernandez and tender Manuel Hernandez of Creative Masonry finished in second place and Kalyn Stover with tender Israel Bugarin of Columbus Career & College Academy finished third.  Photograph by Jodie Helms.

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The Carolina Qualifier for the SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500 was in Bowman, South Carolina in early November. First Place and “Top Craftsman Award” with an adjusted total of 465 brick laid, went to David Kelly of Kelly Masonry of South Carolina, who along with tender Nick Campbell, will head to the Las Vegas National Championship now set for June 2021. 2019 North Carolina National SkillsUSA Champion Grant Helms of NCMCA member firm Helms Masonry, along with his father Scott Helms tending, placed second with an adjusted total of 452. Pictured left to right, NCMCA’s Ryan Shaver, Steve Bell of SPEC MIX, and Grant and Scott Helms. Grant was the youngest and Scott was the oldest participant in the November competition. Creative Masonry of Greenville, Tennessee will be representing NCMCA at the 2021 Las Vegas SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500. Owner Fred Campbell will be returning to the contest as the Champion of the 2020 competition. Seven teams of masons and tenders recently competed in the Grey, Tennessee Regional Qualifier where mason Manuel Hernandez and mason tender Jose Perez of Creative Masonry were the winners. Hernandez also took the title of “Best Craftsman” for the Tennessee regional. Photograph by Jodie Helms. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

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Appalachian State University conducted its design competition for the 2020 NCMCA Sigmon Memorial Scholarship with results announced in early November. Eleven teams of two competed with an infill design of a hypothetical building façade featuring masonry as a graded assignment in Associate Professor D. Jason Miller’s Architectural Design Studio III and Integrated Design Studio. The projects were judged by NCMCA Chairman of the Board Kent Huntley and NCMCA Past President Doug Burton along with architect Phillip Jefferson, Program Director/Associate Professor at Wake Technical Community College. All aspects of the 2020 competition and judging were conducted virtually because of the virus. Finishing in “First Place” was the team of Sandra Anglesjo and Jesse Wilson with their project titled “Funnel Effect” (pictured.) Finishing in second to fourth place respectively were Sam Lee and Lindsay McNeil, followed by Alexis Cabra and Olivia Forish, and Serlina Francisco and Madison Hedrick. The first-place team will share their prize of a semester’s tuition. Runner-up teams will receive masonry tool prizes.