Masonry Magazine February 1973 Page. 16
Due to the large crowd that had gathered for the opening of the Trade Show, several of the officers and their wives were unable to reach the reception line when President Soloff cut the ceremonial ribbon. Doing the honors a second time are Mr. & Mrs. Guy Apple (far left); Mr. & Mrs. Eugene George; Stephen Raimo, and Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Zotollo (far right).
The three speakers on brick and block panelization felt that this relatively new masonry system posed more of a challenge than a threat to the industry. "Panels offer a new dimension to the industry and have given us the opportunity to compete with products that have replaced conventional masonry," Mark Parseghian said.
BM & PIU Secretary John T. Joyce characterized panels as "a natural evolution of masonry. The only threat of panels is that the industry will not react favorably to the opportunity they afford. Panels present a new opportunity to gain and expand new markets and to regain lost ones." The international union's official stand is neither to fight nor to promote panelization but to pursue the organization of such work in conjunction with mason contractors by supplying qualified bricklayers. It has gone on record as favoring the idea of BM & PIU craftsmen being employed both in panel factories and on the job site "providing that the working conditions and pay scale are right."
Following these presentations, the IMI-produced film, A Bigger Scale, was viewed by the audience. While running only a few minutes in duration, the film graphically depicts
Interested visitors inspect the "Test-Mobile" currently in use by PCA Research Engineer Albert Isberner in his field-tests of all-weather construction conditions throughout the United States and Canada.
the challenge of panelization in the coming decade. Produced in full color with a highly professional touch, it forcefully portrays the teamwork required between the bricklayer, mason contractor and local unions in promoting the panel system.
The remaining speaker on panelization, Architect Frederic A. West, told the delegates that his firm has designed two highrises with curtain wall panels. One was the 21-story Townsend Tower in Syracuse, N.Y., which utilized brick panels as large as 15'4" wide by 8'6" high. Twenty years ago, he said, he was in favor of steel, concrete and similar materials in designing buildings. Now he is satisfied with the many esthetic and durability values of masonry and is aggressively promoting its use.
West's remarks were followed by three MCAA members - Gage Behunin of Denver, Colo.; Oscar Person of Burlingame, Calif., and William Mitchell of Fairdale, Ky each of whom presented his respective views on panelization and its impact on the masonry industry.
A summary of the discussions was made by Dallas Grenley of Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich.
On Monday morning, President Soloff presided over the opening session attended by a standing-room-only audience in the Marriott's Grand Ballroom. There was a presentation of colors by a four-man U.S. Marine Corps guard followed by the pledge of allegiance and invocation by Dr. Robert V. Ozment, pastor of the First Methodist Church in Atlanta.
Addresses of welcome were delivered by O.L. Jollay of Atlanta, who with his wife Margaret were Convention Co-Chairmen, and the Hon. Sam Massell, Mayor of Atlanta. Mayor Massell presented President Soloff with an official key to the city as a tribute to the MCAA membership.
The entire audience stood for a moment of silence in memory of two members who had recently died-former MCAA President Anthony D. Perri and former Board Member Harry I. Strauss, Jr.
Lead Man Awards the association's highest honor- were then presented by President Soloff to Allen Young of Memphis and Donald Bidwell of Detroit, both MCAA Past-Presidents, and to Herschel Hunt of Indianapolis and Monte Smallen of Portland (Ore.).
Because of their close friendship and long working relationship on industry matters, MCAA Vice President Charles Velardo assumed the honor of presenting a Lead Marm Award to Region 1 Vice President Eugene George of Kitchener, Ontario.
The final Lead Man Award was made to Bob Rawlins of Pittsburgh Corning Corp., Pittsburgh. The award is not limited to mason contractors, and from time to time is given to others in allied fields who have significantly contributed to the advancement of the masonry industry. Rawlins has been closely associated with MCAA for more than 20 years.
In his President's Report, "Mickey" Soloff urged the industry to start pulling together to achieve a higher standard of professionalism. He cited lost markets that have been taken over by competing building product producers and advised mason contractors to do a more aggressive job of selling their industry. "While we are one of the largest industries around, we also are one of the most fragmented," he said. "Our association's members account for about $1.5 billion worth of masonry construction. One would think that an industry this large would be a highly sophisticated efficient, smooth-running industry. The opposite is true.
"PCA is going one way, BIA is going another way NCMA is going another, the bricklayers still another, and last but not least the mason contractor has been hanging onto the reins trying to direct everyone toward working together toward a common goal-more masonry, more money.
masonry
February, 1973