Full Swing Into Spring

Words: Colby Breithaupt, Dan Kamys, Steve Borg

Dan Kamys, Editorial Director - dkamys@masonrymagazine.com

I can’t believe we’re already putting the finishing touches on our April issue. It feels like just yesterday that we were at the World of Concrete watching all that action take place, and believe it or not we’ve already started preparations for next year’s World of Concrete. It’s crazy how time is flying.   With the boom of the Summer construction season on the horizon, we’re gearing up for one of my personal favorite MCAA events. The Legislative Fly-In serves as the main opportunity for our members and readers to speak directly with elected officials who shape the policies and laws that affect their respective businesses.  As such, we’ve had Steve Borg of The Keelen Group write us a piece on all the issues that will be tackled. Additionally, he stresses the importance of this event. If you haven’t yet attended a Legislative Fly-In, there is still time to get involved.   Our GEN NXT series is back with Colby Breithaupt of Non-Stop Scaffolding. Bronzella and I personally have gotten to know Colby this past year, and it’s quite promising to see fellow young people enthusiastically getting involved. The masonry industry is a historic and beautiful trade (I don’t need to tell you that), and the people we interview for GEN NXT represent the future. Being a small part of the future of masonry is something that’s very exciting for us.   One of the other events that kind of serves as a soft introduction into the Spring season is the MCAA’s Annual Auction. This event is a great opportunity for our supplier members to get their products out to mason contractors while also supporting the MCAA’s mission. This year, we actually have more items available than last year, so please make sure to take a look at that section and bid on any items that are of interest.   Our safety article this issue focuses on chemical safety. As can be the case, this might be something you can take for granted. The insights within the article might make you take a second look at your chemical safety procedures, which is never a bad thing.   On the topic of safety, we also have a Question and Answer article on the use of cleaning solvents. This piece might help you look into the world of masonry cleaning if you haven’t yet, and could also give you some new tips even if you are.   Our Shop Talk series this month moves to focus on 3D imaging. If you haven’t yet incorporated some form of imaging into your workflow, this will let you know how Joel did it originally at his company. A small plug on the topic as well, we recently had Trimble give an MCAA webinar on the topic of modeling and how it can be incorporated into your business. To check it out, go to www.masoncontractors.org/education/on-demand/.   As always, the entire team here welcomes your comments and suggestions regarding our stories. If you have an interesting project, business practice, or tip that you’d like us to feature, please email us at info@masonrymagazine.com. We look forward to hearing from you!     dsig
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