Masonry Magazine December 1982 Page. 11
Mason Contractor News
Karl Kehm Retires from Mason Contracting Field
After 35 years in the construction business, Karl Kehm, Jr., president of Kehm Construction Co., Omaha, Neb., a leading mason contracting firm, announced his retirement effective October 29, 1982.
"We will continue an active interest in masonry subcontracting," his sons James R. Kehm and Karl Kehm III jointly stated. "With our combined experience of over forty years in all phases of the trade, we will continue to offer quality and expertise in conjunction with brick masonry work."
People & Events
MCAA's current president, Don Leonard, as well as five past presidents joined in helping to make the IMI regional meetings notable successes. Don Leonard and Charles Velardo in Lexington; Eugene George, Bob Ebeling and "Mickey" Soloff in Toronto, and immediate past president Louis Helbert in Reno.
Paul Clements and the Kentuckiana Masonry Institute were among the gracious hosts at the reception preceding the first IMI regional meeting held in Lexington, Ky.
Catani Appointed V.P. of Dur-O-Wal, Inc.
Mario J. Catani has been named vice president of Dur-O-Wal, Inc., Northbrook, Ill., a national manufacturer of masonry reinforcement systems. He will head the firm's new product development program.
Before joining Dur-O-Wal, Catani was director of the buildings division of Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. Before that he had been production vice president of Akron (Ohio) Brick & Block Co. and a member of the faculty of Manhattan College in New York City.
Catani is a civil engineering graduate of Manhattan College and holds a master's degree in civil engineering from Newark (N.J.) College.
Masonry Institute of Tennessee Seminar
The Masonry Institute of Tennessee recently sponsored a one-day seminar on "Loadbearing Masonry: Design Considerations at the Hyatt Regency in Knoxville, Tenn.
The speakers included John C. Grogan, Brick Institute of America, Atlanta, Ga.; Richard M. Gensert of Gensert Bretnall Bobel, Cleveland, Ohio, and Gary Hilbert, AIA, and Jay Brown, P.E., of Selmon T. Franklin & Associates, Architects, Inc., Chattanooga, Tenn.
Now for the Good News: 12% Construction Gain Predicted for '83
A long-overdue expansion of the housing market in 1983 will pave the way for construction totaling $167.5 billion next year-12% more than this year's anticipated contracting level of $149.1 billion.
That's the encouraging assessment of George A. Christie, vice president and chief economist of McGraw-Hill Information Systems Co. He cautioned, however, that the construction industry "must learn to adapt to the withdrawal of public funding, which directly or indirectly has financed as much as a third of total construction activity in past decades."
1st 10 "Early Birds" Register for MCAA San Diego Conference
MCAA's '83 International Masonry Conference to be held in San Diego, Calif., February 20-24 has its first 10 registrants. Setting the pace for the rest of the membership are:
Mr. & Mrs. Don Johnson, Villa Park, 111.
Mr. & Mrs. John J. Smith, St. Louis, Mo.
Mr. & Mrs. Don Leonard, St. Ann. Mo.
Mr. & Mrs. Fred Chiarlanza and Mr. & Mrs. Kelly Markegene, Narberth, Pa.
Mack Pettit, David Pettit and Stan Jarvis, Spartanburg, S.C.
Mr. & Mrs. L. C. Pardue, Jr., Tualatin, Ore.
Mr. & Mrs. G. W. Veazey, Houston, Tex.
Have you registered yet? Now is a great time to do so and avoid any last-minute hang-ups!
Steffian Bradley Marks Architects' 50th Year
More than 300 clients and friends recently helped Steffian Bradley Associates celebrate the architectural firm's first half-century of service at a dinner and dance.
Founded as a private practice in 1932, the Boston-based firm has since been selected as architect for projects throughout New England including notable contributions to the Boston and Cambridge skylines.
Building Renovation Picked for Major Growth
Lower costs, easier financing, faster project completion and tax incentives have combined to make building renovation the new growth market for the construction industry in the 1980s, according to Sweet's Division of McGraw-Hill Information Systems Co.
Sweet's estimates that at least $100 billion will be spent this year in the renovation of residential, commercial and industrial buildings. That is about double the figure 10 years ago, said Perry B. Sells, marketing vice president of Sweet's.
The findings are contained in a Sweet's white paper, "Renovation's Promise: Construction's New Growth Market."
Low bidder: A contractor who is wondering what he left out.