I interviewed Chris King, Architectural Sales, with Summit Brick regarding his 37 years in the industry!  He started in diapers!!  Chris started with Phoenix Brick Yard in 1973 and stayed until 1979. The company was owned by the Campbell family and had been in business since 1918.  He returned to them in 1986 and has stayed through thick, thin and a buyout by another family owned firm – Summit Brick.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in masonry in the last 10 years?

“Definitely the move to thin brick.”  The change came about in part to compete with veneer and thin stone. It has become wide spread now.  Chris just completed work on The Muse in downtown Phoenix with 300,000 thin bricks! A current project in Tempe calls for 170,000 thin brick.

I was surprised to learn that most manufacturers make full size brick then cut them down to thin brick sizes. Chris explained that making full size brick allows for tumbling and other processing to get the appearance desired.

Not to say that full size brick has disappeared.  Chris worked on Block 23 in downtown Phoenix which used full size brick along with numerous other projects. Two of his projects (at ASU and U of A) won Excellence Awards last year with full size brick.

What do you see as the future of masonry?

There has been a recent resurgence in brick projects. Previously market share had been lost to stone. Thin brick has gained popularity so more projects are being designed with brick. This trend will grow because of the unlimited design options of brick.

What would you tell a person starting out in the masonry industry?

Chris obviously has enjoyed his career in the masonry industry.  He said the companies he’s worked for, the people he’s met and the projects he’s been part of have all been worthwhile and fulfilling. So he encourages people to join the industry.

His first recommendation is to find a mentor. Chris worked with Hank Slicer at Phoenix Brick Yard.  Hank taught him not only product information but how to build a good reputation. “Relationships make all the difference.” Every decision doesn’t come down to price.  A good relationship with an architect can help get your product on the specification to start with. (Hank was the first recipient of the Bart Del Duca Award in 1995.)

In addition, Chris encourages people to learn all they can about the industry, their product and even their competitors’ products. That kind of expertise builds relationships with architects, general contractors and masonry contractors which last much longer than a bid, a project or even a company. It’s OK to say, “I don’t know” if people trust you to find them an answer.

Join professional organizations which also give you the opportunities to get to know people. Stay involved in the industry all the time. The better your industry, the better your career. You’ll also enjoy the career a lot more when you make friends with interesting people.

One of Chris’ favorite jobs is the North Canyon High School at 16^th Street and Union Hills.  He worked closely with the architect to design the project and incorporate brick.  He still loves the building every time he drives by it. It looks as though it was just built last year.

Which building are you most proud of and why?

Another job that pleases him is The Chateau on Central.  Chris worked with the developer on this project.  The luxury condo project was built with 8x4x16 hollow units. It used the equivalence of 2.5 million modular bricks!  That was certainly an order he was happy to place. It was Phoenix Brick Yard’s largest single order. It was much harder to get the job completed!  Financing problems shut down the job twice.  A unit is on the market now with an asking price of $4.9 million.

 

 

We asked Canan’s opinions on a couple of common questions and he had un-common answers!

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in masonry in the last 10 years?

1. The majority of the Masonry Industry surviving the Great Recession.
2. The AMC establishing and maintaining one of the premier, comprehensive High School, Apprentice, and Supervisor training programs in North America.
3. The MCAA pulling themselves up from the Great Recession by their bootstraps into a solvent, strong organization and then moving into the digital age.
4. The entire Masonry Industry answering the Silica Dust challenge.
5. The majority of the Masonry Industry fending for themselves in the Codes and Standards arena, including weather-resistance, structural, fire-resistance, energy and environmental sectors.
6. The introduction of major design, construction, cost and project estimating software along with improvements in computer hardware availability.
7. State and National Checkoff Programs being established.

What do you see as the future of masonry?

1. Younger generations embracing masonry.
2. Unified efforts to correct grossly misleading masonry environmental assumptions including carbon’s importance – or not!
3. Aesthetic enhancements.
4. Integrating energy efficiencies in design as well as software.
5. Massive investments into masonry education, starting with the correction of negative and/or outdated masonry-related environmental messages.
6. Prefabrication methods of masonry design and construction.
7. Training ICC Chapter members, authorities having jurisdiction and designers regarding codes and standards applicable to masonry.

 

Canan D’Avela is a consulting Analytical Chemist.   He has worked in the field of mineral-based products and processes for over 40 years and is currently the Director Technology, Codes, Technical Sales for Concrete Products Group, a North American consortium.

State Board of Technical Registration – For over 2 decades he had been one of the examination writers and graders, and a Team Leader for both the In-Training as well as Professional levels for Analytical Chemists (QAssay). His current status is Emeritus by the State Board. 

National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) – Canan serves on multiple committees, is immediate Past Chair of the Masonry Technical Subcommittee, and is a Master Course Instructor.

International Code Council (ICC)  Canan is a practicing member including both Committee Hearings and Public Comment Hearings.

Construction Specification Institute (CSI) –  past Technical Committee member

International Association of Official Analytical Chemists – honored member

National Society of Professional Engineers  and Arizona Society of Professional Engineers  – past president of both

The Masonry Society  – Canan contributes to national Code and Specification reviews as well as serving within other subcommittees.

Arizona Masonry Council – Chair for the Technical Committee. He received the Bart De Luca Award in 2015.

Arizona State University – Canan has taught masonry classes.

The Concrete Producer Magazine  – He was named as one of the top 3 contributors.

Last but not least, Canan has been granted over 50 Patent Claims by the U.S. Patent Office with more pending.

 

Congratulations to Melonie Leslie – she is now the MCAA’s Regional Vice President for Region G…which covers Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

Melonie is the President of G & G Masonry LLC and General Manager of G & G Enterprises located in Glendale, AZ. She is also a Co-Chair of the MCAA’s Legislative Committee and a member of the South of 40 Committee.

We chatted with her this month – to find out a bit more about a few of her goals as Regional Vice President.

Melonie shared that one of the responsibilities of a Regional VP is to communicate and coordinate with the MCAA State Chairs within the VP’s region.

The reports & data she obtains from the State Chairs enables her to relay to MCAA the economic and labor conditions within the states, as well as challenges that the masonry industry may be facing within those states.

This information assists MCAA in better understanding what the masonry industry may need in promotion, marketing, workforce development and legislative concerns.

Within her region of 5 states – she has only two State Chairs: Tony Avila, Avila Masonry, is the State Chair for Arizona, Jason Thompson, Thompson-Master Masons, Inc., is the State Chair for Wyoming.

New Mexico, Colorado and Utah currently do not have a State Chair. 

One of her goals is to recruit an MCAA member to volunteer to take the position of State Chair in each of the remaining states in Region G…New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.

Yes, the State Chair is a volunteer role.

Just like Melonie’s positions as Regional VP and Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee, and as a member of the South of 40 Committee – it’s all volunteer…but important to her.

Melonie and her parents Glenn & Connie Hottmann (who are the owners and founders of G & G Enterprises) have always supported the masonry industry locally here in Arizona and nationally. In fact, Glenn also served as MCAA’s Regional VP and as the State Chair for Arizona.

As a member of the South of 40 Committee – Melonie looks forward to encouraging involvement and networking from a younger generation in the masonry industry.

What is the South of 40 Committee?

“The mission of the South of 40 Committee is to provide members the opportunity to learn, to become more involved, and introduce a youthful voice into the masonry industry. We will accomplish this by fostering lasting relationships, encouraging new ideas, and educating the leaders of tomorrow with the objective of increasing the masonry market share and ensuring our industry is as solid as the products we promote.”

As seen on the MCAA website.

Melonie stated that she also intends to improve communication with industry members about national meetings – such as the MCAA Convention held at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in Las Vegas annually, MCAA Mid-Year Meeting (various locations each year) and the MCAA Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

Information about each of these MCAA events may be found at MCAA’s website:

If you are a member of Arizona Masonry Council – you are automatically a member of the MCAA. 

As an MCAA member – your registration to the MCAA Convention or to the MCAA Mid-Year Meeting provides you with plenty of opportunities to learn more about new products and services for our masonry industry, educational classes and probably best of all – networking with people who are in your industry and understand the daily challenges you may experience.

As the Co-Chair for the MCAA Legislative Committee – Melonie will be attending the MCAA Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. – this will be her 5th year attending.

She believes that this is an excellent opportunity to educate our legislators about the concerns of the masonry industry and to make our presence known. 

You don’t have to hold an office at MCAA to attend – MCAA Members simply register for the conference on the MCAA website. Talking points to discuss with your state legislators are reviewed prior to the meetings on the Hill. 

The MCAA Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. is May 12-14, 2020.

Find Registration & Information on MCAA website.

This article was originally published by Quality Block Co Inc in their March 2020 newsletter.