MAF News February 2015

MAF Member Connection:: February 2015

The 2015 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship Webcast Schedule:

Starts at 12:15 PM Pacific Time (3:15 EST) , Wednesday, February 4, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada

The webcast will also cover three preliminary masonry events starting at 9:00 AM Pacific. They are:

MCAA’s SKILLS Challenge – 9:00 AM Pacific

SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER® – 10:45 AM Pacific

MCAA’s Fastest Trowel – 11:30 AM Pacific

Watch Florida's own Pascal Robertson compete live online:

http://www.specmixbricklayer500.com/webcast/

Upcoming Events

2015 Concrete Days in Tallahassee
February 17 - 18, 2015 marks this year's "Concrete Days in Tallahassee". The MAF, along with members of the Concrete Coalition of Florida, FCPA & FICAP will be attending this important event in the Capital and discussing important issues related to our industry with your Florida senators and representatives. If you would like to participate, please contact Laura Agafonov at laura@floridamasonry.com.

2015 Masonry Construction Workshop Covers New Codes & Standards
Workshop covers all the new codes and standards used in masonry: 2011 and 2013 TMS 402/602 (Formally ACI 530/530.1); Updated ASTM Standards referenced by the 5th Edition Florida Building Code; Updated BIA and NCMA Tech Notes; changes to the Florida 5th Edition masonry chapter and much more!

February 27-28, 2015
Baker Concrete
5555 Ravenswood Road
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
REGISTER NOW

11th Annual Masonry Showcase
On Thursday, February26th, the Florida Masonry Apprentice and Educational Foundation will hold its 11th Annual Masonry Showcase at the DMS warehouse in Starke Florida.

Schools from North, Central Florida and South Georgia will have masonry students compete for the Region II Masonry Trophy. Each school brings five masons and two tenders. Each school competes as a team and receives a team score. Each individual team member also receives a score. The top three individuals from all the teams will be eligible to compete in the Florida Skills State contest to be held in Lakeland on April, 28th. The schools competing this year are: Suwannee Technical Center from Live Oak, Menendez High School from Saint Augustine, West Nassau High School from Callahan, Camden County High School from Saint Mary’s Georgia, Travis Technical Center from Lakeland and Saint Cloud High School from Saint Cloud. Deland High School from Deland and Marion Technical Institute from Ocala have been invited but are not yet confirmed. Read more>

FEBRUARY 26, 2015
STARKE, FL
DMS Warehouse
Contact Al Herndon for more information or to volunteer:
herndon3@bellsouth.net
904-838-6531

Masonry Competition @ the ABC National Craft Championships

Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) annual National Craft Championships (NCC) celebrates ABC’s and its member firms’ training and education efforts. Craft trainees from chapter and member firm training programs across the country come together to compete in the annual National Craft Championships. During this intense two-day event, young men and women compete in one of 15 competitions, representing 11 crafts.

ABC knows the future of the industry relies on its ability to attract and retain the most talented individuals necessary to meet the nation’s ever-increasing construction needs. ABC is leading the way in developing the merit shop construction industry workforce by offering programs, such as the NCC, that promote life-long learning experience and national recognition based on achievement at every career level.

The Masonry Education Foundation's Masonry Apprentices will be taking part in this important event, garnering national exposure for the masonry trade! We are privileged to be able to take part in this this great event and we need everyone's support. This competition is a reflection of all of us and the trade we represent, "Masonry". We need to pump everyone up... “It doesn’t take one person to cheer a team, it takes a whole stadium”

MARCH 3-6, 2015
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center
Contact Julio Vazquez for information or to volunteer:
julio@masonryeducation.org
561-400-6345

Online: http://www.nationalcraftchampionships.org/en-us/home.aspx

2015 Concrete Coalition Joint Convention
Mark Your Calendars! The MAF's annual convention will be held June 24 - 28, 2015 at Hawk's Cay. This year's convention will be held in conjunction with Concrete Coalition Members FICAP and FC&PA! Explore the resort

Industry News

Booming construction faces worker shortage

Adjunct instructor Wade Ring explains components of a current transformer during a 4th year Electrical Apprenticeship class at Santa Fe College on Jan. 20, 2015 in Gainesville. Matt Stamey/The Gainesville Sun

When the economy collapsed and construction work slowed, skilled masons, electricians, carpenters, plumbers and other craft and trade workers found themselves having to find jobs in other fields, dropping out of the labor force or retiring.

Now that construction is booming again in the Gainesville area, contractors and subcontractors are faced with a shortage of skilled workers to handle all of the new building and renovation work at the University of Florida, Celebration Pointe, Butler Plaza, new apartment complexes and hotels.

The worker shortage, they warn, could lead to construction delays and higher costs as they have to raise pay to compete for the available workers and bring in more from outside the area, often from areas that are also seeing an increase in construction and a shortage of workers. Read more>

New masonry standards compilation available from ASTM ASTM International

The latest version of the ASTM Masonry Standards for the Building Industry compilation is now available from ASTM International. This compilation includes 112 standards, including most standards relevant to concrete masonry construction (such as ASTM C90, C140, and C1372) as well as standards for adhered manufactured stone masonry veneer (ASTM C1670 and C1780). Online subscription and print versions are available. For more information please visit the ASTM bookstore:

http://www.astm.org/BOOKSTORE/COMPS/MASONRYCMP.htm

MAF Central Chapter Apprentice Program Graduates 2014

Congratulations to MAF Central Chapter Apprentice Grads Willie Lewis, Randolph George, and Michael Cooper. Also pictured is Mary Jane Mueller, MAF Central Chapter Apprentice Program Director.

New Members

Welcome New MAF Members::

Premier Stoneworks, LLC.
Contractor Member - Southeast Chapter
1127 Poinsettia Drive
Delray Beach, FL 33444
garkin@premier-stoneworks.com
Gary Arkin 561-330-3737