February 10, 2010 8:30 AM CST

Apprentices Show Off Their Skills in Vegas

First, Second and Third year apprentices compete in the 2010 Skills Challenge

By Tim O’Toole

The eleventh annual International Masonry Skills Challenge at the 2010 MCAA Convention in Las Vegas, Nev. at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry on February 2, 2010 showed off the best apprentices our industry has to offer. Contestants in first, second and third year skill levels throughout the country came to compete.

Each contestant was presented with a project drawing appropriate to their skill level just moments before the competition began. Contestants only had three hours to construct the project based on the materials provided. The final projects looked great; the apprentices should be very proud of their three hours of hard work. The judges were impressed with the quality of the apprentices' construction, and had the tough decision of choosing the winners.

The top-placing contestants for each skill level were:

First Year Apprentices

First Place
Darren Tolbolt
Studer Obringer, Inc.
New Washington, Ohio

Second Place
Jerrod Beheler
Lucia, Inc.
Houston, Texas

Third Place
Bradley Lovin
Wasco, Inc.
Knoxville, Tenn.

Second Year Apprentices

First Place
Daniel Sapp
Adams Masonry, Inc.
Chattanooga, Tenn.

Second Place
Rhett Hallman
McGee Bros., Co., Inc.
Monroe, N.C.

Third Place
Joshua Moss
Valentine Contractors, Inc.
North Canton, Ohio

Third Year Apprentices

First Place
Michael Sapp
Adams Masonry, Inc.
Chattanooga, Tenn.

Second Place
Todd Terwilliger
Giambrone Masonry, Inc.
Hudson, Ohio

Third Place
Eric Cambrom
Artisan Masonry, Inc.
Garland, Texas

All winners received trophies, cash prizes, and Marshalltown tool bags and tools. First place winners also received concrete calculators from Calculated Industries.

The Mason Contractors Association of America would like to thank the judges from across the country for donating their time and expertise and the sponsors and service/material donors for their contributions including:

• Lafarge


• EZ Scaffold


• Mortar Net USA, Ltd.


• Non-Stop Scaffolding


• QUIKRETE


• SPEC MIX


• Angelus Block Co.


• Calculated Industries


• EZ Grout Corporation


• Gatorback


• Grout Grunt


• Marshalltown


• Masonry Construction


• MK Diamond Products, Inc.

---

About the Author

Tim O’Toole is the Director of Marketing, Education, and Information Technology for the MCAA. He has a Masters in Business Administration from Webster University and has worked in the masonry industry since 2003.

The International Masonry Skills Challenge is a competition of masonry apprentices in first, second and third year skill levels. The contest is a showcase for skills training in the masonry industry, challenging winning apprentices from regional U.S. and foreign competitions to determine the top masonry apprentice at each level. This exciting competition spotlights our industry's finest young masons and focuses attention on careers in the masonry industry.