Building Excellence Into a Project

It takes a great deal of skill and experience to be an effective masonry foreman. He has to know every aspect of the job as well as guide the members of his crew who work on demanding projects often under harsh conditions.

The following four men, members of Bricklayers' Local Union #I of Missouri, all received Excellence in Craftsmanship awards from the Masonry Institute last fall for the outstanding quality of their work.

MIKE BROWN
Excellence in Craftsmanship
Stone Fireplace

"Mike really shines on tedious, meticulous projects like the Stone Fireplace. This was a dangerous job because some of the pieces were so heavy, weighing over half a ton. But Mike's been with me for 20 years and I knew he'd get the job done safely with all the carved stone put together correctly. As the Excellence Award proves, he was the right man for the job."

John Spencer
President, Spencer Brickwork

Everything about this project was massive. The stones weighed up to 1300 pounds and required a chain hoist to move them into position. Because of their extraordinary size, some days Brown and his crew were limited to setting 3 of the monster stones. "The fireplace face was a major undertaking in itself. It was pretty hard for two guys to lift a 300 pound stone. Setting 1000 pound stones took time-and ingenuity," said Brown.

The project, because of its size and complexity, took six days to complete. But the results were worth the effort: Brown was rewarded with an Excellence Award for assembling this work of art.

MIKE GILBERT
Excellence in Craftsmanship
St. Albans Construction Residence

"Because of Mike's knowledge and his superior people skills-he's great with homeowners and architects- he handles most of our largest jobs. On this job, he was faced with the complexity of laying out three different materials: cut stone, brick and manmade Alba stone. The Excellence Award proves he was up to the challenge of this demanding project."

John Spencer
President, Spencer Brickwork

For Mike Gilbert, 22-year veteran of Spencer Brickwork, the ornate detailing on this award-winning project was the story. "There was just a lot going on with this house," he said of the detail-filled design requested by the owners.

With so much complexity, the precision of the layout was critical as the details had to pattern out at exact heights. "I wouldn't say it was 'difficult,' said Gilbert, summarizing the award-winning project. "It just took a little more time and consideration dtuing the layout period." The judges felt the precision shown on the difficult task was far more demanding than on a normal residence and recognized Gilbert and his crew accordinglywith an Excellence Award.