Seattle, WA – May 18, 2024 – The First Annual Mutual Materials Bricklayer Competition took place last weekend and it was an incredible event! Initially intended as a Mutual Materials teambuilding event, it morphed into something much bigger.
Held at the Masonry Institute Western Washington’s Masonry Trades School in South Seattle, apprentices from some of the biggest commercial masons, helped 10 teams gain a new appreciation for the art of bricklaying. The event started with the apprentices giving two hours of instruction and then the competition began.
The teams had to build a 12-foot wall, 12 courses high over the course of three hours. Once completed the walls were judged on the following: number of bricks laid, straightness, levelness, plumbness, and bed and head joint size. The installations were then scored by the Masonry Trades School students.
Employees got a chance to feel and work with materials that we sell on a daily basis. It gave us an opportunity to work with Apprentices that are employed by some of our biggest mason contractors and foster those relationships for years to come. I think it gave people a brief view into the world of what a mason contractor does on a daily basis. I bet if you interviewed everyone that laid brick for 30 minutes asking them how they feel, most would answer “exhausted.” The participation from the apprentices really made this event so great, so we are super appreciative of them. –
Ryan Moller, Commercial Sales Manager, Mutual Materials
This was a really successful event and we are already thinking about how to tweak it for next year and make it even better. The hope is that we take this and expand it to more locations to give everyone an opportunity to participate if they want. We look forward to seeing you all next year!
Citations
- First Annual Mutual Materials Bricklayer Competition
- Bricklayers Local 1 Washington and Alaska
- Mutual Materials