Building From The Inside

Masonry is hard. It really is. To do it right, anyway, to even just follow the rules - for it to be structurally and mechanically sound - is the bare minimum, and still challenging. And then there's the artistic and aesthetic side of the coin, what really separates 'entirely adequate' from 'superior craftsmanship'.

We believe strongly in and have lived by the latter for decades, whether it's some ornate, completely custom stone design, or building a clean, straight, block basement. So the job at hand for our masons, anyway, is to try and knock it out of the park, every time that trowel hits a brick, every placement, every line, every tiny judgment call and decision that transfers from their brain to their wrist.

Because of this, we've learned over the years that the best way to wind up with a great mason is to develop our laborers from within, to build from the inside. People already experienced with us, being trained and working into it, slowly, carefully. Like a golf swing, learning good habits early to avoid having to unlearn bad ones later.

Above are a few photos of Paul Anderson working with a couple of our fellas, doing some training, nudging them toward a possible shift in roles for them. These are capable, hardworking guys, our laborers. We respect them, and they matter; they're integral to every job in supporting our masons. And as our work continues to increase, it's again time for us to build from the inside, to develop talent with guys we already know and trust.

If things go right, as they have in the past, one or more of them will rise to the challenge and really show us that they're ready and able to move into a new role for us. Which in turn will create an opportunity for a new laborer. So for any of you out there considering a career as a mason, we're here to tell you that we'll help you with that, but it will be from the ground up. Starting with a strong foundation.

You know, kinda like doing masonry. ~by Karl Zarling