Owners Brandy George and Bubba Waller with Mason David Adams and his tender Ezequiel “Chucky” Hernandez. David laid 400 brick in an hour with only one deduction. We were very honored and proud to have him represent Music City Masonry.
DICKSON, TN —The 2015 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® Regional Competition for West Tennessee was held at Lojac Materials, in Dickson, TN on Friday, October 9th. Twelve teams of brick masons and tenders vied for a competition spot in the 2016 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship competition held in Las Vegas, Nevada. There, they will compete for over $100,000 in cash and prizes including a new 2016 Ford F-250 XLT 4×4 truck.
Bruce Miller, a mason with Miller Masonry, Inc., Riverside, IA, and his mason tender Jorge Goitia, edged out the rest of the competition to take home first place with a net count of 686 brick, earning him the opportunity to compete in the 2016 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 in Las Vegas. Bruce also took the SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN Award and a combined prize of $550.00 in cash. Zac Guire, of Care Supply, Nashville, TN finished as runner up taking home $250.00 cash, and third place went to mason Brian Wade of Wade Masonry, Inc., Stanton, KY, who received $200.00 cash.
It was 65 degrees and sunny in Dickson, TN as the competitors arrived. You could feel the excitement in the air. This year brought four new competitors to try their hand but there was a major obstacle on its way. Rain was a 90% chance at one o’clock. So bricklayers and tenders worked hand in hand to quickly set up their stalls. It was going to be an early start and in true bricklayer fashion, the deadline was met. We fired off at 12:30 and the bricklayers hustled as the crowd enjoyed fried chicken and a live band. As the competition wound down, the crowd enjoyed giveaways from local sponsors including hats and gift cards. Cornhole and the perennial favorite “Heads of Tails” gave everyone an opportunity to win a 48in flat screen TV. The competition was tight, but Bruce Miller from Riverside, IA edged out the competition, and took home the title of best Bricklayer in the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 West Tennessee Regional.
Final Results:
First Place
Mason – Bruce Miller – 686 Brick
Tender – Jorge Goitia
Miller Masonry, Inc., Riverside, IA
SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN
Mason – Bruce Miller- 686 Brick
Tender – Jorge Goitia
Miller Masonry, Inc., Riverside, IA
2nd Place
Mason – Zac Guire – 602 Brick
Tender – Oscar Herrera
Care Supply, Nashville, TN
3rd Place
Mason – Brian Wade – 523 Brick
Tender – Brandy Noble
Wade Masonry, Inc., Stanton, KY
The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Regional and World Championship series of events are widely considered the masonry industry’s strongest promotional program to showcase the skill, speed and craftsmanship of professional masons around the world. Established by SPEC MIX, Inc. in 2003, the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 is the trade’s annual campaign that answers the question: “Who is the World’s Best Bricklayer?” The winners of each regional qualifying competition earn free trip to Las Vegas to compete against 20 or more bricklayers in the World Championship held during the World of Concrete tradeshow on February 3rd, 2016.
The regional and championship contests consist of a two-person team; one mason and mason tender, that are given 60 minutes to construct a 26 foot 8 inch, double wythe brick wall that must be constructed to meet strict quality standards. The walls are judged by highly qualified, experienced industry experts that carefully follow a 10-point criteria system. The winning masons are ranked and awarded prizes based on the highest brick count while meeting the quality requirements and competition rules. The competition has four awards; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place which are based on the highest net brick count meeting the quality standards. The 4th award, and arguably considered the most coveted price (prize), the SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN is judged the most sellable wall. The walls are closely evaluated by carefully selected masonry officials carrying several years of bricklaying experience.
For more information on the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER Regional Program call 888-SPECMIX or go to: www.specmixbricklayer500.com
Will Scott