IMI Masonry Expos
Broadcast the BAC Message
Every day, IMI reaches out to a wide variety of audiences – architects, engineers, construction
managers, owners and other decision makers – to spread the word about the advantages of quality
Union masonry.
IMI takes it to another level with special Masonry Expos, which reach all of those audiences
at once and showcase the complete portfolio of training skills, technical expertise and preferred
products. The venues offer a one-stop shop for all masonry needs, and generate leads for future
masonry projects.
“When we get a chance to tell our story face to face with industry decision makers, they
never fail to be impressed by all that BAC and IMI have to offer,” says IU President and IMI
Co-Chair John J. Flynn.
In May, more than 500 architects, contractors, building officials, owners, and developers
converged at the Illinois District Council Training Center for the 2008 Chicagoland Masonry Expo.
The packed day featured 11 seminars on a wide range of topics including structural masonry and
sustainability, vendor exhibits, and of course, plenty of skilled BAC craftworkers.
This year’s session balanced traditional masonry topics, such as veneers and flashing, with
emerging products and technologies. Seminars on self-consolidating grout, ventilated masonry screen
walls, pre-blended mortar and masonry design software gave decision-makers a look into masonry’s
future, and identified BAC as a key partner in moving the industry forward.
“We accomplished what we set out to do,” said Illinois District Council #1 President Jim
Allen. “We reached the people we needed to reach.”
As much as designers appreciated the education, the high point for many was working alongside
a BAC/IMI bricklaying instructor, spreading mortar, laying stretchers or soldiers, and even
building self-supporting arches.
IMI is a big believer in integrating hands-on exercises into architectural programs, in order
to enrich the designer’s understanding of the craft. “It made us appreciate all the more why union
masons are so important to our projects, and that the ‘cheap guys working out of the backs of their
trucks’ can be disastrous for building construction,” said Diana Melichar, AIA, President of
Melichar Architects.
IMI Masonry Expos and similar events are successful in part because there is no one formula.
Some programs have broad agendas, while others target a specific market or interest. Regardless of
topic, what really seals the deal is the BAC craftsmanship on display.
Indiana/Kentucky
In Kentucky, the goal was to introduce designers to new materials and applications, and to
show how they are backed up by IMI training and technical expertise. At the Trowel Trades
Exposition in Louisville in April, members of Local 4 IN/KY built mock-ups and ably demonstrated
their skills, while IMI technical staff provided educational seminars and product demonstrations.
The debut event “was very successful,” says Local 4 President Ted Champ, “and we continue to grow.”
The Indianapolis Trowel Trades Expo was held during the Local’s statewide Apprentice Contest
in June to really show off members’ skills and the training investment behind them, as well as to
educate the audience on key masonry topics like sustainability and codes.
Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, where restoration work is on the rise, IMI identified BAC with that work by
bringing scores of architects and building owners to the training center for a special hands-on
Masonry Restoration Workshop. The program combined technical seminars on condition assessment and
brick restoration with the opportunity to interact with knowledgeable contractors and craftworkers.
Designers also got to try their hands at terra cotta patching and installation, concrete patching,
flashing and lintel repair, movement joint sealants, and tuckpointing.
Ohio
When Union contractors in Cincinnati wanted to raise their profile in the market, the
solution was IMI Masonry Day. Held at the University of Cincinnati in February, it drew a wide
audience – architects, engineers, construction managers, building code officials and professors.
Topics were tailored to market needs, and included seminars on single wythe CMU walls, brick
selection, and ceramic tile installation planning, along with hands-on demonstrations of brick,
block and ceramic tile. “It’s so important to get the people designing the buildings to think
masonry early on,” says Ohio Administrative District Council Field Representative Ted Linscott. For
contractor Drew Hauer from Jim Hauer Masonry, it was a rare opportunity for contractors and
designers to interact in a non-adversarial setting. “It was a win-win for everyone,” he says.
