Seattle, WA – August 27, 2022 – Back for its 21st season, the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 crowns the World’s Best Bricklayer at the World of Concrete Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 18th, 2023. But to make it the finals, competitors have to advance from one of 22 regional qualifiers.
The Best Bricklayer in Western Washington was named on Saturday, August 27th at the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 regional competition. It’s a thrilling event that pits the best masons across Western Washington in an intense one-hour battle that tests the speed, skill, and stamina against the other participants.
Held at the Western Washington Regional Masonry Trades building on South Seattle College’s Georgetown campus, the event showcased seven teams comprising one mason and one tender, who had to build a wall 26 feet in length with as few errors as possible. Mutual Materials was well represented at the event, with David Smith, Ryan Moller, Stan Carper, Matt Johnson, and Katie Hayes all in attendance.
This was a great event for me to attend. I’ve worked with architects for 35 years but have only been in the brick/CMU/hardscapes industry for 6 months. I learned a lot regarding brick installation and the systems masons use to efficiently create with brick. It was also great to hear all the positive and appreciative comments from the competing masons about Mutual Materials providing all the brick and CMU. –
David Smith, Puget Sound Architectural Sales Representative, Mutual Materials
Taking home the title were Eric Kent and Brandon Honold, who laid an astonishing 590 bricks in 60 minutes. It was Kent’s third time winning the regional qualifier, but his first win since becoming a masonry apprentice instructor for the Washington BAC Local Union 1. Brandon Honold represented R&D Masonry. Congratulations to them! We will be cheering them on at the finals in Las Vegas.
We were excited to donate all of the bricks for the Bricklayer 500 and contribute to the event’s success. Mutual Materials always looks for opportunities to promote the masonry industry throughout the Pacific Northwest and is especially passionate about showing new masons the possibilities available to them as they embark on new careers. If you have an upcoming event that promotes the masonry industry, please let us know!