A time of change

Words: Karen HickeyI'm pleased to introduce myself as the new editor of Masonry magazine. This is an exciting time for me – a new beginning with a lot of changes.

The masonry industry is entirely new to me, so I have a lot to learn. I was fortunate to meet many people who work in masonry while I attended the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in February in Las Vegas. In any industry, the people are what drive progress and innovation. They are the backbone of the trade. The relationships between the people in these businesses are what really matter. My new relationships with the men and women in masonry will be something I'll work hard to build in the coming months and years.

Of course my knowledge of the terminology will also build as time passes, and I'll learn more details about the products and equipment used by masons. After all, I'm going to be learning from the experts! The March issue of Masonry covers some of the terminology and products I'm becoming familiar with: scaffolding, saws and saw blades, and also rehabs and restorations. We’re also covering the MCAA Annual Convention, which coincided with the World of Concrete exhibition.

We at Masonry magazine hope that this year has started off well for you, and that the changes in your life and business have been positive ones.

I look forward to working with and meeting many more of you!
GEN NXT: Mason Paolini
May 2026

This month, the MCAA got to talk with Mason Paolini, a mason who has a clear passion and talent for the trade he has such high praise for. Read about Mason’s story and why he sees a future in this industry. Mason Paolini’s career began with a simple desi

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
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Marvelous Masonry: Tianjin Zhongshuge Library
May 2026

It is not unusual today for masonry to be treated as a surface decision rather than a structural one. Too often, brick enters a project late in the process, trimmed back by budgets or reduced to a veneer once the “real” building work is finished. The Tian

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
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Fechino Files: Concrete Pavers around a Pool
May 2026

Many folks over the years have placed concrete pavers around their pool as a nice form of decorative pool deck. Early in the 2000’s, I took a class held by the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute, then known as the ICPI. At the time I attended the class

Steven Fechino
Fechino Files
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Chairman's Message: Staying the Course
May 2026

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. There’s energy in the air. Jobs are picking up. Crews are hitting their rhythm. Schedules are filling up. You can feel momentum building again. And every year around this time, I find myself thinking about con

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
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