DATE: 1/7/2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FROM: SPEC MIX®, Inc.

MASONRY MADNESS™ AT THE 2016 WORLD OF CONCRETE SHOW

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2016 –LAS VEGAS CONVENTIONS CENTER GOLD LOT

4 EVENTS IN 1 DAY – OVER $120,000 IN CASH & PRIZES ON THE LINE

LAS VEGAS, NV—You don’t want to miss MASONRY MADNESS™ Day at the World of Concrete tradeshow in Las Vegas!

It’s a series of four intense masonry competitions taking place one after the other in one massive arena and it all takes

place on February 3rd in the GOLD LOT at the Las Vegas Convention Center. There’s nothing like it on the planet as

thousands of spectators pack the MASONRY MADNESS Arena to see the best bricklayers, block layers, mason

apprentices, and tenders battle to prove they are the world’s best. The headliner event is the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER

500® World Championship. Nowhere else in the world will you see such highly skilled craftsmen compete for the largest

value of cash and prizes awarded for any construction industry trade event—it’s pure MASONRY MADNESS!

WATCH A LIVE WEBCAST AT WWW.SPECMIXBRICKLAYER500.COM

Ranked as the top attraction during the World of Concrete tradeshow, this masonry party takes place at the Las Vegas

Convention Center’s Gold Lot. Spectators and webcast viewers will witness an amazing display of human skill and

endurance as over 90 masons fight for the champion title in their respective competitions. Throughout the day the

crowd will have chances to participate in sponsor demonstrations and games to win prizes and discover the latest

product innovations impacting the efficiency and cost savings available to contractors. The action in the Masonry

Madness Arena is as real as it gets. Anything can happen in Las Vegas, especially during MASONRY MADNESS Day, but it

only happens once a year, so don’t miss out!

New this year, in addition to the competitions, SPEC MIX®, Inc. and the Mason Contractors Association of America have

added the “Masonry Innovations & Workforce Development Zone.” This section of the arena is established to showcase

the latest industry advancements that have made a positive impact on masonry construction. The event will have 10

stations that will educate WOC/MASONRY MADNESS Day attendees through displays and live demonstrations on the

new technology, products and systems making masonry more efficient, productive and safer, yet less labor intensive.

The ultimate goal of the event is to show that the masonry industry has significantly evolved over the past 5-10 years

allowing it to be more attractive when recruiting/expanding a much needed workforce.

MASONRY MADNESS

Masonry Innovations & Workforce Development Zone Events:

SAM the robotic bricklayer demo

BIM-Masonry demo and learning session

IMI/BAC demo on new masonry wall systems and installation

Silica Dust Solutions—dust free equipment and education on silica PEL

Proper Natural stone thin veneer installation

NCMA “Outdoor Living” display and paver/manufactured stone installation techniques

Innovative water drainage systems demo/installation

MCAA/LIUNA tradesman certification sessions

Proper use of Masonry cleaners, sealers and air-weather barrier systems

Sessions on field-testing mortars & grouts

We are also proud to announce that SPEC MIX® is working side-by-side with the MCAA on its non-profit Masonry

Foundation to help generate awareness and support to benefit the future of the trade and those keeping it strong.

Founded in 2008, the Masonry Foundation works to fund efforts that forward important industry research, technological

innovations, marketing initiatives, educational programs, and comprehensive workforce development campaigns. The

foundation is made up of a multitude of successful industry professionals, who volunteer their time to help encourage

those, both inside and out of the trade, to recognize the importance of masonry and communicate what needs to be

done to sustain its future. As such, the foundation helps to provide masons and apprentices both foundational and

advanced education to help develop the necessary skills that meet the demands of the modern jobsite.

For more information on how to join or donate, visit masonryfoundation.org or call toll free at (800) 536-2225.

Starting at 9:00 AM the 4 events in 1 day run one after the other at the above start times in the Gold Lot.

MASONRY MADNESS SCHEDULE

The SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship has become the #1 attraction at the World of Concrete.

SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – 12:15 PM Pacific (local Vegas time)

Twenty-three of the top bricklayers in the world go all out for 60 minutes in this test of speed, skill, and stamina to take

home the gold! This is the main event. The journeymen bricklayers and their trusty tenders from all over the U.S.,

Canada, and Australia fiercely compete for the title of World’s Best Bricklayer and a purse of over $100,000 in cash and

prizes, which includes a 2016 FORD F-250 4x4 Super Duty XLT truck. Hands down a crowd favorite as spectators are

frequently called from the bleachers to participate in games and demonstrations to win prizes.

MCAA FASTEST TROWEL ON THE BLOCK – 11:30 AM Pacific (local Vegas time)

See this top block layer showdown as they push their skills and endurance to the limit for 20 grueling minutes of pure

excitement with a purse of over $12,000 in cash and prizes.

An amazing feat of physical endurance showing that working smarter and harder is what they do every day.

SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER® – 10:45 AM Pacific (local Vegas time)

Watch as the world’s top mason tenders compete for the fastest time setting up their mason’s SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER

500® workstation. With the ultimate determination, each will be hauling tons of brick, block, equipment, and materials

to beat their peers and take home $2,500 in cash and prizes.

The best block layers around lay up to 6 or 7 courses of CMU in just 20 minutes in front of a crowd close enough to smell the mortar.

This is where they get a chance to prove their skill as top apprentices from all over the US compete trowel to trowel.

MCAA MASONRY SKILLS CHALLENGE – 9:00 AM Pacific (local Vegas time) Witness the top bricklayer apprentices in their first, second and third year of training, showcase their skills as they prove

they have the right stuff, and step up their game in this 3-hour bricklaying competition. The exciting competition

spotlights our industry's finest young masons and focuses attention on careers in the masonry industry.

MASONRY MADNESS EVENT SPONSORS

SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 and SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER® Sponsors The generous sponsors who support the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 and the SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER® are the

major product and service suppliers in the industry. Partnering with national masonry associations, together we work to

support the trade and build its future. The event provides masonry contractors a look at that future with demonstrations

of the latest developments in the industry. It’s knowledge that makes the masonry industry as efficient and profitable as

possible in a competitive environment. During the day live sponsor demonstrations are not a product-on-a-pedestal

booth experience, but a real, gritty display of equipment and services in action, just as they would be on a jobsite. These

are the sponsors that support our trade:

PLATINUM LEVEL SPEC MIX, Inc. Ford Commercial Vehicles Hydro Mobile QUIKRETE Multiquip Belden Brick Company STABILA GOLD LEVEL

MCAA

STIHL, Inc.

Marshalltown Company

iQ Power Tools

Prism Pigments

Beta Max Hoists

Mortar Net Solutions

Blaklader

CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL

GATORBACK Mortarboards

Xtreme Manufacturing

AZ Best Block

Safway Scaffold

Jackson Tools

Easy-Spred

MCAA FASTEST TROWEL on the BLOCK Sponsors

SPEC MIX, Inc. AZ Best Block National Masonry Cement Association

MCAA MASONRY SKILLS CHALLENGE Sponsors SPEC MIX, Inc. BAC IMI

World of Concrete Exhibit Show Hours

The tradeshow hall exhibits are open to the public from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM starting Tuesday, February 2trd to Thursday,

February 4th and from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM (Show Close) on Friday, February 5th. All times listed are Pacific Standard

Time.

For more information on these events go to:

SPECMIX BRICKLAYER 500® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP & SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER®

www.specmixbricklayer500.com or go to The 2016 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship Digital Magazine

that will give you a history and background of the Regional and World competition program.

MCAA FAESTEST TROWEL ON THE BLOCK For more information on this event go to: http://www.fastesttrowel.com/

MCAA MASONRY SKILLS CHALLENGE For more information on this event go to: http://www.masoncontractors.org/masonry-skills-challenge/ 2016 World of Concrete: http://www.worldofconcrete.com

Additional information:

SPEC MIX® Inc. is the construction industry’s national source for high quality; factory preblended cement-based building

products for the construction industry. With more than 60 manufacturing facilities in all major markets across the US

and Canada, SPEC MIX production plants utilize state of the art batching equipment and the finest materials to ensure

total quality control throughout your project. SPEC MIX offers various silo systems to maximize a contractor’s proficiency

and safety rating. The mission of SPEC MIX Inc. is to keep a masonry crew going, moving and working safely—all day,

every day.

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is the national trade association representing mason

contractors. The MCAA is committed to preserving and promoting the masonry industry by providing continuing

education, advocating fair codes and standards, fostering a safe work environment, recruiting future manpower, and

marketing the benefits of masonry materials.

MCAA was incorporated in 1950. Its purpose is to help educate, train, and represent the mason contractor through its

various programs aiding members to maintain its competitive edge against other construction methods. In addition, the

MCAA promotes the use of masonry, recruits and assists in training of the industries workforce, impacts federal

legislative and standard issues affecting contractors and provides educational programs for the key employees of

member firms.

World of Concrete is the industry’s ONLY annual international event dedicated to the commercial concrete and masonry

construction industries. Featuring indoor and outdoor exhibits with the industry’s leading suppliers showcasing

innovative products and technologies, exciting demonstrations and competitions, and a world-class education program.

Visit www.worldofconcrete.com for complete show details

NOTE USE OF TERMS: Please respect all legal trademarks for trade use. In print, the correct way to refer to the

competition event is the 2016 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship, and MASONRY MADNESS™ or

MASONRY MADNESS™ Day, case use as shown. The award titles for SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN®, and SPEC MIX

TOUGHEST TENDER®, should be in all caps followed by the word, “award.” When writing about our corporation the

correct way to write our corporate name is SPEC MIX®, Inc. If referring to SPEC MIX brand the correct way is SPEC MIX®.

The ® mark should always be used on the 2016 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®, and SPEC MIX®, Inc. the first time either

term is used in body copy and always used when either term is in a headline or sub-headline. The same is correct for

MASONRY MADNESS™ or MASONRY MADNESS™ Day.

If any of these title terms are used for mass media news or editorial use, we ask that the full term be used at least once

at the beginning of the article, thereafter, “event or competition” would be acceptable terms. Please do not cut, rename

or edit the legal trademarked name of the event so as to maintain the legal brand name and its integrity.

If you have any questions regarding this event, need images, video footage or logos, contact the name listed below.

For further information about this press release contact:

Jeff Farmakes

SPEC MIX®, Inc.

Marketing/Marketing Communications

O 888-773-2649

E jfarmakes@specmix.comU