Going home together.

I just returned from my first visit to the International Builders' Show, which was held in Las Vegas. Talk about an industry that seems to be on a run of success. There was optimism everywhere. From the economists who predicted a steady year of starts for 2004, to the builders who see buyers

Unfortunately in all of the hoopla and pizzazz, there seemed to be a subtle disconnect between the home building process and masonry construction. Consequently, I was particularly happy when I met Mike Weber, Portland Cement Association's director for residential, and heard about what he had to say.

Show management hadn't even opened the exhibition hall doors to its more than 100,000 visitors, but I knew Mike had something important to relate. Weber told me he was ready to go home. He didn't mean that he was about to fly back to Chicago. He meant he was excited about inroads his group had just made with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The Building Systems Council (BSC) had just agreed to admit The Concrete Homes Building Council into its organization on the Friday before the show. It's an agreement that Weber's group had been working on for several years.

The BSC is the umbrella organization representing segments of the systems-built housing industry, including the Log Home Council, Module Building Council, and Panelized Home Council. BSC's purpose is to help train home builders in new emerging construction techniques.

"Our efforts will provide great opportunities to help builders learn more about concrete homes" Weber told me, and before I could say anything, he added, "I mean all aspects of masonry homes." (I think Weber was referring to the common belief that PCA has been touting other building systems instead of standard masonry construction of block and brick.)

Weber thinks that by partnering with home builders, his group can help educate this buying influencer on concrete; in effect, helping concrete and block structures be looked at as more than commodities or expensive add-ons.

While I'm still not certain just how committed PCA is to block, I agree with Weber that this new partnering effort will help reduce wood frame housing's dominance in the single family detached market. And fortunately for our industry, along with PCA's effort, the National Concrete Masonry Association is initiating a marketing push for its members' products.

But I'm concerned that unless the test of the marketing gurus who spend our industry's hard-earned dollars follow the NCMA and PCA efforts, there's a missed market signal.

The concrete and block folks are touting the qualities of their product--durable, mold resistant, elegant, sturdy, etc. And unless I've missed my understanding of brick and stone, they offer similar attributes.

But there is a reason why the PCA effort needs to be so focused on concrete. Just look at who is paying the bill. In addition, PCA has provided thousands of dollars on mortar research activities and in their sponsorship of the VICA Skills Masonry Committee.

So where are the brick folks in this picture?

It's a shame that at the nation's largest trade show for residential home builders, our industry's national voice for brick was missing. And it's not like the residential market isn't important to the brick guys.

>From my perspective, it's just another example of the brick industry's haphazard approach to reaching out to contractors and masons. For the last few years, the national level's attitude has been "If we tell them what to build, it will happen."

Later this month, the key people who can make a change will be at the Brick Show in Savannah, Ga. I urge you to review your marketing approach and emphasize brick to everyone who will listen. The home buyer might want brick, but unless the builder feels comfortable in using the product and contractors know how to install it properly, brick won't be used on the job.

Masonry contractors buy more brick than any other group. We need to tell the world about contractors success in going brick. The story on page 22 of this issue points out the tremendous success realized by two home builders in the Carolinas when they decided to build all-brick homes.

It would be an investment with great long-term returns. Many of our nation's largest masonry contractors who now dominate the commercial market started by building homes. And it's this group of potential power houses that our industry needs to upgrade and strengthen.

But it needs to be coordinated better on a national level. How about a Brick Home Council?

I think there's a group willing to listen for such a message. Just look at the new NAHB's logo touting the 2005 show in Orlando. It reminds members of masonry's importance.

Let's go home, while the market conditions are right.