Fred Campbell Wins the 2022 East Tennessee SPEC MIX Bricklayer 500®

Campbell finishes with a 100+ brick count above his peers to snag the Best Bricklayer Title in East Tennessee!

Limestone, TN – Fred Campbell displays a final count of 673 bricks in 60 minutes! Campbell worked alongside his Mason Tender Javior Molina with Creative Masonry to secure the East Tennessee Best Bricklayer Title! Competing against six other teams, the Campbell-Molina team has won themselves the opportunity to compete in the largest event the construction industry has to offer, the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®, which takes place in Las Vegas at the World of Concrete Tradeshow on January 18th, 2023. Hundreds of teams from across North America compete at the Regional Series events and must take 1st place to win their tickets to the championship competition. With the 22 regional competitions scheduled, all contenders only have one shot to show the judges they have what it takes to compete in what is known as the “Superbowl of Masonry”.

In teams of two, one mason and one mason tender have a single hour to build the tallest brick wall at 26 feet in length. Bricklaying is no small assessment, as these teams must work quickly and with the fewest craftsmanship errors possible to win the opportunity to advance to compete in Las Vegas at the World Championship! Not only will the winning team qualify to compete in Vegas with all expenses paid, but they also have the chance to win a portion of over $125,000 in cash and prizes, including a new Ford F-250 4×4 truck, Kubota RTV-X1140, Essick Pro12 Mortar Mixer, and the ultimate title of the World’s Best Bricklayer!

Campbell has competed at Las Vegas in the past, but at his last World Championship, he fell ill two days before the competition. While under the weather, he still competed in the event, but did not come out with a win. The 2023 Championship will be the fourth time Campbell will compete in Vegas. Although he did not train for the regional event in East Tennessee, he knows training is a must for the Las Vegas competition. With 800 bricks laid and no deductions, his goals are set, “I practice in the shop and get it every time” states Campbell. Will he hit his goal and prevail at the World Championship in Las Vegas? Grinning, Campbell says “I have a feeling this year will be the year”, with both CHAMPION and TOP CRAFTSMAN titles in mind. Campbell may not want to take the truck home with him this time, and if he wins the truck, it will be a surprise in what he chooses to do with it. Past years, Campbell has brought many supporters along for the competition. As of now, he knows there will be at least 30-40 of his friends, family, and others with him at the World Championship! On top of winning his trip to compete in Vegas, Campbell won $350, a Stabila 4-foot level, and a Marshalltown bag filled with gear and ceremonial etched trowel.

The second-place winner was mason Adan Valdivia and mason tender Salvador Cruz with A&D Masonry of Johnson City, TN. His team had a 554-brick count, taking home $250 and a Marshalltown bag filled with gear. And in third place, mason Luis Perez and mason tender Diego Perez with JLP Pro Masonry of Greeneville, TN. In addition to winning third, the Perez team also won the title of TOP CRAFTSMAN for building the perfect wall with no deductions! The Perez team walked away with $350, and a Marshalltown bag filled with gear.

At the East Tennessee Regional event, the JR. BRICKLAYER 500 took place; during the JR. BL500 event, masonry apprentices and students display their skills in a shortened version of the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500. The JR. BL500 competition is a 20-minute bricklaying event where the best masonry student or apprentice can win cash prizes, and the JR. BRICKLAYER 500 Champion title. The champion of the East Tennessee Regional event, Fred Campbell, had his two children, Kendra Parman and Bubba Campbell compete in the JR. BL500 this year. Kendra Parman representing Creative Masonry, took first place by laying 95 bricks and won $250, and Bubba Campbell, also with Creative Masonry, at just 11 years of age, got third place with a 72-brick count and no deductions. His perfect wall won him $100!

Disclosures:
In 2019, the SPEC MIX organization partnered with other masonry associations to create the JR. SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Competition. In 2022, of the twenty-two Regional Series competitions, twelve will also hold JR. BRICKLAYER 500 contests to give high schoolers and masonry apprentices the chance to compete for their state title. The program has proven remarkably successful and highly supported by the Mason Contractors Association of America, school administrators, and numerous masonry supply manufacturers and dealers. To learn more, visit  https://www.specmix.com/jr-spec-mix-bricklayer-500/.

If you are interested in becoming a fan, the 21st annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship will take place on January 18th, 2023, at the World of Concrete tradeshow in Las Vegas; the Las Vegas Convention Center Bronze Lot. At this competition, you will see 26 world-class masons lay it all on the line to claim their portion of the total purse valued at more than $125,000. Prizes include a new Ford F-250 4×4 Super Duty truck, Kubota RTV-X1140, Multiquip Pro 12 Mortar Mixer, Additionally, there will be other prizes from Hilti, IQ Power Tools, Stabila, Marshalltown, STIHL, Blaklader Workwear, and Belden Brick.

If you have any questions, or would like to set up an interview with any of the competitors, please contact Brian Carney at 612-859-4505 or by email at Brian.Carney@specmix.com

SPEC MIX is your North American source for high quality, factory produced cement-based building materials that are preblended for the construction industry. SPEC MIX products are precisely engineered to meet ASTM and building code requirements. Projects designed for the installation of brick, CMU, stone, stucco or building repair and restoration, SPEC MIX offers a full line of products packaged in 80 & 3,000-pound bags produced with state-of-the-art batching equipment to ensure quality and consistency from start to finish. For optimal jobsite efficiency, safety, and productivity, we provide contractors with numerous silo material mixing systems that maximize a contractor’s cost savings, safety and profitability. For more information, visit www.specmix.com.

2022 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 EAST TENNESSEE REGIONAL RESULTS

2022 JUNIOR SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 EAST TENNESSEE REGIONAL RESULTS