JT Payne Wins First Place at the SMBL500 Missouri Regional Event.

Payne Earns, “Missouri’s Best Bricklayer” Title for the 2022 Competition!

Cape Girardeau, MO – Payne lays 570 bricks in 60 minutes to claim the first-place position. Mason JT Payne and mason tender Jeff Head with Foeste Masonry swept the competition in the Missouri regionals. With a brick count 85 above second place and over double third place, the Payne-Head team finished with quite the lead amongst the other contenders. Not only did this team take first place, but they also secured their spot to compete at the championships in Las Vegas. This competition is the best event the construction industry has to offer, the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®, taking place on January 18th, 2023, at the World of Concrete Tradeshow in Las Vegas. 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 competition 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 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!

Taking first place, as mentioned above, was mason JT Payne and mason tender Jeff Head with Foeste Masonry. This team walked away with $600, a 4-foot Stabila Level, and two tickets to compete in Vegas. In the past, Payne has won the Hilti Cordless Radio Prize. 

Second place and the “Top Craftsman” title went to mason Rudy Menke and mason tender Steve Braswell with John Smith Masonry. This team finished with a 485-brick count, and the judges stated they had the perfect wall. This teams zero-deduction wall won them a combined total of $700 and a 2-foot Stabila Level. Third place for this event, went to mason Geraldo Chacon and mason tender Felipe Tosado with John Smith Masonry. As first-time competitors, this team had a 277-brick count, allotting them $300 and a 2-foot Stabila Level. 

Disclosures:
In 2019, the SPEC MIX organization partnered with other masonry associations to create the Junior SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Competition. This year of the 22 Regional Series competitions, 12 will also hold Junior BRICKLAYER 500 contests that give high school 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, and 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 JOURNEYMEN SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 MISSOURI REGIONAL RESULTS