Jaun Sanchez Wins First Place at the West Tennessee SMBL500 Regional Competition!

Juan Sanchez is Titled West Tennessee’s “Best Bricklayer” at the 2022 Regional Series Event.

Dixon, TN – Mason Juan Sanchez and mason tender Justin Wise with Lopez Construction take the cake at the West Tennessee Regional event with a total brick count of 581. This team walked away with $350, a Marshalltown bag filled with gear, an etched trowel, and a 4-foot Stabila Level. In addition to those prizes, the Sanchez-Wise team secured their spot to contend at the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®. This national event will take place at the World of Concrete Tradeshow in Las Vegas on January 18th, 2023. Hundreds of teams from across North America compete at the Regional Series events and must take first 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! Teams can work fast, but if they receive too many deductions from the judges, their total brick count will take a hit. They must work with efficiency and detail to obtain minimal deductions to get the highest brick count. 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!

At the West Tennessee Regional, the competition was well-matched. Sanchez and Wise obtained the first-place position with a lead of only nine bricks laid! A total brick count of 581 was just enough to get them their tickets to Vegas. A close second was mason Vince Wright and mason tender Nick Evans with Wright Masonry. The Wright-Evans team laid 572 bricks during the journeymen event. For their efforts, this team received $300, a Marshalltown bag filled with gear, and a 2-foot Stabila Level. Just 11 bricks shy of the second-place team were mason Aristeo Hernandez and mason tender Eliso Ventura. The Hernandez-Ventura team claimed third place and the “Top Craftsman” title. This team built the perfect wall, and for their efforts, they won a combined total of $550, a Marshalltown bag filled with gear, and a 2-foot Stabila.

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 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 WEST TENNESSEE REGIONAL RESULTS

2022 JUNIOR SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 WEST TENNESSEE REGIONAL RESULTS