It doesn’t matter if you’re just learning how to handle a trowel, or you’ve been running work for years. The people who come to The Flynn Center know that it helps to learn all you can, from the experts.

“I’m ready for work“      

Zach Jamison comes from a family of masons, but to learn his trade, he came here. His home local, BAC 3NY, uses the center to start their apprentices off right with an intensive pre-job program where they live and breathe bricklaying for eight weeks. “You learn a lot,” says Zach, who has one week to go. “I’m ready for work.”

“A chance to do new things”    

Sergio Viamont has been working in stone since 2004, first as a helper and then apprentice with BAC Local 1MVD. With his apprenticeship nearly over, Sergio wants to upgrade his skills to make himself as marketable as possible, so he spent a couple of weeks here learning rubble stone. He is optimistic that his new training will “give me a chance to do new things.”

“Quality is the big issue”    

 As general manager for the masonry division of a general contractor, Chuck Applegate has plenty of experience. But when the company started having callbacks and quality concerns, he knew it was time to learn more. To protect and polish their reputation, he and four journeymen from BAC Local 15MOK traveled from Springfield, Missouri and spent a week learning Jahn restoration mortars and caulking. “The biggest thing for us was quality,” says Applegate. “This helps our reputation and gives a big advantage in scheduling, because we can provide that skill easier. This has been really good for us.”

“It’s good to know more”     

Bruce Drennan from BAC Local 8IL has worked as a mason for more than two decades, but as part of a small masonry staff at Eastern Illinois University, he keeps on returning to The Flynn Center to learn more, including tile, terrazzo and now pointing/cleaning/caulking. It helps him handle any problems that arise, and makes him a valuable employee. “It’s worked out very well,” he says.

Daltile Tile Corp. has been around a long time, and is a recognized leader in tile and manufactured stone. They are also smart enough to know what they don’t know. That’s why they turned to IMI to help them launch their new adhered manufactured veneer.

Daltile folks know that you can have the greatest product in the world, but if it’s not installed properly, its reputation (and theirs) can be permanently damaged before it even has a chance.

They turned to IMI design and training experts, who researched codes and compliance issues and came up with some installation best practices.

At a product kickoff in Phoeniz last week, Daltile had IMI share its knowledge with an appreciative audience of architects, who left feeling a lot more confident, and excited, about specifying it.

They also learned to ask for trained contractors, which IMI helps with as part of paving the way for this new market.

“In this economy, it’s tempting to jump at the lowest bid, but you get what you pay for,” notes BAC Local 3 AZ/NM/TX President Jim Cahill.

What could have been a bumpy takeoff is now soaring in the right direction.

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