2016 Douglas Drye Award

Words: Lynn NashFor the second year in a row Fred T. Foard High School in Catawba County received the 2016 Doug Drye Award for best overall performance in the masonry competitions at the 2016 Greensboro NC SkillUSA State Conference in
April.

The Overall Performance Award is named in honor of Douglas Drye who retired from Mount Pleasant High in 2008 and still holds the record for the most high school national masonry champions of all the masonry instructors in the country. The award is presented by NCMCA and The Southeast Concrete Masonry Association.

Fred T. Foard High School is a three-time Drye Award winner having also earned the recognition in 2012 and 2015.

In the photo, NCMCA President Bob Gates, right of plaque, presents the award to instructor Rick Greene, left of plaque, joined by the seniors in Greene’s masonry class, industry officials and local masonry contractors: standing right to left, C.E.Moser and Wayne Starr, officers of the Western Carolina NCMCA chapter; Byard Stevens, President of the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association; masonry contractor Neil Dellinger; and President Gates.
The STABILA Force Driven by Operations
July 2025

Leadership In today's competitive business landscape, maintaining an efficient, well-organized warehouse is essential for meeting customer demands and ensuring smooth operations. By implementing effective processes and best practices, businesses can achi

MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 24 Recap: Gary Hensley, VP of Sales at Oldcastle Adams
July 2025

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Gary Hensley joins Justin in Indianapolis to talk about his story within the masonry industry, how he got started, how he's seen it evolve, and where he sees it going. Why the Masonry Industry? Concrete and

The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Business Building: Do Project Manager / Estimator Combos Work?
July 2025

Steve owns SJP Contractors, a mid-size general contractor specializing in commercial projects. Over the last several years, his company has grown to over $16 million in annual sales, with an average project size of $500,000 to $1,500,000, employing 45 off