Masonry Council: 2025 Expo in Chandler on Oct. 18

The Arizona Masonry Council has announced its 2025 Masonry Expo, taking place on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Oldcastle’s Lone Butte Plant, 6629 West Germann Road in Chandler, according to a news release.

This event will showcase the skill, speed, and craftsmanship of Arizona’s masonry workforce through three competitions: high school masonry, apprentice masonry and the "Fastest Trowel on the Block" contest.

The latter is the highlight of the day, the release states, and it kicks off at 11 a.m., where seasoned masons and their tenders race against the clock to lay as many blocks as possible in 20 minutes.

This contest is not only a test of speed but a celebration of craftsmanship and pride in the trade.

The 20-minute contest pits seasoned masons and their tenders against the clock to lay as many 8"x8"x16" and 8"x8"x8" CMU blocks as possible, using 120 blocks provided by the council.

Judging is randomized to ensure fairness, and contestants must clean up their work after the initial build. The top mason earns bragging rights and a spot at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas.

This contest is a celebration of speed, precision, and pride in the trade. All contestants must follow strict safety protocols, including wearing protective gear and competition T-shirts throughout the event.

No outside consultation is allowed during the competition, and judging will be conducted by a panel of 10 industry experts per contest. 

In the high-school competition at 8 a.m., more than 30 high schools from across Arizona will send their top masonry students to compete in a one-hour challenge. Contestants will be judged on plumb, level, square and range, measurements, production, tooling, and neatness for a total of 150 possible points.

This competition showcases the next generation of skilled tradespeople and includes standout competitors, including Kate McKuen, a senior at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, who was the only Arizonan in the last two National SkillsUSA competitions.

The apprentice masonry competition starts even earlier, at 7 a.m. Apprentices from EVIT -- the East Valley Institute of Technology -- and Pima Community College will compete in a 2-hour challenge that serves as their final grade and a qualifier for the World of Concrete competition in Las Vegas in January 2026.

Apprentices from years 1, 2, and 3 will be judged on the same criteria as the high school competitors, with projects designed to test both technical skill and craftsmanship.

The Arizona Masonry Council's mission is to create significant and lasting positive change for the Arizona masonry industry and to reinforce that systems provide the premier building envelope solution in the minds of public and private owners, developers, architects, engineers, general contractors, and the general public, the release states.

Visit azmasonry.org to learn more about the council.

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