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2019 COMPETITOR ROSTER | BIOS

14 STEVE THIBAULT 15 LEIF REINTS
QUEBEC REGIONAL 2018 SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN
TENDER: MATHIEU ROBERT TENDER: MICHAEL WEISINGER
ANTWILL-MORIN REINTS MASONRY
MONTREAL, QC WYANDOTTE, OK
For 27-year-old mason Steve Thi- “Amazing.” That is what
bault of Point-Calumet, Quebec, Leif Reints of Reints Ma-
bricklaying was a natural fit. He sonry in Wyandotte Okla-
took up masonry after giving it a homa said when asked
shot, and realized he loved it. He’s how it felt to win the 2018
been with his company, Atwill-Morin for the last three years, and SPECMIX BRICKLAYER
now he gets to represent them on the world’s biggest masonry 500 Top Craftsman award.
stage. He went on to say, “It felt
amazing because brick-
While a lot of masons put in a ton of extra effort to get to Las Vegas, laying is hard work, it
Thibault just watched videos from last year, he believes that strate- took time to even win the
gy will prove him well come January, “It would be nice to make the regional and it is never a
same wall we do a couple times before heading for Las Vegas, but given even after 20 years.”
just laying some bricks should do the job.”
An Oklahoma vocational school taught Reints the skills of brick-
Thibault laid 428 brick in his qualifying effort in Montreal. He en- laying. But it almost didn’t. Rients was set on the school’s automo-
joys the idea of the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®, saying, “It is tive program but it was full. Some buddies were in the masonry
very satisfying to prove you’re the best at what you do for a living program, it wasn’t full and he signed up. After going through the
so I think it’s a good thing having the occasion to measure yourself program, one day his instructor showed him an ad in the news-
to the best guys around.” paper for a brick company for sale. Reints bought it. Like that, he
became a masonry business owner. He saw a house under con-
struction needing to be bricked, he asked if he could do it, they said
16 MIKE SCHLUND yes and he did it. His first job was under his belt. “I have always
been pretty driven.” He admitted.
WISCONSIN REGIONAL
Reints believes proper training is an important part of masonry.
TENDER: JOE SAUTNER “When you learn, when taught properly, you have better results
KOWALSKI MASONRY and become confident in your ability.” The skill brings the confi-
WAUSAU, WI dence. It is what he believes if anything was the secret to winning
SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN. In fact, when discussing prepera-
For 36-year-old mason Mike tion for the SPEC MIX main event at the World of Concrete in Las
Schlund of Kowalski Masonry in Vegas Nevada he chuckled and mentioned he might stay out a wee
Wausau, Wisconsin, the hard work bit late the night before.
finally paid off. On his fourth try he
earned his spot on the SPEC MIX Regarding work, the year following his win has been good to
BRICKLAYER 500® championship roster. Schlund has been a re- him. He is busy. He isn’t quite sure if it is due to the win. Job re-
peat second-place finisher at the Wisconsin regionals, but this year quests have picked up in his area and many mason contractors are
was different. With a brick count of 407, he finally took the title, swamped. What he does know is that the win was an appreciated
“Wisconsin’s Best Bricklayer,” and he gives all the credit to the ef- bump financially. It is definitely not a bad thing having SPEC MIX
fort he put in before the event. “I finally got it this year. I practiced TOP CRAFTSMAN on your resume.
three times a week for three weeks prior. I worked on building
leads and laying the backside of the wall.” Not being a large company recruiting new blood into the indus-
try is often by word of mouth – a relative, friend or referral. From
Schlund knows that to be competitive in Las Vegas he’s going to there it is quality hands-on training. “It’s a good feeling to pass on
need to lay more than 407 brick. “I have a game plan. Some guys the skill.” I see some guys out there [around the age of 60] still lay-
are putting up 700 brick, but I think I can compete. If I can get 600 ing brick. I don’t know how they do it. Reints ponders about when
good brick on the wall, I’d be happy with that.” he gets to that place in life. He sees himself passing on the skills in
a mentoring and teaching role to assure there is a new quality next
generation.

32 SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 | 2019 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
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