The Bricklayer 500 is a contest designed to attract younger people to the trade and winners move on to national competition in Las Vegas.

Building with bricks and mortar pays well and there's work now for bricklayers because of a local building boom and the fact that some brick masons have moved to other states.

Some Spanish-speaking brick layers left because of a new state law aimed at illegal immigrants, known as House Bill 1804.

"It did create some vacancies for people that this industries crying for," says Charlie Boyd of Sales Manager of Tulsa Spec Mix. The demand for brick masons is so high the class teaching the trade is almost full.

This competition is designed to find the best brick layer in the region and to attract attention to the trade.

"You've got to go to school and learn. There's more to it than just laying to the line. You've got to know what's going on, how to reach the top, how to finish out," says Jeff Neely, a brick mason and competitor entered this competition for the first time last year, and finished third nationally.

"I felt great. I was a rookie. I'd never competed before. Man, I thought I did great.

Because of all the work here his business is also doing great. Many brick layers here are union members and their pay is good."

Neely is off to the national competition again after finishing first in the Tulsa competition.

Email To A Friend