If you have ever pulled a TEK note to size a lintel or check a retaining wall, you have used CMHA. It is the North American association for segmental concrete products, formed by bringing two century-old organizations into one. WHAT CMHA DOES FOR THE INDUSTRY The Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association advances the industry through education, technical resources, workforce development and advocacy. It is the North American association for segmental concrete products, formed by the unification of the National Concrete Masonry Association and the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute — which is why its technical library carries both the NCMA TEK notes and the interlocking pavement standards under one roof. Members include producers, suppliers, contractors, designers and architects across the United States and Canada, and the segments it serves span concrete masonry, segmental concrete pavement, segmental retaining walls, pavers, permeable pavers, slab, articulating concrete block and manufactured stone veneer. TECHNICAL RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS TEK / Tech Notes A series of technical topics for industry professionals, each focused on a specific issue in concrete masonry and hardscape design and construction — unit properties, structural design, detailing, movement control, water penetration resistance, construction practice. The TEK numbering carried forward through the unification; the documents are now published as CMHA Tech Notes. Details Downloadable construction details that reduce design and detailing time on a CMU or hardscape project. Software Free design software packages for different components of concrete masonry and hardscape systems, plus links to limited-time trials of more extensive packages. Design manuals and calculation tools cover concrete masonry structures, segmental retaining walls and pavement systems. Concrete Masonry Designs Archived issues of the association’s design magazine, including case studies, building features and best practices for concrete masonry and hardscape products. Other Resources Publications, research reports, frequently asked questions, videos and industry links. A Physical Laboratory Members get access to the association's technical and promotional libraries and to the laboratory where products, materials and techniques are tested and optimized. Research Funding The affiliated NCMA Foundation funds industry research and education projects, including grants to other organizations, such as the development of a central masonry education hub. STANDARDS, CODES AND ADVOCACY CMHA publishes the methods and specifications used across the industry and cited in professional manuals, and it participates in the standards and code processes that govern segmental concrete products. Advocacy is one of the four pillars of its mission, so the provisions that shape what you can specify and how it has to be built are argued with the industry at the table. EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION AND WORKFORCE The association offers certification programs and educational courses built around practical application of industry knowledge and the problems that recur in the field, delivered through a learning management system alongside in-person events, trade shows and its annual meeting. WHY IT MATTERS IN NEW YORK CMHA’s resources are national, which is what makes them useful statewide: a specifier in Buffalo and an inspector in Nassau County can work from the same published TEK notes and test methods. NYSCMA acts as the state-level gateway to those national technical resources; CMHA is where the resources themselves are produced and kept current. WHERE TO START cmha.org — association home, membership, events, news, insights, TEK resources, and the technical library NCMA Foundation — funded research and education projects

October 7-8, 2026 The Lodge at Schroon Lake 210 Registration Wy Schroon Lake, New York 12870 EVENT OVERVIEW The 2026 NYSCMA Fall Conference brings together industry leaders, architects, engineers, and contractors for two days of technical presentations, hands-on workshops, and networking. The event showcased innovations in concrete and masonry construction, sustainability practices, and emerging technologies shaping the future of the industry. EVENT PROGRAM EVENT SPONSORS

UMI is an Upstate New York promotion and technical resource for commercial, industrial and institutional masonry, and its services are available to project teams working here. WHAT UMI DOES FOR THE INDUSTRY The Upstate Masonry Institute is dedicated to improving the overall utilization of masonry materials of all types in the Upstate New York area on commercial, industrial and institutional construction projects. It describes its role as representing the masonry industry by educating its audience, providing the knowledge and means of increasing efficiency and productivity in masonry, and advocating the increased use of brick, block and stone. That is a promotion mission delivered through practical help. UMI’s case for masonry is the argument owners and designers make anyway — stronger, safer, quieter, longer-lasting — and the institute’s answer to it is a set of free services that get a project team to the right detail and the right cost comparison rather than a brochure. Its tagline is “Masonry. For A Future That Matters.” PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND EDUCATION CEU/PDH Accredited Seminars Continuing education for licensed professionals, delivered as scheduled seminars. Lunch and Learn Sessions Bring a topic to the office; UMI comes to the firm. Customized Training UMI will build a program to a firm’s specific need. Onsite Reviews Field review of masonry work in progress. Design/build Reviews A look at the masonry approach while the design is still moving. Inquiries A direct channel for the one-off technical question. Guest Lectures UMI speakers for university and student audiences. THE MASONRY TOOL KIT UMI’s Tool Kit is the page to bookmark. It collects design references and calculators in one place: direct design and energy code guidance, calculating development length, a lap splice calculator, a control joint spacing calculator, and the NCMA unit strength, thermal and fire calculators. It also carries Masonry IQ, basic patterns and material schema, points to whymasonry.org for the green, affordable, flexible and safe arguments, and directs designers to imiweb.org for IMI’s extensive collection of illustrative construction details and diagrams. Alongside it, UMI publishes masonry technical notes, masonry articles, industry news and a podcast. WORKFORCE AND RECRUITING UMI runs an active recruiting channel into the trade, publishing wage ranges, a craftworker application and a list of signatory contractors. Both experienced craftworkers and people interested in an apprenticeship are encouraged to apply, and the crafts represented include stone and marble masons, terrazzo workers, pointers, cleaners and caulkers, and cement masons. The posted benefits are the union-side package: excellent paying jobs, respect on the job, safe working conditions, quality and generous health benefits, secure retirement benefits and continuing education opportunities. WHY IT MATTERS IN NEW YORK UMI is a resource that answers the phone locally: an architect in Syracuse can book a CEU seminar, a developer in the Capital Region can ask for a design/build review before the structural system is locked, and a general contractor can pull the signatory contractor list instead of guessing. It is based at 6 Airline Drive in Albany, and its scope is Upstate New York and surrounding areas — so for downstate work, start with the national organizations and with NYSCMA. VIDEOS FROM THE UPSTATE MASONRY INSTITUTE WHERE TO START masonrynetwork.org — UMI home, news and videos Services & Education — seminars, lunch and learns, onsite and design/build reviews Masonry Tool Kit — calculators, details and design references Masonry Technical Notes — UMI’s published technical guidance Signatory Contractors — who to call for the work Recruiting Information — wages, crafts and the craftworker application

TMS is a professional, technical and educational association dedicated to advancing knowledge of masonry, and it is the organization that develops TMS 402/602, the standard referenced by the International Building Code for masonry design and construction. WHAT TMS DOES FOR THE INDUSTRY The Masonry Society is a professional, technical and educational association dedicated to advancing the knowledge of masonry. Its contribution to the industry is the one every other organization depends on: it maintains the design standard, publishes the research behind it, and teaches practitioners how to apply it. Members are design engineers, architects, builders, researchers and others; the work happens in committees that connect them through active professional networks, and at an annual meeting with education sessions and committee meetings. STANDARDS AND CODE INVOLVEMENT TMS 402/602, Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures, contains two standards and their commentaries. TMS 402 covers the design and construction of masonry structures; TMS 602 sets minimum construction requirements, including the quality assurance provisions used for masonry inspection. Both are written as legal documents so they can be adopted by reference in building regulations; the commentaries explain background, committee rationale and the research behind the provisions, and are advisory only. Older specifications may cite the same documents as “MSJC,” from the era when the standards were developed jointly with the American Concrete Institute and the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE through the Masonry Standards Joint Committee; TMS has been the sole sponsor since that committee was re-designated, and the content line is continuous. The International Building Code references TMS 402 and TMS 602 for the design and construction of structural masonry, veneer and glass unit masonry, which is how the standard reaches state and local code. TECHNICAL RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS TMS 402/602 In print, online subscription and offline secure formats, with multi-user and bulk options for firms and classrooms. Masonry Designers' Guide The companion design reference that works the code provisions through examples. TMS Journal North America's only technical journal dedicated to research, construction, materials and design of masonry — peer-reviewed work on shear walls, out-of-plane wall design, beam detailing, seismic provisions and code comparisons. Newsletters and Q&A TMS e-newsletters, e-news briefs and TMS Responds answer common — and not-so-common — questions on masonry and report on research efforts; the sustainability e-news has been offered free to all. EDUCATION AND THE NEXT GENERATION TMS developed a Masonry Education Hub as a central location for masonry education aimed primarily at designers, university faculty and students, gathering videos, recorded webinars, Night School classes and university courses in one place and letting users track educational hours toward their own credentials. Night School modules include masonry basics and masonry testing of units, mortar, grout and assemblies. WHY IT MATTERS IN NEW YORK New York's building code is built on the International Codes, which reference TMS 402/602 — so the provisions a New York engineer designs to and an inspector enforces are written in TMS committees. Two practical consequences: keep the edition question straight, because the edition referenced by the code in force governs, not the newest one published; and if you want to influence a provision rather than just comply with it, committee participation is the route. WHERE TO START masonrysociety.org — membership, committees, education and the annual meeting TMS 402/602 — editions, formats and change summaries standards.masonrysociety.org — the online standards library journal.masonrysociety.org — TMS Journal articles and author information

MCAA educates, trains and represents the mason contractor. It is the national trade association for the firms that actually build masonry, and its work runs from federal code advocacy to a contractor certification that owners can specify. WHAT MCAA DOES FOR THE INDUSTRY MCAA’s commitment is stated plainly: preserving and promoting the masonry industry by providing continuing education, advocating fair codes and standards, fostering a safe work environment, recruiting future manpower, and marketing the benefits of masonry materials. In practice that means the contractor’s perspective is represented where codes are written, the people who run the work have somewhere to learn to run it better, and there is an organized effort to bring new workers into the trade. STANDARDS AND CODE INVOLVEMENT MCAA works building codes and standards on behalf of mason contractors and designers, including ASTM, the masonry standards committee behind TMS 402/602, ASCE and the International Building Code. That is the contractor's seat at the table where constructability, quality assurance and inspection requirements are decided — the provisions that later show up as specification sections and inspection checklists. CERTIFICATION: A QUALITY MEASURE OWNERS CAN SPECIFY MCAA developed the national Masonry Certification program to give customers an objective way to select mason contractors committed to quality. The association's argument is straightforward: without certification, the only basis for selection is comparing bids and choosing the lowest, which puts the decision on price rather than on the quality of the work. Certified firms display a certification seal. EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT Courses for Running the Work Programs include Masonry Foreman Development, Basic Masonry Estimating, the Masonry Quality Institute, Masonry Wall Bracing, and Understanding Masonry Codes and Standards, delivered through the association's National Education Series. Recruitment into the Trade MCAA provides information on masonry careers to students, parents and high schools, supports the establishment of pre-apprentice and apprenticeship programs, and assists local training programs. Safety Recognition The association recognizes member safety performance through its Safety Advantage Awards, presented at association meetings. Supplier Engagement The Masonry Alliance Program gives manufacturers and suppliers a structured way to support the association's programs, with details published on its own site. WHY IT MATTERS IN NEW YORK New York mason contractors bidding public and institutional work face the same pressures MCAA was built to address: low-bid selection, code changes that land mid-project, and a labor pipeline that has to be rebuilt every year. The state chairman structure gives New York firms a route into national advocacy, the certification gives them something to put in front of an owner besides a number, and the foreman, estimating and wall bracing courses are directly applicable on a Northeast jobsite. WHERE TO START masoncontractors.org — membership, technical resources and news About MCAA — mission, governance and committees Masonry Certification — requirements, exam and registration

IMI is a joint trust of a union and the contractors who employ its members, and it spends its budget on training craftworkers and on technical help for the designers who specify their work. WHAT IMI DOES FOR THE INDUSTRY The International Masonry Institute exists to educate and empower the industry to build responsibly. It is a labor-management partnership between members of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and the contractors who employ them, and its mission language is explicit: advocating for durable, sustainable materials installed by qualified union craftworkers and the responsible contractors who employ them. Every program it runs serves one of two ends — a craftworker who can build the detail, or a design team that can draw one that builds well. That dual purpose is why the same organization trains apprentices and works details with architects: IMI staffs architects, engineers, construction managers, craftworkers and instructors. Its suite of contractor services is available to contractors signatory with BAC. TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGN TEAM IMI's technical staff works with architecture, engineering and construction professionals to deliver efficient, economical masonry and tile systems, on new construction and existing buildings alike, and offers technical support and information on masonry products, systems and performance. It also publishes model specification language that lets designers write craft certificates and certifications directly into project labor requirements, a practical way to put a quality floor under a bid package. EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING A National Training Network BAC craftworkers train through a network of more than 100 training centers with certified instructors teaching curriculum designed to meet or exceed industry standards, anchored by the BAC/IMI International Training Center. Registered Apprenticeship IMI's National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards are certified by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship as substantially conforming to 29 CFR parts 29 and 30; local sponsors register their own standards under them. Career-long Craft Training The International Masonry Training and Education Foundation trains BAC members from pre-job and apprentice training onward in brick, stone, tile, marble, terrazzo, pointing-caulking-cleaning, refractory, plaster, cement and mosaic work, plus advanced training on emerging cladding systems. Certificates and Certifications Programs cover historic masonry preservation, grout and reinforced masonry, advanced tile installation, foreman and supervisory skills, rainscreen systems and more. Safety, Built In All pre-job, apprenticeship and craftworker training programs include OSHA-compliant safety training, with courses such as OSHA 10 and 30, fall protection and scaffolding. Business Education for Contractors Continuing education on estimating and bidding strategy, project management, cost control and analysis, and on new technologies, products, systems and changes to codes and standards. WHY IT MATTERS IN NEW YORK Where New York projects are built by BAC signatory contractors, IMI is the practical answer to two recurring questions: who is trained to do this work, and who will help solve the detail before it becomes a change order. Owners and designers can use IMI’s published specification language to require certified installers; contractors signatory with BAC can use its business courses and technical support; and the training-center network is where the next generation of New York craftworkers is trained. WHERE TO START imiweb.org — technical services, education and project resources About IMI — the labor-management partnership and Team IMI Contractor services — training, market development and continuing education imtef.org — craft training, certifications and the International Training Center BAC on IMI — the union side of the partnership

The Concrete Masonry Checkoff funds programs that put design assistance, education and marketing support in the hands of the people who specify and build with concrete masonry units. Three flagship programs carry most of that work, and all three are free to use. BEAUTY OF BLOCK NATIONAL MARKETING PROGRAM Beauty of Block is the national marketing developed platform to increase demand for concrete masonry by influencing the architects, designers and decision-makers who shape tomorrow’s projects. Grounded in industry research, the campaign provides a unified story that highlights the beauty, resiliency, sustainability and performance of CMU while challenging outdated perceptions of what block can achieve. Beyond raising awareness, the program equips regions with campaign tools, marketing resources and a shared framework that help generate leads and turn interest into opportunities at the local level. Through ongoing content, project storytelling and design inspiration, Beauty of Block moves concrete masonry from consideration to specification. RESOURCES INCLUDE Beauty of Block campaign content Project Profiles Inspiration Gallery Regional marketing framework Marketing resources and campaign assets supporting resiliency, sustainability, efficient design, cost savings and aesthetics BLOCK DESIGN COLLECTIVE NATIONAL DESIGN ASSISTANCE NETWORK The Block Design Collective (BDC) is a centralized design assistance resource created to support architects, engineers and contractors working with concrete masonry units. Whether you are exploring CMU for the first time or refining complex project details, the BDC provides fast, reliable guidance to help teams move forward with confidence. Supported through industry funding, the BDC offers complimentary project assistance that helps project teams evaluate masonry systems, solve technical challenges and make informed design decisions early in the process. Users also have access to Regional Technical Directors who provide localized expertise and hands-on support at every stage. From code compliance and detailing to constructibility and performance, the BDC helps teams determine if, where and how CMU can improve a project’s performance, aesthetics and bottom line. RESOURCES INCLUDE: Block Bites Continuing education Design calculators Details and specs Guides and manuals Technical notes BLOCK LEARNING HUB NATIONAL EDUCATION PLATFORM The Block Learning Hub is the concrete masonry industry’s online education and learning platform, providing architects, engineers and contractors with resources to better understand the design, construction and performance of concrete masonry units. It brings together education content from across the industry, covering concrete masonry design, materials, construction, building codes and standards, and real-world applications. The Hub offers continuing education and professional development, including AIA-approved courses and both live and on-demand learning. Its Train the Trainer program extends that education into local markets by preparing sales teams to lead Hub-based learning events and engage professionals in their regions. RESOURCES INCLUDE: AIA continuing education courses On-demand learning modules Live educational webinars Technical education focused on concrete masonry WHY THESE PROGRAMS ARE FREE None of this costs a design team or a contractor anything, because the Checkoff is funded by the concrete masonry industry itself. It was authorized by the Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2018 and is overseen by a board of industry members appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, the first checkoff program ever established at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Producers fund it through a per-unit assessment; at least half the money collected in a region stays in that region. WHY IT MATTERS IN NEW YORK Every program above is available to a New York practitioner today: a design team in Albany can open a Block Design Collective project assistance request, a firm can run AIA courses from the Block Learning Hub, and a contractor or producer can pull Beauty of Block materials for a regional push. WHERE TO START beautyofblock.com — the Beauty of Block campaign, project profiles and the inspiration gallery blockdesign.org — the Block Design Collective: complimentary project assistance, calculators, details and specs beautyofblock.com/learn — the Block Learning Hub: AIA and PDH courses, on-demand courses and live webinars concretemasonrycheckoff.org/programs — program explorer, spotlights and how to submit a program