By Mark Rea

Brazos Masonry Inc., which began in 1989 as a small Waco company, has grown over the past 14 years to become one of Central Texas' most recognizable and successful masonry contractors.

Brazos Masonry ranks second on this year's Texas Construction Top Specialty Contractors list among all masonry companies with reported Texas revenue of $22.8 million in 2002. And proving that masonry has become an integral part of the state's construction industry, the privately held company jumped 10 spots in this year's overall rankings to 34th.

As innovative design, construction technology, new product lines and new legislative programs all come into the marketplace, Brazos Masonry has implemented programs within its company to help propel it to the top of the masonry field.

The company cites four important disciplines for earning contracts and pleasing clients: quality, service, safety and scheduling.

Brazos Masonry has a reputation for quality workmanship, and as a result has received numerous Excellence in Masonry and Golden Trowel awards as well as numerous other high profile construction awards.

Recent masonry projects completed by the company include Southwest Texas University at Georgetown, the student life and baseball facilities at Baylor University in Waco, upgrades to the football stadium at the University of Texas, Mouna High School, University Park Middle School, the Gaines Ranch and the San Angelo Museum.

Brazos Masonry utilizes a wide variety of products in its projects, including a rainbow of color choices for concrete masonry units. In addition, grinding or burnishing (a form of polishing) the surface of the exposed face has become popular and attractive. It gives the CMU a more natural polished stone appearance - especially when sealed with a high gloss or satin masonry sealer.

Other new trends and products used by the company include a water-repellent additive known as Dry-Block, special sealants that make removing blemishes such as graffiti much easier, split- or fractured-face block, glazed-face block, combination finishes and sound-absorbing masonry units.

There is also always demand for structural brick, and Brazos Masonry has installed brick on many high-profile projects such as the Sheila and Walter Humphrey Law Center, which stands along the Brazos River on the Baylor University campus. The project was named Best Masonry Project in the 2002 Best of Texas Awards by Texas Construction.

The project consisted of 600,000 bricks, 2,800 pieces of cast stone, 2,100 pieces of Vermont slate and 35,000 burnish concrete masonry units. The burnish CMUs were a cost-saving innovation designed by Brazos Masonry. Rather than using limestone burnish block, the company opted for the CMUs. The texture and color was the same, but the cost was approximately one-half that of regular cut limestone.

Since Baylor University is such a vital part of the Waco community, the location of the Humphrey Law Center - at the entrance to the city on the Brazos - meant that the structure needed to convey a feeling of strength, courage and learning. That was accomplished with the use of various facades, stone walkways and courtyards, and outdoor terraces and study areas.