Mullis wins at the Fair
Lane Mullis advances to Las Vegas
By Lynn Nash
Contest Chairman Calvin Brodie and Contest Head Judge Doug Burton have announced that eighteen-year-old Lane Mullis, an apprentice with McGee Brothers Company in Monroe since June 2012, is the Champion of the 61st Annual NC Department of Commerce State Fair Masonry Apprentice Skills Contest.
Finishing in ninth through tenth place respectively: Arron Webb, Salem Little, both of McGee Brothers Company, Janson Huntley of Huntley Brothers Company, Reid Hallman, Kohl Whitlow, Trevin Mull, Jacob Broadway, all four from McGee Brothers, Channing Huntley of Huntley Brothers Company, and Kaleb McGee of McGee Brothers Company. The top ten scores ranged from 166 to 148 out of a possible 180.
2014 NC SkillsUSA State Champion Blake Hodges of South Rowan High School finished “First” in the high school/pre-apprentice division, followed respectively by Cody Harrison of Mount Pleasant High School in Second Place and William Smith of East Randolph High School in Third Place.
Fifteen apprentices from three masonry contracting firms and fifteen masonry students from seven high schools participated in the October 20th event. 2014 is the first year the contest has been sponsored by the NC Department of Commerce after having been an event of the NC Department of Labor for sixty years.
New Fair Champion Lane Mullis is the son of Harvey and Tanya Mullis of Monroe and the grandson of Mike and Dianne McGee. His foreman at McGee Brothers is Mark McGee. He is the nephew of Guinness Book of Records’ World Record Bricklayer Travis McGee. He has two sisters, ages fifteen and thirteen, and a six-year-old brother. In addition to laying brick, Lane enjoys deer hunting, softball, and “his truck.” He is “Head Cook” weekends at the family’s “Mac’s Restaurant” in Monroe, where he has worked part time for Mike McGee since he was fifteen.
His father, Harvey Mullis, says, “Lane told his mother right after the contest, he was dissatisfied with his project and didn’t think he could win.”
This is Lane’s third year competing in the fair contest. He also competed in the last two Annual NCMCA Apprentice Masonry Skills Contests, finishing “tenth” in May 2014.
NCMCA members provided volunteers, judges, materials, equipment, tools and more than $5,000 in cash for prizes and expenses.
About the Author
A Cary, North Carolina businessman is the new president of the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association (NCMCA.) In April, Danks Burton, general manager and president of Pinnacle Masonry, Inc., was elected to head the 145 member firm professional trade association.
