The Growing Brick-Layers

From Rome’s Coliseum to the Great Wall of China, masonry has been a critical part of history. In fact, if it weren’t for the beauty, versatility, and especially the durability of masonry, the aforementioned artifacts might not even be a part of history. So it should come as little surprise that the people behind Utah’s IMS Masonry, Inc. take great pride in what they do.

IMS Masonry was started by Alan Johnson in 1989, and as president, he still actively directs the company alongside vice president Heath Holdaway, who became part owner in 2004. Over the years IMS has focused on large-scale commercial and industrial work including educational facilities at all levels, mining and power plant buildings, manufacturing plants, medical complexes, and all types of state and federal government projects. The company has done work from Hawaii to Vermont with the majority of its focus in the Intermountain Region.

As a company, IMS Masonry is known and recognized for its well-managed and -educated team. “Safety, schedule, and quality of work are always at the forefront of the way we operate,” Johnson says. “As IMS has pursued [its] mission to be the ‘most desired masonry company,’ we have focused on those items that make us stand out in our industry.” In 2009 IMS became one of the first contractors in Utah to obtain National Certified Masonry Contractor status by the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA). Johnson feels it is important to continually educate and improve the company, and he does this by being actively involved in MCAA as well as Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., the Associated General Contractors of America, the Utah Masonry Council, and other programs that promote masonry construction as a whole. The educational training that comes with involvement in these associations has been invaluable to employees on every level. Also, IMS Masonry, a BROWZ-certified company, has put a huge focus on safety and maintains a record better than industry standards.

From the beginning, IMS Masonry has focused on the core products in the industry—brick, block, and stone—which has sustained the firm over the years and is still the major focus of what it does. As the climate of the construction industry has deteriorated in recent years, IMS has expanded its operations from traditional masonry to include additional products and services to allow opportunities for growth in this tough economy. Some of the products include insulated concrete forms, glass-fiber-reinforced concrete (GFRC), architectural precast, stone-veneer clip systems, thin-brick systems, and air-water barriers.

One of the highlights of IMS Masonry’s extensive resume is City Creek Center—envisioned by City Creek Reserve, Inc. as a combination of retail spaces, offices, and condominium living spaces that together have accounted for the largest portion of new construction in the redesign of downtown Salt Lake City. The project incorporated traditional masonry (brick, block, stone, and pavers), architectural precast, GFRC, fiberglass-reinforced panels, and various stone panels installed using clip systems. The largest portion of product IMS Masonry installed on the project was a new 16-inch-long structural brick called “Quartette,” manufactured by Interstate Brick.

Site logistics, an aggressive schedule, and the overall complexity of the design created many challenges, but IMS remained up to the task throughout. “City Creek has been the most rewarding project that we have been involved with to date,” Holdaway says. “It will leave a legacy not only for IMS Masonry but for the community and our industry as a whole.” ABQ