Photos: Chris Eccleston and Jenny Schroen
Editor’s Note: MASONRY Magazine had the chance to talk with Chris Eccleston and Jenny Schroen about the development of Mason the Mason, a children’s book representing the hard work and grit that goes into being a mason in the field. This book is targeted at the younger generation and is another example of the industry developing the future of our workforce.
The creation of Mason the Mason, a character resembling a superhero, was developed by Chris Eccleston. Chris has been in the construction industry for about 20 years and worked his way up through being a laborer, project manager, superintendent, estimator, and more. Chris started his own business ten years ago, Delmarva Veteran Builders (DVB), which is a general contractor located in Salisbury, Maryland. Roughly 35-50% of the employees are veterans and use the mindset of veterans in the workplace. For example, Chris emphasizes that “…veterans are trained not to fail, operate as a team, don’t take no for an answer…” and more.
Jenny Schroen is a Graphic Designer by trade and joined the DVB team five years ago with ideas for rebranding and advertising for the company. One of the major developments during this time was the new tagline of DVB, “Grit Leads to Greatness,” representing the attitude of those in the trades. “As I was studying about grit, I believe that the construction industry really owns that word, and every day grit is exemplified in terms of overcoming obstacles… I felt that it was a battle cry that anybody could identify with,” said Jenny. Throughout their work and rebranding, the campaign “Grit Leads to Greatness” was a success and won an international award.
When COVID was prevalent and many businesses faced challenges, the workforce and labor in the industry became at the forefront of conversation, specifically the masons and mason contracting companies. With many mason contracting companies closing their doors due to the labor shortages, Chris and Jenny shared their determination and creativity to appeal to future generations by creating a children’s book, Grit Leads to Greatness, that represents trade workers and their heroism.
During the early stages of brainstorming, Chris and Jenny wanted something that would really get the children’s attention and represent the core values of the industry as a whole. The goal of the book was to do something fun with secret maps and adventure storytelling. Using the slogan “Grit Leads to Greatness,” Chris and Jenny created “greatness” as a place on a map that the audience could search for. Along this path to greatness, the obstacles are faced with different trade characters. This means those traveling to “greatness” would need to learn the skill of that trade to move forward. Jenny says, “…we kind of brainstormed the five trades that we thought were really important… Everybody in their town has forgotten how to build because they’ve been mesmerized by these glowing stones that appear to hypnotize everyone…”
The first trade that they run into is Mason the Mason. In the development of his character, “…we wanted him to be strong, intelligent, artistic, and surprising in terms of challenging a stereotype that some might have,” says Jenny.
While this book engages the future workforce and the younger generations, it is also a tool that can be used to inspire and engage the existing workforce. The story of Mason the Mason assisting the children in finding their greatness through the redevelopment and restoration of the city represents the invitation from the industry for those to join in the future. If the book can create a world where construction is seen as heroic for all who read it, then a vehicle is created for existing contractors to get into the classrooms.
In March, the team hosted a Read Across America event where about 40 companies participated and came on board. Each company was able to represent one of the various trades discussed in the book, including masonry. The companies and team went into about 60 classrooms from second through fifth grade. They used this opportunity to test how the children were going to react and how the parents and educators would react. “One of the things that came out of this was the renewed sense of pride, engagement, and excitement from the men and women in the trades,” said Chris. The contractors who have come to read to children are seen as heroic, just like Mason the Mason. The book and event overall are great ways to start talking about construction as a career and the importance of construction in how the world around them works.
“One of the principals came up to us and told us that one of the kids said he wanted to be a mason because he wanted to build something that would last forever,” said Jenny. “Those are the things that practically make Chris and I tear up.” Some of the masons and industry workers may be nervous about going into a school or may have varying opinions on the school system, but this book is a way to encourage masons to get out there. The students that were seen during the Read Across America event came from all different backgrounds, including economic class. The reception was great to “…hear a story that they loved in the classroom, ask a million questions…” and want to learn more about contractors.
Many contractors have had an interest in purchasing the classroom bundles, so each student gets a book that they can take home and read again with parents, siblings, guardians, and more. Jenny states that “…this also is changing the stigma that parents might have surrounding trades, but was fed to them over the years.” The next step in the process is to develop a career introductory guide that Jenny and Chris have been working on. This would be a sheet that goes home with the book to show to parents.
“One of the things that we’re finding a lot is that educators and parents…unless you have a direct connection to the industry, you just don’t know about the industry and the opportunities that are there,” said Chris. Chris has an optimistic outlook, as many people in the industry may be focusing on the negatives and looking at it as a large challenge. Chris and Jenny both look at this time as an opportunity. “This is our moment in time as an industry… It’s much bigger than the masonry industry; it’s bigger than the concrete industry; it’s bigger than the metal stud industry… It’s an opportunity to unite and start working together to solve this problem,” explained Chris.
“It’s like no one’s coming to save us, right? That’s what this book is all about- not waiting around for other people to take action… It’s a challenge to the industry,” said Jenny. The challenge of the workforce shortage is commonly said to be that no one wants to work these days, but the reality is that some people just need to know about it. “We can’t expect them to come to us, and this is a fun way to do it.”
Chris and Jenny have created a dedicated website, gritleadstogreatness.com, to advocate for the industry and the book that they have created. The website includes information regarding the vision, goals, and story. It also has an option for those who would be interested in participating in the classroom as a classroom sponsor. As mentioned, getting contractors into classrooms to open conversations about trade careers is pivotal.
Chris and Jenny have created an amazing children’s book that has opened doors for all ages to learn and talk about masonry as a career and future. Efforts such as Grit Leads to Greatness are what will continue to shape the future. Thank you to those in the masonry trade and all other trades for being a hero to many.