The countdown has started! In less than 2 weeks we'll kick off MASONRY MADNESS™ Day and the 14th Annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship! To get ready for all the fun and excitement, check out this new video we just posted on YouTube. To help get the word out feel free to share this with your friends and colleagues. And, above all, please accept our sincere thanks and appreciation for supporting the world's greatest trade and industry! By working together we're making big progress!! ~ The SPEC MIX Crew ~

4 COMPETITIONS, 1 DAY - $120,000 ON THE LINE IT'S THE BIGGEST MASONRY PARTY EVER! SEE LIVE BROADCAST @ WWW.SPECMIXBRICKLAYER500.COM, WEDS. FEB. 3 MASONRY MADNESS™ Day It's the World of Concrete's top attraction. See the four most exciting masonry competitions in the world. It all takes place Feb.3, in the GOLD LOT at the Las Vegas Convention Center. There's nothing like it on the planet—It's pure MASONRY MADNESS! See online details of MASONRY MADNESS™ Day events here: www.specmixbricklayer500.com/masonry-madness/masonry-madness.html

Native Trails has announced the arrival of its sleek new artisan-crafted NativeStone® bathtub, Avalon, available in two sizes, 62-inch and 72-inch. With its oval shape and deep interior, this impressive concrete bath tub provides not only beauty but optimum comfort. Its thick walls provide insulation to ensure that a hot, deep, relaxing soak will last and last. Avalon is handcrafted of NativeStone, a breakthrough combination of natural jute fiber and cement, making the tub much lighter than expected. Avalon and other new additions for the kitchen & bath are available in showrooms June 1, 2016. “Concrete is incredibly on trend; it’s also one of the least energy intensive materials one can specify in a bathroom design,” said Naomi Neilson Howard, founder and CEO of Native Trails. “Still, some types of concrete are made to have less of an environmental impact than others. With our NativeStone line, we replaced part of the cement in the mixture with renewable jute. The jute fiber also serves to reinforce and strengthen the concrete, while significantly reducing its weight – these tubs are surprisingly lightweight for their size and impact.”

NAHB International Builders’ Show, Las Vegas, NV; January 19, 2016 -- Building Systems Design, Inc. (BSD) and AEC Daily today announced an ongoing collaboration that will make it easier for architectural and engineering specifiers to gain additional knowledge about construction products in addition to obtaining continuing education credits. The initial phase of the collaboration involves the creation of relevant hyperlinks between the websites of the two companies. BSD has also included specific hyperlinks in BSD SpecLink-E, its automated specifications software product, that connect directly to the continuing education courses offered by particular building product manufacturers on the AEC Daily website. These links will permit architects and engineers who are using SpecLink to easily gain additional information about the products they are specifying. They will also be able to obtain free education credits on topics that are of direct interest to design professionals. AEC Daily is the only company to have won the American Institute of Architects (AIA) AIA/CES Award for Excellence for Internet Platform Providers. On the AEC Daily website, design professionals who are taking advantage of the free continuing education courses will find information about BSD SpecLink-E and hyperlinks that will take them to a page offering discounted pricing for AEC Daily customers. “Specifying the right product in an architectural project requires a lot of specific knowledge” said Robert Paul Dean, FAIA, president of BSD. “We want to assist the specifier in gaining that knowledge, and the obvious partner to help us achieve that intent is AEC Daily, the industry leader in continuing education for design professionals.” “BSD provides the best available tool for construction professionals who have to write specifications” said Jeff Rice, president of AEC Daily. “We hope that the relationship between our companies will result in better buildings through a more efficient transfer of knowledge to designers and specifiers.” About AEC Daily: AEC Daily is the largest provider of free online continuing education to construction professionals. Courses are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and credits are automatically tracked and reported. Architects, engineers, interior designers and other construction professionals rely on AEC Daily to maintain their accreditation with ease. About BSD: Building Systems Design has offered innovative software tools for the architecture, architectural engineering, and construction markets of North America since 1983. The company creates and supports advanced cost estimating, specification writing, and interoperability products that are used nationwide for over twenty-five thousand commercial, institutional, and industrial projects annually. BSD was acquired by The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) in 2010.

CONCRETE DONE BETTER. The NativeStone® collection is extraordinary in its lighter weight; exceptional for its stain, scratch, and crack resistance. MEET AVALON AT KBIS, BOOTH #N3000

Come visit booth #N1015 to join in on the fun. Here's a taste of what's in store for you...

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Burst pipes, leaky toilets, broken water lines and other water-related issues cost American homeowners more than $2,000 for each repair, according to Home Advisor. To address this concern, Delta Faucet Company unveils Delta™ Leak Detection, Designed with iDevices® – an advanced combination of connected sensors and software, to deliver the peace of mind, security and connectivity consumers expect in their home regarding water leaks. It can simply be placed near a water source to monitor for issues and alert as needed. Delta Leak Detection is engineered to detect a range of water levels, from pooling water to a few drips that can cause costly damage over time. Two concentric rings of conductive metal within the unit monitor for the presence of unwanted water. Should any water flow over the top or pool underneath the device, an electrical connection between the two rings triggers an automatic alert to a connected smartphone or tablet. For further assurance, an audible alert and flashing LED light will activate to notify those in the home as soon as a leak is detected. "Today's world is connected and engaged, and we have an expectation that our homes can be as connected as we are to one another," said Susan Fisher, vice president of marketing, Delta Faucet Company. "We leaned on our 60-year history of innovations related to everyday water use to design a simple, efficient leak detection product that will notify homeowners – whether they are home or away – of water leaks, large or small." As a plumbing and water expert, it was natural for Delta Faucet Company to partner with iDevices, a leader in connected home solutions, through its 'Designed with iDevices' co-development program. Unlike other leak detection systems currently on the market, Delta Leak Detection does not require a hub system for its sensors, simplifying consumer hardware needs and removing product limitations. It communicates directly through a home's Wi-Fi® network and is compatible with both iOS and Android devices via a free app, for continuous monitoring. Delta Leak Detection is designed to work with any water source in a home, including water heaters, washing machines, sump pumps, sinks and toilets. Each Delta Leak Detection sensor requires three AAA batteries with an expected two-year lifespan. It is anticipated to be available nationwide in the second half of 2016.