Pyramid Masonry Contractors

Pyramid Masonry Contractors (Pyramid Masonry) has been in business since 1976, when C.L. Cook established the company in the Atlanta area. While the operation started out as a union shop, Cook and his crew dissolved that end of the operation after only a few years.

In 2015, Pyramid Masonry is a merit shop with a strong reputation throughout the Southeast for quality, safety and productivity. With three locations in Atlanta, Orlando, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, the team provides a range of qualified and professional masonry services to customers in the commercial and institutional markets.

Cook is still the owner of the business. He employs a staff of 350 people between the three offices. Pyramid Masonry operates throughout the Southeast, with projects spread from Alabama to the Carolinas and south from there. The company has a strong management staff, including Bill Parsons, regional vice president, who works from the Orlando office.

“Our team has built a niche in complex masonry projects in the commercial, institutional and recreational sectors,” says Parsons. “One thing that sets our crew apart is that C.L. always wanted to do the right thing. Our goal across the board is to serve as an upstanding contractor instead of being driven by profits. If there are issues with a job, we will always stand by our customers.”

Recent work

Pyramid Masonry’s target market is mainly comprised of general contractors. Working as a sub-trade, the business has contributed to a number of strong and challenging projects throughout the region. Contractors turn to Pyramid Masonry time and again for the reliability that comes with nearly 40 years of experience.

Offering intricate building exteriors, the crew delivers quality work efficiently, meeting the specs and schedules of a number of major contractors in the Southeast.

In 2014, the team completed a project at the Dr. Philips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando. “This was for a philanthropic group that has built a performing arts center,” Parsons explains. “We did the block work, brick work and pre cast panels. In total, it was a $1 million project. This was a great high-visibility job for us as the center is big in the community.”

The company has also performed masonry work at many of Florida’s major theme parks. The business did a significant amount of work at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Pyramid Masonry also did the Little Mermaid Exhibit at Disney world during a large expansion. The business was involved in all three phases of the major project, which wrapped up in 2012. The team also recently completed new construction masonry at Cabana Bay Resort at Universal Studios.

One of Parsons’ favorite projects has been natural stone work at the Nemours Children’s Hospital in Lake Nona, Florida. “The entire project was laid out of plumb,” he recalls. “The stone was on an angle as well. Like most of our work, this was still just block and stone, but designed in a unique way. I never thought someone would pay us to lay brick out of line, it seems kind of ironic. The design featured a lot of natural limestone. It was a really neat job because the wall was curved and laid back, which created dimensional challenges but turned out beautiful. We finished that in 2012.”

Maintaining relationships

Relationships are the backbone of the business. Whether with suppliers, clients or strategic partners, Pyramid Masonry strives to operate with honesty and integrity. “Our relationships are vital to the success of our jobs,” Parsons notes. “We have a network of suppliers, including national vendors, who keep us stocked with the tools and materials we need. We try to let our performance speak for itself, but it is a priority to build lasting relationships with the contractors we work for, too.”

Beyond the partnerships that affect individual contracts, the company also participates in the Masonry Association of Florida (MAF), a statewide organization that pulls contractors in the field together.

“Since they’ve been around, the MAF has helped educate and promote people in our industry,” Parsons elaborates. “We just had the check-off program passed which will help with our apprenticeship program. When the check off funds become available, the association will have more money to promote and do research on masonry. Right now, the most important thing is training future masons. The MAF is a comradery of people who want to benefit this industry. We are all working together and there is not a lot of crossover and competition for us.”

With the strong support of clients, partners and the association, Parsons and his team are looking ahead to a bright future in Florida. While the economic recovery has been slow, the business continues to tap into new resources and manage existing ones in order to promote growth in the region. With research and education supported by the MAF, Pyramid Masonry Contractors and its industry peers will see new opportunities over the coming years.