Featured in this month’s Catching Up With Customers installment, meet Mike Turner and John Bueltel of Cornerstone Masonry Group LLC. After interviewing John (President) and Mike (VP), it is clear they are most proud of their dedicated and hard-working employees who are integrated into every part of their business. Whether they are working on Cornerstone Masonry projects throughout the southeast, the Cornerstone Masonry church mission in Honduras, or as mechanics for Cornerstone’s American Flat Track Series Motorcycle Racing Team, they know they can count on them to get the job done, similarly to how they count on New South every day to supply their masonry construction needs. Read the full Q&A below, and learn more about the two competitors who became partners, combined their vast knowledge of industry and craft, and turned it into the reputable business they have today.

Tell us about Cornerstone Masonry, its history as a company, and your main services.

Cornerstone Masonry Group LLC was founded in 2011 as a partnership between John Bueltel and Mike Turner. We  had known each other for many years before our partnership. We both had successful careers before as competitors. We decided in 2011 that it would be better to come together and use our talents as one team.

We install brick and block and cast stone on commercial construction throughout the southeast.

What are your responsibilities  and what does a typical day look like?

Johns handles the billing and works everyday with accounting to ensure  positive cash flow monthly. Mike handles day to day operations of field and project management staff.

Tell us three fun/interesting facts customers, friends and work associates may not know about you both.

Cornerstone Masonry Group has a church mission in Honduras that is operated and fully funded by us. Our employees are fully involved in this endeavour. Cornerstone Masonry Group also has a fully funded professional motorcycle team in the American Flat Track Series. Our employees also participate in this team as time keepers and mechanics. Cornerstone also has its own barbeque trailer and cooks at events.

What markets do you work in? What excites you both about the work you’re doing there?

Cornerstone has projects throughout the southeast. Our main areas are Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston. The designs of the buildings we do, particularly in Savannah and Charleston, are of a historic nature and that is a mason’s dream.

What is your work background?

Mike Turner is a fourth generation mason and his family is steeped in the trade. His father and brothers are all masons. Most of his uncles and cousins are masons. His roots go back to the masonry trade through his grandfather to his great grandfather.

John Bueltel is a graduate of the University of Nebraska. He comes from the general contracting trade and brings a wealth of knowledge that has transitioned well into the masonry business.

How are you different from your competition?

What makes us different from other masonry contractors is our people. We are blessed with the most dedicated and hard-working employees in the industry.

Tell us about 2-3 recent projects and what you enjoyed about them?

We have been very fortunate to be a part of some of the biggest projects in the southeast, including the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Atlanta United Soccer Facilities. Both projects were very large and the challenge to complete both was a true test of our company and resources. We were able to pull off both projects because of our team of people.

How many employees do you have?

It varies depending on revenue. We do between $20 million and $40 million annually. We have a core of about 30 employees.

Why do you like working with NSCS?

NSCS provides the pricing and service we count on to make our projects successful. We count on them as partners in every project we do.

Any branch and NSCS associate you work with the most?

We work closely with Kami Rogers from the NSCS Atlanta branch and we also work with the NSCS branches in Charleston and Savannah (Hardeeville, SC).

What should others know about NSCS that they may not know?

NSCS is our go to supplier for our company. We use them on every project. The company and owner know their business better than anyone in their trade. Without their help daily, we would not be able to achieve the success we have on our projects. Their commitment to service is what makes them the go to supplier at Cornerstone Masonry Group.

What is the easiest way to get in touch with you? Anything else to know we may have left out?

Contact Mike at his email mike@cornerstonemasonry.com or at my cell 850-557-2931.