In a late June morning, crews from Masone Masonry were in constant motion as they excavated a front yard in the Bar Harbor area of Massapequa Park on Long Island. A Cat® 306 Mini Excavator was at the center of the action, depositing bucket loads of soil and chunks of broken concrete for a 289D Compact Track Loader (CTL), which shuttled the material a short distance to a waiting haul truck parked on the street. Nearby, owner Michael Masone moved pallets of paver stones into position with a Cat 289D3 CTL. Elsewhere, a 301.7 Mini Excavator dug a trench on the side of the home, while crew members worked with shovels and hand rakes. Several days later, the concrete was poured, paving stones were installed for the driveway and walkways, and the job was completed. Working at an almost frenzied pace is the norm for the Seaford, N.Y. contractor, who has 35 employees.
“We call it controlled chaos,” says Masone, who started the business in 2018 after working for another contractor where he learned the trade. “Our approach is that we develop a plan of attack—we attack hard and fast. We get in and out within a few days, no matter how big the job is. Masone Masonry typically works year-round within a 60-mile radius of its home base in southwestern Long Island, and has up to a dozen jobs working at any given time. Masone specializes in constructing pools, building patios, installing landscaping, irrigation systems, and more.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘I saw the Masone crew at a neighbor’s home on Monday, and then they were gone on Tuesday,’” he says. “It’s like a cloud of dust—a big cloud of smoke and sawdust—and then we’re gone and the project is finished.”
Working fast does not mean compromising on quality. Masone continues to garner testimonials from happy customers.
“A lot of guys will rush, rush, rush, resulting in an inferior product,” Masone says. “We get it done with quality using the speedy approach that we’ve created, hence our tagline, ‘Never Sacrifice Quality.’ That’s lettered on all of our trucks, printed on our shirts—everything that we own.”
During a time when many people were staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Masone’s business experienced a surge. “It was like an avalanche for us,” he recalls. “I never sold so many pools and pavers in my life. Nobody was going anywhere, so they decided to install patios or pools in their yards, or maybe add an outdoor kitchen.”
Masone Masonry has a full showroom/office staffed by three people—including Michael’s wife, Jennifer—who provide sales and administrative support. All jobs come through word-of-mouth referrals or through awareness created by regular social media posts.
In the field, Masone works side-by-side with his crew, frequently communicating in Spanish. He wears many hats, including estimator, project manager, and equipment operator.
“I don’t defer to anybody else,” he says. “I want to be with my guys every step of the way. Everybody is part of ‘Team Masone.’ We are like a family and this is our brand. Everyone comes together—whether it’s a laborer, a jobsite foreman, an operator, or a truck driver—nobody is more important than anyone else, myself included.”
“My guys are very versatile,” Masone adds. “I’ve worked with a lot of crews, and the guys that I have are extremely special. They give it their all, 200 percent every single day. There are times we’re out pouring concrete and laying pavers until 8, 9, 10 o’clock at night—we just don’t stop.”
In early June, a team from Masone Masonry descended upon Belmont Park race track in advance of the 154th running of horse racing’s Triple Crown event, the Belmont Stakes. In advance of the big race weekend, crews installed 1,600 sq. ft. of Bluestone blend XL ledge stone textured pavers for a patio behind the grandstand in a matter of 8.5 hours.
In his previous jobs, Masone operated other brands of equipment. Now that he runs his own business, he prefers to run Cat machines based on their outstanding reliability and the timely dealer support he receives.
“For $40,000, the 301.7 Mini Excavator is one of the smartest pieces of equipment I ever bought,” says owner Michael Masone. “We go into people’s backyards with that machine and they say, ‘You can’t get that through my gate.’ But with the retractable undercarriage, we go right in. I’ve dug pools with it. That little machine is incredible in terms of where it can go and what it’s capable of doing.
“And there’s nothing better than our Cat 289s,” he adds.
“Those machines are beasts. They’re animals based on the durability and the lift capacity.”
“H.O. Penn is lights out when it comes to support,” he says.
“Whether it’s acquiring a new machine, obtaining service or parts, I call my rep (Brian Carroll), and he takes care of whatever we need.”
“My guys are very versatile,” Masone adds. “I’ve worked with a lot of crews, and the guys that I have are extremely special. They give it their all, 200 percent every single day. There are times we’re out pouring concrete and laying pavers until 8, 9, 10 o’clock at night—we just don’t stop.”
In early June, a team from Masone Masonry descended upon Belmont Park race track in advance of the 154th running of horse racing’s Triple Crown event, the Belmont Stakes. In advance of the big race weekend, crews installed 1,600 sq. ft. of Bluestone blend XL ledge stone textured pavers for a patio behind the grandstand in a matter of 8.5 hours.
The Cat® difference
In his previous jobs, Masone operated other brands of equipment. Now that he runs his own business, he prefers to run Cat machines based on their outstanding reliability and the timely dealer support he receives.
“For $40,000, the 301.7 Mini Excavator is one of the smartest pieces of equipment I ever bought,” says owner Michael Masone. “We go into people’s backyards with that machine and they say, ‘You can’t get that through my gate.’ But with the retractable undercarriage, we go right in. I’ve dug pools with it. That little machine is incredible in terms of where it can go and what it’s capable of doing.
“And there’s nothing better than our Cat 289s,” he adds.
“Those machines are beasts. They’re animals based on the durability and the lift capacity.”
“H.O. Penn is lights out when it comes to support,” he says.
“Whether it’s acquiring a new machine, obtaining service or parts, I call my rep (Brian Carroll), and he takes care of whatever we need.”
“I will text him the model number of the machine that I want, and he will just send the contract over. Cat Financial offers great rates and great service—it only makes sense to work with them for equipment purchases. And the process is very simple; it’s just sign and go.” Asked about his formula for success, Masone offers the following:
“The only thing that I can say is that you’re never done. Just when you think that you did all you can do, there’s something more to do. Your climb to the top is always the most important part of the journey.
“And staying focused on never sacrificing quality has served us well.”