North Shore Masonry in the Spotlight
Our team and founder Les O'Hara are regularly invited onto leading construction and business podcasts to share how a Chicago family masonry business became a multi-market restoration leader, and where the trade is headed next.
Latest Feature
Building an AI-Powered Masonry Company
Our most recent appearance, and a look at how North Shore is putting technology to work on the jobsite and in the office.
The Contractor Who Built a Digital Teammate Named "Mason AI"
North Shore Masonry's Zac O'Hara joins JobTread for a deep dive on putting artificial intelligence to work inside a growing masonry company. He walks through "Mason AI," the custom digital teammate built to support daily operations, and speaks candidly about the real security questions every contractor should weigh before wiring AI into their core systems.
- How "Mason AI" is redefining day-to-day productivity
- Embedding AI directly into the sales process to win overlooked jobs
- Using reporting data to make bolder hiring decisions
- What to evaluate before integrating AI with core business systems
More Conversations
The Story, the Trade & the Leadership Behind It
From the Bottom to $6 Million: The North Shore Story
Founder Les O'Hara sits down in his hometown of Chicago to tell the origin story: how he grew a family masonry business to $6 million in just five years, the mistakes he made along the way, and the estimating discipline behind closing million-dollar projects.
- Growing a family masonry business to seven figures
- Hard-won lessons from the trade
- The sales & estimating habits that win big jobs
CEO = Head Coach
Les O'Hara and host Ron Nussbaum dig into what it really means to run your business like a head coach: which roles to hire, which to let go, and how to build a team that wins. Les draws on the operating systems that let him run a multi-million-dollar masonry company in under 20 hours a week.
- Leading a contracting business like a championship coach
- The roles to hire and release to unlock growth
- Systems that free the owner from the day-to-day
Proactive Maintenance for Brick Buildings
Aimed squarely at Chicago property owners and investors, this episode tackles a question every brick-building owner faces: what proactive maintenance keeps a masonry structure sound? A practical primer on catching early warning signs like efflorescence, cracks, and moisture before they become costly structural repairs.
- Spotting early signs of brick & mortar deterioration
- Why proactive care beats emergency repair
- Protecting the value of historic Chicagoland brick
Work With a Team the Industry Trusts
Tuckpointing, chimney repair, limestone & brick restoration across Chicago, Milwaukee, Denton & Fort Wayne. Get a free, no-obligation estimate.
Request an Estimate