Masonry isn’t something most people plan on getting into, but once you’re in, you stay.

In this episode of In The Mix, Adam sits down with Jed Olafson, President of the Northwest Masonry Institute and co-owner of Johnston Construction, to talk about a career that started in drafting and turned into decades of leadership in the field.

Jed shares how he got his start designing panelized systems, working back when everything was drawn by hand, and how that technical foundation shaped the way he approaches masonry today. From early AutoCAD adoption to coordinating complex panel systems, his experience shows how good planning leads to better builds.

This conversation gets into the real side of the industry—how projects actually come together, what works, and what doesn’t.

In this episode:

• How panelized masonry systems improve efficiency and reduce jobsite complexity
• Why drafting and pre-planning still matter more than people think
• The transition from one generation of leadership to the next—and what it takes to make it work
• How family businesses continue to shape the industry
• Where masonry stands today against competing materials

Connect with Jed: https://johnstonconstruction.net/about

Learn more about the Northwest Masonry Institute: https://masonryinstitute.com/in-the-mix