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The hardscaping industry continues to grow, but many people exploring trade careers aren’t aware of the opportunities in this field.

This June, the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) will help thousands of young people discover the rewarding career paths that hardscaping offers at the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta.

A Gathering of Tomorrow’s Skilled Workforce

SkillsUSA is one of the nation’s leading workforce development organizations, dedicated to empowering students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members. The annual SkillsUSA Championships bring together an estimated 15,000 students, teachers, education leaders, and representatives from 650 national corporations, trade associations, businesses, and labor unions.

At the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, more than 6,500 middle school, high school, and college/postsecondary students compete in 114 hands-on skill and leadership competitions. These competitions are created and judged by industry professionals to ensure students learn real-world skills that employers demand from entry-level workers.

“SkillsUSA is crazy. It is really cool, because it’s all these—every single trade you can imagine—in the competition,” says Bryan Horr, P.E., Division Engineer of Segmental Pavements at CMHA. “There’s mechanics, airline engine mechanics, wait staff, robotics competitions, speaking competitions, medical staff, EMTs… any kind of trade, they have a competition for.”

Building Hardscaping’s Future

CMHA first attended SkillsUSA about five years ago to determine if it was the right venue for the industry and found tremendous potential due to the crossover skills represented, including carpentry, plumbing, and electrical construction wiring.

For the past four years, CMHA has been working alongside the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Foundation to establish a national landscape and hardscape competition. To qualify for a national contest, at least 15 states must host their own state competitions. Horr said they are making steady progress toward this goal.

“We’re really close,” Horr shares. “Hopefully, this year we’ll have reached the threshold of 15 and we’ll be able to start thinking about the competition.”

This initiative is more than just a contest—it’s about introducing young people to career opportunities they might never have considered. Many students visiting the CMHA booth are surprised to learn that hardscaping is an entire industry with diverse career paths.

“A lot of people didn’t know that hardscaping was an industry or was a possibility,” explains Horr. “When you think of outdoor work, you definitely think more of landscaping—the mowing of yards or doing the mulching. We talk about the other aspects, the hardscaping aspects of it, building the outdoor kitchens and the other things you can do while you’re working outside.”

Connecting Skills to Careers

One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in SkillsUSA is showing students how their existing interests and skills can translate to successful careers in hardscaping. Horr said he takes time to speak with students about their current competitions and helps them see connections to the hardscaping industry.

“We’ll talk to students in the plumbing competition about how in a hardscaping business, there’s sprinkler systems and outdoor kitchens that can be installed. Plumbing is definitely an essential part of outdoor space,” says Horr. “We talk to students competing as electricians and explain how there are aspects of the hardscaping industry that require electricians. Culinary students, we talk about outdoor kitchens. There’s always some way of tying what they’re doing to the industry.”

Beyond technical skills, the team emphasizes the lifestyle benefits of working in hardscaping.

“One of the things I really enjoy doing is working outside and I like to explain to others how much fun that can be,” Horr said. “If you really like being outside, you can definitely be paid to be outside and do what you enjoy. You don’t have to be inside all the time, working at a desk, to have a career.”

There’s also the satisfaction of creating something tangible and lasting.

“It’s always about being able to step back and see what you’ve accomplished, what you’ve built,” Horr said. “I like to explain that and hear their stories about things that they’ve built and what they’re proud of.”

Join Us at the Oasis

This year’s SkillsUSA will be held June 23-27, 2025, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. If you’re attending, we invite you to visit the CMHA and NALP Foundation’s joint booth—just look for the trees!

“We’re like the oasis in the middle of the entire Georgia Convention Center,” Horr said. “It’s all mechanical things around—race cars, engines, boats, dump trucks, kitchens, all metal and plastic all over the place—and then all of a sudden, we’re the only green space.”

The booth features not only beautiful hardscaping elements like pavers arranged into a patio area, but also trees, bushes, plants, and flowers that create a refreshing contrast to the surrounding technical displays.

Visitors will also be the first to get special edition CMHA lapel pins. Pin trading is a beloved tradition at SkillsUSA, with students collecting and exchanging pins from different states and organizations.

“The kids are running around trading pins and exchanging pins and putting them on their lanyards. They’ll have like 100 pins by the end of the competition,” Horr said. “We’ve designed our own lapel pins to hand out as part of our campaign of getting our name out there.”

Whether you’re an educator interested in bringing hardscaping courses to your institution, an industry professional wanting to support the next generation of hardscapers, or a student exploring career options, we’d love to connect with you at SkillsUSA.

With a remarkable 215 project submissions across 19 categories in 2024, the recent Hardscape North America (HNA) Awards offered a reminder that an award-winning project isn’t just about technical perfection. It’s about creating spaces that transform how people live, entertain, and connect with their outdoor environments.

Among the standout projects was New Castle Lawn & Landscape’s Miller Project, which won the Combination of Hardscape Products – Residential (less than 3,000 sq ft) category.

This stunning backyard transformation, led by New Castle designer Phil Neri, offers inspiration for aspiring hardscape professionals looking to create their own industry-defining projects.

Mission Accomplished

The Miller family approached New Castle Lawn & Landscape with a clear request: they needed a large, functional outdoor space to entertain their big family.

 “We were lucky to have a client who knew exactly what they wanted and had the budget to make it happen,” Neri said. “It was really exciting to bring the design to life and include all the details—it turned out great.”

In addition to a pool, the transformed backyard would include an expansive covered entertainment area and an outdoor kitchen with a grill, bar, fireplace, and lots of seating.

Using the design of the pool as their starting point, Neri and his team were able to establish a layout that would guide the rest of the project. The roof structure became the defining element, setting the stage for the dual living spaces that anchor the backyard. From there, the team incorporated a raised patio with a pergola, a rustic-modern mix of materials, and a show-stopping lighting feature that creates a “starry night” effect.

“We like to keep a few surprises up our sleeves when it comes to our designs. During the final presentation, I paused and said, ‘There’s one more thing I’d like to show you.’ With a click of a button, the small recessed lights within the patio flickered on. Instantly, without hesitation, they said, ‘Yes, we want that,’” Neri recalled.

“Having software that allows people to be able to see what things are going to look like is a tremendous help. It gets them excited about that product even before you put a shovel in the ground.”

The Art of Blending Materials

Another standout aspect of the Miller Project is its seamless integration of various materials.

Every element was carefully considered, from the rustic-modern aesthetic to the strategic material selection. Neri and his team used a mix of Techno-Bloc pavers, natural stone, and hemlock wood to create a cohesive and visually striking environment. This mix not only enhanced the project’s visual appeal but also demonstrated how diverse materials can complement each other when thoughtfully arranged.

Neri said he tries to recommend a blend of products in his designs so things don’t get stale. As a designer, it’s his job to guide the client so they don’t get overwhelmed by all of the choices.

“Right from the start, we guide our clients by saying, ‘Based on what you’ve told us and your style, here’s our recommendation—this is how it will look,’” Neri said. “And we do a great job. Nine times out of ten, only minor tweaks are needed to material choices because we’ve listened carefully and nailed their vision.”

Lessons for Aspiring Hardscapers

For those looking to one day create award-winning projects of their own, Neri encourages aspiring hardscapers to learn every aspect of the business.

“Take it all in while you can—learn as much as you can, from fieldwork to the selling process to designing within budgets,” Neri said.

He also encourages people new to the field to seek mentorship and to consider collaboration.

“Establish good relationships with other companies. Learning from those outside your immediate area can be incredibly valuable,” Neri said.

A Community of Inspiration

Winning a Hardscape North America Project Award is no small feat, especially considering the incredible talent across the industry. For Neri, the recognition is both an honor and a reminder of the community in hardscaping.

“I was pretty excited,” he said. “Winning a national award has been something on my to do list. There’s a lot of competition out there. I look at some of the work these other guys do and think, ‘Wow! How did we get chosen for this?’ There are a lot of guys out there killing it and doing phenomenal work. I think we all inspire each other.”

For those aspiring to make their mark in hardscaping, the Miller Project offers a blueprint: Listen to your clients, be creative, and never stop learning.

Blending creativity and craftsmanship, the award-winning “Garden of the Empty Tomb” at Alto-Reste Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania reveals new options for building meaningful and lasting legacies through hardscaping.

A Vision Brought to Life

The “Garden of the Empty Tomb” was conceptualized by Geoff Behrens, Alto Reste’s general manager, who envisioned a memorial garden replicating the Jesus’ Empty Tomb, a significant element in Christian tradition.

Behrens wanted the wall to look like ancient Israel with 12 monoliths to symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel and columbariums in the 325-foot-long wall where people can be laid to rest. With the rise in cremations, this garden was designed to provide a sacred space for people’s loved ones.

Richard Kerr Jr., President of Kerr Landscaping and Maintenance Inc., was challenged to bring this special vision to life.

“Whenever you’re doing a project, you’re trying to build a selling point that people will come and buy into. So, whenever you’re creating something like this, it has to be something that whenever somebody walks in and they see it, it’s like, ‘I’m sold on this. This is awesome. This is where I want to be,’” Kerr said.

“A project like this, I mean, you’re dealing with thousands of people that this will be their last resting place.”

Kerr said the original plan called for temporary walls that would be removed and reinstalled in different phases. Then he remembered the Outcropping wall system product line from Rosetta Hardscapes and producer R.I. Lampus. It replicates the look and beauty of natural stone while still having the installation efficiencies of precast concrete products. Kerr thought it would get the right look while also being more cost-effective in the long run. 

“The success of this project was really based on the contractor, Richard, really identifying the problem and the need of the customer and positioning a product that he thought was the right fit,” said Gerry Garcia, business consultant for project and construction strategy for Rosetta Hardscapes. “It really tells the story of what our product can achieve well beyond its aesthetic value. We’re very unique. It has an opportunity to fit certain needs that other products can’t.”

Redefining What is Possible

Projects like this require more than technical skill; they demand a vision and the ability to consider creative options to bring that vision to life. Kerr advises hardscaping newcomers to immerse themselves in the industry, learn from seasoned professionals, and embrace different opportunities.

“Be working with somebody that does do it and get some experience on working on a project of that size. You gotta be around it to do it,” he said.

For those considering a career in hardscaping, “Garden of the Empty Tomb” is a compelling reminder of the industry’s potential to craft spaces that are not only visually stunning but also deeply meaningful.

“The sky’s the limit with where hardscaping can go and the projects that can be entertained to be built,” Kerr said. “We are always striving to do something bigger and better and cooler. I use the word ‘cool’ because the project was so cool for us to be involved in. There’s nothing else like it that I’m aware of.”

A Prestigious Recognition

“The Garden of the Empty Tomb” was recognized at the 2024 Hardscape North America (HNA) for Best Commercial Retaining Wall.

“It was getting recognition locally. But to be able to put it at HNA, to win – that was phenomenal,” Garcia said. “…It’s really recognizing and really putting the spotlight on the guys that make our product what it is and make it look as good as it does.”

Garcia said it was emotionally touching to see Kerr and his team win the award. For his part, Kerr said it was an “once in a lifetime” dream.

“I was quite honored to be there. To have a town as little as our own in that running, I was quite honored to be involved even in the conversation. And then we got lucky enough to win,” Kerr said.

“I don’t think you can get much higher of an award in the hardscaping business than that award. If there is something out there bigger than that HNA award, I don’t know about it. It’s a pretty big deal for us. I accomplished something in my lifetime that not many people will.”