This year’s Demo Experience at the Tilt-Up Convention & Expo takes on a bold new form with the launch of the 2025 Mock-Up Medley: Battle of the Builders. Departing from the product-focused demonstrations of years past, this reimagined format challenges cross-disciplinary teams to explore tilt-up not just as a construction method, but as an expressive architectural medium.

Formed with intention, each team brings architects, engineers, contractors, and suppliers together to develop mock-ups that investigate detailing, material relationships, and formal innovation. These aren’t just collaborative exercises—they’re architectural propositions that reflect the theme of “Striking Harmony,” where the convergence of disciplines drives discovery and elevates design.

What follows is a closer look at the teams behind the panels. Each group offers a distinct interpretation of what’s possible when creative boundaries are tested and tilt-up’s full potential is brought into focus.

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Team Name:

Air-Tilt

Chris Hall* (Contractor, VMG Construction): Known for taking on the hardest projects when everyone else says they cannot be done.

Luis Bedoya (Engineer, BBM Structural Engineers Inc.): Selected for his great ability to take any complex design and make it a reality, even out of thin air.

Eric Kleinsteuber (Architect, KMF Architects): Recruited for his ability to dream up designs that make you wonder if this is really concrete.

Mock-Up Hint: “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” —Michael Jordan

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Team Name:

Canucks Eh Team

Len Overbeek* (Contractor, Tilt Wall Ontario): Chosen for his industry influence and vision—if there’s a way to push tilt-up further, Len’s already shaking hands and making it happen.

Jamal Qinnab (Contractor, Tilt Wall Ontario): Driven by perfection, detail, and accuracy, and consistently setting us up for smooth and efficient panel construction on site.

Walid Salman (Engineer, Krahn Engineering): A problem solver who enjoys tackling creative and complex structural engineering issues.

Amanda Sanabria (Architect, Powers Brown): An experienced architect who is excited about designing with tilt-wall, she loves promoting innovative construction methods in the Ontario marketplace. 

Mock-Up Hint: Expect a bold take on tilt-up that challenges convention and puts creativity front and center.

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Team Name:

Mission: InConcrete 

Chris Armstrong (Contractor, Guy Yocom Construction): A contractor forged in precision and power. With unmatched strength and relentless efficiency, he turns vision into reality, no matter how impossible. Open-minded but unyielding, he adapts, overcomes, and builds what others won’t even attempt. 

Rafik Gerges* (Engineer, HSA & Associates): A structural engineer who operates where others draw the line, he redefines the boundaries of engineering, pushing past limitations with precision, innovation, and resolve. When the mission demands the impossible, he’s the one they call to make it happen.

Bridget Herdman (Architect, Herdman Architecture + Design): An architect driven by a vision the world struggles to comprehend, her creativity flows beyond boundaries that challenge reality itself. She doesn’t design buildings; she creates experiences no blueprint could ever capture. 

Mock-Up Hint: Defy expectations with a concrete tilt-up wall design that channels the daring innovation and high-stakes drama of Mission: Impossible.

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Team Name:

Patriots

Justin Burgoon (Engineer, Clayco): He is the smartest guy in the room, bringing structural brilliance and a steady hand, turning ambitious ideas into rock-solid reality.

Barclay Gebel* (Contractor, Concrete Strategies): He is a dumb, part-time carpenter with dirt under his nails, but he is IN to WIN.

Erika Winter-Downey (Sustainable Director, Clayco): She is green and champions sustainability, ensuring that freedom in design also means responsibility to the planet.

Kody Zedolek (Architect, Lamar Johnson Collaborative): He is caught in the architectural crossfire—heroically translating Barclay’s big, beautiful, tilt-up dreams into something Justin might actually let stand, all while wondering why he didn’t just go to clown school instead.

Mock-Up Hint: Tilt Up & TCA—born in America and raising the standards of construction around the world!

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Team Name:

Slightly Off Tilt

Mike Fecco (Architect, Powers Brown Architecture): Always thought “VE” meant very easy . . .

Mike Green (Contractor, Seretta Construction): A tilt-up pro who builds success from a distance, making sure your walls stand tall without him ever having to break a sweat.

Scott Hosking (Contractor, Seretta Construction): The guy who builds more than concrete—he builds lasting legacies.

Octavio Juarez (Contractor, Seretta Construction): With a trowel in one hand and 30 years of know-how in the other, he turns wet concrete into rock-solid masterpieces that laugh in the face of time.

Dave Peltier* (Contractor, Seretta Construction): Turning chaos into concrete, he builds order with a mix of experience, patience, and the occasional coffee-fueled pep talk.

Carrie Rosario (Engineer, LJB Inc.): She is the genius who makes sure our tilt-up concrete panels stay upright and don’t do the cha-cha slide!

Mock-Up Hint: Let’s just say there’s always one star at the show.

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Team Name:

Team Lazer Rocket

Aaron Daugherty (Contractor, Frontline Concrete Contracting LLC): A TILT mentor and hands-on leader at Frontline Concrete, Aaron brings jobsite wisdom, a passion for mentoring, and a steady hand to every pour.

Michael Frew (Architect, HagerSmith Design): Founding president of TILT and a rare architect fluent in Contractor, Michael blends big-picture design thinking with BIM-fueled precision and deep tilt-up know-how.

Katt Price (Engineer, Schaefer): TILT’s current president and an undisputed tilt-up lifer, Katt brings structural prowess, industrial depth, and just the right amount of fanatic energy to every panel she touches.

Cliff Saunders* (Manufacturer + Podcaster, GluDown Inc.): TILT’s vice president, a tilt-up podcaster, and a glue guy in every sense, Cliff channels two decades of field, supply, and manufacturing experience into conversations—and solutions—that stick.

Mock-Up Hint: Rooted in the spirit of Nashville, this structure rises in tribute to the city’s expressive artistry and invites all to pause and reflect as it lifts the audience above the ordinary.

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Team Name:

The Tilt Factor

Don Greive (Engineer, Pinnacle Structural Engineers): The structural engineering mastermind who is as solid with tilt-wall designs as he is with his golf swing—always ensuring structural integrity while aiming for the perfect drive.

Michael Licarione* (Contractor, Orion/TAS Concrete Construction): He may joke about being the “dumb concrete guy,” but don’t let that fool you—he’s a detail-driven pro with a keen eye for precision, and when he’s not laying down concrete, he’s schooling everyone on sports trivia.

Heath Michel (Engineer, Pinnacle Structural Engineers): Our tilt-wall guru—a structural engineer with a knack for calculations, a reputation for precision, and the ability to make even the most complex walls stand tall and strong.

Jeff Taggart (Contractor, Orion/TAS Concrete Construction): With an outgoing personality and his knack for making friends with everyone—he’s on the team for his unique, brilliant ideas and unwavering support that keeps us all moving forward

John Taylor (Architect, Powers Brown Architecture): The architect with a big-firm brain and a tilt-wall heart—if it can be tilted, he’s already sketched it and will make it beautiful.

Mock-Up Hint: Precision, power, and just the right amount of tilt—concrete dreams with a side of attitude.

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Team Name:

The Tiltonauts

Don Greive (Engineer, Pinnacle Structural Engineers): Don brings a mindset built on progress—not habit. He challenges old norms, tests new ideas, and solves problems with fresh perspective and fearless curiosity.

Tim Manherz* (Contractor, Encore Concrete Construction): The Head of Mission Control, Tim has “tilted” most of Houston with sharp execution, tight schedules, and the kind of leadership you can’t fake.

Heath Michel (Engineer, Pinnacle Structural Engineers): Called up for his steady hand and sharper instincts—Heath doesn’t just work the problem, he outsmarts it while quietly building up Houston one panel at a time.

Chris Poole (Contractor, Encore Concrete Construction): Brought on for his ability to keep the job moving and the chaos quiet, he manages the project from Mission Control while keeping everything calm, clear, and always three steps ahead.

Logan Springer (Architect, Powers Brown Architecture): Selected for bringing tilt-up into the spotlight—Logan’s layouts are bold, clean, and built to flex. If a panel has personality, Logan gave it one.

Mock-Up Hint: Load-bearing dreams where structure holds more than weight—it holds wonder.

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Team Name:

Tilt Me Up . . . Eh?

Karla Castellanos (Architect, KCC Architecture): A passionate architect with the vison to make sure tilts aren’t just a simple concrete box.

Dylan James (Engineer, Krahn Engineering): This toque-head is the mind and the master using math and science to make sure everything stands.

Jeff Knoblauch* (Contractor, RAM Construction): An imposing lumberjack who always focuses on innovation and constructability.

Justin Reitz (Contractor, RiteTech Construction): This Canuck brings his uncanny tilt-up knowledge to cast our teams’ visions into concrete.

Mock-Up Hint: Showcasing innovation and techniques that we have mastered in the Great White North. Don’t expect to hear “sorry” from this team.

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Team Name:

Tilt-Up Titans

Clay Fischer (Contractor, Woodland): Widely recognized as a TITAN of the Tilt-Up industry.

Jeff Griffin (Engineer, LJB Inc.): Selected for his penchant to say “yes” without knowing how it will work, then figuring it out.

Rick Lobdell (Contractor, Concrete Mystique): A classically-trained artist who found concrete as his artform.

Rob Turner* (Contractor, Turner Brothers, Woodland): Builds tilt-wall from Maine to Florida. Next stop on the tour bus is Music City.

Reinaldo Venancio (Architect, Powers Brown Architecture): An architect who is dedicated to taking some of the most industrious programs and making them award-winning designs.

Matthew Zangara (Contractor, Greek Design | Build): Coming from one of the “OG” companies of TCA to help bring our design to life.

Mock-Up Hint: With a nod to Music City’s rich blend of tradition and innovation, this piece hits a high note by reimagining a legendary form through the rhythm of concrete.

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Team Name:

Tilted Earth Collective

Christopher Esper (Architect, Root Architects): By reinterpreting geological forms and indigenous construction crafts through conventional means, he translates ancient material logic into expressive, 21st-century architectural assemblies.

Isaac Harder (Engineer, Harder Structural Engineering): Calculations are a breeze to him and his ingenuity streamlines the construction process. Ask him to run the numbers and he’s got your answer! He’s a master at mixing material properties to achieve the goals of your project.

David Venegas* (Contractor, VEMAC): As a visionary in concrete construction, and boasting the latest and greatest in means and methods, if the technology is out there he’s using it! Thousands of yards is his everyday walk in the park, with the greatest quality and laser precision of course.

Mock-Up Hint: Our concept explores a hybrid process for creating a rammed earth–inspired concrete wall panel using tilt-up methods. By casting the panel horizontally, we introduce layered effects through alternating applications of stains, sand, and salt, generating irregular, textural striations. These finishes obscure their method of creation—evoking the raw beauty of cast-in-place concrete while remaining rooted in tilt-up construction. We are looking into incorporating insulating properties into our panels as well as a more efficient way of reinforcing them by using casted, castellated steel members.

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Team Name:

Tilt-O-Rama

Kyle Eason* (Contractor, Martin Concrete): Loves all things with melody—including this Mock-Up Medley.

Tyler Atkins (Architect, Macgregor Associates Architects): Quite possibly the best darn architect around.

Burke Martin (Contractor, Martin Concrete): Providing moral support and logistics like a pro.

Tracey Sparger (Contractor, Martin Concrete): The team’s glue—she makes it happen.

Josh Turner (Engineer, Bennett & Pless): An engineering superstar, plain and simple.

Mock-Up Hint: The concept of a plan blended with the inception of an idea, dripping with rhythm & melody.

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What you’ll see on October 1 in Nashville during the Demo Experience at the 2025 Tilt-Up Convention and Expo are not finished buildings, but bold beginnings—conceptual mock-ups that hint at new directions for tilt-up architecture. Built around ideas, not instructions, these panels invite curiosity and conversation.

Explore the entries, connect with the teams, and cast your vote. The future of tilt-up may just be hiding in the details.

*Denotes team captain