Meet the Instructors

Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Alan Brady is a 5th-generation stonemason. After graduating from David Dale College of Building and Printing, he entered a 5-year apprenticeship in stonemasonry and carving. He worked for one of the largest stone companies in Scotland for 25 years before moving to America in 2005, bringing his specialized skills to Chester Springs and the Mainline. For his work converting the Barony Church into a graduation hall for the University of Strathclyde, Alan won the Best Conservation/Restoration Award. He has been a part of the Craftwork Training Center and LimeWorks.us Technical Install Team since March, 2024, and is an avid Scottish Football supporter.

Andy enrolled in the Masonry Program at Williamson Trade School of Media, PA in 1979 and he graduated as a Brickmason in 1982. He is known locally as a Stonemason, since Bucks County Pennsylvania is dominated by historic stone farmhouses, barns and mills, with most of his work being in the field of restoring rural vernacular stone architecture. Andy has successfully restored hundreds of historic buildings in the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys of Pennsylvania since the founding of deGruchy Masonry Restoration in 1984. Andy started LimeWorks.us in 1999 to fulfill his own need for better performing materials to restore historic masonry structures. Now, LimeWorks.us supplies projects across the US and supplies training to install the products they sell. Both deGruchy Masonry Restoration and LimeWorks.us are active in sharing expertise as they conduct lectures and conduct training workshops on historic masonry restoration and sustainable building. Andy’s crews also do in-house fulfillment work to install LimeWorks.us products for private concerns. His company additionally works to orchestrate off-site workshop programs for 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organizations that need to accomplish repair work when working with a modest budget.

Charlie Hepler began his masonry career in 1991, when he bought his own stone house and thought he should take care of it “right.” He specializes in stone and brick work, especially in preparing the surfaces for repointing. Charlie has been a part of the LimeWorks.us Technical Install Team for over two decades. With hands-on expertise with LimeWorks.us products and tools, Charlie is ready to share techniques and information that comes with lived experience.

Anthony Hita joined LimeWorks.us in 2018 as an architectural conservator overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company’s laboratory. Anthony is responsible for laboratory analysis, technical documentation, sample preparation, report writing, product development, and client consultations. He specializes in masonry conservation and is a designated Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC). Anthony has published several papers on architectural history and has been invited to speak several times nationally and internationally on the topic of vernacular architecture. He serves on ASTM committees C07 on lime and limestone and C12 on masonry mortars. During his time with the company, Anthony has participated in dozens of projects, helped develop multiple commercial restoration products, and conducted or overseen nearly 250 mortar analyses.

Gene Lakin is a plasterer who started in the trade as a young apprentice at 16 and has loved it ever since. With hard work and determination, Gene eventually worked his way up to become a journeyman plasterer with the union. Throughout his illustrious time learning the art of plaster, he has gained indispensable knowledge and plastering abilities that can help anyone with their project. Gene is currently the resident plaster instructor and on-site training coach for LimeWorks.us. He has helped numerous people take their projects to the next level. His skills have transitioned flawlessly into the classroom at The Craftwork Training Center, teaching classes of all levels how to choose the suitable material, mix, and apply plaster to a historic preservation project.

Dave Lyons has been dedicated to the art of masonry since 1983. Joining LimeWorks.us in 2008, he has continuously elevated his expertise. Dave integrates his knowledge into fieldwork, specializing in historically appropriate repointing work, brickwork, stonework, internal and external plasterwork as well as one of our key instructors in our Brick, Stone and Terra Cotta repair material called Lithomex®. His proficiency extends beyond traditional craftsmanship, as he is well-versed in our products, having utilized them firsthand. Dave is readily available to assist anyone with repairs or answer any questions.

Dan Montgomery has been working in masonry restoration for 27 years with over 17 years at deGruchy Masonry Restoration. His keen eye toward detailing makes him an asset to careful conservation work that requires the attention to all details that make historic masonry elements so appealing and worthy of restoring. Dan is versatile and skilled in Plasterwork, Brick and Stone Rehabilitation using Lithomex® and recreating damaged or missing details in ornate brick, stone and Terracotta. Dan is overall characterized as a listener with more emphasis on being a plotter of how to go about his work systematically as a doer with an outcome that everybody on the team relies on and appreciates.

Ken was the North American Senior Certification Trainer for over five years for a Maryland-based company which sells their version of a stone patching material. He decided to represent Lithomex® and work for LimeWorks.us doing ornamental stone repair workshops at our HQ and at remote workshop locations. Ken previously traveled from NYC to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to San Antonio, Texas, and everywhere in between to train professional masons in stone repair techniques. He has been in the business of Masonry Restoration for 42 years.