HVAC apprentices from Iowa, Baltimore and San Diego were among HVAC category winners in the Associated Builders and Contractors’ annual National Craft Championships.
Winners were announced in early March during the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The National Craft Championships are a part of ABC’s efforts to raise awareness of careers in construction and highlight the $1.1 billion that ABC member companies spend each year on workforce development.
“This year’s field of the top construction apprentices and trainees truly represents the very best the merit shop construction industry has to offer, and Associated Builders and Contractors could not be more proud of these talented men and women,” said 2017 ABC National Chairman Chuck Goodrich, president of Gaylor Electric in Indianapolis. “Gaylor Electric and our fellow ABC member companies are truly fortunate to employ such a talented group of highly trained and incredibly skilled craft professionals who represent the future of our great industry.”
Nearly 170 craft professionals from 28 states competed for top honors in 13 competitions across 11 trades, such as HVAC, sheet metal, insulation and others. The competitions included a two-hour written exam followed by a daylong, hands-on practical performance test. Gold medal winners took home $750, silver medal winners took home $500, and bronze medal winners were awarded $350.
Winners in the HVAC category were gold medal-winner Andrew Lensink of De Troye Electric Service Inc. and training sponsor ABC of Wisconsin Apprenticeship and Training Trust; silver medal-winner Robert William Caskey Jr. of Fidelity Engineering Corp. and training sponsor ABC Baltimore Metro Chapter; and bronze medal-winner Jaden Henry of Moeller Furnace Co. and training sponsor ABC Iowa Chapter. Caskey was also the winner of a safety award.
Winners in the sheet metal category were gold medal-winner Tyler Gregory Miller of Proctor Mechanical Corp. and training sponsor ABC Iowa Chapter; silver medal-winner Scott Vorarach of Certified Air Conditioning Inc. and training sponsor ABC San Diego Chapter; and bronze medal-winner Joel Sauvain of Protemp Associates Inc. and training sponsor ABC Pacific Northwest Chapter. Vorarach was also the winner of a safety award.
For a full list of category winners, visit www.abc.org.