ABC Feb. 28 announced the winners in its 2009 National Craft Championships competition, held at the association’s National Convention Feb. 25 – March 1 in Honolulu.
A field of 96 craft professionals competed in nine different areas during this year’s contest. Competitors first took an intense, two-hour written exam and then competed in daylong hands-on practical performance tests.
“The National Craft Championships is the highlight of ABC’s annual National Convention, and this year was no exception,” said 2009 ABC National Chairman Jerry Gorski, president of Gorski Engineering, Collegeville, Pa. “Once again, we are honored to provide these craft professionals with the opportunity to demonstrate their high-quality workmanship, technical knowledge and safe work practices. These craft professionals are the best-of-the-best and show us that there is a bright future ahead for ABC and the U.S. construction industry.”
Participants proved their expertise in carpentry, electrical, fire sprinkler, HVAC, millwright, pipefitting, plumbing, sheet metal and pipe welding. A portion of each participant's score was based on his or her good safety practices and procedures.
The winners are listed below:
Carpentry Gold: Jason R. Shenk
Employer: Benchmark Construction Company, Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Keystone Chapter
Silver: Justin Michael Conrad Employer: Ancon Construction
Training Sponsor: ABC Indiana Chapter
Bronze: Cody Martin Greene Employer: Three Rivers Corporation
Training Sponsor: ABC Saginaw Valley Chapter
Electrical Gold: Joey Basch Employer: Beacon Electrical Contractors
Training Sponsor: ABC Ohio Valley Chapter
Silver: Christopher Leon Januzys Employer: Watson Electrical Construction Co. LLC
Training Sponsor: Watson Electrical Construction Co. LLC
Bronze: Christopher KingEmployer: Bergelectric Corporation
Training Sponsor: ABC Las Vegas Chapter
Fire Sprinkler Gold: James Parker, Jr.
Employer: Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
Silver: Kenneth I. Danes Employer: American Fire Sprinkler Association
Training Sponsor: American Fire Sprinkler Association
Bronze: Kyle Lee Deaton
Employer: Brenneco Fire Protection
Training Sponsor: ABC Indiana Chapter
HVAC Gold: Vincent D. King Employer: Brookwood, Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Iowa Chapter
Silver: Kyle M. Katzenbach Employer: Mechanical Systems of Dayton, Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Ohio Valley Chapter
Bronze: Kevin Matuszak Employer: Idealair Heating & Cooling, Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Wisconsin Chapter
Millwright Gold: Aaron Jacob Marker Employer: Gulf States, Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Saginaw Valley Chapter
Silver: Burl Franklin Jones Employer: Turner Industries Group, LLC
Training Sponsor: ABC Pelican Chapter
Bronze: Brian M. Gormley Employer: Cianbro Corporation
Training Sponsor: ABC Maine Chapter/Cianbro Corporation
Pipefitting Gold: Paul C. Blanchard Employer: DECCO, Inc.
Training Sponsor: George W. Gould Construction Institute
Silver: Timothy Allen Turner Employer: Three Rivers Corporation
Training Sponsor: ABC Saginaw Valley Chapter
Bronze: Corey J. Drost Employer: Cianbro Corporation
Training Sponsor: ABC Maine Chapter/Cianbro Corporation
Plumbing Gold: Brad A. Inskeep Employer: M. Torigoe Plumbing, Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Hawaii Chapter
Silver: Timothy Steven Duggin Employer: D&D Plumbing
Training Sponsor: ABC Sierra Nevada Chapter
Bronze: Greg Ray Lumpkin Employer: Reynolds Plumbing, Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Indiana Chapter
Sheet Metal Gold: Christopher Ryan Grosz Employer: Neighbors Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
Training Sponsor: ABC Iowa Chapter
Silver: Matthew Cole Rauhauser Employer: Walton & Company
Training Sponsor: ABC Keystone Chapter
Bronze: Bryan R. Hammack Employer: R.J. Lanthier Co., Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC San Diego Chapter
Welding: Pipe
Gold: Nicholas D. Fox Employer: Cianbro Corporation
Training Sponsor: ABC Maine Chapter/Cianbro Corporation
Silver: Dustin Quinn Miller
Employer: The Shaw Group Inc.
Training Sponsor: ABC Pelican Chapter
The National Craft Championships was developed in 1987 to help celebrate and recognize craft training in construction careers. Each year, the competition draws some of the nation’s most talented craftspeople and highlights the important role that craft skills training plays in the construction industry. The National Craft Championships Committee, which is composed of leading merit shop construction firms, plans all year for the two-day competition.
For more information, contact Todd Staub at ABC,
staub@abc.org.