ABC May 2 recognized the winners in its 2014 National Craft Championships competition, held at the association’s Workforce Development Conference, April 29 – May 2, in Birmingham, Ala. 

A field of 156 craft trainees competed for top honors in 13 crafts. Competitors first took an intense, two-hour written exam and then competed in daylong hands-on practical performance tests in: carpentry, electrical-industrial, electrical-residential, fire sprinkler, HVAC, instrumentation fitting, insulation, millwright, pipefitting, plumbing, sheet metal, welding-pipe, welding-structural. 

The 2014 winners are:

Carpentry

Gold: Brett Wesson
Training Sponsor: ABC Keystone Chapter
Employer: Wohlsen Construction Company

Silver: Darren Stauts
Training Sponsor: Associated Builders & Contractors - Northern California Chapter           

Bronze: Chris Neubert   
Training Sponsor: ABC Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter
Employer: Klover Contracting, Inc.

Safety: Brett Wesson
Training Sponsor: ABC Keystone Chapter
Employer: Wohlsen Construction Company                                     

Electrical-Industrial/Commercial

Gold: Spencer Hoffman
Training Sponsor: Gaylor Electric
Employer: Gaylor Electric

Silver: Franklin Noble
Training Sponsor: ABC San Diego Chapter
Employer: Bergelectric Corp.

Bronze: Robson Marcondes
Training Sponsor: ABC Virginia Chapter
Employer: M.C. Dean Inc.

Safety: Franklin Noble
Training Sponsor: ABC San Diego Chapter
Employer: Bergelectric Corp.  

Electrical-Residential/Commercial

Gold: Shaun Birch            
Training Sponsor: ABC of the Carolinas   
Employer: Watson Electrical Construction CO. LLC

Silver: Dillon Clemsen    
Training Sponsor: ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship and Training Trust
Employer: Remsburg Service, Inc.

Bronze: Jose Vaca            
Training Sponsor: ABC Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter
Employer: Bergelectric Corp.

Safety: Dillon Clemsen   
Training Sponsor: ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship and Training Trust
Employer: Remsburg Service, Inc.      

Fire Sprinkler

Gold: Paul Gibson
Training Sponsor: ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
Employer: Piper Fire Protection

Silver: Rocky Thompson              
Training Sponsor: American Fire Sprinkler Association
Employer: Rapid Fire Protection Inc.

Bronze: Shane Holt
Training Sponsor: Florida Automatic Sprinkler Training, Inc. (F.A.S.T.)
Employer: Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc.

Safety: Rocky Thompson              
Training Sponsor: American Fire Sprinkler Association
Employer: Rapid Fire Protection Inc.     

HVAC

Gold: Justin Witkowski 
Training Sponsor: ABC Baltimore Metro Chapter               
Employer: Green Contracting Company, Inc.

Silver: Nicholas Thacker
Training Sponsor: Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. Indiana/Kentucky Chapter
Employer: Freije-RSC Engineered Solutions

Bronze: David Allhands 
Training Sponsor: ABC of Wisconsin Apprenticeship and Training Trust
Employer: North American Mechanical, Inc.

Safety: Nicholas Thacker
Training Sponsor: Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. Indiana/Kentucky Chapter
Employer: Freije-RSC Engineered Solutions            

Instrumentation Fitting

Gold: Bryon Hebert Jr.   
Training Sponsor: ABC Pelican Chapter
Employer: ISC, Inc.

Silver: Logan Willmert
Training Sponsor: Interstates Companies
Employer: Interstates Companies

Bronze: Jonathan Siggio                
Training Sponsor: ABC New Orleans/Bayou Chapter
Employer: Triad Electric & Controls

Safety: Bryon Hebert Jr.                
Training Sponsor: ABC Pelican Chapter
Employer: ISC, Inc.           

Insulation

Gold: Trevor Reis
Training Sponsor: ABC Greater Michigan Chapter              
Employer: G.E. Insulation

Silver: Mitch Schwoeppe            
Training Sponsor: hth companies inc
Employer: hth companies inc

Bronze: Eric Valentine    
Training Sponsor: Starcon International, Inc.
Employer: Starcon International, Inc.

Safety: Ron Strednicky, Jr.           
Training Sponsor: Starcon International, Inc.
Employer: Starcon International, Inc.    

Millwright/Industrial Maintenance

Gold: Michael Astle
Training Sponsor: Cianbro
Employer: Cianbro

Silver: Ashley Agbe
Training Sponsor: Associated Builders & Contractors, Texas Gulf Coast
Employer: RPM Services, Inc.

Bronze: Jeremy Michelli                
Training Sponsor: ABC Pelican Chapter
Employer: Jacobs Field Service

Safety: Jeremy Michelli 
Training Sponsor: ABC Pelican Chapter
Employer: Jacobs Field Service

Pipefitting

Gold: Ross Capps             
Training Sponsor: Zachry Industrial, Inc. 
Employer: Zachry Industrial, Inc.

Silver: Joshua Allgier     
Training Sponsor: ABC Heart of America Chapter
Employer: Lee Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

Bronze: Matthew Allgier
Training Sponsor: ABC Heart of America Chapter       
Employer: Lee Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

Safety: Bryan Collett
Training Sponsor: TIC      
Employer: TIC     

Plumbing

Gold: Gavin Gardner-Marlow     
Training Sponsor: ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship and Training Trust
Employer: Kruck Plumbing and Heating Co., Inc.

Silver: Richard Ederer    
Training Sponsor: ABC San Diego Chapter
Employer: Sherwood Mechanical

Bronze: Lee McKnight
Training Sponsor: ABC of Alaska                
Employer: Klebs Mechanical

Safety: Gavin Gardner-Marlow  
Training Sponsor: ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship and Training Trust              
Employer: Kruck Plumbing and Heating Co., Inc.                             

Sheet Metal

Gold: Sidney Jones
Training Sponsor: ABC of Iowa Apprenticeship and Training Trust
Employer: C&K Heating and Plumbing

Silver: Kevin Sullivan
Training Sponsor: ABC San Diego Chapter
Employer: Brian Cox Mechanical, Inc.

Bronze: Corey Brown    
Training Sponsor: ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
Employer: Express Metals

Safety: Corey Brown     
Training Sponsor: ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
Employer: Express Metals                                                                                                       

Welding-Pipe

Gold: Aaron Poole          
Training Sponsor: Cianbro
Employer: Cianbro

Silver: Demetris Lawson             
Training Sponsor: The Robins and Morton Group
Employer: The Robins and Morton Group

Bronze: Brandon Kinder
Training Sponsor: Starcon International, Inc.
Employer: Starcon International, Inc.

Safety: Brandon Kinder
Training Sponsor: Starcon International, Inc.
Employer: Starcon International, Inc.                                     

Welding-Structural

Gold: Cecil Folse              
Training Sponsor: ABC New Orleans/Bayou Chapter       

Silver: Houston Hall        
Training Sponsor: Zachry Industrial, Inc.
Employer: Zachry Industrial, Inc.

Bronze: Nathan Sutton 
Training Sponsor: ABC New Orleans/Bayou Chapter
Employer: Hahnville High School

Safety: Cecil Folse           
Training Sponsor: ABC New Orleans/Bayou Chapter                                                                                                        

The National Craft Championships competition 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.