Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) announced the winners of the National Craft Championships, the 2016 National Safety Awards, the National Diversity Excellence Awards and the Excellence in Construction® Awards during its annual conference Workforce Week ’17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Workforce Week is ABC's annual celebration of the best in merit shop construction, recognizing the contributions of members, chapters and craft professionals to the construction industry and their dedication to excellence.

ABC congratulated the winners of its 30th annual National Craft Championships competition during the March 3 Careers in Constructions awards held during the association’s Workforce Week Conference, Feb, 28-March 3, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The 2016 National Safety Award Pinnacle, Excellence and Merit Winners are:

ABC member M&D Mechanical Contractors, Inc. of Decatur, Ala. placed themselves in an elite group of small businesses by earning a prestigious Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) certification from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The SHARP program recognizes small businesses that serve as a model for worksite safety and health and have used OSHA's On-site Consultation Program services and operate an exemplary injury and illness prevention program. 

Terry Buschert of Architectural Metals Inc. in Comstock Park, Mich., is using junk metal to help send kids to summer camp. Terry is known as Scrap Man, and he is one of four finalists for the ABC Craft Professional of the Year. ABC presents the Craft Professional of the Year award to a construction craft professional who excels in his or her field while also demonstrating a commitment to safety, training and the merit shop philosophy.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced that more than 170 of the top construction apprentices and trainees in the country will compete in the 30th annual National Craft Championships, March 1-2 during ABC’s Workforce Week ‘17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced the finalists for its 2017 Craft Professional of the Year and Craft Instructor of the Year awards. Winners of both awards will be announced March 3 during ABC’s Workforce Week ’17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

ABC’s 2016 National Craft Championships (NCC) gold medalists were honored before an audience of more than 40,000 at a July 1 baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Before the game, the champions and their families were given all-access passes to the field and were able to watch batting practice, followed by a picnic hosted by ABC in the fairgrounds just outside the stadium. As spectators filed into the stadium, the champions stood on the field while their names were announced over the public address system—recognizing them, their companies and their NCC gold medals during the pre-game ceremony. 

ABC celebrated the achievements of one young professional and two university groups at its Nov. 16. Future Leaders Awards Luncheon during ABC’s Leadership Week in Dallas. Brooke Wenger, director of business development at Triad Engineering Inc., a member of the ABC Cumberland Valley Chapter, won ABC’s second annual Young Professional of the Year Award; Colorado State University won the 2016 Construction Management Competition; and Texas State University was named 2016 ABC Student Chapter of the Year. 

IAN Corp. of Barrigada, Guam, a member of the ABC-affiliated Guam Contractors Association, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC. The AQC program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, employee benefits, training and community relations.  A company that meets the criteria set forth in the program, and has earned Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) Gold, Platinum or Diamond status, is formally designated an “Accredited Quality Contractor.”