Contact: Gerry Fritz, (703) 812-2062            For Immediate Release
                                                              March 4, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today 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 King
Employer: 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.   

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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national trade association representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms in 79 chapters across the United States. Visit us at www.abc.org. 

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