ABC Congratulates National Craft Champions and Craft Professional and Instructor of the Year

WASHINGTON (May 5, 2014) – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced the winners of its National Craft Championships and the Craft Instructor of the Year and Craft Professional of the Year during the Careers in Construction awards ceremony in Birmingham, Ala. The ceremony took place May 2, at the conclusion of ABC’s Workforce Development Conference.

Lloyd Evans, hiring and training administrator at Watson Electrical Construction Co. in Wilson, N.C., was awarded Craft Instructor of the Year; Robert Stuart, superintendent at Stronghold Engineering, Menifee, Calif., was named Craft Professional of the Year; and gold, silver and bronze medalists were named in 13 craft competitions. In addition, the National Craft Championships presented its first safety awards this year to one competitor in each craft.

“This year’s award winners represent the best the construction industry has to offer and ABC is proud to honor Lloyd, Robert and the craft trainees who will lead the industry moving forward,” said 2014 ABC National Chairman Dan Brodbeck, president and CEO of Compass Partners, LLC, Brentwood, Tenn. “These winners’ dedication to workforce training and education, safety and high quality craftsmanship are an extraordinary representation of ABC’s commitment to showcasing the best the industry has to offer.”

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.

Each year, ABC presents the Craft Instructor of the Year award to an instructor who possesses outstanding creativity, a positive attitude, and the ability to transfer knowledge through good communications skills and innovative teaching to promote lifelong learning to the future workforce. The recipient of this national award best embodies the merit shop ideals through superior effort and talent.

The National Craft Championships featured a field of 156 competing 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.

A list of the winners is available on ABC’s website.

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.