Every May, ABC's Massachusetts Chapter (ABC MA) gathers to recognize all the work the Gould Construction Institute does to promote safety and training. Once again, there was much to celebrate at last month's dinner at the Montvale Plaza in Stoneham.
The excellence of Gould training was on display when we honored Sean Aho of DECCO, Inc. Sean proved himself to be among the country's best pipefitters when he won a silver medal at the national craft championships, which were held in March at ABC's annual meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
This year also marked the inaugural Supervisor Recognition Award. Supervisors are truly on the front line of your business, and the award acknowledges individuals who have made continuous efforts to improve their skills. The recipients were Nick Camerlengo, Edward Eisen, Eric Olson and Gary Prescott of E. Amanti and Sons, Inc.; and Jerry Brown, Paul Driscoll, John Howell, Daniel James and Keith Melanson of Erland Construction, Inc.
Twenty Gould students also received their completion certificates in six different trades. The graduates represented nine ABC MA member companies.
None of this would be possible without the Gould's instructors, all of whom were honored at the dinner. It's important to note that, like Gould's students, most have day jobs and are working a second shift to pass on the knowledge they have gained from years in our industry.
Anyone who doubts ABC MA's commitment to safety and training need only look at the 650 students Gould enrolled this year and the number of member companies those students represent. I hope you'll consider the Gould Construction Institute for your employees' training needs.
Brian Jurgens is chairman of the Associated Builders & Contractors - Mass. Chapter, Woburn and is a senior vice president at W.T. Kenney Co., Inc., Arlington, Mass.