POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE: THE ABC WAY!

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POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE: THE ABC WAY!
By Dr. Jeanne Fredericks

The phrase “pomp and circumstance” associated with graduation ceremonies was first popularized in 1622 by Shakespeare in his play Othello. During Shakespeare’s time, pomp meant a “display of magnificence and splendor” and circumstance referred to the ceremony or fuss made about a special event. The phrase stuck and most U.S. graduates enter graduation ceremonies to Sir Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches, Op. 39.” Although Elgar’s Military March was not played at any of the three ABC graduation events and the traditional cap and gowns were not worn, pomp and circumstance was alive and well! Better yet, we did it the ABC way!

With 149 earning ABC Craft Professional Certificates, this year’s graduating class was the largest in our history, existing first as individual chapters and now as a two-state unified chapter! Eighty-eight (88) of the Indiana graduates were also awarded Vincennes University associate degrees by Vice-President David Tucker—the highest VU graduation rate yet! The 2017 National Craft Championships medalists were also recognized during the Indianapolis event.

National Champions
J.R. Christenberry, Gaylor Electric (Electrical Commercial/Industrial)
Joseph Smith, Pritt Electric (Electrical Residential/Commercial)

Silver medalist
Paul Yankauskas III, Gaylor Electric (Electrical Commercial/Industrial)

Electrical Safety Award Winner
Jorge Dias, Gaylor Electric

Bronze Medalist
Jeffrey Pursel, RL Turner Corporation (Carpentry)

Fire Sprinkler Safety Award Winner
Brett Abramczyk, Brenneco Fire Protection

Special Honors
Michael Manship, Brandt Construction, was recognized as the 2017 Craft Professional of the Year
J.R. Gaylor, ABC President & CEO, was honored for 30 years of service to ABC

Craft Instructor of the Year Awards In Louisville
Sammy Woodsm, 2017 Craft Instructor of the Year
Floyd Schanz, 2017 Craft Instructor of the Year Runner-Up

Just 45 minutes from Nashville, Tennessee, ABC Bowling Green graduation speaker Bob Appling, Director of the Bowling Green/Warren County Contractors Licensing Board, reminded graduates about the importance of their achievement and challenged them to always serve their communities with their craft knowledge and skills. In Louisville, Floyd Schanz, Field Operations Manager for the State of Kentucky, Division of Plumbing, congratulated the graduates on passing the state licensing exam and urged them to always help and support each other. In Indianapolis, ABC National Vice President Greg Sizemore urged graduates to be proud of their profession, continue to work hard, and serve others. Rob Griffith, ABC Indiana Trust Board Chair, closed the ceremony by asking graduates to affirm their own strengths to make an even greater positive impact on the world around them.

In closing, I want to thank all ABC training members for their participation in and support of ABC’s training programs, the craft championships, and our graduation events.

Special recognition goes to this year’s graduation sponsors:

Lucas Oil Stadium Tour Sponsor Dinner Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors
• Chapman Electric Supply
• Fredericks, Inc. Contractors

Gold Sponsors
• Edwards Electrical & Mechanical
• FasTrack Mechanical
• Ferrer Mechanical Services, Inc.
• National Construction Workforce
• Pritt Electric

Silver Sponsors
• James Babcock Inc.
• RL Turner Corporation

Bronze Sponsor
• Triple J Plumbing LLC

Pomp and circumstance? You bet ‘ya! The ABC Way!

Graduation Photos

ABC 2016 Year in Review

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ABC Takes Home the Gold at the National Craft Championships

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Fort Lauderdale, FL, 3/3/2016– Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana/Kentucky (ABC) brought home the gold, along with other prestigious awards at the 30th Annual National Craft Championships. The apprentices from Indiana/Kentucky competed alongside 170 of the association’s top craftsmen from 28 states. Apprentices can win a Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Safety medal for their performance. “The National Craft Championships is a great opportunity to show off the exceptionally skilled and well-trained craftsmen and women that work on Associated Builders and Contractors member jobsites,” said 2017 ABC National Chair Chuck Goodrich, president of Gaylor Electric Inc. Indianapolis. “ABC looks forward to showing off the very best the merit shop construction industry has to offer and drawing needed attention to the terrific career opportunities available in the construction industry.” The competitors from Indiana/Kentucky received the following awards:

* Electrical: Commercial/Industrial:

o Gold Medal, J.R. Christenberry, Gaylor Electric

o Silver Medal, Paul Yankauskas, Gaylor Electric

* Electrical: Commercial/Residential:

o Gold Medal, Joseph Smith, Pritt Electric

o Safety Medal, Jorge Diaz, Gaylor Electric

* Carpentry

o Bronze Medal, Jeff Pursel, RLTurner Corporation

* Sprinkler Fitting

o Safety Medal, Brett Abramczyk, Brenneco Fire Protection

ABC Indiana/Kentucky also recognizes the following Chapter Craft Champions:

* Logan Lapp, Advanced Mechanical Services, Sheet Metal

* Shawn Stinemetz, DEEM, Pipefitting

* Brett Summers, Gordon Plumbing, Plumbing

* Josh Wallin, Votaw Electric, Electrical: Commercial/Industrial

* Roberto Zavala, Ferrer Mechanical Services, HVAC Finally, Gaylor Electric, along with Cianbro, hosted a Power Line Man demonstration during the competition.

In addition to the strong performance of our apprentices, ABC of Indiana/Kentucky received a National Best Practice Award of Excellence for our “Jump on the YouTube Train: Create Your Own Training Videos” initiative, as well as the Best Practice Champion Award for our Floorcovering Installer Apprenticeship program and Young Professionals program. Also at this awards breakfast, J.R. Gaylor, our President and CEO was recognized for his 30 years of service to the Association.

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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 that represents nearly 21,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 70 chapters help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at abc.org.

ABC Member to Chair Committee in Trump Administration

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Catrona Lanctot: (317) 596-4950
cat@abcindianakentucky.org

Indianapolis, IN 2/20/17. ABC of Indiana/Kentucky member Gary Hobbs, CEO of Black and White (BWI) Contractors, will be chairing a small, national business group focused on real estate development in urban distressed committees and how that can create economic opportunities for those within those communities.

In conjunction, Mr. Hobbs participated in an economic opportunity listening session with Vice President Pence and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

Overall the group discussion focused on ways to empower and revitalize distressed communities through economic development so that all Americans, including African Americans, can improve their quality of life.

Gary Hobbs is a native of Louisville and his company is based in Indianapolis. He formerly served on the ABC Indiana/Kentucky Board of Directors.

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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Indiana/Kentucky represents commercial and industrial contractors, who believe in the merit shop philosophy. ABC Indiana/Kentucky and 69 other chapters around the country help members develop people, win work, and deliver that work safely, ethically, and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at www.abcindianakentucky.org and www.abc.org

 

KY Right to Work Recap

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We are still full of excitement surrounding the historic action of Governor Bevin and the Kentucky legislature to pass Right to work and full repeal of Prevailing Wage. It is important; however, to remember the intentional actions taken by ABC to reach this remarkable point.

The first step was the election of Matt Bevin.  Governor Bevin was suffering in the polls the summer prior to his election. Thanks to the tremendous support of our members, ABC held a significant fundraising event at the Aero Club in Louisville, during which time, Governor Bevin committed to leading the charge on Right to Work and Prevailing Wage Repeal. He never wavered from his commitment to our issues. Secondly, ABC participated in the effort to enact local Right to Work ordinances, county by county. Warren County was the first to enact such an ordinance, thanks to the political and financial support of our contractors in the Bowling Green area.  ABC provided financial support to the legal defense of the county ordinances when unions sued to stop the effort. That effort gave momentum and support to the issue around the state, which paid off in legislative action. By financially supporting key legislative leaders and through the work of ABC’s lobbyist, Marc Wilson, ABC became highly visible in the political arena.

Thanks to the strong network of Marc Wilson and our earlier efforts, ABC is grateful to see the successful passage of Right to Work and full repeal of Prevailing Wage. Our work is never done, so our next task is to protect those who took a stand for the free market, as we know they will be targets of the union building trades in the next election. Please consider making a financial contribution to ABC’s Kentucky Political Action Committee and send it to your nearest ABC Council office. *must be a personal check or from an LLC

Gaylor Electric President Chuck Goodrich Begins Term as ABC National Chair

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeff Leieritz (202) 905-2104
leieritz@abc.org

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 3 – Chuck Goodrich, president of Indianapolis-based, national electrical contractor Gaylor Electric Inc., began his term as the 2017 chair of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) on Jan 1, 2017. As chair, Goodrich will guide the 21,000-member association’s national initiatives and lead ABC’s Executive Committee and 170-member Board of Directors.

“Associated Builders and Contractors members and their employees look forward to Chuck’s high-energy leadership during this pivotal time as President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, a fellow Indianan, about to take office in Washington,” said ABC President and CEO Mike Bellaman. “ABC shares the administration’s goal of creating opportunities for all Americans to play a valuable role in rebuilding our cities, highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools and hospitals. Chuck and Gaylor Electric’s award-winning commitment to world-class safety, innovation, workforce development and community service shows the value merit shop contractors bring to growing jobs and our economy.”
Goodrich began his 25-year career in the construction industry as an intern with Gaylor Electric in 1991 and was named president in 2014. The national electrical contractor has 13 offices in seven states. The company is an ABC Accredited Quality Contractor and has been recognized for its world-class performance, achieving the platinum level of ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) program and earning 19 Excellence in Construction® Awards.

Goodrich earned a Bachelor of Science degree in building construction management from Purdue University and is a graduate of Clemson University’s Project Management Academy. He has served on ABC’s national Executive Committee for three years: as president-elect in 2016, secretary in 2015 and as the Mid-America region vice chair in 2015 and 2014, which includes members and chapters in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.
A leader in the business community, Goodrich is chairman of the Riverview Health Foundation and chair-elect of the Purdue Construction Advisory Board for Building Construction Management. He is a member of the National Honor Society for Construction, Metro Indianapolis Coalition for Construction Safety and Design-Build Institute of America. He has been recognized for his leadership and philanthropy with the James J. Leonard Memorial Award, the ABC Outstanding Chapter Support Award and the Gaylor Optimist Award, as well as being named Business Person of the Year by the City of Noblesville. Goodrich also participates in the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce and All Pro Dads.

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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 that represents nearly 21,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 70 chapters help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at abc.org.

Victory in Frankfort: Right to Work and Prevailing Wage

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Contacts:
Catrona Lanctot: (317) 596-4950
cat@abcindianakentucky.org

For Immediate Release

Frankfort, KY, 1/12/17– Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana/Kentucky (ABC) stands with the strongest support of the action taken by the Kentucky Senate and the historic action of the Kentucky House last week. Governor Bevin signed both House Bill 1 (Right to Work) and House Bill 3 (Prevailing Wage Repeal) over the weekend. Both laws went into effect Monday.

“A resounding thank you to the legislative leaders and the House and Senate members comes from our association for your courageous action passing HB 1 & 3,” said J.R. Gaylor, President of ABC of Indiana/Kentucky. “Governor Bevin encouraged legislators this past week to ‘do the right thing,’ which the legislature has accomplished.”

ABC Indiana/Kentucky is the leading voice of promoting free enterprise within the construction industry. ABC’s merit shop philosophy drives member services, political advocacy, and the need for all types of industry training and education.

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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Indiana/Kentucky represents commercial and industrial contractors, who believe in the merit shop philosophy. ABC Indiana/Kentucky and 69 other chapters around the country help members develop people, win work, and deliver that work safely, ethically, and profitably for the better of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at www.abcindianakentucky.org and www.abc.org

From the President

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“All Eyes on Frankfort Kentucky”
The stars seem to be aligning in the great Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2017. The new Kentucky House and Senate leadership, along with Governor Bevin, appear to be interested in labor reform. Specifically, they have discussed Right to Work and Prevailing Wage reform.  ABC has been a successful leader on these issues: namely, Right to Work in Indiana (2012), followed by Right to Work in Michigan (2013) and Wisconsin (2015).

ABC stands for freedom: freedom in the marketplace and freedom for companies and employees to choose who they want to work with and for. Under Right to Work, workers are guaranteed that choice. Employment should not be contingent on forced unionism or forced financial support to unions.
Furthermore, Right to Work has overwhelmingly positive effects on economic growth:

*         Following Right to Work in Indiana, 4 billion dollars in new, economic development have come to the state.

*         Manufacturing (in Indiana and Michigan) bounced back immediately. Indiana saw a 10% growth and Michigan, a 9% growth, effectively ranking them as number 1 and number 2 in manufacturing job growth (2014).

*         Allied Van Lines announced that four of the Top 5 states where families relocated in 2015 were Right to Work States

As to Prevailing Wage reform and repeal, ABC members may have mixed feelings. Some members have established their business models, based around the fact that Prevailing Wage would always be in place. Despite some success with this model, ABC believes that it is in the interest of the greater good to bid projects based on prices established by the free market, rather than on arbitrary government prices. ABC believes that supporting Prevailing Wage reform and repeal is the right thing to do for taxpayers.

ABC is conservative in nature. I read an interesting definition of a “conservative” the other day- after all, what is a conservative? “We cannot conserve the present of the future. Things in the past are like things in the present; they must be judged.” Conservatism at its cores judges based on principle. Therefore, ABC defines our support of legislative ideas based on the principles of freedom: freedoms to workers and companies to fully participate in a market economy where merit, performance, and integrity count instead of forced dues and forced pricing.

2016 Election Re-Cap

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Indiana:

Todd Young, U.S. Senate: in early September, ABC endorsed Todd Young for U.S. Senate. A strong supporter of ABC, we are confident Senator Young will support our issues in Washington. Not only familiar with our cause, Senator Young has spent significant time with our membership and association, whether at the ABC facility in Indianapolis or at our annual Legislative Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Eric Holcomb, Governor of Indiana: in late September, ABC hosted a fundraiser for Eric Holcomb for Governor. Familiar with ABC issues, Governor –elect Holcomb repeatedly voiced his support for the association, especially in workforce development. Along with his Lieutenant Governor, Suzanne Crouch, ABC is pleased to see progress continue in Indiana.

Congressional Elections: Trey Hollingsworth, District 9, Jackie Walorski, District 2, and Jim Banks, District 3. ABC endorsed and supported Hollingsworth throughout his campaign. A true believer, Hollingsworth will promote the principles of Free Enterprise throughout his district. Congresswoman Jackie Walorski was re-elected to continue serving Indiana’s 2nd District. Congresswoman Walorski has strong relationships with ABC members in her area and has also devoted time every year to attend our annual legislative dinner in Washington, D.C. The election of Congressman Jim Banks to Indiana’s 3rd district, a loyal friend of the association, secures the interest of ABC in Washington.

At the state level, ABC was pleased to see pro-Merit Shop candidates we had openly supported succeed in their races. To the Indiana State Senate, Aaron Freeman, District 32, and Jack Sandlin, District 36. To the Indiana House of Representatives: Jim Pressel, District 20, and Sally Siegrist, District 26.

Kentucky:

Most notably, the flip of the Kentucky House of Representatives to a Republican majority was an incredible victory. Pro-Merit Shop initiatives, brought forth by the Senate, such as PLA reform, Right to Work, and Prevailing Wage repeal were continually extinguished in House.  In the excitement that surrounds the upcoming session, ABC is working to secure strategies and plans to support any pro-Merit Shop legislation that may be brought forward. Watch for political updates issued by the Association in your inbox!

Congressional Appointments: re-election of Andy Barr, District 6, and election of Jamie Comer, District 1. Andy Barr has been a long-time supporter of ABC in Kentucky and a frequent attendee at our legislative events. Jason Nemes was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives (R-33). Jason had been involved in earlier Right to Work efforts as an attorney and will be a strong voice as an elected leader.

Takeaway:

All the time, PAC investments, free enterprise funds from ABC, and member’s direct involvement of their own resources, resulted in the successful election of all but one candidate who received our support. Our only loss was that of Representative Connie Eckert (IN). This is an incredible testament to the efforts of the association and its members to promote the Merit Shop agenda!