ABC Delaware's annual Student & STEP Award dinner was held May 3 at the Whilte Clay Creek Country Club in Newark and featured honors for the future leaders of the construction industry, companies who keep safety in the forefront and an economic update on the first state with DEDO Secretary Alan Levin.

"This program is about today's safety efforts and tomorrow's leaders," said ABC Delaware President. "Our CEFD Scholarship winner and the six student winners from the vo-tech schools in New Castle County are our next generation of leaders and we are proud to honor them all."

Hodgson Vo-Tech's Emrey wins CEFD scholarship

DEDO Secretary Alan Levin (left) and
ABC Careers in Construction Co-Chairman Ken Adams
congratulate CEFD Scholarship winner Max Emrey.

"Max was a member of the ABC Student Chapter for the past 3 years as well as a member of the baseball team at Hodgson and and serves on the school’s Sportsmanship Committee. He has participated in volunteer activities with Easter Seals, the Tug McGraw Foundation for Cancer and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Max is also a member of the National Honor Society and has had perfect attendance at Hodgson. CEFD is honored to present Max with this year's scholarship."

Construction Education Foundation of Delaware is a 501 C3 subsidiary of ABC Delaware. The mission of CEFD is to assist the construction industry’s educational and training needs by offering scholarships to qualified construction education students.

The scholarship program is for students graduating from high school who are continuing their education at a post secondary institution in a construction related field.  The scholarship is available to dependents of employees who work for an ABC Delaware member or graduating vo-tech students who are a member of an ABC Delaware student chapter.

Applications are accepted by CEFD, and interviews with the finalists are conducted by a subcommittee of the ABC Careers in Construction committee.  The scholarship winner receives $1,000.  The winner can apply every year for an additional $1,000 as long as they are still in a construction related major and carry a 2.75 GPA.

Vo-Tech students honored for schoolwork
and co-op work

The ABC Delaware Careers in Construction Committee is pleased to announced  the six winners of this year's student awards from the New Castle County Vo-Tech School District. These awards are given to a student enrolled in the construction trade curriculum that has shown outstanding academic achievement and completed a successful co-op program with an ABC Member. Each individual receives a tool bag and a gift certificate for $250 to a local supply house for them to purchase tools that can help them get started in the construction industry.

An award is given to a student at Howard and St. George’s and 2 students at Delcastle and Hodgson.

School              Winner                                    ABC Member

Howard             Jeremy Dearth, Carpentry           Spacecon

Hodgson            Christopher Huhn, Electrical         Nickle Electric

                        Brett Harris, Millwright                M. Davis & Sons

Delcastle           Wayne Saunders, Welding          RC Fabricators

                        Christian Tabares, Tech Drafting  BSA+A

St. George's      Chris Dale, Plumbing                   Merit Mechanical

Spacecon's Tom Dilley (left) and DEDO Secretary
Alan Levin congratulate Jeremy Dearth of Howard.

Steve Dignan of Nickle Electrical Companies(left)
and DEDO Secretary Alan Levin congratulate
Christopher Huhn of Hodgson.

Todd Moran of M. Davis (left) and DEDO Secretary
Alan Levin congratulate Brett Harris of Hodgson. 

Carl Bouldin of RC Fabricators (left) and DEDO Secretary
Alan Levin congratulate Wayne Saunders of Delcastle.

ABC Delaware 2012 Chairman John Gooden (left)
and DEDO Secretary Alan Levin congratulate
Christian Tabares of Delcastle. 

Merit Mechanical's Rick Rettig (left) and DEDO Secretary
Alan Levin congratulate Chris Dale of St. George's. 

Hodgson students win ABC Student Chapter of the Year award

DEDO Secretary Alan Levin (left) and ABC Careers
in Construction Committee Co-Chair Ken Adams present
 Hodgson Student Chapter President Haley Thompson with
the Chapter of the Year award.

The winner of this year’s ABC Student Chapter of the Year is Hodgson Vocational-Technical High School. This annual award recognizes exemplary participation and promotion of the ABC Student Chapter. Each local chapter submits a portfolio documenting the activities of their chapter members and advisors to the Careers in Construction Committee for review. Congratulations to Hodgson students for their accomplishments!

ABC contractors presented STEP awards for company safety

Twenty-nine ABC Delaware member contractors were presented with 2012 ABC National Safety Training and Evaluation Process Awards or STEP Awards.

"The STEP award program provides an organized approach to analyze and further develop your company's safety and loss prevention program and provides a vital, objective method to measure safety program improvements," said ABC Delaware President Ed Capodanno. "STEP award certificates are given for bronze, silver, gold, diamond and platinum for an evaluation process that includes about two dozen safety aspects."

This year's winners are:

Silver Award Winners:
Commonwealth Fire Protection
County Group
Guardian Construction
Nowland Associates
Quality Heating & A/C 

ABC Delaware Chairman John Gooden (left)
with the Silver STEP winners.

Gold Award Winners:
Bancroft Construction
Custom Iron Shop
Drwall, Inc
Eastern Industrial Services
Ehret Construction
GGA Construction
J.F. Sobieski Mechanical
Pearce and Moretto
RC Fabricators
Service Unlimited
Spacecon
Tricon Construction Management
Wohlsen
Worth & Company

ABC Delaware Chairman John Gooden (left)
with the Gold STEP winners (all above).

Platnium Level:
DiSabatino Construction
Farrell Roofing
George & Lynch
M. Davis & Sons
Nason Construction
Nickle Electrical Company
The Tri-M Group
Wayman Fire Protection

 
ABC Delaware Chairman John Gooden (left)
with the Platinum STEP winners (above & below).

Diamond Level:
Color Works Painting
KBR Building Group

ABC Delaware Chairman John Gooden (right)
with the Diamond STEP winners.  

Color Works Painting wins ABC National Safety Excellence Award

For the second time in three years, Color Works Painting has won the ABC National Safety Excellence Award.

ABC Delaware Chairman John Gooden (left)
with Travis Histed (center) and Sean Histed
of Color Works Painting.  

"This award recognizes companies whose safety performance and programs are judged to be exemplary by the ABC National Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) Committee," said ABC Delaware President Ed Capodanno. "Awards are based on data submitted via STEP Platinum applications, company interviews and site visits. Award categories are based on a company's total work-hours per calendar year. We are pleased to recognize Sean Histed and his company for this award, which was originally announced during the ABC National convention in February."

DEDO Secretary discusses Delaware's economic development

There is good news on the economic development front, there are signs of growth in the First State, according to Delaware Economic Development Office Secretary Alan Levin, guest speaker at the May awards dinner.

DEDO Secretary Alan Levin
speaking at the ABC Dinner on May 3.

"I'm not an economist. I'm a businessman like you," said Levin, speaking of his experience as owner of the former Harry Harry's Drugstore chain in 4 states. "There are jobs returning to First State in Delaware City. The University of Delaware held a groundbreaking for a major project at the former Chrysler site in Newark, Amazon is building in Middletown, and some of the banking centers are adding more jobs to the payroll. All good signs that we are coming back."

Levin said that diversification in the jobs and economic development is the key and that he is working every day to help put Delawareans back to work.

"I don't really pay attention to what's happening on the national scene, my concern is Delaware and I work everyday to help make us stronger as we move forward."