2010 ABC Craft Championships

Each year our apprentice program at Associated Builders and Contractors located in Anaheim has a local Craft Championships to find our best apprentices to go on and represent our chapter at the National Craft Championships held somewhere in the Untied States.  This year’s National competition will be held in San Diego. The National Craft Championships has a multitude of apprentices competing in various trades. Our local program participates in the Plumbing and Electrical competition.

The process at the local level is basically  the entire 3rd and 4th year apprentice classes have to take a written test comprising of the entire 4 year program and the top 6 highest test scores ( in the plumbing program) get to compete in the local Craft Championships in Anaheim which puts their mechanical talents to the test. The mechanical competition changes each year to keep pace with the National Competition, this helps our local plumbing program prepare our chosen apprentice for what’s in store at the National level.

Any apprentice that has earned the chance to compete at the local level should hold their head up high and be proud of this accomplishment. My view is this is an honor that should be cherished for a lifetime. This year we had the honor to be the employer for one of the top six apprentices, Mr. Jerry More a third year apprentice, had the honor to compete locally and I have to say he did a fantastic job performing the required task. I tip my hat to Jerry for a job well done!

I would like to thank the following employees and their families for coming down and supporting Jerry and our program: Matt Beeman, Mike Tuchton,  Mike Bernardo, Chris McFayden, Joshua Fox, Chris Menning, Barry Calvert, Brian Shukwit, Pablo Vidal, Derrick Elliott and Jill Elliott.

Our company and family participation totaled 22 with company T-Shirts and Pro-Craft won the 1st Place  “Team Spirit Award”, a first for the plumbers!! Congrats and well done everyone!!

Home of the National Apprenticeship Plumbers Champion

In 2002 Chris McFayden a 3rd year Apprentice won the Gold Metal at the local Associated Builders and Contractors Plumbing Craft Championships held in Anaheim, California.  Chris competed against 5 other opponents that combined a written examination that included 4 years of curriculum along with an extensive hands on plumbing installation.  As the winner of the local Craft Championships, Chris was sent to New Orleans to represent the So Cal Chapter of Associated Builders to compete in the 2003 National Craft Championship at the super dome. There were a total of 24 competitors from all over the country competing in the plumbing competition, which consisted of a grueling 6 hour competition that was conducted after the previous day’s written examination.

After all was said and done, Chris McFayden earned the Gold Metal 1st place winner.  Chris was the first 3rd year apprentice, both locally and nationally, to win the top national plumbing award. It is our understanding that to this day no other 3rd year plumbing apprentice has won the championship.

What an honor to have the national winner working at Pro-Craft Plumbing. Today Chris still possesses that extra special talent in everything he handles at the company and is a leader in his craft of plumbing.

Congratulations Chris!