e news may 2015

May 2015 Connector Newsletter Website  |    Events  |  Join SEEA  |  Safety Flash  |  Contact SEAA Convention & Tradeshow Save the Date for 2016 Convention in North Carolina More than 200 professionals and 90 exhibitor representatives attended the 2015 National Convention and Tradeshow in Myrtle Beach, S.C., representing a 42% increase over the 2014 attendance.   Next year, the National Convention remains on the East Coast, where it will be held at the Charlotte-Concord NC Embassy Suites Golf Resort and Spa.  Mark your calendars for April 27-29, 2016.   Golf, fishing, a boom lift ball drop, and the Luau theme Gala Dinner, provided lots of networking and fun activities for members, while sessions on EPA Tier 4 regulations, AISC Erector Certification and other key issues set the tone for education.    New this year was craft training and certification opportunities, including Signal Person NCCER Certified Plus and Boom Lift Operator Training provided by United Rentals.  Photo Gallery 7 Confirmed for 2015-2017 Board of Directors Positions Not Pictured President-Elect Executive Committee, Josh Cilley, American Steel & Precast Erectors, Greenfield, N.H. Director, Executive Committee, Eddie Williams, Buckner Companies,  Graham, N.C. Director, Duke Perry, Bluearc Stud Welding, Lawrenceville, Ga. Director, Glen Pisani, MAS Building & Bridge, Inc., Norfolk, Mass. Director, Jack Nix, JVN Construction Management Inc., Cooper City, Fla. Director, Chris Legnon, Cooper Steel,  Nashville, Tenn. Director, Tom McAleese, Indusco Group, Baltimore, Md. Carrie Sopuch-Gulajan Named Person of the Year In recognition for her service to the steel construction industry and the Steel Erectors Association of America, SEAA honored its first female Person of the Year at the association's 43rd Annual Convention, held April 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.   The 2015 Person of the Year, Carrie Sopuch-Gulajan, is president of Construction Insurance Agency, Inc., Manassas, Va. She has worked in the construction industry since the 1990s, first in the engineering department of a major insurance carrier, then on the corporate side of safety and risk management for a steel erection company, finally returning to the insurance business as an agent. More Industry Reports 2016 Prequalified Moment Connections Standard Draft Available for Review A draft of the 2016 AISC Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications is available for public review. The comment period was scheduled to close May 11, but access to the document currently remains open. Once approved, it will replace AISC 341-10. SEAA members are encouraged to review the document, which is an update of the 2010 version of the standard and its 2011 and 2014 supplements. Once approved, it will replace AISC 341-10. View the proposed standard and download the comment form. Events, Scholarships Aimed at Introducing Young People to Construction Scholarship: NCCER and its Build Your Future (BYF) initiative have recently partnered with The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and its AGC Education and Research Foundation to create a national BYF scholarship program for deserving individuals pursuing a career in construction through craft and technical programs.   Scholarships are valued at $1,000 per year for each recipient and can be renewed for up to two years. Applications are due by June 15, 2015 for the 2015-2016 academic year. Apply Online   Career Fair: Lift & Move USA, a career fair for students interested in crane operation, rigging, logistics,  transportation, and related fields, will take place June 16-17, 2015 in Chicago. Hands-on activities, career advice, industry case studies, and networking make this a must for students considering careers in construction.  The event is organized by Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association, KHL Group, and the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. Registration is free. Learn more Steel Day Sept. 25, 2015: SteelDay is an annual event sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction and hosted by its members and partners. It is the industry's largest educational and networking function, with events occurring all over the country.  Learn more SEAA Supports Stand Down to Prevent Falls OSHA reported that workers paused to focus on fall prevention in all 50 states during the 2015 Fall Safety Stand-Down, May 4-15. It was expected that more people would participate this year, beating the 2014 record of 5,000+ employers and 1 million workers. SEAA offered posters and banners to its members, and encourages its members to periodically re-visit this safety issue with crews throughout the year. Training materials, videos, and other resources are available on the OSHA National Safety Stand-Down website.  Member News Most SEAA members have heard about the NCCER/USDOL-approved Ironworker Craft Training Program SEAA now offers. You probably know that subject matter experts from member companies developed this custom curriculum specifically for Steel Erectors. And by now, we hope you've considered how your company can get involved by becoming an accredited Traning Unit and Assessment Site. If not, here's four more reasons to check it out. More 4 More Benefits of the SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Craft Training Program Included in the custom training materials are ALL Core Modules; ALL NCCER Ironworker;Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Rigger Modules; Signal Person Modules; PLUS our own custom SEAA curriculum. SEAA will issue a "Qualified" Signal Person/Rigger card upon successful completion and submission of specified modules. (Member company must be an accredited Training Unit.) SEAA will administer Ironworker and other NCCER Assessments at your company or on your job site. SEAA offers one-on-one consultation to help you develop and implement your SEAA-sponsored Craft Training Program. (Hourly rates may apply.)   Get Started Today This flexible program can help you to determine knowledge and skill level of current and potential employees, provide a training prescription to fill any "gaps," and be an incentive for employees to acquire industry recognized credentials.  Contact Tim Eldridge at [email protected], 980-722-9373 or call the SEAA office. Welcome New Members Carolina Structural Welding & Steel Erection Inc., Charlotte, NC Erector Eastern Constructors Inc., Gonzales, La. Erector New Millennium Building Systems, Lake City, Fla. Fabricator Rick's Construction & Ironworks Inc., Jamaica, NY Erector Shelby Erectors Inc., Davie, Fla. Erector Richard Tucker and Jim Larson Lifetime Members Honored Jim Larson and Richard Tucker were awarded Individual LIfe Membership status at the 2015 National Convention & Trade Show, a distinction given to someone who is officially retired from active employment and whose company is a member in good standing. Both Larson and Tucker have been associated with SEAA for more than 25 years.     "Both of these men have sacrificed numerous hours as volunteers for the association, contributing to its growth and success. We honor them upon their retirement and look forward to benefiting from their wisdom for years to come," said Tom Underhill, Executive Director. More   SEAA Remembers Richard "Rick Starner, Jr. Richard Allen Starner, Jr., age 58, President of Star Erecters Inc., Raleigh, N,C., died May 27, 2015 in Pinehurst, N.C. Star Erecters has been a member of SEAA since 1991 and Rick served on the Board of Directors for several years. In 2006, he chaired the National Convention and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Rick was instrumental in developing SEAA's first Ironworker training program, which was the pre-cursor to the SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Craft Training Program now in place. More   Crane Simulator Rodeo NACB has been offering crane training simulators for nearly 15 years, manufacturing them under the NACB International Educational Systems (IES) name. To showcase its simulators, the annual crane simulator rodeo will take place Nov. 16-19 at NACB's Lifting and Load Handling Training Expo in Las Vegas, Nev. More LGH President Finalist for Entrepreneur Award Tony Fiscelli, president of Lifting Gear Hire is a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 award in the Midwest. The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. More   2014 Projects of the Year Named Projects toped out by V&M Erectors, Cooper Steel, and LPR Construction Co., in 2014 were recently recognized by SEAA as the Projects of the Year for 2014. Winners are selected by an independent panel of judges. Projects are recognized for their complexity, and companies are awarded the Project of the Year for overcoming challenges while maintaining safe work standards.  More Photo Gallery Photo Gallery Photo Gallery Class I: Erection Contract up to $500,000, V&M Erectors Inc.   Project: MDX Open Road Tolling, Wing Gantry@SR836 & 17th Street  Class II: Erection Contract of $500,000 to $1 Million, Cooper Steel   Project: First Tennessee Park Class III: Erection Contract of Greater than $1 Million, LPR Construction Co.   Project: DIA Hotel & Transit Center Canopy  August 6, 2015 Board of Directors Meeting Gainesville/Haymarket, VA August 7, 2015 SEAA-MAC Golf Tournament Heritage Hunt Golf & Country Club, Raleigh, NC October 8, 2015 Board of Directors Meeting Raleigh, NC October 9, 2015 16th Annual Educational Golf Tournament Lonnie Poole Golf Course, Raleigh, NC   In the News ISHN: What you need to know about Welding Safety More EHS Today Webinar: How to conduct an elevated worksite analysis More Modern Metals: Multifunctional Metals More Safety + Health: Stop Work Authority More Modern Steel Construction: The Nuts and Bolts of Nuts and Bolts More Copyright © 2015. 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