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Mass Timber Project Celebrates with Topping Out

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A symbol of achievement and dedication – this topping out signifies much more than just the final beam.

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021, the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters sponsored a topping out ceremony for the Intro Cleveland project.  The event was held to celebrate the feat of this historic project across from the West Side Market in Cleveland, OH.

Intro Cleveland will be a mixed-use building with apartments, an event center, and retail space.  The building is nine stories high and completely framed with mass timber.  Over 2,000 pieces of timber, cut and shipped from Binderholtz in Austria, will make this building temporarily hold the title of the tallest mass timber building in the United States.  Around 50% of the timber will remain visible in the building as it is filled with tenants, a reminder of the sustainability of the project. The wood began to arrive in the Port of Cleveland in December 2020 and the final piece was installed by IKORCC Union Carpenters on July 1, 2021.

IKORCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Todd Pancake spoke at the ceremony about the hard work members have put into this project. Read more

Ohio Carpenters community

GIVING BACK: Members Support Up Side of Downs Fundraiser

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Brotherhood. Unity. Compassion. Last weekend the IKORCC joined 4 Cleveland-area locals to support The Up Side of Downs. The organization raises money for Down’s Syndrome advocacy. Locals 1090, 285, 373 & 435 have raised nearly $70,000 for the organization. We are incredibly proud of the amazing work these carpenters & millwrights have done in the community!

 

Carpenters Union Donates 170+ Smoke Detectors to local Fire Station

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When Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) Business Representative and Akron Local 285 member Abe Bruner, read in a local paper that 9 in 10 fires around Akron could have been prevented from spreading, he knew it was time to take action. Homes and families without a functioning smoke detector are at greater risk to be affected by a fire.

“More than 22 fire deaths have occurred in the last two years [in Akron].  A number of those homes did not have functioning smoke detectors”, says Lieutenant Lash.

As a Member Action Committee party chairperson in his local, Abe decided to do something about it.  Beginning last year, the committee rounded up their resources and donated around 80 new smoke detectors for the Akron Fire Department.  Lt. Lash says the department strives to get working smoke detectors on every floor or level of homes in need.

With the help of Akron Local 285, Millwright’s Local 1090, Cleveland Locals 435 and 373, Tri-County Building Trades in Akron, and Donley’s Construction; this year they have over doubled the previous years’ donation.

Around 176 new smoke detectors were donated through Captain Haas at the Akron Fire Department this past Friday, July 26th.  The Akron Fire Department will be installing these new smoke detectors into homes of families in need around the City of Akron. Haas hopes to get a new, fully functioning smoke detector in every home.

 

The committee is grateful to have the opportunity to help their community and hopes to get even more donations set up for next year.

 

(Featured in photo from left to right: Captain Haas, Kristin Fox, Rob Treichel, Abe Bruner, LT. Joe Falkenstein, Marcus Wagner.)

Megan Walkowiak Receives Appreciation Award from Carpenters Local 435

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The Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) selected Megan Walkowiak from Carpenters Local 435 to represent the Early Intervention Committee’s motto for, “Contractor, Community, Customer”, during the summer conference. She is a 3rd generation carpenter. Her grandfather, Benny Sroka (deceased), was an Honorary 65 year member, and her father, Dave Walkowiak, is a 39 year member. 

Like most young adults graduating high school, Megan had ambitions. She decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business management, with a minor in human resources. After entering the world of nine-to-five, she decided being behind a desk wasn’t for her. Instead, she wanted to pursue a career as a contractor. She approached her father about joining the carpenters union and he insisted she had to go through the apprenticeship program.

While going through her apprenticeship, Megan excelled and started to stand out as a leader. During the third year of her apprenticeship, Megan was chosen to go to the International Training Center (ITC) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon her return, she immediately applied the skills she learned from her training. Megan began to mentor other women in the trade and started giving back to the community. Megan stated that one of her favorite volunteer projects was reroofing a house for a needy family whose child had cerebral palsy.

Megan was appointed as Chairperson for Locals’ 435 and 373 Sisters in the Brotherhood (S.I.B.) Committee, where she conducts monthly meetings and continually inspires women to excel with their contractors, community, and customers. Recently, Megan was awarded a plaque of appreciation for all the work she has done. The plaque was presented to her at the August 8, 2017, Carpenters Local 435 Union meeting. Her father, along with her UBC sisters from Carpenters Locals 435 and 373, were in attendance to witness her accepting the award. The award was presented to her by the officers of Carpenters Local 435, several IKORCC representatives, and a special appearance by Teresa Moore, the IKORCC S.I.B. chairperson.

It is an honor to have this young lady go from an apprentice, journeyman, to newly a signatory contractor for our organization. The IKORCC looks forward to seeing great things come from her in the future and wishes her the best in her career!

Carpenters Union Builds Santa’s Sleigh for Holiday Parade

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Earlier this month, Carpenters from the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) Local 435 Member Action Committee (MAC) volunteered to build Santa’s sleigh for the Light Up Lorain Waterfront Winterfest parade.

To kick off the Christmas season, Light Up Lorain Waterfront Winterfest is an annual two- day celebration held in Lorain that includes a lighting ceremony at Veterans Park, visits with Santa at Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen and an annual parade on Broadway and West Erie Avenue. This year, the celebration will be held on Nov. 28 and 29.

Director of the Lorain Port Authority Stephen W. Bansek was thrilled to accept the donation of the Santa sleigh that was designed, constructed and painted by the Carpenters Union. “We could not be happier for their help. Our community looks forward to the fest every year. We are thankful for all who made this possible, specifically Local 435 carpenters, John Muriello and Loren Haskins.”

Upon completion of the sleigh, Santa and Mrs. Claus visited Muriello and Haskins to inspect their work. Luckily, they passed with flying colors and were told the craftsmanship and kind heartedness of the IKORCC volunteers should make carpenters proud from all over. All four sides of the sleigh will proudly display an IKORCC “carpenters making a difference” sign.

IKORCC Representative Kevin Ennis said, “Having the opportunity to give back to the community and knowing how excited the kids will be to see Santa on his sleigh will make this year’s parade even more special to us.”

For more information, please contact Kevin Ennis kennis@ikorcc.com.

Local Carpenters Reroof House for Family in Need

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PARMA, Ohio – This past summer, members of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) from Locals 435 and 373 donated their time to help a local family with necessary home repairs.

When the McCarthy family reached out to the carpenters union, Locals 435 & 373 didn’t hesitate to volunteer. The McCarthys have four children, one of them was born with Cerebral Palsy. With mounting medical bills, the loss of Mr. McCarthy’s job, and round the clock care needed for their son, the family was unable to pay for a new roof for their home.

Materials were generously donated by local contractors, and the labor was provided by a collaborative effort between Cleveland Building Trades and Carpenters Locals 435 and 373.

Kevin Ennis, Dustin Basmagy, James Gamier, Jeremy Kuhar and Megan Walkowisk of Local 435 joined Kyle Smith, Eric Dunn, John Mills of Local 373 for the project. Jack Petsche from USA Roofing was the contractor on the project.

For more information, please contact Kevin Ennis kennis@.com