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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.

INSTALL Contractor Featured in Case Study

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TOLEDO, Ohio – Earlier this year, American Flooring & Interiors (AF&I) was featured in a case study showcasing their rising position in the industry. The case study touted AF&I’s 2014 number one ranking from Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) as the fastest growing company in the construction industry and the number 11 fastest growing company overall. The companies chosen annually represent innovative, diverse companies that produce jobs in their local communities and generate over half of their revenues from regional, national and international sales.

As part of their impressive credentials, AF&I has received a special certification with the International Standards & Training Alliance (INSTALL) flooring program. INSTALL has certified AF&I as an INSTALL Warranty Contractor. Contractors like AF&I must reach elevated standards in exemplary installation performance history, demonstrate and maintain good business standards and bonding credentials, and all of their journeyperson installers are required to be INSTALL certified. The INSTALL Warranty is the only free, extended, additional, third-party installation warranty in the floor covering industry.

AF&I owner Gary Johnson attributes the company’s success to investing in skilled, professional people and providing them with comprehensive INSTALL training and certification. Local floor coverers working for the AF&I are members of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC), a regional council of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC).

AF&I is joined by seven other IKORCC INSTALL Contractors and 23 US and Canadian INSTALL Contractors that have achieved this distinction from over 400 INSTALL Contractors across the US and Canada.

INSTALL is a North American alliance of flooring mills, manufacturers, consultants and contractors who work together to ensure superior flooring installations.

For more information, please contact Ray Laraby at rlaraby@ikorcc.com.

Local 351 Builds Wheelchair Ramp for Local Family

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Earlier this month, Local 351 Member Action Committee (MAC) of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) volunteered time and skills to build a wheelchair ramp for a local family in need.

Lois Aay, a retired secretary of Local 50, Plumbers and Pipefiitters, needed a ramp for her husband Willy who lost his leg as a result of diabetes. Without a ramp attached to their home, Lois was left hauling snowmobile ramps to their front door any time Willy had to go somewhere. It was extremely tough for Lois to move the ramps to and from their front door, and the Local 351 MAC was eager to help the family.

Local 351 MAC worked closely with the Aays to design and draw blueprints of the ramp, and eight total members volunteered an entire day to build a wheelchair ramp for easy access in and out of the house. In addition, the carpenters built a deck area for Willy to be able to go outside and enjoy the sun and fresh air.

“When we found out that Willy and Lois needed a ramp at their house, we didn’t hesitate to offer a helping hand,” said Dan Morey of the IKORCC. “On the day of the project, the weather wasn’t on our side, but our MAC members pushed through the steady rain to complete the ramp. We knew Willy had an upcoming doctors appointment, and we didn’t want Lois to have to use heavy snowmobile ramps again. We are really happy to have made a difference in their lives.”

“Willy and I would like to give a standing ovation to Local 351 for coming to our home and building a wonderful and useful ramp and deck,” commented Lois Aays. “Being only 4’11”, it has helped me so much with getting Willy to doctor appointments by myself. The volunteers were amazing, and they were a true union – wonderful volunteers and dedicated men who will never be forgotten by our family.”

Local 351 MAC members who worked on the project include Luciana Briones, Rodney Dean, Lee Daher, Dan Morey, Jim Powers, Mike Sager, Anthony Santellana and Dave Schertz.

For more information, please contact Dan Morey at dmorey@ikorcc.com.

Local 200 Participates in Pickerington Labor Day Parade

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PICKERINGTON, Ohio – On Labor Day, Carpenters Local 200 of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) participated in the 67th annual Pickerington Labor Day Parade, sponsored by the Pickerington Lions Club, for the second consecutive year.

Representing Local 200, 25 total members, apprentices, retirees, family members and friends handed out candy and frisbees at the parade. Participants in the parade included Troy Woodyard, Kevin McConahan, Nate Hall, Doug Soma, Nate Davis, Mike Mask, Mark Moen, Debbie Ziaden, Mike Freeman, James Van New Kirk, and spouses, daughters and grandchildren of Local 200.

“This is our second time participating in the parade, and we foresee this as an annual tradition for Local 200 and our families,” commented Mike Freeman, IKORCC Representative. “We love having the chance to show our support for our community, especially on Labor Day, while representing everything the IKORCC stands for: fair jobs with fair benefits, a living wage that can support our families, a safe and secure work environment, supporting our communities and producing the highest quality and maintaining the highest standards of work in everything we do.”

Following the parade, the Lions Club held its annual fish fry with all proceeds going to optical research and blindness prevention. “The money we raise through our parade and fish fry stays local,” commented Cherie Koch, Pickerington Labor Day Parade Chair of 15 years. “Having the Carpenters in the parade helped us draw in more spectators, which ultimately generated more money we can put to good use in our community.”

The Pickerington Labor Day Parade is one of the largest spectated parades in Central Ohio. This year marked the city’s 200 year anniversary.

For more information, please contact Mike Freeman at mfreeman@ikorcc.com.

Local 351 Participates in Labor Day Festivities

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TOLEDO, Ohio – To celebrate Labor Day, Carpenters Local 351 of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) participated in Toledo’s annual Labor Day parade and Laborfest.

Held in downtown Toledo, the two-hour parade kicked off at 9am. Before the parade, Local 351 members met at KeyBank to volunteer their services to build the parade reviewing stand scaffolding used by politicians and dignitaries to view the parade as the Grand Marshall announces the participating unions. This year’s parade theme was “Built to Last/Made in America,” and all local unions in the parade wore matching shirts to show unity and solidarity.

Following the parade, Local 351 joined with other local unions at the Laborfest picnic held at the Lucas County Fairgrounds. Attendees enjoyed games, food and a classic car show, and Local 351 placed second in the tug-of-war contest. Proceeds from the Laborfest were directed toward Special Olympics, and $10,000 was donated to the organization.

“We love participating in the parade each year, and we always look forward to spending time with our families and other local unions at Laborfest,” commented Dan Morey of the IKORCC. “The Laborfest committee designates donations to a different nonprofit each year, and this year, the committee chose Special Olympics. This was especially meaningful to one of our members whose child participates in Special Olympics, and we are happy to support such an amazing charity!”

For more information, please contact Dan Morey at dmorey@ikorcc.com.