Associated Builders & Contractors, Delaware Chapter, honored five individuals and 29 companies during the annual Excellence in Construction Awards program earlier this month at the Chase Center in Wilmington.
ABC Delaware Craft Championship winners
This September ABC Delaware hosted the trades competition to recognize the best apprentices in the electrical and plumbing trades. There were 10 competitors, and the gold medal winners will be representing Delaware in the ABC National Craft Championships in Florida in March 2024.
Gold medalist for electrical was Andrew Antinora of Nickle Electrical Companies. Gold medalist in plumbing Meallan Hammond from Apex Mechanical & Fabrication.
Silver medalist in electrical Anton Bahrynivskyi from Pace Electrical & Generator Services. Silver medalist in plumbing Eddie Kirkley of Ralph G. Degli Obizzi & Sons.
Photos by Eric Crossan
The Charter Cup
Mike Horsey of Common Sense Solutions is awarded the Charter Cup, presented annually to the ABC contractor member who exemplifies the true meaning of the Merit Shop philosophy and has contributed to the success of the association. He served a six-year term on the ABC Board of Directors.
He also has served on various committees including Legislative/Legal Rights, Kent/Sussex Advisory Committee, and recently chaired the Kent/Sussex Membership Committee.
Horsey has always been one of the first members to step up and help ABC on legislative matters, growing membership, or promoting the importance of engaging future leaders in the association to create the next generation of ABC supporters.
In his acceptance speech, Horsey said, “Someone once told me love and cherish your family and friends and the rest will take care of itself. I’m a testament to that. I look at all my friends here in this room, along with my family, and am humbled to be honored with this award. I especially thank my family for letting me be me and helping with the successes we enjoy today.”
Associate/Supplier Member of the Year
Stephanie Hultberg of United Rentals is honored as Associate/Supplier of the Year. The award is given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the association through committee involvement and sponsorship of ABC events.
Hultberg has committed countless hours of her time to ABC. She provided guidance to ABC during our expansion into Kent/Sussex counties by providing contractor contacts.
She was a member of our Kent/Sussex Advisory Board and Membership Committee which helped with recruitment and retention of members in this area.
Young Professional of the Year
Jimmy Strusowski.of Seiberlich Trane Energy Services was presented with the Young Professional of the Year. The award is given to an individual between the age of 18 and 39 who demonstrates strong leadership skills, a strong sense of integrity and a commitment to ABC Delaware through involvement in committees, attendance at events, and company support, as well as community involvement.
Jimmy has been an active member of ABC Delaware for years and currently serves on the Legislative, Careers in Construction, ABCares First Responders and Young Professionals committees. He is always willing to help with promoting careers in construction by making presentations to middle school students, and is involved in the political arena by joining us for regular visits to Legislative Hall,
Besides his participation at ABC, Jimmy’s leadership also shines outside our chapter. He is a volunteer at Delaware Military Academy, Kalmar Nickle, B+ Foundation, and Exceptional Care for Children.
Excellence In Construction Building Awards
ABC Delaware honored 29 companies this year in the Excellence In Construction Building Awards program. The program recognizes as the “Best of the Best” in the construction industry, with projects in 6 different states this year.
The judges are non-ABC Delaware members and represent a wide cross-section of the industry.
Project criteria includes size of the project, relationships with owners/developers, safety, and a commitment to excellence. There are three award categories, Honorable Mention, Merit and Excellence. This year, 4 projects were honored in more than one category for various contractors including: ASPIRA Academy High School, Capital School District Middle School Campus, Hyatt Green Mansion, and Great Wolf Lodge.
ABCares Cup for Community Service
M. Davis and Sons is the winner of the 2023 ABCares Cup. This award is presented to an ABC member company for helping make a difference in their community by giving of their time, talents and treasures. The award is based on participation in ABCares events throughout the year, but also for the company participating in community service activities with their own employees.
This year M. Davis employees participated in the Rock Your Socks mismatching event to benefit the Down Syndrome Association in February, the Attack Addiction Walk in March, helped with spring gardening at Exceptional Care along with bringing a backhoe/skid steer to move needed materials, contributed to the plastic bag collection drive to make Plarn, plastic yarn that is turned into mats for the homeless, collected personal hygiene items for the annual Colonial School District school drive and also was involved in the Food Bank Logic program.
Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association representing more than 22,000 members in 68 chapters. ABC Delaware Chapter has more than 500 members statewide. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC helps members develop people, win work, and deliver that work safely, ethically, and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. ABC’s membership represents all specialties within the U.S. construction industry and is comprised primarily of firms that perform work in the industrial and commercial sectors.
