Brad Boeke named TAUC Craftperson of the Year

May 22 2012

The award, which recognizes outstanding labor-management cooperation and quality craftsmanship in the construction industry, was presented at a special ceremony on May 17 at TAUC’s Leadership Conference in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Brad is a Millwright and member of Local #1871 in Ohio. He is being honored for his work as General Foreman for TAUC contractor Norris Brothers on the replacement of a 50,000-ton hydraulic press at Alcoa Cleveland Works. Brad was responsible for managing a team of expert millwrights and overseeing the rigging and hoisting of components weighing 245 tons. Precision was key. At one stage of the project, he was tasked with aligning two stools, each weighing 85 tons, to a tolerance of four thousandths of an inch. Brad’s supervision and careful attention to detail was nothing less than outstanding.

“Brad, simply put, you exemplify union construction at its best,” said TAUC President Tom Felton at the awards ceremony. “You’ve proven that you can work at the highest level and get the job done without sacrificing the core values of safety, quality, leadership and cooperation. You’ve earned the respect not only of your fellow millwrights, but of the contractor and the customer as well. People like you epitomize the best qualities of our skilled trades.”

The James J. Willis Craftperson of the Year Award recognizes a craft worker in five categories of achievement:

1. Safety and Health
2. Schedule and Budget
3. Productivity
4. Cost Savings Innovation
5. Outstanding Craftsmanship

Projects must be completed in the calendar year of the award. Nominations are forwarded to our judge’s panel to be evaluated and ranked in each category. This year, the members of the James J. Willis Award Task Force were: Al Black, Construction and Turnaround Services; “Bud” Burns, Scheck Mechanical; and Bill Ligetti, Ironworker Employers Association of Western Pennsylvania.

Watch the official Craftperson of the Year Video below.

TAUC 2012 Craftperson of the Year Video