Gradine Storms
Real Estate Broker
E-Mail: gstorms@equitygroup.com
www.equitygroup.com/gstorms
7886 SE 13th Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97202
Branch: 503-233-8883
Direct: 503-495-4932
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
Sheet Metal apprentices
shine at regional contest
Three apprentices from the HVAC &
Metals Institute — members of Sheet
Metal Workers Local 16 in Portland —
received the “highest combined score”
trophy at the annual regional appren-
ticeship contest, held Jan. 19-20 in
Pasco, Washington.
Contestants from Local 16 included
Cyndy Chan of Vancouver Roofing and
Sheet Metal; Jeff Rydquist of General
Sheet Metal Works, and Matt Arm-
strong of R&J Metal Fabricators.
Chan (pictured above) captured first
in the TAB (testing, adjusting and bal-
ancing airflow) competition to qualify
for the national finals March 27-30 in
Las Vegas. It will be her second trip to
the finals, which pits top apprentices
from every region of the United States.
In 2004 Chan placed 7th.
Jeff Rydquist (photo right) finished
second in HVAC (heating, ventilating
and air conditioning) and will be an al-
ternate if the winner cannot fulfill his
commitment.
Matt Armstrong placed third in in-
dustrial sheet metal.
The regional contest is a grueling
two-day event testing apprentices in
three specialty areas: including written
and welding exams, blueprint reading,
drafting, fabrication and duct redesign.
Competitors come from Oregon, Wash-
ington, Alaska and British Columbia.
“The level of competition was ex-
tremely high and the scores of the top
competitors were very close,” said Ric
Olander, assistant coordinator of the
HVAC & Metals Institute in Portland.
Oregon has one of the best sheet
metal training programs in the country.
The institute is a $3.5 million state-of-
the-art facility with top-notch instruc-
tors and staff, and an award-winning in-
ternational curriculum.
“The main purpose of apprentice-
ship is to train, but sometimes we forget
all of the benefits available to appren-
tices,” Olander said. “College credit
hours, continuing education, extremely
competitive pay, and an outstanding
benefits package, to name just a few.”
Besides the opportunity to compete,
the apprentices also had a chance to win
prizes. Chris Smith of FM Sheet Metal,
who attends classes at the Eugene Cam-
pus of the HVAC & Metals Institute,
won a Lincoln SP175 welder .
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Sponsored by
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v s . o c a l 4 3 ‘Residential Fire Sprinkler Night’
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Friday, March 3, 7 p.m., Rose Garden
Fir
At the end of the first period, apprentices from
UA Local 290 will take on firefighters from Local 43
in a “Broom Ball” hockey game. Contestants will don
tennis shoes and plastic brooms as they try to slap a
foam ball into the net.
Come out and root for your favorite team and look at
the latest in home residential fire sprinkler systems.
Jack Finders
President
FEBRUARY 17, 2006
John Endicott
Business Manager
Local 290 Plumbers & Steamfitters offer the only
program endorsed by the Oregon Fire District Direc-
tors Association, the Portland Fire Bureau, and the
Oregon Building Codes Division.
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
PAGE 7