by Jessica Gillette | Mar 17, 2023 | Apprenticeship, News
ABC Virginia today announced multiple member companies won national awards presented during the 33rd annual Excellence in Construction Awards during ABC Convention 2023 in Orlando, Florida, on March 16. Categories include the Excellence in Construction Awards, National Safety Excellence Awards and IDE (Inclusion, Diversity & Equity) Awards, with some members identifying with other chapters.
Excellence in Construction® (EIC) Awards
The EIC awards are the construction industry’s leading national competition that honors general and specialty contractors for world-class, safe and innovative construction projects from across the country.
Congratulations!
Hensel Phelps, Archer Hotel Tysons Corner—Eagle Winner
Hensel Phelps, Marriott International Headquarters Hotel and Office—Pyramid Winner
Harkins Builders, Inc., Brightview Columbia—Pyramid Winner, identifying with ABC Metro Washington
David Allen Company, Marriott HQ Hotel—Eagle Winner, identifying with ABC Metro Washington
Ruppert Landscape, A Washington DC Temple—Eagle Winner, identifying with ABC Metro Washington
National Safety Excellence Awards
The National Safety Excellence Award is given to members that have demonstrated remarkable achievements in leadership, safety and innovation. The awards were presented to 49 contractors across the country.
Congratulations!
LEEBCOR Services—Excellence Winner
Hourigan—Pinnacle Winner
Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (IDE) Awards
The National Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Excellence Awards recognize members that display exemplary IDE leadership in their company, workforce, supply chain and community with best-in-class recruitment policies, retention practices and training and mentoring programs.
Congratulations!
Hensel Phelps—Excellence Winner, identifying with ABC Rocky Mountain
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Excellence in Construction Eagle Award Winner – Archer Hotel Tysons Corner, Hensel Phelps
by Jessica Gillette | Mar 7, 2023 | Apprenticeship, News
Dulles, Virginia, March 7—Associated Builders and Contractors – Virginia (ABC-VA) today announced forty-six (46) member companies were named to Associated Builders and Contractors’ fifth annual Top Performers publication, which lists its contractor members that build the country’s most enduring, innovative, high-quality construction projects, ranked by work hours. The ABC-VA Chapter now holds the record for most Top Performers.
To be eligible, ABC-VA Top Performers achieved Gold status or higher in ABC’s STEP Safety Management System, which makes the top-performing contractors more than six times safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average, according to ABC’s Safety Performance Report. The majority of the honorees also must earn ABC’s Accredited Quality Contractor credential, which recognizes commitment to corporate responsibility in quality, safety, talent management—including inclusion, diversity and equity—education and community relations.
“This year’s ABC Top Performers agree that culture is key,” said Michael Bellaman, president and CEO of ABC. “Not only is a strong corporate culture an essential component of a thriving and vibrant workplace, but it helps retain top talent, create safe and healthy jobsites and build better communities. We honor these top-performing contractors at ABC-VA that are placing the highest importance on investing in their people, health and safety, and innovation.”
Through STEP, AQC and other robust programs, ABC-VA’s Top Performers demonstrate they:
- Sustain and grow their businesses, financially and economically
- Offer market-competitive compensation, benefit and retirement packages
- Commit to world-class safety
- Commit to workforce development, education and creating career opportunities
- Commit to an inclusive and diverse work environment
- Develop opportunities for their employees to achieve their career dreams
- Cultivate committed leadership
ABC-VA’s 2023 Top Performers
ACECO, LLC
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Allan Myers |
Balfour Beatty |
Branch Builds |
Brite Electric |
Brothers Mechanical, Inc. |
Coakley & Williams Construction |
ColonialWebb Contractors |
Comfort Systems of Virginia, Inc. |
DAVIS Construction |
Delaware Elevator, Inc. |
Donohoe Construction Company |
Etolin Strait Development Group, LLC |
Forrester Construction |
GovSolutions, Inc. |
Heartland Construction, Inc. |
Helix Electric |
Hensel Phelps |
Hoar Construction, LLC |
Hourigan |
Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. |
Hudgins Contracting Corp. |
JRC Mechanical |
Kwest Group, LLC |
LEEBCOR Services, LLC |
Lithko Contracting LLC |
M.C. Dean, Inc. |
MIG GOV, LLC |
Miller & Long Co., Inc. |
Power Design, Inc. |
Prospect Waterproofing Co. |
REW Corporation |
S.W. Funk Industrial Contractors, Inc. |
SAW Contracting, Inc. |
Scott-Long Construction, Inc. |
Shapiro & Duncan, Inc. |
Skanska Building, Inc. |
Tazewell Contracting |
Tecta America Zero Company |
Telligent Masonry, LLC |
TST Construction |
TST Roofing |
W.M. Jordan Company |
Warfel Construction Company |
Watson Electrical Construction |
WCS Construction, LLC |
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The ABC Top Performers lists identify the Top 250 Performers, Top General Contractors, Top Trade Contractors, Top Electrical Contractors, Top Plumbing/HVAC Contractors, Top Specialty Contractors and Top Performers by Market, all of which have earned the elite Accredited Quality Contractor credential. The Top Performers with Special Designations hold one or more special designations. The Top Performers were ranked by the number of hours worked in 2021, as reported in their 2022 STEP applications. The rankings also include lists of top-performing companies in 18 market segments, such as government, health care, infrastructure, military, retail, religious, high tech, airport and sports complexes.
View the 2023 Top Performers lists at abc.org/topperformers.
Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 that represents more than 22,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 68 chapters help 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. Visit us at abc.org.
by Jessica Gillette | Feb 13, 2023 | Apprenticeship, News

Sherrie Dickerson, ABC-VA Education Coordinator
ABC-VA is proud to announce Education Coordinator, Sherrie Dickerson, has been honored as a Registered Apprenticeship Ambassador.
The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry celebrated 85 years of Registered Apprenticeship on Thursday, January 26, 2023. Included in the celebration were awards for Outstanding Apprentices, Apprenticeship Ambassadors, Service Awards, and High-Volume Sponsors.
ABC-VA’s own Apprenticeship Director, Sherrie Dickerson, was honored as a Registered Apprenticeship Ambassador. Sherrie was selected because of her passion and energies to help individuals, families, neighborhoods, towns, and the Commonwealth. Since her arrival with ABC-VA in March of 2020, Sherrie has been a pillar of strength and leadership of the programs in Richmond, managing related instruction for over 500 apprentices each year in Central Virginia. In a unique environment, Sherrie arrives before classes begin at 7 am each morning and does not stop until she knows that all of her students and instructors have been taken care of.
In 2022, Sherrie fielded two competitors in ABC National’s Craft Competition with the HVAC competitor bringing home the Silver Medal. In 2023, she will send five competitors to the NCC. Sherrie takes time each day to talk to students and instructors personally about their lives inside and outside of the classroom. She communicates with employers on a regular basis to keep them abreast of what is happening in the classroom to make sure their instruction there is reinforced on the job. She does it all with a smile because she is truly proud of them and wants everyone to succeed.
Several ABC-VA members were also recognized for their apprenticeship accomplishments and service awards. Honorees included were:
M.C. Dean, Inc., celebrating 71 years as a Registered Apprenticeship Sponsor and having the Largest Registered Apprenticeship Program in the Region (Loudoun County). Additionally, Erin May was honored as a Registered Apprenticeship Ambassador
Carter Machinery, celebrating 57 years as a Registered Apprenticeship Sponsor and having the Largest Registered Apprenticeship Program in the Region (Hanover County)
Atlantic Constructors, Inc., celebrating 67 years as a Registered Apprenticeship Sponsor. On hand to receive this award were Terrence Kerner, Heather Tippett, and Bill Cooper
Bay Electric Company, celebrating 54 years as a Registered Apprenticeship Sponsor
BUHL Electric Co., celebrating 51 years as a Registered Apprenticeship Sponsor
We thank Sherrie and these special ABC-VA members for their dedication and commitment to our workforce.
As Commissioner Gary Pan stated, “Registered Apprenticeship was first established in Virginia with the signing of the Virginia Apprenticeship Act in 1938. It has been a training system that produces highly skilled workers to meet the demands of employers competing in a global economy, through a combination of on-the-job training and related technical instruction. It is a ‘win-win’ approach to workforce development for employers and employees, while rebuilding the Virginia Economy. Registered Apprenticeship is an ideal model for employers to develop their current and future workforce by providing on-the-job training and selecting occupation specific Related Technical Instruction.”
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by Jessica Gillette | Jan 26, 2023 | Apprenticeship, News
Brady Woodel is an inspirational craft professional that has spoken candidly many times about his choice to make a career in construction instead of attend a traditional four-year university. Our chapter is proud to say he is a fourth-year apprentice in our Richmond training program. Brady currently works for ColonialWebb Contractors in Richmond, VA.
In the op-ed, Brady talks about choosing construction over college: “By the time I become a licensed professional, I’ll have just as much in earnings as I would have in debt from a college degree.”
Brady also shares that the highlight of his career so far is medaling in ABC’s 2022 National Craft Championships. Brady’s perspective is one of the countless inspiring stories we hear from the competitors each year, and the 2023 competitors will be no exception.