Category Archives: Skilled Trades

The Skilled Trades: A Direct Path to Success

Now that a huge number of millennials are buying homes, the US is experiencing housing shortages in many parts of the country. Part of the reason there are more home seekers than available homes is the skilled labor shortage. The skilled labor shortage doesn’t just impact home buyers and homeowners seeking needed remodeling for their current homes, it has an enormous impact on interior designers, builders, and remodelers. Due to an inability to find professionals in the skilled trades, many building and remodeling companies feel their growth has been slowed. Some companies could take on more projects, and serve clients faster, if they had plentiful skilled trades to employ. Many companies have to pick and choose which jobs will be the most profitable, leaving homeowners with smaller projects at a disadvantage.

Times Have Changed: A Generation Disinterested?

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Introducing Project Manager, Ed DePriest

ADB's new Project Manager, Ed DePriest

Ed DePriest, is originally from Middle Tennessee. Ed and his wife relocated to Marietta in 1999 because her family is from the area. He grew up in very rural Tennessee so everyone was self-reliant when it came to building whatever they needed. Family members and neighbors taught one another the skills necessary to be self-sufficient from a young age.

Ed’s high school offered the Trades & Industry class. The T&I class had either a mechanical focus or a building focus. Ed chose a building focus, and with his classmates, built a greenhouse for the agricultural club. They started the project from scratch, laying the block and installing fiberglass panels on the frame they built.  This class helped lay the foundation for Ed’s future. 

A Solid Foundation of Construction Experience

Ed has worked in construction for more than thirty years. He started out working for a custom home builder. He had to do every task on the jobsite, from cutting trees on the property, to roofing—it was like a crash course in building. Working in custom home building gave Ed the opportunity to learn every angle of the building process.

For approximately 18 years prior to working at ADB, Ed performed construction supervision and punch work. He progressed into the supervisory role due to the length, and extent, of his experience, and his sharp eye for detail. Ed still enjoys the building process. Part of his management philosophy is that he wouldn’t ask his crew to do anything that he wouldn’t be willing to do, including ditch digging. “It’s noble to say that, until you’re in the ditch,” he joked.

Ed’s previous experience doing punch work honed his ability to spot any errors or incomplete tasks left at a project’s completion. He inspected completed homes and repaired or finished anything that was not up to his high standards. His great attention to detail is still a wonderful asset as part of the ADB team and it serves him well in the role of Project Manager. 

The Strongest Link of Communication from Clients to Crew

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6 Benefits of a Career in Construction

Reposted with permission from Build Your Future.
Author: Kelsey Zibell, NCCER Guest Contributor

Construction is all around us. It builds our homes, schools, offices, roads, hospitals, theme parks—everything. It is vital to everyone’s life. Yet, it is one of the most misunderstood industries.

As four-year degrees have been heavily pushed over the years, the amount of students and adults pursuing careers in construction has decreased significantly. This has created a steep skills gap in America.

However, the growing demand for craftspeople has left the industry in an interesting position that benefits newcomers to the industry. With high demand comes high salaries, ample opportunity and room for career growth.

So, you may be asking yourself, exactly what benefits does a career in construction offer? Well, there are so many! But here are the top six benefits to a career in construction:

Get a Head Start

Most construction careers follow an apprenticeship learning model. This means that as soon as you decide you want to pursue a skilled craft, you can begin working with on the job training through an apprenticeship.

With this ‘earn while you learn’ model, you can earn a paycheck while learning the core competencies of your trade.

Some crafts may require associate degrees, industry credentials or certifications. However, these education requirements are often short term and can be completed at the same time as an apprenticeship. Therefore, when pursuing a craft career, you are still going to join the workforce quicker than you would if you pursued a four-year degree.

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