Eric Starkowicz

Executive Director

Congratulations to Project BEST Executive Director Nathan Butts, the Project BEST Board of Directors, contributing members, and the Unions that participated, for orchestrating an incredibly successful event yesterday! The job fair gave high school students a unique opportunity to explore trade careers through hands-on experiences, sparking interest in the future of the skilled trades. With nearly 1,000 attendees, the event was by far the largest gathering of future builders that we have seen in recent memory.

Below, you will find two featured articles that highlight this impactful event. We encourage you to read more about how Project BEST is shaping the future of our workforce! Keep up the great work!

Hands-On Job Fair Introduces High School Students to Union Trade Careers

The annual Project BEST Career Fair was held at Wheeling Park on Wednesday, introducing several job opportunities to local high school students.

Nearly 1,000 students from 35 area high schools were in attendance, making for the best turnout yet. By networking with industry professionals, individuals laid the foundation for union trade careers.

Students Get Hands-On Experience at Project BEST Job Fair

Project BEST figures there are better ways to learn about the trade industries than sitting in a room and being told about them.

So the organization had the hundreds of high school students who attended its job fair Wednesday grab a trowel, hop in a tractor trailer cab, grab the controls of a crane or perform several other tasks. Those students appreciated that hands-on experience as they tried to learn more about the trades and whether they might be interested in joining them.

OVCEC Women in Construction

The OVCEC Women in Construction Committee attended the Project BEST Career Fair earlier this week. At the table, students had the chance to learn about the impact of women in the industry, try on safety gear, and even get their hands on a few tools!

Kalkreuth Amateur Golf Championship Raises $50,000 for Easterseals

This past summer’s Kalkreuth Amateur Golf Championship proved to be more than just a sporting event. The tournament raised $50,000 for Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, a nonprofit organization focused on disability and community services.

Since its inception in 2015, the Kalkreuth Amateur Golf Championship has raised more than $373,000 for Easterseals.

McKinley Architecture and Engineering Garners National Honors, Keeps Expanding

McKinley Architecture and Engineering, while continuing to expand both its footprint and roster, also continues to earn national honors for its work.

Due to growth in its Pennsylvania location alone, the company moved to a new office in Mars, Pennsylvania, where its 24 employees now have the space to work individually or collaborate with team members. “We are building on 40 years of history in PK-12 and can offer that experience to the Pennsylvania schools,” said David H. McKinley, Chairman of McKinley Architecture and Engineering.

As a “thank you” for your membership with OVCEC, your business has access to national account pricing with several vendors through OVCEC’s Member Rewards Program. These national accounts are managed by DSI, a group purchasing organization, but the associated savings opportunities are available to you solely as an OVCEC membership benefit and without DSI based costs or purchasing requirements.

Copier Purchases and Leases

• Up to 72% discount off list price for multifunctional devices, with flexible leasing or purchase options

Next step: When you are in the market for a new device, please contact Michael Petruzzi so that he can facilitate the quote process. Call 720-382-8162 or email mpetruzzi@dsi-mail.com.

The OVCEC Plan Room will have limited services available next week, September 23-27, 2024. You will still be able to access the projects in the online plan room; however, there will not be a Daily Plan Room Report and we will not be able to print drawings. All services will return to normal on Monday, September 30, 2024. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

If you have questions, please contact us at ovcec@ovcec.com or 304-242-0520.