International Sheet Metal Competition winners announced

More than 250 sheet metal apprentices from the U.S. and Canada participated in the 40th Annual International Sheet Metal Competition, March 5-9 in Las Vegas, hosted by the International Training Institute (ITI) for the sheet metal and air-conditioning industry.

Five categories were open to apprentices only: HVAC, industrial/welding, service, architectural, and TAB (testing, adjusting, and balancing in heating and air conditioning). The sixth category — detailing — was open to journeymen and apprentices.

The detailing category, now in its second year, was added as a result of a shift in the industry. Detailing skills — which allow sheet metal workers to generate and manage building data on the computer using building information modeling software — are becoming increasingly in demand in the industry.

To encourage sheet metal workers to get certified in ITI's Benchmark BIM training software, ITI awarded the winner of the detailing category with a new Fat Boy Lo Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

The first-place winners are:

• Industrial: Josh Lohman, Kennewick, Wash.
• Architectural: James Alsteen, Milwaukee
• HVAC: Aaron VanRheen, Portland, Ore.
• Service: Thomas Sorensen, Fairfax, Calif.
• TAB: William Kerner, Stafford, Va.
• Detailing: Joey Hovarter, Moore, Okla.

Alexandria, Va.-based ITI, jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA), supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout the U.S. and Canada.