The Malco Products, SBC, Trade-Pro of the Year Award celebrates outstanding HVAC professionals whose collective experience, achievements, on-the-job safety records and local involvement have made a difference in their communities. 

BILL BRADFORD IS A VETERAN OF THE SHEET METAL INDUSTRY IN MORE WAYS THAN MOST. Born and raised in North Side Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the city’s “Steel City” renaissance, Bradford graduated from high school June 1955 and immediately joined the Air Force that July. “I was 17 so my parents had to sign documents to get me in,” he remembers.

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED NEW TECHNOLOGY. And as a kid, I was an early adapter. My first computer was a DOS 286-based PC, and to cure my boredom, I quickly learned how to boot up basic programs from a 5.25 floppy on that machine.

Calling upon skills taught at the Sheetmetal Ductwork Fabrication School in Burkeville, Virginia, students Tony (left), Nick (right) planned, fabricated, assembled and installed transitions and plenums to achieve a supply and return unit replacement.

After suffering a stroke, John Sciara knew his body could no longer support the demands of sheet metal work. A veteran, union sheet metal worker, Sciara, 53, graduated from apprenticeship in 1992 and has steadily worked for 27 years.

Rosendin Electric sponsored Austin’s first Construction Camp For Girls. The week-long camp gave 13 girls heading into 7th, 8th and 9th grades opportunities for hands-on learning and new experiences in the construction trades.

Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport has partnered with Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) to introduce a new apprenticeship program designed to promote internal growth and sustainability of a skilled workforce in the construction and maintenance industry. 

NFL Quarterback will participate in National Signing Day events on May 8 to recognize high school seniors across the U.S. who are pursuing a career in the skilled trades.

After 40 years in the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 80 — from an apprentice to foremen, business agent then business manager — Mark Saba has paid his dues as a leader in the industry. From his experience on shop floors, he naturally carries the point of view of a journeyman. But now as executive director of SMACNA Detroit, Saba is tasked with advancing the interests of the contractor.

After Rochelle Sadler became the first African-American woman to become a sheet metal journeyman in Oregon last year, she’s ready to pave a new path forward.