Adena Corporation hosts apprenticeship competition for local trade schools

Adena Corporation is changing the trade career narrative with their apprenticeship program that goes beyond one student at a time. 

On Friday May 2nd, the company hosted three trade schools for a friendly competition in masonry and carpentry. Juniors and seniors from Madison Career Center, Tri-Rivers and Pioneer Career & Technology Center spent the day practicing their skills and being critiqued by a set of judges from Adena and AMC Masonry Contractors. 

A couple weeks before the event, students were given blueprints to study so they could be prepared for the big day. They were allotted about five hours to complete the job. Scores were based on a point criteria for accuracy, level, height and more. 

Winners of the carpentry competition were Owen Morrow and Nathen Marks from Madison Career Center. Aston Mauk from Pioneer Career & Technology Center took the #1 title for the masonry contest.

Although the adrenaline of completing a project on time and doing it well makes for an exciting day out of the classroom, the goal of the event was for students to make connections with not only each other but also those in the industry. 

“My favorite part of my job is days like this,” Apprenticeship Manager at Adena Trent Hovis said. “We love to get the kids out here and curious about what’s waiting for them out of high school while having a little fun.” 

Hovis combined his love for construction and passion for teaching when he stepped into his role at Adena. For the past couple of years, he has been able to work alongside others at the company to make the apprenticeship program what it is today. With 175 students in attendance this year, his goal is to invite more schools in the future to continue the growth. 

In recent years, there has been more of a buzz when it comes to the trades. A sense of pride usually comes with being in physical labor as compared to having a college degree. When students choose to go to a trade school, they are also choosing to jumpstart their career. 

Senior carpenter at Tri-Rivers Jaxon Caudill, has plans to join the Carpenters Local Union No. 200 in Columbus as soon as he graduates. Caudill’s love of working with his hands was instilled in him at a young age, when he helped to renovate his grandfather’s home. 

“I love seeing my work come to life. Being able to look at something and say, ‘I built that’, it’s very rewarding,” he said. 

The trades industry offers a variety of opportunities and jobs that may not always be obvious. Many have worked their way through multiple positions until they have found their niche, including President of Masonry at AMC Brad Geissman. 

Geissman has been in the industry for 30 years, starting his career as a student at Pioneer Career & Technology. 

“I really enjoy being a leader,” he said. “I like that I am able to give direction to those in the same place I was in years ago.” 

Adena Corporation strives to see upcoming talent in the trades as they recognize students are our future. It is important to the company that they educate them, showcase their talent and even hire a handful of these individuals once they graduate, or sometimes when they’re still in school. 

“We just want to see young talent excel in their career,” Senior Vice President at Adena Josh Darling said. 

With over 450 employees and four different locations, Adena Corporation is continuously growing and hiring. If interested, check out their website or stop in for a face to face conversation.