SPECIAL FOCUS
Celebrating 50 years of being STEEL STRONG
Honoring the past, planning for the future
T
he Steel Erectors Association of America kicked off its year-long celebration of its 50th Anniversary at the Annual Convention and Trade Show in Charleston, S.C. (See photos from Trade Show and Demos on page 16. “We were thrilled to welcome 370 attendees to Charleston,” said David Deem, President of SEAA. “Attendance was back to pre-pandemic numbers, and we cannot thank everyone enough for coming out to support the organization.” One of the highlights was Keynote Speaker Joe Theismann, who also attended the Welcome Reception and Trade Show Wednesday evening. “Our Diamond Level Sponsor, United Rentals, played a huge role in securing Joe Theismann to mingle, sign autographs, and speak,” said Carrie Gulajan, Chairwoman, Events Committee.
“In addition, United Rentals’ sponsorship allowed us to provide all Gala attendees with an autographed copy of Theismann’s newest book, How to be a Champion Every Day.” A new tradition is a networking event exclusively for first-time attendees and new members. “Breakout events like this allow us to meet our new members and help them get the most out of their membership,” said Jack Nix, Chairman, Membership Committee. In addition to education sessions, panel discussions with the companies that are leading the industry gave members a chance to get insight into best practices. “Our members are dedicated to the safety and training of ironworkers, and it’s important for us to recognize them for their efforts, and learn from companies that are doing it right,” said Bryan McClure, Chairman, Safety and Education Committee. Convention wrapped up with a Gala on the historic USS Yorktown. Eddie Williams, the founding president, was in attendance. “SEAA was and is about doing good for all
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of us. Providing tools that help contractors achieve the highest level of education, safety, business practices and competition in the market,” he said. The association has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the last two years, and it truly showed at this year’s convention. Be sure to mark your calendars for future events: March 28-31, 2023 in St. Augustine, Fla., and April 2-5, 2024 in Glendale, Ariz. Keynote Speaker Joe Theismann
