Welcome to the Southern States Millwrights' Industry Partner E-News. Through these email newsletters, we hope to keep our current and prospective industry partners up to date on developments in our organization and on ways we can help you meet your goals.
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One call, 5,700 solutions for your next shutdown, turnaround, or outage
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The Southern States Millwright Regional Council offers a win-win solution for contractors and facility owners who need a large, temporary workforce of highly skilled millwrights for shutdowns, turnarounds, and outages.
“The SSMRC allows for a large pool of excellent craft resources to be portable and adaptable to emergent and forced projects,” said Marc Campo, general manager of nuclear services for Atlantic Plant Maintenance. “This drives great responsiveness to our customers and ensures the success of those critical projects.” Click here to read more about our shutdown, turnaround, and outage services.
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SSMRC provides certified wind-turbine technicians
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The Southern States Millwright Regional Council is gearing up to supply wind-turbine commissioning and maintenance mechanics to fill a growing labor need as the wind-power industry expands.
“We will help contractors identify and pursue work,” said Wayne Jennings, executive secretary treasurer of the SSMRC. “We have a competitive wage and benefit package outlined in an agreement available to contractors in 13 states.” Learn more about our wind-turbine training and capabilities.
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Construction underway on training centers in Arkansas, Tennessee
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New training centers, each representing an investment of more than $5 million, are being constructed in Russellville, Arkansas, and Nashville, Tennessee. A similar center opened in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier this year.
These investments will address the shortage of skilled industrial construction workers affecting many areas and help contractors and facility owners staff projects with elite craftspeople who have the specialized skills needed to complete work safely, properly and in a timely manner.
Russellville, Arkansas, training center
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This project is 40% complete, and the metal framing and roofing panels are being installed. Learn more about the Russellville, Arkansas, training center and a new renewable-energy training center that will be located adjacent to it. Click here to see the project's status and photos of its progress.
Nashville, Tennessee, training center
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This project is in the site-work phase. So far, all footers have been dug and a concrete mud mat has been placed at the bottom of the footers.
Workers are installing the water line for the building. Learn more about the Nashville, Tennessee, training center. Click here to see the project's status and photos of its progress. Watch a live video feed of the site here.
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We're investing in Gulf Coast training centers
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The Southern States Millwright Regional Council is making significant investments in Gulf Coast training centers, ensuring the area’s power-generation and petrochemical industries have continued access to elite craftspeople with the complex skills these industries demand. Read more here.
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The Western Region of the SSMRC has been focused on growing market share in the automation, facilities-maintenance, light-conveyor/food-and-beverage, and wind-turbine-maintenance industries. Read the full Western Region report.
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In the Central Region, our industry partners have kept our members working and prospering during 2021. As of September 2021, we have increased our membership by 1.4%, bringing our total number of members to 1,515. Our work hours are up more than 166,000 compared to 2020. Read the full Central Region report here.
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Entering the Fall 2021 nuclear-outage season, demand for millwrights across the United States was stretched to the maximum. The Southern States Millwright Regional Council's Nuclear Office and its partnering contractors worked together to meet these labor needs. Read the full Nuclear Office report.
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Check out how we've helped our industry partners work safely and efficiently
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The SSMRC partners with more than 170 contractors to help them meet and exceed their customers' expectations while remaining within budget. Read on to see how these partnerships have made recent projects successful.
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Siemens Generation Services, SSMRC millwrights leverage new technology, lessons learned to complete project at Farley Nuclear Station four days early
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Using a new technique called “virtual alignment,” Siemens Generation Services and Southern States Millwrights replaced 40-year-old machinery during a spring 2021 upgrade of Unit 1 at Farley Nuclear Station near Dothan, Alabama. The team completed the project, which increased the plant’s output by more than 26 megawatts and improved its reliability, 100 hours ahead of schedule. Read more about the project here.
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Working for Boldt, SSMRC millwrights play vital role in building life-saving proton-therapy center for cancer patients
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SSMRC millwrights are working with partnering contractor Boldt to double the size of a Houston, Texas, medical center that delivers the most advanced and precise form of radiation therapy to cancer patients. Read more about the project here.
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SSMRC millwrights, Mammoet Industrial Services tackle Gulf Coast airport expansion that represents series of firsts
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Flights to oceanside communities in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle have increased tremendously in recent years. Contractor Mammoet Industrial Services and Local 1192 millwrights are helping expand the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport to accommodate the growth. They have been working at the airport since April as part of a $20 million project that includes a terminal expansion, new baggage-handling system, an additional ticketing counter, and more. Read more and watch a video about the project here.
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Millwrights retrofit coal-mine conveyor system 12 stories below Earth’s surface
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More than 1,000 feet underground, there was a problem inside Alabama’s largest coal mine. Material was free falling 8 to 15 feet at transfer points in the mine’s conveyor system, damaging the conveyor equipment. Power Techniques Inc., a contractor specializing in bulk material-handling equipment, had a solution – a proprietary transfer system designed in South Africa and manufactured in Kentucky – and in spring of 2021, SSMRC millwrights helped the company install three massive chutes comprised of 6 tons of steel. Read more about the project here.
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Strickland named new business agent for Local 1263 in Georgia
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Robert Strickland, a former Marine and an eight-year member of Local 1263, which covers Georgia and the Carolinas, began working as a business agent for that local in September.
Strickland said he will draw on his experiences in the field to help him as a business agent. “When things don't go exactly right, it's not always your work partner,” he said. “Sometimes there are things you need to correct with yourself. So being able to adapt and interface with the members and build rapport with the contractors, being that median, will be a strong part of continuing 1263’s success.” Learn more about Strickland.
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Patterson promoted to millwright training coordinator in Savannah, Georgia
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Jessie Patterson is now the millwright training coordinator at the millwright and carpenter training center in Savannah, Georgia. Appointed by the Southeastern Carpenters Training Trust Fund, Patterson is a member of Millwright Local 1263. Her duties include teaching almost all classes at the center, creating training schedules, and mentoring apprentices. "My goal is to play a vital role in producing highly trained and qualified, well-rounded millwrights,” Patterson said.
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Higginbotham appointed national millwright recruiter
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Ben Higginbotham, a former Marine and member of Millwright Local 2232 since 2013, recently began serving as national millwright and pile driver recruiter for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. His duties include helping manage the UBC Military Veterans Program. The program currently operates at Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Drum in New York. Ninety percent of the Fort Hood graduates become members of Local 2232 or 1421. “I’d also like to get the program seen on a bigger stage,” Higginbotham said. “I’d like to get more contractors involved in the program. This is good for the contractors as well. Veterans have a lot of intangible skills.”
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Mitchell leading millwright training in Moss Point, Mississippi
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Robert Mitchell is the new millwright training instructor in Moss Point, Mississippi. Mitchell has been a member of Millwright Local 1192 since 2013. "I look forward to serving my brothers and my sisters in this craft," Mitchell said. "If you keep the right attitude and a teachable spirit, you can reach your goals."
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A conversation with Wayne Jennings, head of the SSMRC
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Wayne Jennings, executive secretary treasurer of the Southern States Millwright Regional Council, has been a millwright for more than 30 years and has been instrumental in the SSMRC’s development. Click here to learn about his career journey and how he plans to keep the organization growing by providing a skilled labor force to meet contractors' and facility owners' needs.
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SSMRC, Domain Wellness Partners create mental-wellness resources for industrial construction workers
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Construction workers are SIX TIMES more likely to die by suicide than in a workplace accident, and millwrights have the second HIGHEST suicide rate of all construction trades.
During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the SSMRC joined with Domain Wellness Partners to develop educational resources that would help our members stay strong mentally, and we would like to share these resources with our partnering contractors. The framework for this content is a set of eight mental-wellness domains: physical and mental health; marriage; career; children and family; faith and spirituality; friendships and community; learning and personal growth; and adventure, artistic expression, and leisure. Please feel free to provide this link to all your employees.
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Comment period open for new rule addressing heat-related hazards
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The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to help prevent heat injury and illness. Currently, OSHA does not have a specific standard for hazardous heat conditions. This action begins the process to consider a heat-specific workplace rule. A comment period is open until Dec. 27, and employers are invited to provide their perspectives. You can submit comments in the e-rulemaking portal at www.regulations.gov. Refer to Docket No. OSHA-2021-0009.
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Need help developing your company's safety and health program? Check out these resources.
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Evidence shows a comprehensive safety and health program can not only prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, but also reduce employers’ costs and improve production and work quality.
A written safety and health program is a document that clearly describes all of a company’s safety activities, goals, rules, processes, and procedures. Developing and implementing such a program might seem like a daunting task, but many resources are available to assist employers. Learn more.
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OSHA COVID-19 vaccine Q&A
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Customer Toolbox coming soon to SSMRC website
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Our website, www.southernstatesmillwrights.org, will soon feature a contractors-only, password-protected section that will contain a comprehensive Customer Toolbox. The toolbox will include the latest forms and agreements for each of our nine local unions, staff contact information, and other helpful guidance for partnering with our organization.
The website currently contains a public "Industry Partner" tab to assist you in learning more about the SSMRC and finding millwrights for your projects. Check out some of the content by clicking the buttons below.
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