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Founded in 2023, the ABC San Diego Chapter (ABCSD) Young Professionals Mentorship Program is a free benefit for ABC San Diego members created to support the next generation of construction leaders. The program connects emerging professionals with industry leaders and peers in a collaborative environment focused on mentorship, relationship-building, and career development.
Participants receive guidance, support, and encouragement as they work toward their personal and professional goals. Through the program, mentees are paired with experienced mentors who serve as trusted advisors and sources of inspiration.
The 2026 program runs from May through November, and mentee applications close May 11, 2026. We invite you to be part of a program designed to help build your future in the construction industry.
ABCSD’s Young Professionals (YP) program aims to shape the future of our industry by supporting the growth of young professionals employed by ABC members. The program creates opportunities for young leaders to build relationships, expand their skills and advance their careers while continuing to promote open competition and the merit shop philosophy.
Young Professionals
Mentoring is a special partnership between two people or group based on commitment to the mentoring process, common goals/expectations of partnership, and mutual trust and respect. Mentoring is a “get and give” relationship with the goal of providing both partners with rich, rewarding experiences.
As a mentee in our program, you will be paired with an experienced mentor who will serve as your trusted advisor, sounding board, and source of inspiration. In addition, you will meet regularly to discuss your challenges, opportunities, and aspirations and to receive feedback, advice, and encouragement.
Whether you are seeking to advance your career, start a business, or pursue other personal or professional aspirations, our program can help you get there. We are confident you will benefit from participating.
Each of our mentors were hand-selected for their depth of experience and contributions to their company and ABC San Diego. All of our mentors have a minimum of 15 years of experience in their field and hold positions of influence within their company or industry.
Join the Program
Mentee applications close May 11, 2026. If you miss the cutoff date, contact us and we will try to accommodate.
The information on your application will be used by the Young Professionals Committee to match you with a mentor.
Dynamic RGB lighting brought a 100-year-old building back to life.
SJ Electric submitted their Botanical Building lighting project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — dynamic RGB lighting and wall-wash uplighting illuminating Balboa Park`s historic exterior, with a dedicated control system integrated into the park`s existing lighting network.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ElectricalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
A 37-story high-rise, powered by complex mechanical systems.
Atlas Mechanical submitted The Lindley for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — an 800,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified, 37-story mixed-use high-rise with 422 residences, luxury amenities, and ground-floor retail at the intersection of Downtown San Diego and Little Italy.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #MechanicalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
80,000 square feet of student wellness, including bouldering walls and a rejuvenation lab.
Helix Electric submitted the Palomar Health Student Wellness Center for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — an 80,000-square-foot, three-story space combining fitness, recreation, gaming, counseling, and restorative spaces to enhance the student experience.
Helix Electric is also this year`s Eagle Award Sponsor for EIC, thank you for supporting merit shop work.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ElectricalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
Nearly 1 million square feet, powered by one project.
Bergelectric Corp. submitted their San Diego International Airport Terminal 1 Replacement project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — delivering more than $100 million in electrical infrastructure to help power nearly 1 million square feet of modernized facilities.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ElectricalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
A 166,000-square-foot hangar built for F-35Cs.
Alpha Mechanical, LLC submitted their P-201 Joint Strike Fighter AMH Complex project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — ground-up construction of a dual-squadron F-35C hangar across a 73-acre site, with full mechanical scope including process cooling, piping, and hydronic systems.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #MechanicalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
🎉 250 students showed up for this year`s LCC assessment! That`s a record turnout.
For our 50th anniversary, we wanted to find a way to give back and celebrate with our apprentices, so we ran a surprise raffle for LCC (something the students didn`t even know about when they signed up) for a chance to win a 65" Samsung TV.
Congratulations to our winner, Chase!
Mark your calendars and join us for LCC on November 7 to cheer on competitors and enjoy fair style fun with games, food, and giveaways. Kids are welcome, so bring the whole family out to support your trade!
👉 Learn more: https://abcsd.org/local-craft-championships/
#ABCMeritShopProud #TrustedExpertise #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SkilledTrades
Two city blocks, one electrical backbone.
@cacyelectric submitted their East Village Green project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — a single electrical system uniting two city blocks, delivering resilient, future-ready power to a recreation center, water features, and photovoltaic generation across a landmark public park submitted their East Village Green project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — a single electrical system uniting two city blocks, delivering resilient, future-ready power to a recreation center, water features, and photovoltaic generation across a landmark public park.
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins: https://workforce.flashpoint.xyz/Lite/Event/Profile/1300204000
This year`s EIC Awards made possible by our sponsors: Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical, Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits, Helix Electric, Collins Plumbing, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ElectricalContracting #SanDiegoConstruction
Newport Bay just got nearly a million cubic yards clearer.
R.E. Staite Engineering submitted their Newport Bay Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards — dredging approximately 983,000 cubic yards of sediment using a full dredging spread, with turbidity curtains protecting water quality throughout!
👉 This is just a sneak peek. Reserve your table for the EIC Awards to see who wins through the link in our bio.
Thank you to this year`s EIC sponsors:
Gold — Vendors First, Pacific Rim Mechanical
Reception — Pinnacle Industrial Supply, West Coast Group Benefits
Eagle Award — Helix Electric
Whiskey Tasting — Collins Plumbing
Supporting — Aldrich CPAs + Advisors, SJ Electric
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #SanDiegoConstructionAwards
Have you ever watched a project schedule slip because one trade had to stop and wait on another? Shandon Harbour digs into exactly why this happens on this episode of Coastlines to Cranes.
A new multi-university study, commissioned at the national level through @abc_national and @simplarfoundation, is finally putting multi-skilling and cross-training in construction under a real research lens. Shandon breaks down what happens to productivity, employee engagement, and safety when workers are trained across trades instead of siloed into one.
Rewarding attitude, effort, and performance rather than time served is the merit shop model that opens a real path from apprentice to journeyman to business owner, and a good representation of why this kind of environment attracts high performers.
🎧 A new episode of Coastlines to Cranes is out every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast.
#ABCMeritShopProud #CoastlinesToCranes #ChampionForGrowth #SkilledTrades #ConstructionWorkforce
Every jobsite has judges: the inspector, the superintendent, the client. Competitions like this are a reflection of what it’s really like to be a trade professional.
Tyler instructs at ABC San Diego, and he’ll tell you the judges don’t change, just the setting. The same standards apprentices are judged on in competition: safety, workmanship, speed, and following the spec are the same ones waiting for them at work on Monday morning. That`s why instructors like him train students for those judges from day one, not just for the competition floor.
The one thing LCC and NCC offer that the jobsite doesn`t is a room full of people from other companies and other states, and the future opportunities that come with it. It`s exposure that lets you compare notes, see how your specialty gets done somewhere else, and figure out if there`s a path worth exploring beyond your hometown.
#ABCMeritShopProud #TrustedExpertise #ChampionForGrowth #SkilledTrades #ConstructionCareers
"I hate small talk." 😩 Trust us, we get it. Networking is not easy.
But when done right, networking is one of the most powerful business development tools out there! Join us September 18 for the Business Development Blueprint: A Practical Guide to Strategic Networking, led by Jennifer Hopper, ABC San Diego`s Community Affairs Manager.
You will walk away knowing how to work a room with confidence, identify the right people to meet, and turn conversations into real opportunities.
No more just tossing out business cards and hoping for the best.
👉 Register now through the link in our bio.
#ABCMeritShopProud #TrustedExpertise #ChampionForGrowth #NetworkingTips #BusinessDevelopment
September 13, 1976 is the day ABC San Diego first opened its doors, and today marks fifty years since.
Fifty years of opportunity. Fifty years of people building careers, building skills, and building the skyline we call home.
Here`s to the next fifty, built together.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ABCSD50 #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SanDiegoConstruction
Construction has the second-highest suicide rate of any industry in the country, according to the CDC, with male construction workers dying by suicide at almost twice the rate of the general working male population.
At ABC San Diego, we take care of our people with the same commitment we bring to jobsite safety. And the first step to protecting our workforce is making it okay to talk about.
ABC San Diego members have access to real mental health support resources, including on-site training. Contact us at info@abcsd.org to learn more.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7. Call or text 988.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ConstructionMentalHealth #SuicidePreventionMonth #BuiltOnFamily
Warning: scrolling through last year`s Excellence in Construction Awards photos may cause a sudden urge to book a table for October.
This year we`re going bigger with a gala to mark 50 years of San Diego merit shop pride.
Bring your company, bring a date, and get ready to celebrate the people and projects that build our city. Book a table of 8 and give your team a night that truly recognizes their hard work.
🥂 Reserve your table through the link in our bio.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ConstructionAwards #SanDiegoConstruction #ABCSD50 #ThrowBackThursday
Brighten your day by shedding light on the new requirements for nonresidential and multifamily projects! @energycodeace`s Nonresidential and Multifamily Lighting 2025 fact sheet is available for free and linked below or on their website. Use this fact sheet to understand the lighting design and control requirements of the current 2025 #EnergyCode.
🔗https://energycodeace.com/download/302124/file_path/fieldList/Fact+Sheet%3A+Nonresidential+and+Multifamily+Lighting.pdf
#lighting #lightingdesigner #lightingcontrols
Rising wages, mounting pressure, and an industry ready for change is how San Diego`s merit shop movement was born.
Some of the region`s most established contractors came together, choosing to build something new because the old way of doing business could no longer keep pace with a changing economy. It wasn`t an easy shift, but out of that pressure came real opportunity.
🎧 Listen to the entirety of Kevin`s story on Coastlines to Cranes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast.
#ABCMeritShopProud #CoastlinesToCranes #ChampionForGrowth #SanDiegoConstruction #SkilledTrades
The only way to be certain of your expertise is to put them to the test.
Kyle, a fifth-year pipefitter at ABC San Diego, competed at the last National Craft Championship. Walking into a field of competitors at that level was something new.
What he didn`t expect was how ready he already was. Years of training in ABC San Diego`s apprenticeship program and out on the jobsite showed up the moment it counted. Kyle realized he was standing among the best in merit shop trades, all there for the same reason: to compete, to win, and to push the industry forward.
We`re spotlighting more moments like this as ABC San Diego heads toward November`s Local Craft Championship.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ABCNationalCraftChampionship #SkilledTrades #TradeCompetition
Today is for the people behind the work. For our apprentices learning their trade. For our members running the job sites. For every craft professional out there who shows up before the sun does.
Fifty years of helping build this city with you, and we can`t wait to keep going. 🇺🇸
Enjoy your day off! Our office is closed today for Labor Day and will be back open tomorrow on 9/8.
#ABCMeritShopProud #LaborDay #SanDiegoConstruction #SkilledTrades #ConstructionLife #ABCSD
Are you on the Top Performers List?
The Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) designation tells the world you`re one of the best in the business! If you`re already investing in workforce development, safety, culture, and you`re licensed and covered, then you’re already doing the work. AQC is how you prove it.
We`ve helped ABC San Diego members become Accredited Quality Contractors for years, and we can help you too!
If you’re looking for a way to distinguish yourself from the competition, let`s get you on that list.
👉 See if your company qualifies ON OUR WEBSITE
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #TrustedExpertise #SkilledTrades #SanDiegoConstruction
Most contractors spend decades building a business and only a few months figuring out how to leave it, a challenge Kevin Hartnett walks through with Shandon Harbour on this episode of Coastlines to Cranes.
Kevin Hartnett founded Laser Electric in 1987 and spent decades building it into a respected name in the electrical trade. When it came time for succession planning, it took nearly five years to build a plan that would carry the company forward.
Long before planning his exit, Kevin was a driving force behind ABC San Diego`s apprenticeship program, helping shape it from the ground up. Today, he is still showing up for it, and in recent years has made it a personal mission to bring more women into the trades, giving them the same shot at opportunity that`s always existed for men.
🎧 A new episode of Coastlines to Cranes is out every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
#ABCMeritShopProud #CoastlinesToCranes #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #ConstructionLeadership
Trade competitions are where training becomes performance. Every measurement, technique, and hour spent in the shop is on the stage.
This November, ABC San Diego members will compete at our annual Local Craft Championship on the road to the 2027 National Craft Championship. First hurdle down: passing the @nccer written exam, 100 questions to complete in 2 hours.
Travis Docherty* teaches sheet metal at ABC San Diego, where he watches this preparation come full circle every year. The skills he covers in the classroom are the same ones his apprentices lean on in their daily work and on the competition floor.
He`s also watching an industry that keeps growing. More projects, more demand, and a real need for tradesmen and tradeswomen ready to step in and build the next generation.
It`s skilled trades professionals who keep the infrastructure around us running every single day. Travis`s message to anyone considering the trades is simple: there`s room here, and the opportunity is real.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SkilledTrades #TradeCompetition @abc_national
Submissions are FREE and the deadline is August 31.
Make this the year to be recognized for your hard work and great team.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #ExcellenceInConstruction #ABCSD50
In March of 2020, federal guidance on which industries counted as essential changed more than once in a matter of weeks. Local and state rollouts following their own timelines: one version in the morning, another by the afternoon.
For business owners and managers this really meant one thing at the time, rank didn`t matter anymore. As Shandon describes it, every title came off the table. Associations across San Diego, union and nonunion alike, got on calls almost daily just to figure out what came next, together.
Nobody had the answers alone, it came down to people showing up for people. Same as any jobsite, you help each other and get the job done.
🎧 A new episode of Coastlines to Cranes is out every Wednesday on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts: https://youtu.be/d2I1M6netlo
#ABCMeritShopProud #CoastlinesToCranes #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SanDiegoConstruction
Tracey oversees our workforce development, which means she`s the one steering the instructors and programs behind five trades: electrical, electronic systems technology, sheet metal, plumbing, and pipefitting.
She`s watched hundreds of apprentices come in knowing little about construction and walk out with a career, a credential, and none of the financial burden that usually comes with getting there.
The trades have been the backbone of every civilization long before a four-year degree was ever an option, and today they’re still laying the foundation for careers without student debt.
#ABCMeritShopProud #BuiltOnFamily #TrustedExpertise #SkilledTrades #ApprenticeshipTraining @abc_national
Fifty years of building San Diego, and we want to celebrate the people and projects behind it.
Submit your project or nominate a standout tradesperson, superintendent, project manager, or young professional for this year`s Excellence in Construction Awards and 50th Anniversary Gala.
✦ Submit your coolest projects
✦ Nominate your best people
Deadline: August 31. Entry is free.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #ExcellenceInConstruction #ConstructionAwardsInSanDiego #SanDiegoContractors
Big or small, every job comes with a materials run. Now Associated Builders and Contractors members have access to the MyLowe`s Pro Rewards Program, a national member benefit built to save contractors real time and money.
The program includes volume discounts on qualifying purchases, a paint discount after annual spend thresholds, and additional statement credit savings for cardholders.
All at no cost to join!
👉 Contact us to learn more.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #TrustedExpertise #BuiltOnFamily #SanDiegoConstruction
We made the cover! 📰
ABC San Diego has been named a Best Place to Work by the San Diego Business Journal, and we couldn`t be prouder of the team and members who make this chapter what it is. 🥂
Do you want to be a part of it? Learn more about our membership benefits and options on our website.
#ABCMeritShopProud #ChampionForGrowth #BuiltOnFamily #SanDiegoConstruction #BestPlaceToWork
What do you do when leadership guidance changes by lunchtime?
👉 Hear the full story of how ABC San Diego navigated COVID days by searching Coastlines to Cranes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
#ABCMeritShopProud #CoastlinesToCranes #ChampionForGrowth #ConstructionLeadership #COVIDLessons
Are you ready to get lucky? 🥂
Submit your project and nominate up to four of your best people by August 31.
LINK IN OUR BIO
#ABCMeritShopProud #CelebrateContractorsInSanDiego #ExcellenceInConstruction #ConstructionWorkforceAwards
Joshua set out to build something more than just a career.
His path into the trades started with a simple nudge, a company connection that opened his eyes to what ABC San Diego could offer. He didn`t overthink the decision and took a simple approach: what you put in is what you get out. The early mistakes, the slow stretches, the moments before anything clicked, all of it led him closer to a bigger vision of his future.
Outgrowing his initial goal, he started planning for his future kids, so they would never have to stress over how to pay for college or feel boxed into one "right" path. His vision became about building a financial foundation strong enough to carry the next generation forward before they even know they need it.
That`s the part of the trades people don`t talk about enough. Beyond the paycheck, it’s a network, a career, and a real shot at building wealth that lasts.
#ABCMeritShopProud #BuiltOnFamily #TrustedExpertise #SkilledTrades #ElectricalTrades
