Meet Joe Ahrens
General Superintendent, HPS Mechanical
Joseph “Joe” Ahrens is a General Superintendent at HPS Mechanical. Joe is a third generation plumber and has been with HPS Mechanical since 2014. He started his career directly out of high school joining the ABC San Diego Plumbing Apprenticeship program and graduated in 2008.
Joe has gained 20 years of experience with ABC member companies in Southern California. He aspires to create an environment for all to excel.
Meet Steven Cabaj
President, Electronic & Telecom Systems (ETS)
Steven Cabaj is the President and Co-Founder of Electronic & Telecom Systems (ETS). Steven graduated from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo with a Business Science certificate in Mechanical Engineering. He grown up in the construction industry and has worked full-time in Building Automation since 2014. Leading ETS since late 2016, Steven has grown the company from two employees to over forty (and counting), with the help of a Master of Business Administration from the Rady School of Management. He is responsible for Business Development, Sales, Operations Supervision, and General Management.
Steven also volunteers with ABC San Diego as a Board of Director, committee member of the Electronic Systems Technician Unilateral Apprenticeship Committee and Technology Committee.
Meet Bryon Fuller
Estimator, Titan Fire Protection
Bryon oversees the Inspections Testing & Maintenance Department for Titan Fire Protection. He brings over 15 years of fire sprinkler experience on the new construction, tenant improvement, inspections, testing, and maintenance to the Titan team. Bryon began his career in the industry at the shop level, moving through the different aspects of the industry. Bryon joined Titan Fire Protection in 2020.
Bryon performs a multitude of roles, but his primary focus is inspections, testing, and maintenance. Some of those responsibilities include meeting with clients to address their questions and concerns regarding required inspections, preparing proposals, reviewing inspections reports, reviewing contracts, scope of work, code requirements, managing client’s needs, strategic cost savings for clients, and strategic planning.
Bryon believes that if you provide clients with fair pricing, quality work, and respect, anything is possible. At Titan Fire Protection, he brings a level of passion and professionalism to the company as he feels that we can always serve our clients better.
Bryon has been married to his wife Katrina since 2011. They have 2 children. Bryon is involved with AYSO Santee and serves as a coach and board member. He also serves on the ABC San Diego Young Professionals’ Committee since 2022 and now a part of the Membership Development Committee. In his spare time, Bryon enjoys attending games for the San Diego Gulls, escaping to the mountains with his family, and sitting by the fire at home with his wife Katrina.
Meet Kevin Hartnett
Vice President, Laser Electric, Inc.
Kevin’s electrical career started in 1973. He has completed 2-year Marine Electrician/Electronics Training at National Steel & Shipbuilding San Diego; and a 4-year Union Construction Electrical Apprenticeship Training Program. He graduated as San Diego Electrical Apprentice of the Year in 1979. He also served as Union Electrical Apprenticeship Instructor for four years.
Kevin worked as an Electrical Foreman/General Foreman for several large industrial projects as a union member.
Kevin started Laser Electric in 1987 as a merit shop focused on safety, quality, integrity and employee training & internal opportunities.
Until 2000, Kevin handled all estimating, sales, project management, payroll, and accounting. The company grew to $15M in revenue by 2015 with a very steady customer base and employee retention. Revenue is expected to be $40M in 2023 with 150 employees.
Kevin joined ABC San Diego in 1994 and has served on the Electrical Unilateral Apprenticeship Committee for 20 years. He helped form the Electronic Systems Technician (EST) Apprenticeship Program 10 years ago and has served on the EST Unilateral Apprenticeship Committee since then. He has served as an ABC San Diego Training Trustee for over 10 years and Chair of Training Trust for four years.
Meet Valerie McGuire
Controller, Pacific Rim Mechanical
Valerie has lived in San Diego for 30 years and attended San Diego State University. She comes to us with 22 years of experience in the construction industry, and for seven of those years she owned an electrical subcontractor business. She also has experience in public accounting and industry accounting.
Over the last 6+ years, Valerie has been the controller of Pacific Rim Mechanical. In that time frame, the company has grown its revenues nearly 50 percent, from 133M to 220M.
Valerie holds the designations of both CPA and CCIFP (Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional). She has taught classes for industry professionals in many construction organizations, and recently gave her first national presentation with CFMA (Construction Financial Management Association.)
Valerie joined ABC San Diego (ABCSD) in 2006 and is a Trustee member of the ABCSD Training Trust. She is a current board member of CFMA, and a former board member of NAWIC.
Meet Andy Pina
Safety Director, Pacific Rim Mechanical
Andy entered the construction field as a plumber/helper in 1988 and after 2 years went to work for Pacific Rim Mechanical (Pac. Rim) as a plumber apprentice. He was looking for a good company to give him the right training. His claim to fame is he hasn’t done a day of plumbing since working for Pacific Rim. The large project that he was hired for was put on hold for six weeks, so they offered him a position in the sheet metal shop as an interim. He learned more in those six weeks than his first year of plumbing work. After six weeks Pac. Rim offered Andy a permanent position in the sheet metal shop. Andy accepted the offer with the request that he receive training and continuing education. Four years later after completing the R.O.P. Sheet Metal course he was promoted to Shop Foreman. He was responsible for layout, design and fabrication of all shop work and the crew. In 1994 he obtain a California Competent Welder certificate thru the R.O.P.
In 1997, Pacific Rim Mechanical closed the Sheet Metal Shop. Andy was then promoted to Tool Administer / Shop Supervisor. He oversaw purchasing, maintenance and inventory of all company / rental tools and equipment for the company. He continued his education through a R.O.P program learning basic computer knowledge. Andy was responsible for setting up a computer tool tracking system for tracking over 3,000 company tools. It is still in use with over 8,000 pieces of equipment in its inventory.
In 2000, he joined the Safety Department for Pac. Rim. He worked on the Merk Project as site Safety Coordinator. His primary responsibility was to prevent unsafe acts or hazards and to inspire proactive safety awareness. Daily he performed safety inspection, interfaced with other contractor’s safety representatives and management. In 2001 after completing the NCCR Safety Manager Course he was promoted to Safety Manager for Pac. Rim.
In 2003, he was promoted to Safety Director. He is now responsible for providing safety training, monitoring all sites for compliance with CAL/OSHA laws and contract safety requirements. He assists all Pac. Rim employees with safety planning for the projects. He is a current committee member of the ABC San Diego Sheet Metal Unilateral Apprenticeship Committee, Plumbing/Pipefitting Unilateral Apprenticeship Committee, and Safety Committee and was past Chair. Andy enjoys giving back to the community by volunteering his time and construction knowledge by working with Habitat for Humanity, San Diego River Park Foundation and Camp NAWIC.
