Philadelphia chapter visit highlighted with tours of a member contractor shop and local JATC.
Representatives from SMACNA National visited SMCA (Philadelphia, PA) to gain a deeper understanding of some of the ongoing industry developments in the Philadelphia area. Laurie Greene and Seth Lennon met with SMCA Chapter Executive Pete Jenkins, Events Director Trish Casey, and Communications Director Julie Frieswyk, who provided detailed information about some of the developments within the area, including business lines and workforce development.
Next, we had a visit with Gary Luthe, SMCA President, at his shop in Cherry Hill, NJ. Luthe toured the shop with the group and touched on many of the critical points that Jenkins had detailed earlier, as well as providing some key historical perspective on how the area has developed to its current state and some of the challenges and opportunities it confronts. He also took the moment to share the family-oriented nature of Luthe Sheet Metal, noting that several members of the Luthe family are involved in the company's day-to-day operations.
Finally, the group got a tour of Sheet Metal Local 19’s training center in Philadelphia. The team was joined by Jen Lohr, Vice President at Fisher Balancing, and by Donald Smith, Jr., Training Coordinator with Local 19, who led the group around the facility. The tour was highlighted by a sneak peek of the JATC’s ongoing remodel of their TAB training facility, an effort that, once complete, will enable state-of-the-art training for sheet metal workers in this ever increasingly important area.
SMACNA is interested in hearing from our chapters about their story and welcomes any opportunity to collaborate. If your chapter is interested, don't hesitate to get in touch with Laurie Greene.
Jul 30, 2025 — Chapter Leadership | Member Update
Aug 5, 2025 - Join us on August 28th for the latest AYI webinar designed to give chapter executives a better understanding of the mechanics of tariffs and how they will impact our space.
Aug 5, 2025 - Eligible topics for December Council of Chapter Representatives meeting may include items that result in recommendations to the SMACNA Board of Directors or are presented simply for Council discussion and information.
Aug 5, 2025 - Plan to attend the program that will equip your members with all of the needed tools and best practices needed to have a positive impact at the bargaining table.