CLEVELAND – The best of the best in the Northeast Ohio construction industry were honored during the fifth annual Excellence and Craftsmanship Awards, held on Aug. 17.

About 500 individuals, including Cleveland area tradesmen and tradeswomen, were in to see over 100 of their Brothers and Sisters recognized for their work on projects completed in 2022.

The event started with Tim Linville, Construction Employers Association CEO, who thanked everyone for their hard work. He then introduced Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who spoke about the importance of the union construction industry.

“Cleveland is a labor town, and as long as I’m mayor, we will remain a union town,” Bibb said. “…The awards we’re celebrating this evening are about the great work you’ve been doing for a long time in our community,” Bibb said.

Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary and Business Manager Dave Wondolowski followed Bibb to the stage to hand out the 2023 CEA Apprentices of the Year awards. He remained on stage to hand out the Craftsmanship Awards.

Prior to each award, a video was played to announce the winner, who then discussed the challenges they overcame on the project. The primary winners and their supporting crews were recognized.

The Building Excellence Awards were then handed out in the same way to affiliated CEA contractors. Categories included both new construction and renovation work, with project costs ranging from under $10 million to over $25 million.