The American Welding Society and the Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee announced on Sept. 20 the recipients of the 2006 Fourth Annual Image of Welding Awards.

The awards are provided in seven categories to recognize individuals and organizations that have shown exemplary dedication to promoting the image of welding in their place at 10 a.m., Nov. 2, as part of the FABTECH International and AWS Welding Show at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Following are the 2006 Image of Welding Award winners and information provided by the American Welding Society and the Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee for the awards. The complete news release for the awards can be found at www.aws.org/awards/image_awards.html

Christopher Coble, a graduate of North Carolina State University, was given the Individual Award. Coble is the managing director for the welding program at Environ-mental Air Systems, a mechanical contractor and manufacturer of custom air handling units with 600 employees serving the southeastern U.S. Mr. Coble modernized Environmental Air Systems' welding program by creating an automated identification and tracking system that streamlined the company's ability to share important data and gain access to information on pertinent welding procedures, qualifications and techniques. He is an advocate of continuing education, and is creating an educational program at Environmental Air Systems that will allow employee's to train on-site and to earn certifications in welding procedures.

The Indiana Section of the American Welding Society was given the award for local AWS sections. As one of most active American Welding Society sections, the Indiana Section is committed to encouraging students and others to get involved in the field of welding. This year, the Section conducted the Indiana Skills USA contest and both the Indiana state and Indianapolis regional skills contests. Section members devote an extraordinary amount of time and effort to fully manage these contests, including providing materials and finding judges. The Indiana Section also is conducting contests on a county level throughout the state to encourage more students to get involved.

The Hobart Institute of Welding Technology was given the Large Business (200 or more employees) award. Founded in 1930 as a part of the Hobart Brothers Company based in Troy, Ohio, the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology has built its reputation as a first-rate educational institution that began training welders during the World War II era. The success of the school's training programs led to its growth over the last 75 years. Today, the Institute has graduated 85,000 students and is recognized internationally. Additionally, the Institute houses the John H. Blankenbuehler Memorial Library, which includes one of the most comprehensive collections of welding books, research and related subject materials. The Institute's modern 100,000 square-foot facility includes 150 welding booths, 13 classrooms and four laboratories. With 20 instructors boasting 400 years of expertise, the Institute offers a wide range of welding training, including technical continuing education; specialized training; welder qualification and certification; field training; and full-service arc welding training. The Institute holds accreditations from the Commission of Career Schools, Colleges of Technology, the Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools, and the AWS.

Keville Enterprises, Inc. was given the Small Business (less than 200 employees) award. Established in 1991, Keville is a full service construction management and inspection services firm. With 95 employees and 12 offices countrywide, Keville provides both quality control and quality assurance welding inspection services to agencies across 20 states, including Amtrak and the US Postal Service.

The Distributor (for welding products) category award was presented to the Indiana Oxygen Company. Founded in 1915, the Indiana Oxygen Company is one of the oldest gas and hard goods distributors in the United States. From its birth as a small family business, the company has evolved into a network of nearly 50 warehouses and branches throughout Indiana. Indiana Oxygen is the official gas supplier of the Indianapolis 500 and runs a garage at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Leland Vetter at Eastern Wyoming College was given award for the Educator Category.

"It's really about people, not welding," said Leland Vetter, as he reflects on his successful tenure as a welding instructor at Eastern Wyoming College. When Mr. Vetter was tasked to build the College's first welding program at only 22 years old, he recalls, "I was scared, but I knew one thing for sure — I knew how to weld." And he proved it. Over the years, the program has earned him and the school much acclaim, largely due to its success as a training center for a variety of professionals, not only welders. His approach to teaching in the classroom is akin to that of a demanding boss who expects high-quality workmanship and respect for the field. "We take welding very seriously," Vetter said. "We begin early in the morning and go until early evening. There is no room for students who miss class, come in late, or do not put 100 percent into their training to be a competent welder." In its 26th year, the program has been expanded to include machine tooling, hydraulics, and specialized welding curriculum. Enrollment has grown from 13 to over 50 students, and most of the instructors are prior graduates.

The Educational Facility category award is presented to PipeFitters' Local Union 597 Training Center, Mokena, Illinois. It's difficult not to notice the vast beige and yellow state-of-the-art training center that sits adjacent to a tranquil lake in the Village of Mokena. It is the new pride and joy of the PipeFitters' Local Union 597. This spacious facility is equipped with nearly 100 welding booths, each with its own exhaust system, high-quality coupon holding fixture and mutiprocess welding machine. The training center also boasts computer rooms with 40 student stations, modernized lecture hall, 250-seat auditorium, and a complete HVAC instructional and practical area. With courses in SMAW, GTAW, MIG, Downhill, Orbital and Mechanical Pipe Welding, the facility trains on a wide variety of metals, including aluminum, carbon steel, copper, stainless steel, chrome and titanium. Graduation requirements for apprentices and journeymen are challenging, but with a student to instructor ratio of 8 to 1, students are never short of attention. The training center has become of the most revered in the industry, raising the bar in welding education.

Headquartered in Miami, Fla., the American Welding Society (www.aws.org) was founded in 1919 as a multifaceted, nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the science, technology and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes, including brazing, soldering, and thermal spraying. It serves nearly 50,000 members worldwide and is composed of 22 Districts with more than 200 local Sections.

The Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee (www.aws.org/wemco) is a standing committee of the American Welding Society comprised of executives from welding industry suppliers to promote the welding equipment market. Enhancing the image of welding as a critical industry is amongst their priority programs.