CANCO hosts high-schoolers for annual test of skills
1 month, 2 weeks ago
Mediapolis High School wins Carl A. Nelson & Company 2024 High School Skills Challenge; Keokuk High School second
Burlington-based construction firm Carl A. Nelson & Company’s eighth annual High School Skills Challenge was the biggest yet, with seven southeast Iowa high school construction trades programs competing for prizes based on what their students have learned by applying them to real-world tasks.
Coming first in 2024 was Mediapolis High School, followed by Keokuk High School in second-place.
Students in this year’s challenge were given the plans and raw materials, and access to tools needed to build carts for use in their high school shop rooms. Each team had three and one-half hours to complete the work, and those that could not were able to take the unfinished carts and remaining materials back to school to complete them.
Mediapolis’ winning team was composed of seniors Jonny Ford, Braeden Oliver, Drake Knapp and Connor Schulz, and junior Carter Myers. Their instructor is Nathan Fritz. Team members each received a DeWalt drill and screwdriver bit set, along with a $300 Lowe’s gift card for use by their program.
“Absolutely impressive build,” said Mike Harris, Carl A. Nelson & Company (CANCO) general superintendent, who organizes the challenge each year. “We were looking at it and couldn’t hardly find anything wrong. A lot of creativity went into it, and it looked really good.”
Keokuk’s second-place team, which received a $150 Lowe’s card to use for program needs, included seniors Chevy Barnes and Kash Elston, and juniors Xavier Nelson, Jaxton McNally and Braxton Haynes. Their instructors are Adam Rader and Katie Geltz.
Harris judged the projects with help once again from Southeastern Community College construction trades instructor Doug Riley. Other participating schools were: Burlington High School, Danville High School, Fort Madison High School, West Burlington High School and Winfield Mount-Union High School.
The annual Skills Challenge is part of Carl A. Nelson & Company’s routine outreach to high school construction trades programs, aimed at helping high school students to pursue careers in construction. CANCO also frequently offers internships to high school students, which provides them with additional hands-on training opportunities.
Carl A. Nelson & Company was founded in 1913 in Burlington, Iowa, by a Swedish immigrant. Today, the firm builds projects for industrial, commercial and institutional clients across Iowa and the Midwest, and is licensed in 22 U.S. states.
In southeast Iowa, recent or ongoing CANCO projects include renovation work for Burlington High School and Western Smokehouse Partners in Burlington; Fort Madison’s newly remodeled PreK-6 and 7-12 schools; Keokuk High School’s new music wing and secure entry, and the production and warehouse expansion at Allied Blending in Keokuk.
To learn more about Carl A. Nelson & Company projects or employment opportunities, visit https://www.carlanelsonco.com.