High school builders put skills to test at annual challenge

BURLINGTON, Iowa – A team of five young builders from Fort Madison High School won top honors Thursday in an annual showcase of their burgeoning skills in the construction trades.

Carl A. Nelson & Company’s High School Skills Challenge, held annually since 2017, gives students from area high schools a chance to put their learning in the classroom to real-world use. Participating in the 2026 edition of the event – held on the Carl A. Nelson campus in Burlington – were Danville, Fort Madison, Keokuk, Mediapolis, West Burlington and Winfield-Mount Union High Schools. Each team was given four hours, a collection of raw materials and a design to work from, this year being a steel tool cart and wood tool box each team could take back to school to equip their shops.

First-place this year went to the Fort Madison High School team of Owen Menke and Blayne Ellis, seniors; Karson Gnann, junior; Cael Kokjohn, sophomore; and Hayden Blanchard, freshman. Their teachers are Michael Schinstock, building trades; and Ryan Peters, welding. Winning earned them a $300 gift card to purchase materials or tools for their program. Each of the students also went home with a four-foot level. Second-place was awarded to the Keokuk High School team of Ashton Witt, Gavin LeMaster, and Colten Johnson, seniors; and Zeke Scott, junior. Their teachers are Adam Rader, building trades; and Katie Geltz, welding.

“It’s great to have support from local businesses, for sure. Putting this on is huge,” said Schinstock. Fort Madison has won the competition more than any other school.

Rader agreed, explaining that while the activity can replicated in the shop at school, the real-world pressures of time and competition are harder to get across in a meaningful way.

Mike Harris, the general superintendent at Carl A. Nelson & Company, organizes the annual event. Harris hires for field operations at the company, and is routinely involved in construction trades and other career-training programs across southeast Iowa each year.

“The kids get to come and do a little real-world construction,” Harris said, “get out of their classroom. They get to visit our site, kind of see what we have to offer.”

As a company, Harris said the benefit is access to emerging talent, build relationships with teachers and meet students. Beyond even Carl A. Nelson’s own interests, Harris said student engagement pays dividends to the broader community by showing high schools with an interest in the trades what kind of opportunities exist close to home and keeps talented builders in the area.

Carl A. Nelson & Company was founded in Burlington, Iowa, in 1913. In addition to its main office and warehouse in Burlington, the company also operates a regional office in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The firm, which is licensed in 21 of the 50 states, performs projects in multiple market sectors, including industrial, healthcare, education and recreation, in the roles of design-builder, construction manager or general contractor depending on the needs of clients.

Fort Madison High School won the 2026 High School Skills Challenge at Carl A. Nelson & Company. L-R: Michael Schinstock, building trades teacher, Owen Menke, senior, Hayden Blanchard, freshman, Karson Gnann, junior, Cael Kokjohn, sophomore, Blayne Ellis, senior, Ryan Peters, welding teacher. The team won a $300 gift card to purchase supplies for their program, and each team member received a four-foot level. Carl A. Nelson & Company

Keokuk High School placed second in the 2026 High School Skills Challenge at Carl A. Nelson & Company. L-R: Colten Johnson, sr., Adam Rader, building trades teacher, Ashton Witt, senior, Gavin LeMaster, senior, Katie Geltz, welding teacher, Zeke Scott, junior. The team won a $200 gift card to purchase supplies for their program. Carl A. Nelson & Company