ALLEN PARK – Boilermakers Local 169 celebrated the grand opening of their new union hall and apprenticeship school on Jan. 29 – and there was plenty of room to move around.

The Boilermakers’ new home, a 28,000 square-foot building previously owned by Ford Motor Co., is ten times the size of Local 169’s old union hall in Dearborn. The local union’s former training center, located a few blocks away in Dearborn – was also comparatively tiny.

“This is a facility that will help our members meet the future needs of our customers,” said Local 169 Business Manager Robert Hutsell. “This is an investment in our future. We really need the additional space to adapt and to operate efficiently.”

The union hall and training center were renovated to meet the needs of the Boilermakers. The  larger training center offers 22 welding booths with plenty of elbow room and a state-of-the-art filtration system. The Boilermakers moved in on Dec. 12.

“It means a lot to the industry that the Boilermakers were willing to make this kind of investment in a training facility,” said Brian Wimmer, president of Monarch Welding and a trustee on the Training Fund. “It’s an outstanding facility, and I’m sure it will help improve the productivity and quality of the training. This will serve the industry and the local very well for years to come.”

The union hall allows the placement of a removable dance floor when the facility hosts parties. Display cases located in various areas of the hall contain old tools, boiler fixtures, manuals and historic documents that depict the history of the trade. Blown-up photos hanging on walls around the building show old jobsites, and a few old-time and not-so-old-time Boilermakers.

All was on display Jan. 29 during an open house and dinner celebration at the facility, where members and their family, contractors and local politicos could check it out.

“This is fantastic,” said Lawrence McManamon, Boilermakers International Vice President, Great Lakes Area. “This is the largest training center in the Great Lakes region, and the welding area is great. Welding is the backbone of our trade. I think owners and the entire industry understand and appreciate the Boilermakers’ commitment to training, and this facility is sure to impress them.”

BOILERMAKERS Local 169 held a grand opening at their new union hall/training center on Jan. 29. On hand for the celebration in the lobby were (l-r) Allen Park City Councilmen Kevin Rourke and Tony Lalli and Mayor Gary Burtka, Local 169’s Business Manager Bob Hutsell, President/BA Mike Card and BA Don Cochran, Allen Park Chamber of Commerce President Angel Gibson, Boilermakers International Vice President Lawrence McManamon Sr., Great Lakes Area Boilermaker Apprentice Program Coordinator Lawrence McManamon Jr., Local 169 BA Mark Wertz, Boilermakers Local 744 (Cleveland) Business Manager Pat Gallagher, Boilermakers International Union Director of Governmental Affairs Bridget Martin, Assistant to the International President Tony Jacobs, International Rep. Pat Stefancin, and Boilermakers Local 85 (Toledo) Business Manager Fred Keith.