SAVOY, Ill. (WAND) — A local plumber has taken home the gold in an international industry competition.
WAND News first spoke to Andrew Hall, an Illinois native and member of the UA Local 149, in June when he was preparing for the National Plumbing Championship after making it through three rounds of qualifying tournaments.
Since then, Hall has gone on to win the union's International Apprentice Contest, earning the honor after a week of written tests, hands-on projects, and interviews with international leaders.
At last week's competition in Ann Arbor, Mich., he beat out six other finalists from the U.S., Canada, and Australia to win Local 149's first international title.
“When they called my name, it was loud and everyone was clapping, so I thought maybe I heard it wrong – then I was in disbelief,” he said. “The guys I competed against were the best of the best and we all got along so well, nobody would’ve been mad if someone else won. But it wasn’t about beating anyone out, what we went through together was really the rewarding part. I mean, it still hasn’t really hit me that I won.”
Hall is in his fifth year with Local 149 and graduated from the apprentice training program in June.
The Montrose native and Dieterich High School graduate spent his career at United Mechanical in Champaign before beginning a path earlier this year as a traveling plumber.
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