Date of Event: 03/02/2024
Location: Greene Technology Center, Greeneville TN
Number of Attendees: 33
Presenter/Notable Guest(s): Will Hoskins-Materials/Metallurgical Engineer, Eastman Chemical Company
Event Summary: On March 2, 2024, the AWS Holston Valley Section and The Greene
Technology Center joined forces to host an impactful AWS Section Meeting.
The event welcomed both industry professionals and aspiring welders,
featuring engaging introductions, a captivating technical presentation, and a
high school regional welding contest.
The contest attracted 23 talented competitors from three regional high
school CTE welding programs, spanning grades 10 through 12. Participants
showcased their skills in both Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) and Gas
Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), tackling welds in various positions tailored to
their training hours. Industry volunteers from John Deere Power Products
(Greeneville, TN), Komatsu (Duffield, VA), and Lincoln Electric lent their
expertise as judges, evaluating competitors across two divisions: beginner
(up to 300 training hours) and advanced (over 300 training hours).
Contest Results
In the advanced division (Over 300 Hours), there were 14 competitors. The
top five places are as follows.
1st Randall Strickland GTC
2nd Michael Velez GTC
3rd Evelyn Moreno GTC
4th Tillman Graham GTC (The only 10th grader in the contest)
5th Lance Scheller GTC
In the beginner division (300 Hours or Less), there were 9 overall
competitors. The top five places are as follows.
1st Joseph Tyree, GTC
2nd Jackie Woods Hamblin County CTE
3rd Nick Rangel Hamblin County CTE
4th Jose Garcia Alonso, Hamblin County CTE
5th Luis Rosales, Hamblin County CTE
Jackie Woods (Hamblin County CTE) was the winner of the grand prize based
upon a “One Bead” weld off among the top two places from each division.
