From military to construction

Words: Christopher AbellThe Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) Pelican Chapter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Bayou Chapter in New Orleans are home to some of the largest training centers along the Gulf Coast. Part of what makes these chapters successful is that they have Manpower and Education committees to review and suggest training to be delivered. At the helm of these committees are four unique men, which I am fortunate to be part of:
  • Chris Melancon (U.S. Marines) of Primoris Services serves as chair of ABC Pelican Chapter
  • Chris Newton (retired U.S. Navy) of Cajun Industries serves as vice chair of ABC Pelican Chapter
  • Steve Bomar (retired U.S. Navy) of Performance Contractors is incoming vice chair of ABC Pelican Chapter
  • David Theriot (U.S. Army) of Performance Contractors serves as vice chair of ABC Bayou Chapter
While it is “business as usual” for us, there’s one thing that sets our committee leadership apart: We are all veterans who have found careers in construction. We are also avid statesmen who work closely with Build Your Future’s Hard Hat Heroes military program and NCCER to provide entry points, assessments and careers for our fellow veterans.

“We know what it is like to transition from serving our nation to civilian life, and we know the opportunities that are available in our industry,” said Chris Melancon, a Marine infantryman and current chair of ABC Pelican Chapter. “We can match up military skills that immediately translate to construction careers. Better yet, we know that every veteran is trainable and possesses the qualities our industry is looking for in craft professionals and leaders.”

At the 2015 ABC Workforce Development Conference, NCCER hosted a session about hiring and training veterans, and how companies that are employing veterans are seeing a high return on investment. The companies and organizations represented below have partnered with Build Your Future’s Hard Hat Heroes program and demonstrate a strong commitment to support our military service members by giving them hiring preference as they transition into construction careers.

Bechtel
Brock
Cajun Industries
Consolidated Electric
Crossland Construction
Fluor
ISC
Jacobs
KBR
L.P.R. Construction Co.
Marek Brothers
Overland Contracting
PALA
Performance Contractors, Inc.
S&B
Sundt
TIC
Turner Industries
Worth and Company, Inc.
Zachry
Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.
AGC of America
Florida Masonry Apprentice & Education Foundation
Louisiana Community and Technical College System
NEF
Pearson

For more information on Hard Hat Heroes, visit byf.org/military.
 0
The STABILA Force Driven by Operations
July 2025

Leadership In today's competitive business landscape, maintaining an efficient, well-organized warehouse is essential for meeting customer demands and ensuring smooth operations. By implementing effective processes and best practices, businesses can achi

MAP Partner
Read More
MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 24 Recap: Gary Hensley, VP of Sales at Oldcastle Adams
July 2025

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Gary Hensley joins Justin in Indianapolis to talk about his story within the masonry industry, how he got started, how he's seen it evolve, and where he sees it going. Why the Masonry Industry? Concrete and

Read More
The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Read More
Business Building: Do Project Manager / Estimator Combos Work?
July 2025

Steve owns SJP Contractors, a mid-size general contractor specializing in commercial projects. Over the last several years, his company has grown to over $16 million in annual sales, with an average project size of $500,000 to $1,500,000, employing 45 off

George Hedley
Business Building
Read More