Carpenter Contractor Trust Honors Union Tradesmen During National Construction Appreciation Week

In celebration of National Tradesmen Day, Sept. 16, and National Construction Appreciation Week, Sept. 19-23, the Carpenter Contractor Trust is highlighting four union tradespeople who have dedicated their lives to building a better future for the United States. Michael Conner, Lauren LaForge, Layla Bibi and Abbey Agius all come from vastly different backgrounds and represent several generations of U.S. trade union builders. What unites them, however, is their commitment and dedication to their craft, which is paving the way for the future of the U.S. construction industry.

Michael Conner is a veteran of the U.S. Army, a piledriver and a representative for the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. After spending 20 years as an Army Ranger, he started a career in the building trades by attending commercial deep sea diver school at Divers Academy International in New Jersey. He also participated in the union carpenters’ piledriver apprenticeship program. As a tradesman, Conner worked on digging deep foundations for high-rise commercial buildings and has helped build momentum for the burgeoning U.S. offshore wind industry.

Lauren LaForge is an interior systems carpenter in northern New Jersey. She started her career in construction 13 years ago after serving in the Marine Corps. LaForge learned her trade through the union’s apprenticeship program. She works on steel framing and sheet rocking projects for large commercial construction sites for Carpenters Union Local 253. She has recently had a hand in building a new hospital site in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

With 17 years of carpentry experience, Council Representative Layla Bibi is now serving as the committee chair of EASRCC’s Sisters in the Brotherhood, an organization that helps bring more women into the trade. She is also a member of the National Association of Women in Construction. In her role, Bibi is closely involved in the EASRCC’s Carpenters Apprentice Ready Program, a 12-week, weekend pre-apprenticeship program created to enhance career opportunities for underrepresented groups.

At 23, New Jersey-native Abbey Agius found her place in the construction industry as a flooring specialist, laying hardwood for commercial and residential construction projects in the region and as a steering committee member for Sisters in the Brotherhood. After completing the CARP program at 18, Agius signed up for a full 4-year carpenter apprenticeship program, which has helped double her starting wage. She is now leading her worksite as a foreman, ensuring the productivity of daily operations on the job.