Page 19 - HIWT Spring 2013 World of Welding

hiwt@welding.org HOBART INSTITUTE OF WELDING TECHNOLOGY

AWS CElEbRATES GRAND OpENING

(Continued from page 18)

The real highlight of the open house ceremony came near the
200 guests for their open house celebration including AWS end, right before building tours of the new facility, when AWS
board members, past-presidents, international counterparts showed its real commitment to the men and women of the
and agents, vendors and community leaders. welding industry by unveiling a special bronze sculpture that
commemorates one of the most needed and highly skilled-
The opening was originally scheduled to be hosted outside craft persons to be found anywhere – the welder. The statue
the building with a ribbon cutting ceremony taking place on was created by sculptor Gregory Johnson and donated to AWS
the front steps but rain caused the celebrations to be moved by Rice and his wife Cherry.
inside to AWS’s new high-tech conference room. The room
is equipped with state-of-the-art audio visual capabilities and Calling the devoted welders of this country true “artists”
was able to comfortably seat all the guests in attendance. and possibly “magicians,” Rice went one step further and
announced that more women are needed in the industry and
AWS Executive Director Ray Shook welcomed everyone to the as an incentive announced that he and Cherry have donated
new headquarters before passing it on to 2012 AWS President $50,000 for a new scholarship intended to help women
William “Bill” Rice, who took guests on a photographic interested in welding careers. AWS’s Foundation department
journey through the 93 year history of the Society. will match that donation for a total of $100,000.

Getting its start in New York City, inside the United “We remain more committed than ever to the welding
Engineering Building, AWS moved to Miami in 1972. After a industry,” said Shook. “Our new building will allow us the
few years occupying an old church building the society moved opportunity to expand our membership, publishing, exposition,
A WP-280 HIWT Ad 3-25x4-875_Layout 1 12/21/11 9:28 AM Page 1
to a larger headquarter building in 1980. They would stay there and educational operations.”
30 years before buying their current property in Doral, which
is only seven miles northwest of the old facility.

“Our newly renovated five-story building in Doral offers
us exactly what we need,” said Rice. ”It gives us more than
three times the office and meeting space of our previous
headquarters, and it provides room for our board, committee
and educational activities.”

Other speakers at the open house ceremony included Florida Introducing the
State Representative Michael Bileca, whose father Dennis
Bileca was a 20-year employee of AWS, and Miguel Otero, WP-280 Water-Cooled TIG Torch!
Deputy Chief of Staff for Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-
Balart. The water-cooled
solution for demanding
Diaz-Balart has an office inside the new AWS building. AWS applications
will initially occupy about 50 percent of the building and lease
out the rest. • Exclusive Super Cool ™
technology
AWS has 115 employees that serve nearly 70,000 members • Multi-position handle
worldwide. The non-profit organization is the world’s authority
on safe, productive welding. The society publishes the major • Improves operator
control and comfort
technical standards used in welding of all types, and certifies
welding professionals such as inspectors, supervisors and
educators. In addition, AWS publishes technical magazines in Weldcraft.com
three languages and operates trade shows in the U.S., Mexico
and Canada.
Phone: 1.920.882.6800
Toll-free: 1.800.752.7620

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