Irwin Tools will celebrate annual National Tradesmen Day this year on September 21 to thank all the hardworking men and women who help build America and keep it running, Hanley Wood Remodeling reports.
“At Irwin, recognizing the efforts of America’s tradesmen is part of our brand’s DNA,” vice president of marketing Curt Weber said. “America’s tradesmen are electricians, plumbers, welders, drywall installers, framers, masons, carpenters, auto mechanics, and more. They are our nation’s real working hands.”
In August, before the Nascar Irwin Tools Night Race, the company honored 23 “Tradesmen of the Track” and gave away more than 1,000 grandstand tickets to workers. Three hundred professional tradesmen served as Grand Marshals for the race.
Irwin hoisted up thank-you signage around the speedway as well as a jumbo message boards where fans could write their own personal thanks to the workers, who included those who keep our lights on and our water running.
"Irwin employees had extremely moving reactions to last year's National Tradesmen Day," the company said. "One especially inspired employee described an interaction with a few tradesmen, saying:
“You could tell that they had never really been thanked for the work they do because when we initially approached them, their automatic response was, ‘No thanks, we don’t have time.’ When we asked them if they wanted t-shirts, one of them said, ‘Sure, what do we have to do?’ The beauty of that question was that they’d already done it. They do it every day. To see grown men brought to tears, stunned that we were thanking them, was an unbelievable experience. There is no [promotional] video, no set of words, no picture that can illuminate Irwin’s purpose more than that simple act that took 10 minutes."
Early celebrations that took place in late August also included treating industrious trade students to special events at the NASCAR speedway in Bristol, Tenn. Irwin sponsors career training at SkillsUSA and has partnered with the National Center for Construction Education and Research on its Build Your Future campaign. They awarded top winners of Build Your Future Skills competitions in the automotive tech and carpentry categories with an "ultimate race experience," including stints as honorary pit-crew members, and a trip to the Irwin corporate office for a behind-the-scenes look at how the brand's tools are developed.
The company aspires to encourage more students to consider careers in the trades. According to a recent survey from Manpower Group, positions for skilled trades, engineers and IT staff are becoming more and more difficult to fill. Irwin Tools president Ross Porter says the company wants to “focus the nation’s attention on the vital role of technical training in our high schools and post-secondary institutions.”
Beyond the classroom and the racetrack, Irwin is encouraging small businesses to host their own National Tradesmen Day events, and to spread the word to consumers to thank the hardworking crews that help them out every day.