Irwin Industrial Tools named its Ultimate Tradesman this
past weekend. Eric Howard, a general contractor from Concord, Calif.
with 19 years experience, beat out four other professional tradesmen to take
home the title of 2008 Ultimate Tradesman and a host of cash and prizes.
“I can't believe I won!” exclaimed Howard. “So many
professional tradesmen entered, to think I was the fastest and most accurate
among that group is amazing. This has been a great experience and I would
like to thank everyone at Irwin for putting on this contest, they have been
great throughout the entire event.”
The company had been searching since March in the second
annual Ultimate Tradesman Challenge. The competition is a timed event in
which participants compete using an Irwin Strait-Line chalk reel, tape measure
and Speedbor Max wood boring bit to mark, measure and drill as quickly and
accurately as possible.
Following its success of the 2007 competition in the United States, the company extended the 2008
competition internationally and broadened the search to include Canada, Australia
and New Zealand. This
year, more than 10,000 tradesmen competed in 200 local events in 37 states,
four Canadian provinces, Australia
and New Zealand.
Howard won the North America
finals with a qualifying time of 23:88 seconds, winning a Roush Performance
Supercharged Stage III Ford F-150, a 600 square-foot Irwin Ultimate Garage by
Allied Steel Buildings and a year’s supply of Dickies work gear.
“The participation and passion among this year’s Ultimate
Tradesman Challenge contestants has been truly impressive,” said Eric Rich,
Irwin’s director of marketing. “Irwin Industrial Tools is proud to
recognize Eric for his accomplishments and for trusting that the high performing,
innovative hand tools and power tool accessories … will deliver winning results
on the job, each and every day.”
For more information on the Ultimate Tradesman Challenge,
please visitwww.irwinchallenge.com.