Plumber, Chris Kandefer, Receives Apprentice Highlight
Published Date – Mar 17, 2016
Chris Kandefer has been recognized by his supervisors as this month’s Apprentice Highlight. Chris is a member of the Local 22 and is in his 2nd year of his apprenticeship. Chris comes from a long line of plumbers and has been helping his father since he was 10 years old. He knew he wanted to be a plumber from an early age and still shows eagerness to learn.
Currently, Chris is working on the Historic Sinclair Building located in Buffalo, NY. The building was constructed in 1909 and was home to Sinclair Rooney & Co., a wholesaler milliner and Remington-Rand Corporation, a typewriter manufacturer. Now, the building is being repurposed for mixed living and retail space. On the job site, Chris has been installing heating lines, hot water and cold water systems and fixtures throughout the building. This project has meant a little bit more than other jobs because he is being trusted and relied on to be more hands-on. Chris has taken this opportunity to develop his skills and mentor other apprentices on the job.
Chris has been with Danforth for 2 years and has worked on other high-profile jobs for the company. Before the Sinclair Building project, Chris was reporting to the University of Buffalo School of Medicine project. He began his career with Danforth working at the state-of-the-art HARBORCENTER project. During these projects, Chris noted that he noticed something different about how Danforth operated in the field. He said, “There’s always hands-on involvement, the people around you encourage you to better yourself and the company really cares about employee safety.” He noted that the workplace hazards are generated by others on the job and the environment of a construction site. Chris follows his safety protocol but is always mindful of external forces around him.
Chris’ hard work and leadership skills made him a natural choice for this month’s Apprentice Highlight. As he continues to perfect his trade, he goes into each day trying to grow and learn. Chris doesn’t have any concrete plans for his future, but sees plenty of opportunities to work his way up the ladder.
