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    Coastal Mechanical Graduates Apprentice Pipefitter, Honors Apprenticeship Founder

    June 4, 2013
    Coastal Mechanical, Melbourne, FL, a leading mechanical contractor, recently celebrated the graduation of its first Apprentice Pipefitter, Billy Hope, and recognized AFA program founder, Alfred B. Osterhout.

    Coastal Mechanical, Melbourne, FL, a leading mechanical contractor, recently celebrated the graduation of its first Apprentice Pipefitter, Billy Hope. At this same event, Coastal honored the founder of Coastal Mechanical's All Florida Apprenticeship and former President of Coastal Mechanical, Alfred B. Osterhout.

    Al Osterhout.

    Four years ago, in August of 2009, Hope was indentured in All Florida Apprenticeship (AFA), an in-house apprenticeship program. AFA is registered with the Florida Department of Education, Division of Workforce Education. AFA is also an accredited Training Sponsor with the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). AFA is a 4-year (8,000 hours) program where upon completion Apprentices are nationally recognized as skilled Journeyman in one of the following crafts: sheet metal, pipefitting, and plumbing. Following graduation, apprentices will take County tests to become licensed Journeymen in their trades.

    Osterhout founded AFA in 2008 as a solution for the limited craft training opportunities available across the state. Osterhout believed, “The program gave Coastal the opportunity to build expertise within the construction industry…to ensure that employees received the best possible education and training.”

    Osterhout retired from Coastal Mechanical in 2009. To honor Osterhout and the success of his program, AFA is being renamed ‘ABO Apprenticeship, INJ’. A plaque in Osterhout’s honor will be presented during the graduation event.

    About Coastal Mechanical Services, LLC
    Coastal Mechanical Services, among the first specialty contractors to achieve the USGBC’s LEED Accreditation, ranks as the 26th largest mechanical contractor nationwide according to the ‘Engineering News Record’. It is the largest independently owned Florida-based mechanical contractor with offices in Central, East, West, South, Northeast, and Northwest Florida and in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina. Coastal Mechanical embraces “Quality Through Customer Service” relationships with its customers while providing IPD, BIM, Design-Build, Design-Assist, Pre-construction, HVAC, Plumbing, Piping and Pre-fabrication services in the commercial and private market sectors. For more information, call 321-725-3061.
    In 2009, Coastal Mechanical Services was named the ContractingBusiness.com Commercial HVAC Contractor of the Year. The story related to that award can be found at
    bit.ly/CoastalCOY