F.W. Webb Supports Bring Back the Trades’ First Maine Skills Expo

June 5, 2026

“Turn the Press Tool around and try it this way and it should work,” said Pat Reilly, F.W. Webb's Boiler Board Supervisor, guiding a student using a Milwaukee M12 FORCE LOGIC Press Tool to make a press connection on one of F.W. Webb’s boiler boards.

Reilly, who builds the patented, prefabricated assemblies at F.W. Webb's South Portland, Maine, facility, about 15 minutes inland from Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), spent the day on May 19 with the F.W. Webb team introducing students to careers in the skilled trades.

Despite a breeze off Casco Bay, temperatures climbed into the low 90s during Bring Back the Trades' (BBTT) first Skills Expo in Maine. The event combined the energy of a job fair with the hands-on appeal of a touch-a-truck experience, giving teenagers and young adults a gateway to trades careers.

“We're always impressed with the creativity demonstrated by the businesses at our events to show students the tools they would use or the things they would learn,” said Shana Brunye, Chief Operations Officer for Bring Back the Trades. “F.W. Webb set the bar pretty high for our interactive displays.”

In parking lot A, two of F.W. Webb's boiler boards were displayed outside one of the company's Hydronics Mobile Training Station trucks. Next to one of the boiler boards, Outside Sales Representative Brian Bigelow asked an attendee what he was pursuing. “That's great—I went here,” Bigelow responded, nodding toward the SMCC campus. “The trades offer so many great paths.”

Like Bigelow, Reilly served many years in the field before joining F.W. Webb.

“I showed students a photo of the board with sizing on it to help them understand how we put it together,” Reilly said. “We also had a finished board that allowed us to explain the components and show how everything works as part of a heating system in a house.”

Partway up a small hill to the other half of the Skills Expo, held inside the gymnasium at SMCC's Hutchinson Union Building, stood Steve Turner, founder and CEO of Bring Back the Trades.

“This is a great day, isn't it?” he asked. “It makes you feel great.”

Through countless hours of planning and coordination, Turner and his team assembled an event that attracted more than 1,500 attendees, representatives from 33 schools, and more than 70 exhibitors. In the afternoon, F.W. Webb joined several sponsors in presenting $22,500 in scholarships. The awards followed another $35,000 in scholarships distributed by BBTT weeks earlier at a Skills Expo in Londonderry, NH.

Brunye noted that the organization's impact would not be possible without the support of partners like F.W. Webb. “We're able to make a difference in so many people's lives because of F.W. Webb,” she said.

That support is also helping BBTT bring its Skills Expos to new communities. “Our team can explore opportunities like the South Portland Skills Expo because of F.W. Webb's partnership,” said Brunye. “It makes a significant difference and allows us to award these scholarships.”

Inside the gymnasium, near the front entrance and overlooking Casco Bay, F.W. Webb Field Marketing Specialist Steve Clemens distributed red F.W. Webb and PurePro-branded buckets to attendees.

It was his first Skills Expo.

“It's amazing to see how many opportunities there are in the trades—and especially paths you wouldn't necessarily consider,” he said.

F.W. Webb's indoor exhibit was positioned between its manufacturer partner Milwaukee Tool and representatives from the U.S. Space Force.

“It's always wonderful to have F.W. Webb here because you help people understand the range of available careers and industries, and understand the nuances of working in the trades,” said Brunye. “We often talk to students about exploring careers in heating, HVAC, and plumbing, and your presence helps demonstrate the many experiences available within those trades.”

For students choosing a career path, the sheer number of possibilities can make choosing one a daunting task. BBTT aims to help students and families navigate those decisions. “One parent reached out and said: ‘Help—my child wants to do everything,'” said Brunye. “Our goal is to further engage with students and parents and help find a path that's right for them.”

BBTT continues that work through events, scholarships, research, and industry partnerships.

F.W. Webb sponsors the organization's NH Bike Build Off, where teams from Massachusetts and New Hampshire create custom motorcycles, with the winning bike showcased during NH Bike Week. BBTT also supports the Grit to Grow Summit in Meredith, NH, led by the University of New Hampshire Extension 4-H. The event's career expo will be open to the public from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 23.

Later this year, BBTT will host its Massachusetts Skills Expo at the Best Western Trade Center in Marlborough, MA, on October 29. The organization is also expanding its Tool Grant program and preparing to release additional research examining labor shortages across the skilled trades. Following the publication of findings covering seven trades earlier this year, BBTT plans to release research on 14 additional industries in the coming months.

Reilly and the F.W. Webb team believe events like the South Portland Skills Expo play an important role in addressing those workforce challenges.

“It was great to see a big turnout in South Portland,” said Reilly. “Especially at a time when we desperately need more younger people in the trades.” Based on the response to the South Portland event, BBTT plans to return to Maine.

“We love Maine—we received a wonderful welcome,” said Brunye. “Now that students, parents, and teachers understand what we offer through our Skills Expos, they want us to return. The community was very welcoming—we can't say enough good things about the people here.”

When BBTT holds its next Skills Expo in Maine, F.W. Webb will be there, too.

To learn more about Bring Back the Trades, visit bringbackthetrades.org. Sign up for the BBTT newsletter at bringbackthetrades.org/contact.

Read about a past Skills Expo here.