Saturday, April 20th, Steamfitters Local 449 successfully held the “Start Your Own Mechanical Contracting Business” seminar in our technology center. Over 50 potential small business owners gathered to listen to speakers and network with professionals about starting their own businesses.  

Along with lunch and refreshments, there were several Local 449 members at the event who spoke about the success that they have had in starting their own businesses. From the basic conversations about knowing your start-up costs, to marketing and web design, professionals helped cover all the beginning stages of creating a business. Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh also participated in the event with a unique walk through of free assets to build your own small business.  

Local 449 has made it a high priority to encourage and assist our Steamfitters in starting their own businesses. This event was designed to not only set our members up for success, but to help increase the union’s market share in the region, with the goal of having a few Steamfitters start their own small businesses every year. This event was also created to specifically encourage women-owned and veteran-owned small businesses to increase their market share for our union and secure specific bids. 

If you were unable to attend the event, there are many resources at Local 449 to utilize if you are thinking about starting your own business. “In addition to these events, our Local 449 officers are here to assist members with anything needed to help start and grow their small businesses,” said Kenneth Broadbent. For more information on how to start your small business, Broadbent recommends visiting Duquesne University’s small business website by clicking here.