The Corporate Connection

Many times people ask how they can get involved with H.I.S. BridgeBuilders. There are so many ways including, mentoring, after school recreation volunteer, and volunteering at adopt-a-block on Saturday mornings. However, there is another way to be plugged in using your professional skills and abilities. This is by being a corporate partner or micro-business consultant. Chris Tedford, President of APC, choose to use his position and favor to be a corporate partner and allow young men to be trained in an employable skill.

Chris’s company, APC, produces precision machined parts for the Oil and Gas, Aerospace, Medical, HV/AC and beverage industry using machinery that takes highly skilled people with core competencies in math, programming, metallurgy, trigonometry, and team skills. There is a shortage of skilled workforce in the industry and it is a perfect opportunity for training people in a high paid trade as well as giving them an opportunity for hope. Several years ago, it was made apparent by God that the extra space in the facility should be used for training people, but more importantly should be used for growing and mentoring disciples of Christ. Chris approached Mike and told him that he wanted to use his warehouse to enable the ministry to train men. BridgeBuilders looked at the opportunity for jobs and decided it was an industry where men from low-income neighborhoods, many with criminal records, could gain employment upon graduating our training class.

Charles Armelin, our Machine Shop Skills trainer, now works out of APC every day to train and prepare these men for a new life with Jesus and a job. Chris has allowed BridgeBuilders to use this space in his warehouse free of charge, which is a huge blessing to the ministry. Not only are we training in his warehouse, but according to Chris, the training is producing some of the “best employees and skilled workforce that the company has seen.” This training has produced people who have added value to the manufacturing stream and have also added a fresh outlook and impact on the entire workforce.

Chris recently said, “Bridgebuilders, and its staff and students, have been a blessing at APC and a daily encouragement during tough economic times.” BridgeBuilders has been tremendously blessed by the willingness of Chris Tedford and his company, APC, to work with us in accomplishing our mission. We are always looking for new partners and new industries in which we can continue to train the hopeless in our communities and show them the love of Christ.

The greatest blessing of all is that Chris has given BridgeBuilders the opportunity to have weekly Bible studies in their plant for not only our trainees, but for his employees as well. We continue to make disciples wherever we are and whatever we are doing. If you would like BridgeBuilders to train men and women in your industry and/or host Bible studies for your company do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to sharing the stories of many other corporate partners such as, Richard Chamberlain, Thomas Brower, and Karlis Gruzins in the days to come.