RECENT
NEWS
RECENT NEWS
From Vo-tech to Supervisor: Millennials can Find Success in the Trades
Now entering his 11th year in the construction industry, Chris Smith initially thought about going to college to earn a 4-year degree. He changed his mind in high school when he heard about the Building Trades Program at the Burton Center for Arts & Technology. He...
G.J. Hopkins Installs Solar Array for Local Nonprofit
Goodwill Industries of the Valleys celebrated the completion of its rooftop solar array Monday, October 8, 2019, at its Salem location. The nonprofit is the first in our area to incorporate the use of solar technology. RER Energy Group designed and provided materials...
Building a Long-Term Career in a Changing Industry
One of the three principles that guided Byron Hicks through his career in the construction industry is, “Work the metal, don’t let the metal work you.” It was instilled in him by his father, who was highly skilled in sheet metal fabrication. Byron followed in his...
President Appointed to Governor’s business-led board
J. William Karbach, CEO of The Branch Group, is proud to share Governor Ralph Northam’s nominations announced Friday for his Virginia Board of Workforce Development (VBWD). We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ernie Caldwell, President of G. J. Hopkins, a...
President of G. J. Hopkins appointed to Governor’s Build Virginia Advisory Board
Will Karbach, CEO of The Branch Group, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ernie Caldwell as a member of Governor Ralph Northam’s Build Virginia Advisory Board. Ernie is the President of G. J. Hopkins, Inc., a mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC...
Service Division Responds To Emergency At Local Hospital
Putting the labor in on Labor Day, Service Technicians Mike Wright and Greg Capito responded to an electrical service call at a local Hospital. The client stated this was an important and critical electrical issue for the facility. He admitted to being apprehensive...
New Service Dispatcher Welcomed
Through our transition of Service Manager, it became evident that we were in the need of an HVAC Service Dispatcher. This will allow us to focus more on meeting the needs of our clients both in how we respond to service calls, but also allow Vicky to devote more...
A TURN IN THE TRADES
G.J. Hopkins enjoys a highly successful year of apprenticeships Over the last four years, G.J. Hopkins has seen a steadily rising influx of apprentices join its ranks. According to the company’s President, Ernie Caldwell, the numbers have climbed from an average of...
Grand Opening For VT Baseball Stadium
In 2016 Virginia Tech set out with a goal of enhancing the student-athlete and fan experience for the Hokies’ baseball program. On April 15, 2018, they meet that goal with the Grand Opening of the newly expanded VT Baseball Stadium. The night began by recognizing...
Talking To The Next Generation Of Construction
On Thursday, April 12, 2018, Ernie Caldwell and Josh Mills attended a career fair at Franklin County High School. The goal of the visit was to introduce the students to our construction industry. Not only were we looking for prospective students who were interested in...