DuBrook (M and B) Sees Its Support of Local Schools ‘Essentially the Definition of Community’

Jill McDermott

Jill McDermott

Published November 13, 2019 5:50 am
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SHIPPENVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – There are three new sections of sidewalk at the Clarion County Career Center in Shippenville thanks to a donation of concrete from DuBrook of Clarion, Butler, DuBois, Evans City, and St. Marys (M and B).

(Photos by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography.)

The donation serves the double purpose of improving the school and allowing students in the Construction Technology program to learn a new skill.

“We had some sidewalk pads bad around the school,” explained instructor Dan Emings as students wearing boots, jeans, and sweatshirts filed into the classroom. “We did a school improvement project along with a learning process for the students. You can’t teach it in the classroom, you have to physically do it.”

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The Construction Technology Program has about 50 students from seven different school districts in Clarion County who spend about 2½ hours of the day at the Career Center. It’s a hands-on program allowing students to determine what they like to do.

M&B Services (DuBrook) co-owner Mike Hindman told exploreClarion.com, “My (business) partner, Braun Gourley, and I are third generation to this area. We both grew up here and have lived here our entire lives, so we want to see the kids in our schools thrive — be involved.”

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Hindman emphasized that he and Braun believe it’s very important for them to donate to community projects.

“Anything to do to keep kids involved, we are pretty enthusiastic about. It’s essentially the definition of community. We are all here to help and support each other. We are very fortunate to be able to do. I’m glad we can help.”

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Without a doubt, this is a project that allows the students to become completely involved.

Emings explained that the students do everything from the foundation up.

“By doing that in our class you have a chance to see if you like concrete, if you like to do block-work, if you like to do drywall, if you’d like to be an electrician, if you’d like to be a shingler or a sider. We do all that in our shop and that way when the students leave here they can focus in on where they want to go to,” Ewings added.

Emings and fellow instructor Ben Black estimate that somebody going into concrete work could start at $35,000.00 to $40,000.00 per year.

With that being said, Hindman said that the salary for people working in the construction side of M and B Services would be $55,000.00 and up.

This concrete sidewalk project started with a jackhammer to take up the damaged part of the sidewalk. It’s a job that may not be as fun as Hollywood makes it look, according to the instructors, but the students now have experience with using that piece of equipment, as well.

When the concrete truck from M&B Services arrived, the students began working. They learned that the colder weather and increased humidity increased the time it takes for the concrete to dry.

Under the watchful eye of Emings and Black, the students used various tools to distribute the concrete in the prepared pads. They then leveled it, filled in any areas where the concrete was sparse, and smoothed the finish.

According to Emings, this just may become a yearly part of the curriculum, pointing out that the school has a lot of sidewalk area and that more of them could stand to be replaced.

“Every year we may do a couple more sidewalk pads,” he said.

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