People Behind Your Projects: ESMW’s Luke Hubbard, 2nd Overall at Ultimate Apprentice Contest
Fourth‑year apprentice and ESMW welder Luke Hubbard earned 2nd Place Overall at SMART Local 20’s Ultimate Apprentice contest—and 1st in the Service discipline for his brazed HVAC line‑set mockup. Here’s how his training, mentors, and day‑to‑day work at ESMW helped him shine.
At Evansville Sheet Metal Works (ESMW) and Cut2SizeMetals, the people who build your projects are a blend of seasoned craftspeople and the best up‑and‑coming talent. That mix showed this fall when fourth‑year apprentice and ESMW welder Luke Hubbard earned 2nd Overall at SMART Local 20’s 2025 Ultimate Apprentice contest—and 1st in the Service discipline for his brazed HVAC line‑set mockup.
- Pictured: Luke Hubbard is second from the left and instructor Jim Dempsey stands on the far right, with Luke’s 2nd Overall and Service awards and tool prizes.
The contest brings apprentices from across southern Indiana to test Service, Industrial (welding/fabrication), Architectural, HVAC fitting, and a written general‑knowledge exam, with total scores determining the overall ranking. Luke’s pressure‑tight brazed joints were judged for technique, workmanship, and integrity—the same standards our teams apply on customer work every day.
"The contest pushes you beyond the book. You have to solve problems with real‑world accuracy and speed—and that’s exactly what our day‑to‑day work at ESMW trains you to do."
Luke has worked at Evansville Sheet Metal Works for about three and a half years and is currently a fourth‑year apprentice in the five‑year SMART Local 20 program. He spends most weeks in ESMW’s weld shop, with regular field work supporting installations, repairs, and piping on customer sites. That blend of precision welding and hands‑on problem‑solving translates well to competition day.
"Between the guys in our shop at ESMW and the experience here, I’ve learned a lot; a coworker who competed in the contest before shared pointers that helped me win Service."
For the Service portion, Luke fabricated a copper line‑set assembly—the tubing that circulates refrigerant in an air‑conditioning system. The work required brazing: using an oxy‑fuel torch and filler (e.g., copper‑nickel rod) to create clean, leak‑tight joints that hold pressure and protect the environment by preventing refrigerant loss.
- Service discipline — brazed HVAC line-set mockup with filter-drier; pressure-tight copper joints and clean fit-ups.
HVAC fitting layout — curved duct segment.
Fabricated stack/transition fitting — uniform seams and square fit.
In the Service (brazing) portion, success came down to fit‑up and cleanliness of copper components, controlled torch heat, even cap/penetration, and thorough pressure‑integrity checks. These are the same fundamentals he applies on ESMW projects—tight tolerances, safe procedures, and durable results.
The Local 20 apprenticeship alternates classroom/shop instruction with full-on-the-clock weeks. Luke appreciates that cadence—one class day per week for three weeks, then a week with no class—because it keeps him learning without losing momentum in the field. “The contest especially challenged us to go beyond the curriculum,” he said. “It made me research and practice methods I wouldn’t have encountered yet.”
Luke’s favorite part of the trade is seeing precision work come together—from a clean weld bead to a system start‑up that runs flawlessly.
"I like working with my hands and solving practical problems. The contest proved I’m on the right path—and I’m grateful for the team at ESMW that helped me get here."