Built for Buffalo: Insulators Local 12 Members Showcase Union Craftsmanship at Highmark Stadium
When thousands of fans walk into the new Highmark Stadium, much of the work that makes the building perform safely and efficiently will never be seen.
Behind the walls, around mechanical systems, and throughout the infrastructure of a modern stadium is the work of highly trained skilled tradespeople—including members of Heat & Frost Insulators Local 12.
A recent Local 12 project highlight showcased members working for signatory contractor IAR — International Asbestos Removal, Inc. — at the Buffalo Bills' new stadium, recognizing the quality of their insulation work and the training that helped prepare them for the assignment. The Local also recognized Coordinator Joe Rodgers and its instructors for their work developing skilled insulators. Bills Stadium Insulators Local …
Highmark Stadium represents an enormous accomplishment for New York's construction workforce. The Buffalo Bills have described it as the largest construction project in Western New York history, with approximately 1,500 tradespeople working on the site during peak construction. Buffalo Bills
And the Local 12 connection is more than a photo opportunity.
The Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust reported that IAR's stadium work required additional skilled labor as the project moved at a fast pace. Members of Insulators Local 12 were among the travelers who helped support the project, working alongside other Insulators Union members to meet the project's workforce demands. The insulation work included technically demanding applications associated with the stadium's mechanical systems and snow-melt infrastructure. Milmact
That is what a skilled union workforce can provide: trained people who can step onto a major project, work alongside other crafts and contractors, and help deliver when schedules and specifications matter.
Mechanical insulation can sometimes be overlooked because so much of the finished work exists behind the scenes.
But its role is significant.
Professional insulators work across systems including HVAC, piping, boilers, chillers, storage tanks, high-temperature systems, vapor barriers, weather barriers, firestopping and other specialized applications. The Mechanical Insulators LMCT notes that this work can contribute to energy efficiency, lower operating demands, system protection and long-term building performance. MILMCT
Look closely at the photos from the Highmark Stadium project and you can see the level of detail involved: precisely fitted insulation systems, protective metal jacketing and complicated piping configurations requiring skill, patience and experience. Bills Stadium Insulators Local …
It is craftsmanship with a purpose.
Projects like Highmark Stadium also demonstrate why apprenticeship and skilled-trades education matter.
Insulators Local 12 maintains dedicated Training & Apprenticeship resources, including information about its program, training and courses, and the application process for individuals interested in learning more about the trade. Insulators Local 12
Mechanical insulation is not simply learned overnight. Industry training combines classroom instruction with hands-on experience and on-the-job development. The Insulators' labor-management training organizations emphasize registered apprenticeship as a pathway for developing the technical knowledge required to perform sophisticated mechanical insulation and firestop work safely and correctly. MILMCT
For young people, career changers and others exploring alternatives to a traditional four-year college path, apprenticeship can provide an opportunity to learn a trade while gaining real-world jobsite experience and earning during training. MILMCT
The Buffalo Bills have made a special effort to recognize the people behind the stadium.
At the entrance to Highmark Stadium, 5,369 names of people who helped design and build the facility are displayed alongside the words "We Built This House." Buffalo Bills
That recognition captures something bigger than one project.
Buildings of this scale are created through collaboration among many crafts, contractors, apprentices, journeyworkers, instructors and construction professionals.
For members of Insulators Local 12, the stadium provides another opportunity to demonstrate what years of training, apprenticeship and experience can produce.
For someone wondering where a career in the skilled trades can lead, this is what opportunity can look like.
You can begin by learning the fundamentals of a craft.
You can develop those skills through apprenticeship.
You can work alongside experienced journey workers and instructors.
And one day, your craftsmanship may become part of a stadium, hospital, school, power facility, high-rise or another project serving thousands of people for generations.
Congratulations to the members of Heat & Frost Insulators Local 12, IAR, Joe Rodgers, Kevin Soika, the instructors and all of the union tradespeople whose skill helped bring Highmark Stadium to life.
Your work is helping demonstrate why investment in training, apprenticeship and union craftsmanship matters.
Interested in learning more about Insulators Local 12 and career opportunities? Visit the Local 12 website https://www.insulatorslocal12.com/en and explore its Training & Apprenticeship section, including program and application information.