Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters

What Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters does

Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters is a labor union local affiliated with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, operating across the Baltimore-Washington D.C. region with offices in Upper Marlboro, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. The union represents approximately 700 skilled trade show carpenters who build and install interior and exterior exhibition spaces, displays, booths, and stages for conventions, trade shows, auto shows, sporting events, weddings, and high-profile events including presidential inaugurations. End customers include major convention venues such as the Washington Convention Center and Baltimore Convention Center, as well as signatory union contractors led by The Freeman Co.

The organization's core product is a three-year earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship that combines paid on-the-job training with 160 classroom hours per year, producing credentialed journeypersons with zero educational debt. First-year apprentices earn $30.57 per hour and progress to journeyperson status at $38.21 per hour, with annual compensation ranging from $75,000 to $100,000 including overtime. Members receive comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no paycheck contributions, pension and annuity plans, and free lifetime training. The underlying delivery model is skilled-labor execution on compressed timelines — building and dismantling venue installations in days — augmented by specialized capabilities including high-aerial work and graphic design.

The business model is non-profit labor-union economics rather than product or SaaS revenue. The organization is funded primarily through member dues and operates a state-of-the-art training facility in Upper Marlboro, Maryland that serves as the recruitment and apprenticeship hub. Recruitment runs on a monthly cadence with bilingual English/Spanish outreach, community partnerships with Helmets to Hardhats (veterans) and HER Resiliency Center (pre-apprenticeship for young women), and placement of members through union contractor partners under collective bargaining agreements. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed, consistent with labor-union reporting norms.

Name

Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters

Legal name

Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters

Website

https://tradeshowcarpenters.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters is a labor union local representing approximately 700 skilled trade show carpenters in the Baltimore-Washington region. It recruits apprentices monthly through a three-year earn-while-you-learn program and supplies union labor to contractor partners for major convention and event construction projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show Carpentry and Skilled Labor Services

NAICS

Specialty Trade Contractors (238), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Onsite Installation, Dismantle & Labor Management (I&D Crews) (THAHAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Booth Maintenance, Refurbishment & Reuse Programs (THAHAHAM)

Keywords

• Trade show carpentry
• Union apprenticeship programs
• Skilled labor services
• Event construction services
• Union membership benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Upper Marlboro, Maryland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: Union organization funded through member dues. Members earn competitive wages while working for contractor partners under union contracts. The organization provides workforce to contractor companies for trade show and event construction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters is a labor union local that supplies skilled trade show carpenters to contractor partners for building and installing interior and exterior exhibition spaces at conventions, trade shows, and events across the Baltimore-Washington region. The union runs a three-year earn-while-you-learn registered apprenticeship program at its Upper Marlboro, Maryland training facility, producing journeyperson carpenters who earn competitive wages with comprehensive benefits. Members work under union contract protection with contractors such as The Freeman Co. on high-profile events including presidential inaugurations, auto shows, and comic conventions.

Product overview

Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters is a local union affiliated with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The organization operates a three-year apprenticeship program as its primary offering, combining paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction to develop skilled trade show carpenters. Upon completion, members become certified journeyperson carpenters who build exhibition spaces, displays, and stages for major conventions and events. The organization also offers free lifetime training, veteran transition programs through Helmets to Hardhats, and a pre-apprenticeship partnership with HER Resiliency Center. All members receive comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, pension, and annuity. This is a service-based union organization, not a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Members can earn $75,000 to $100,000 annually as journeyperson carpenters
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HER Resiliency CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Non-profit organization in Baltimore working with Local 491 to introduce young women (18-25) to careers in carpentry. Many of the women have struggled with abuse, addiction and poverty. Local 491 is working with HER to run an 8-week pre-apprenticeship program including classes and real-world experiences. WBAL featured the program showing work at Baltimore Comic-Con.
• Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of CarpenterscoreOthersParent regional council organization overseeing Local 491 and other local unions. The council provides training facilities, apprenticeship programs, and represents carpenters across the Eastern Atlantic States region.
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of AmericacoreOthersNational union organization founded in 1881 that Local 491 is affiliated with. Provides brotherhood/sisterhood that lasts a lifetime and access to union network across the country.
• The Freeman Co.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUnion contractor and major employer of Local 491 members. Mike Jones, Director of Operations at Freeman, serves as President of the Trade Show Contractors Association. Freeman has been in the trade show business for more than three decades.
• Helmets to HardhatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram that connects veterans to apprenticeships in the building trades. Local 491 partners with Helmets to Hardhats to provide veterans a direct pathway to apprenticeship programs. Veterans can utilize GI Bill benefits to supplement incomes while participating in registered apprenticeship programs.
• Trade Show Contractors AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association representing contractors who employ Local 491 members. Monthly meetings held with union leadership to address industry challenges with focus on recruiting labor and training new apprentices.
• Carpenter Contractor TrustminorOthersTrust organization that sponsors events and initiatives for the carpenter contractor community. Sponsored the 61st EASRCC graduation ceremony along with Milwaukee Tool.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GES (Global Experience Specialists): One of the largest global trade show and event contractors, comparable to The Freeman Co. and competing for the same contractor-led I&D labor pipeline that Local 491 supplies.
• Encore (formerly PSAV): Large event production and technology services provider serving conventions, trade shows, and corporate events. Comparable in being a high-volume buyer/employer of on-site skilled event labor, though broader in scope than Local 491.
• The Freeman Company: Major trade show contractor and major employer of Local 491 members. Operates across the U.S. providing exhibition services that consume Local 491's I&D labor in the Baltimore-DC market.
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America: National union affiliation providing Local 491's overarching brand, training infrastructure, and contractor network. Comparable as the macro organizing body governing Local 491 and hundreds of similar carpenter locals across the U.S.

Regional players

• New England Regional Council of Carpenters: Sister regional carpenters council covering the New England states with a similar apprenticeship + journeyperson model; comparable structure and labor-supply mission but in a different geography.
• Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters: Another regional carpenters council under the same UBC umbrella with comparable apprenticeship pipelines and union contractor relationships; serves the southwestern U.S. rather than Local 491's Baltimore-DC territory.

Others

• Helmets to Hardhats: Non-profit that places veterans into building-trades apprenticeships and is a direct recruiting partner of Local 491; thematically and operationally adjacent to Local 491's talent-acquisition funnel.
• Trade Show Contractors Association: Industry association of contractors employing Local 491 members and meeting monthly with union leadership on labor/training issues. Direct counterpart in the trade show labor ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters: Parent regional body of Local 491, oversees multiple carpenter locals across the Eastern Atlantic states and runs the same apprenticeship and journeyperson credentialing framework.

Emerging players

• Stage Rigging Services / I&D Labor Providers (regional): Smaller, non-union regional I&D labor and rigging companies that compete for trade show setup work alongside Local 491's union contractor network, particularly on price-sensitive or short-notice events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-491-trade-show-carpenters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Local 491 Trade Show Carpenters