Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19

What Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19 does

Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19 is a building trades labor union local representing more than 4,300 skilled sheet metal workers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Founded December 10, 1887, the local is affiliated with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) and operates under the broader Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) labor framework. It supplies union-trained sheet metal labor — covering HVAC, architectural, industrial, testing/balancing, and service work — through a network of 100+ signatory contractors that hold collective bargaining agreements with the local.

Its core service portfolio includes membership representation and collective bargaining; a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program delivered through two training centers in Philadelphia and Central Pennsylvania (the latter opened in 2018); a member portal for dues, benefits, and scheduling access; health, welfare, pension, and annuity benefits administration funded by employer contributions; and credentialed training programs including a newly certified TABB (Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau) lab. Apprenticeship intake feeds a documented 92% employment retention outcome.

The business model is dues-funded rather than fee-for-service. Revenue mechanics rest on recurring member dues from 4,300+ individual workers plus employer-side contributions to training and benefit funds negotiated through CBAs. Go-to-market is supply-led: the local recruits apprentices (including via the Helmets to Hardhats veteran channel) and deploys them through signatory contractors to commercial, institutional, and industrial construction projects — referenced end-clients such as UPenn, Penn Medicine, and Merck are project sites where signatory contractors have executed work, not direct customers of the union. Customer segments are (a) individual dues-paying members, (b) signatory contractor employers, and (c) indirectly the building owners and developers that consume union-built work.

Name

Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19

Legal name

Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19

Website

https://smartlu19.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19 is a building trades labor union representing over 4,300 skilled sheet metal workers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, supplying trained labor through 100+ signatory contractors and operating apprenticeship training centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299), Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing (332322)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sheet Metal & Ductwork Fabrication/Installation (EDAOACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sheet Metal & Ductwork Contracting (IMAFALAH)

Keywords

• Sheet metal workers
• Apprenticeship training programs
• HVAC fabrication services
• Construction labor union
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: Union members pay dues to maintain membership, which funds union operations, training programs, and member benefits administration.
2. Training Services: Apprentices receive free training through joint apprenticeship programs funded by employer contributions to the International Training Institute and Joint Apprenticeship and Training Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19 represents over 4,300 skilled and licensed sheet metal workers throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The union supplies trained journeypersons and apprentices to signatory contractors for residential, commercial, and industrial sheet metal projects, and operates a 4-5 year Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program through two state-of-the-art training centers in Philadelphia and Central Pennsylvania.

Product overview

Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19 is a building trades labor union representing over 4,300 skilled sheet metal workers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The organization's primary offerings center on union membership services, which encompass workforce representation, labor advocacy, and member support. The union operates two training centers (Philadelphia and Central PA) that deliver a Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program—a 4-5 year registered apprenticeship combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction for trades including HVAC, architectural metal, industrial work, coppersmithing, commercial kitchen equipment, and signage. The union connects its members with signatory contractors through a contractor network, and provides comprehensive benefits administration including medical, dental, vision, prescription, pension, and annuity programs. Member-facing services include an online member portal, supplemental unemployment benefits, legal services, and political action programs. The organization does not operate as a technology product company but rather as a membership-based labor organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership Services
• Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program
• Signatory Contractor Network
• Philadelphia Training Center
• Central Pennsylvania Training Center
• Health and Welfare Benefits Administration
• Pension and Annuity Programs
• Workforce Organizing Services
• Supplemental Unemployment Benefits
• Member Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 new homes completed in the last 5 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal 19 provides workforce to SMACNA member contractors. Union membership includes membership in the leading industry trade organization. SMACNA provides standards (including SMACNA HVAC Air Duct Leakage Test Manual) that Local 19 workers follow for quality sheet metal installation.
• Guardian Nurses Healthcare AdvocatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare consulting company that guides Local 19 members through the healthcare system. Registered nurses respond to member healthcare issues, assist with appointments, explain diagnoses, resolve billing problems, and provide advocacy services.
• Total Care NetworkcoreOthersProvides confidential counseling services for substance abuse, stress, anxiety, depression, gambling, marital/family relationships, and job-related problems through the Member Assistance Program (MAP). Free service for eligible union members, apprentices, and dependents.
• O'Brien, Belland & Bushinsky, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDiscounted legal services program providing 30% reduced-fee services for eligible matters including family law, personal injury, workers' compensation, criminal defense, estate planning, real estate, and bankruptcy.
• Helmets to HardhatsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization helping active-duty military service members transition into civilian life by providing guidance and resources for careers in construction. Local 19 participates by accepting qualified veterans into apprenticeship programs.
• International Training Institute (iTi)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational organization including every Sheet Metal Fund in the country. Provides training information and materials complying with highest industry standards. Administers apprenticeship curriculum and welding certification.
• Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Bureau (TABB)coreTechnology or IntegrationTABB certifications are the only ANSI-accredited TAB credentials in the HVAC industry. Local 19's Central PA Training Center is certified to administer TABB Technician Certification exams including the hands-on portion.
• SMART (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational union organization that Local 19 is affiliated with, providing national coordination, training resources, and collective bargaining support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA): National trade association of sheet metal and HVAC contractors that employs Local 19 members through its member firms. Comparable as the industry standards body (e.g., SMACNA HVAC Air Duct Leakage Test Manual) that shapes quality benchmarks Local 19 workers must follow, making it an adjacent ecosystem player rather than a competitor.
• TABB (Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau): Certification body issuing the only ANSI-accredited TAB credentials in the HVAC industry, now administered hands-on at Local 19's Central PA Training Center. Comparable as a credentialing standards partner that defines the certification Local 19 delivers, making it an upstream ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• Helmets to Hardhats: Non-profit that transitions active-duty military service members into skilled trades careers, including sheet metal apprenticeship at Local 19. Comparable as a feeder source of apprentices into Local 19's training pipeline, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.
• International Training Institute (iTi): National training organization coordinating curriculum, apprenticeship standards, and welding certification for every SMART sheet metal fund in the U.S. Comparable to Local 19's training centers as the upstream standard-setting body whose curriculum and certification Local 19 delivers at the Philadelphia and Central PA facilities.

Direct peers

• Sheet Metal Workers Local 1 (Chicago): One of the largest SMART-affiliated sheet metal locals, covering the Chicago metropolitan area. Directly comparable to Local 19 as a fellow sheet metal trade union local providing apprenticeship training, workforce dispatch to signatory contractors, and benefits administration under the SMART umbrella.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW): International union of 775,000+ electrical workers with the same building trades structure as Local 19 — registered apprenticeship, JATCs, signatory contractor network, and member benefits administration. Comparable as a sister building trades union that competes for the same apprentice pipeline and contractor relationships in the Mid-Atlantic construction market.
• United Association (UA) of Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Service Techs: International union representing 355,000+ plumbers, pipefitters, sprinkler fitters, and HVAC service technicians. Directly comparable to Local 19 as a parallel building trades union with the same apprenticeship/JATC training model, multi-employer contractor network, and member dues revenue structure, though operating in an adjacent specialty trade.

Broad incumbents

• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): National trade association representing 23,000+ merit shop (open-shop/non-union) construction contractors. Comparable to Local 19 as the principal alternative to unionized construction labor in the U.S., directly competing for apprentices, contractors, and project bids in the same sheet metal, HVAC, and mechanical trades.
• SMART (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers): International parent union of Local 19, representing sheet metal, air, rail, and transportation workers across the U.S. and Canada. Directly comparable as the overarching labor organization that sets collective bargaining standards, administers the International Training Institute, and coordinates cross-local resource sharing.

Emerging players

• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER): Non-profit credentialing body that delivers standardized craft training and certifications used by open-shop contractors and craft professionals nationwide. Comparable to Local 19's apprenticeship program as a competing credentials pathway for sheet metal, HVAC, and welding trades, and a potential substitute for signatory contractors seeking non-union training pipelines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SMWLocal19
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sheet-metal-workers-local-union-no.-19
• Instagraminstagram.com/smw_local19

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 19