</p><p><img src="/sites/spotlight.guc.com/files/uploads/images/2018rodeo_1.jpg" alt="" width="248" height="369" /></p><p>For the first time in the state's history, hundreds of lineworkers from across the country (including our own GUC team) gathered in North Carolina on Saturday, April 28th in Wake Forest for the American Public Power Association (APPA) Lineworkers Rodeo. They demonstrated how quickly and safely they can climb power poles, hang transformers, rescue injured workers, and perform rope tosses and other feats commonly required of lineworkers.</p><p>Employees volunteer to participate in the rodeo, which involves two levels of competition - Journeyman and Apprentice. A qualified Journeyman has more than four years of experience in the electric utility industry. GUCâs Journeyman team included <strong>Overhead Lineworker Brian Baker, Underground Lineworkers David Guy and Travis Ransom, and Tree Trimmer Dustin Sauls. Overhead Lineworker Jordan Hill, along with Tree Trimmers Matt Board and Spencer Corey, </strong>competed individually in the Apprentice division,<em> </em>which included 146 apprentices from across the United States.</p><p>Our Journeyman team was one of only 20 teams (out of 66 teams from across the U.S.) with a perfect score of 500, which means they had zero safety deductions taken from their scores!</p><p>GUCâs Gas and Water Departments also participated in the event. <strong>Paul Edwards, Mickey Dawson, Greg Lyons, and Chaz Hathaway </strong>were part of the Kidâs Zone touch-a-truck section. In the weeks leading up to the event, many GUC Electric crews helped with the event setup.</p><p>A huge thanks also to the following employees who helped out before and during the rodeo: <strong>Shawn Adams, Keith Stancil, Gavin Smith, Mike Ashley, Jason Gaskins, Nick Gibson, Mark Howery, Kevin Willoughby, Brian Murphy, Timmy Pollard, Ryan Hardee, Billy Owens, Joey Dash, Tracy Elks, Amy Wade, Lou Norris, Anna Hinton, Erin Walton, Karin Fullington, Emily Garner, and Roger Waterfield.</strong></p><p>APPA is the national service organization for the nationâs more than 2,000 community- and state-owned electric utilities serving 46 million people.</p><p><strong><a href="https://greenvilleutilities.smugmug.com/Electric/2018-Lineworkers-Rodeo/" data-cke-saved-href="https://greenvilleutilities.smugmug.com/Electric/2018-Lineworkers-Rodeo/">Click here to see more photos from the Lineworkers Rodeo.</a> </strong></p>
