Tom Kennedy Takes Home Title
for Top Electrician at 2022 IDEAL National Championship
Electricians from across U.S. and Canada competed for their share of over $180,000 in cash
SYCAMORE, ILL. – IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. concluded its seventh annual IDEAL National Championship in Tampa, Fla. on Saturday, Nov. 5. Out of 145 electrical trade professionals and apprentices who competed in this year’s Finals, Tom Kennedy from Big Bend, WI, was crowned the professional champion, winning the grand prize of $60,000. Jordan Finfrock from Greenup, KY, took the top spot in the apprentice competition, winning a grand total of $40,000.
A surprise Teams Competition was announced on the last day of competition. Professionals and apprentice semi-finalists who didn’t advance to the Finals were paired together and competed in a Pro-Am Team competition for one last chance of taking home cash and prizes. Team members Seth Agnew (Linn Creek, MO) and Justin Frick (Rapid City, SD) won the Pro-Am competition and won $10,000 in cash.
“I think everybody who competed can say that the IDEAL National Championship is a great thing for our industry,” said first-time winner Tom Kennedy. “This is a competition that proves that we know what we’re doing and love doing it. I congratulate everybody who competed and tried to improve. This is awesome!”
The 2022 IDEAL National Championship Finals included four rounds of competition covering nine intense challenges. Favorites included an EV charger installation, hot tub wiring project, and solar panel install. The 2022 IDEAL National Championship was hosted by Chip Wade.
Imagery: Press kit and 2022 winner headshots available here.
Judging criteria was based on accuracy of work, workmanship, safety, and compliance to the National Electrical Code (NEC), which sets the foundation for electrical safety in residential, commercial and industrial occupancies around the world.
2022 IDEAL National Championship Prize Structure
A total of 145 professional and apprentice Qualifying Round winners from the U.S. and Canada advanced to the 2022 National Championship event in Tampa this year. They competed not only for over $180,000 in cash and prizes, but also to realize the distinction of being one of the world's elite electricians.
Professional Results
● 1st place ($60,000) - Tom Kennedy (Big Bend, WI)
● 2nd place ($25,000) Greg Anliker (Elgin, IL)
● 3rd place ($10,000) - Josh Tower (Feeding Hills, MA)
Apprentice Results
● 1st Place ($40,000) - Jordan Finfrock (Greenup, KY)
● 2nd Place ($20,000) - Elliot Phillips (Wichita, KS)
● 3rd Place ($10,000) - Luis Sanchez (Chicago, IL)
Team Results
● 1st Place ($10,000) - Seth Agnew (Linn Creek, MO) and Justin Frick (Rapid City, SD)
● 2nd Place - ($5,000) Alec Perkins (Norwalk, IA) and Thomas Ladd (Mexico, NY)
Special Airing of the IDEAL National Championship Action Next Month
The 2022 IDEAL National Championship Finals event in Tampa can be rewatched December 9, at 8:00 p.m. EST on CBS Sports Network. Live streams of all the rounds of the 2022 IDEAL National Championship are available to watch on the IDEAL Facebook page (Facebook.com/IDEALindustries).
IDEAL National Championship Honors Electrical Trade Community
Established in 2016, the IDEAL National Championship is designed to celebrate and honor the electrical trade and its hard-working men and women. The competition highlights the professional trades as an exhilarating, rewarding and in-demand career path that provides necessary skills to keep local communities thriving. This effort remains a priority for IDEAL as part of its commitment to support the trade and infrastructure communities overall.
The manufacturing industry faced a major setback after losing roughly 1.4 million jobs at the onset of the pandemic. Since then, the trades industry has struggled to hire entry level and skilled workers alike, and the need for new hires is at an all-time high. Coming out of the pandemic the demand for skilled trades have increased between 100% to over 300%.
“While no job is completely recession-proof, the skilled trades provide better job security than others during an economic downturn. You can make an excellent living in the trades without incurring student debt along with the satisfaction of knowing that you’re contributing something vital to society,” said Carmen Cardillo, VP/GM IDEAL Electrical, North America. “The IDEAL National Championship is an exciting competition and a great celebration for Electricians and our way of shining a spotlight on an amazing career path."
About IDEAL® ELECTRICAL
IDEAL ELECTRICAL is a company of IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. and is a global leader in premium electrical tools, testers, and wire connectivity. As The Electrician's Champion™, IDEAL has created products and technologies for professional electricians, design engineers and facilities executives for more than 100 years
About IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. is a global, diversified family-owned business designing and manufacturing superior products for the electrical, lighting and infrastructure industries. The 106-year-old company was founded in 1916 on the premise of forging ideal relationships with customers, employees, partners, and communities. The company has consistently grown and expanded under five generations of family ownership. For more information, visit www.idealindustries.com.