The "BTCU Salutes" Video Series

Our client, Building Trades Credit Union (BTCU), is a not-for-profit financial institution that serves only union workers in the building trades. This includes thousands of skilled workers and dozens of unions, all dedicated to building quality buildings and infrastructure in a safe and professional environment. The "BTCU Salutes" video campaign was created to celebrate these unions and to remind them of the one credit union dedicated to understanding and serving their needs. It's a satisfying campaign that has taken us from the State Capitol renovation to the new billion dollar Minnesota Vikings stadium. We can't wait to see what's next!
BTCU Salutes Ironworkers Local 512

Business Agent, Charlie Roberts, describes his fellow ironworkers as the "cowboys in the sky". They saddle up, ride to dizzying heights, and tame enormous expanses of steel. Their goal: to lay the foundation for a city's skyline. 

My crew had the special privilege of getting a front row seat at their latest rodeo--the new Minnesota Vikings stadium in downtown Minneapolis. While they admit to some initial fears of the great heights they scale, they've all learned to tame that beast in order to get the job done. Despite the December cold, we were delighted to be there and see these rough riders in action.
BTCU Salutes Operation Engineers Local 49

Some might say these folks have a cushy job compared to workers who toil away in the elements all year long. As 38-year-veteran crane operator, Cal Ziegler, told us, "we have heat and air conditioning [in our cabs]." But what Cal and others will also tell you is, there's an enormous amount of responsibility when operating such large and powerful machines. "You've got to get everyone home safe," he says.

We never got to hop inside one of those cabs, but we have a lot of respect for the men and women who operate them. It's not an easy job. But as Cal told us, "the Vikings stadium is probably the best job I've ever worked on."
BTCU Salutes Laborers Local 563

The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul is an old building in need of some serious repair. And a lot of union laborers were on hand to help get the job done. Joan Salas says she loves her job because "I life to work hard and be outside."

In this video, we get to see the many important roles laborers play in this big project. Since they assist a lot of different workers, "we have to know their jobs", says Joan.

This video is a fun look at a big and highly visible Minnesota project in progress.
BTCU Salutes Bricklayers Local 1

Dick Kentzelman is a fun-loving guy with a long history as a bricklayer. In this video, he talks about his long, storied career in the union and how he (quickly) had to overcome his fear of heights when thrown onto a big (and high) job.

Dick also shares some inside stories about the kinds of pranks that bricklayers play on each other. Not only was there plenty of laughs on this shoot, but we got to learn at least one new word: Akemi. Ever heard of it?

Dick has recently retired from Local 1, but it felt like old home week for him to return to his brick set.
BTCU Salutes Cement Mason Local 633

This was the video that launched the series back in 2014. Our first interview was an entertaining guy named Tom Reger. Tom has turned his years of experience into an important role as the Apprentice Training Coordinator for Local 633.

Not only did Tom show us how he works with his trainees, but he also gave us an inside scoop on the nicknames that the trades have for each other. We can't say we'd ever heard the expression "turd chaser", but we'll never forget it.

We thank Tom for helping us get this series off the ground in a big way. It was a treat to work with him.