Corporate

"Only in America" chairman's message...

    Only in America can a young man leave North, S.C., in 1961, abandoning a job at Sunbeam Bakery making 85 cents per hour and going to work for General Automatic Sprinkler Company in Washington, D.C. making $2.65 per hour, thinking to himself, "How sweet it is!". I moved into an apartment in Southeast Washington, D.C. with my cousin Tommy Wannamaker, who was responsible for getting me into the sprinkler industry.
 
    The mentoring I received from Bill Kluttz, Claude Massengale, Fred Threadgill, Claude Morrow, Frank Barrier and many others proved the importance of coming alongside new employees and teaching them the trade by setting a good example, on-the-job training, and a structured apprenticeship program. I worked for General Automatic Sprinkler for 22 years, and in 1983 I stepped out on faith and opened Strickland Fire Protection with my son Jay and my wife Laura.
 
    We have truly been blessed with great employees. Our philosophy through the years has been our employees are the most important to us and our clients are the most important to our employees. We started an apprenticeship program in 1990 and have 13 apprentice graduates from the program and eight currently enrolled. We have grown from three employees, and today we have 60 employees with very little turnover. We believe in The Golden Rule, (Matthew 7:12) and we try to run our business accordingly.

-Sprinkler Age Magazine 2006

 Manning J. Strickland

Owner, President

-Current Chairman of the Past Chairman's Committee

-Chairman of the Board of Directors American Fire Association

2006-2007

-Chairman of the Bylaw Committee

-Chairman of the Executive Committee

-Chairman of the Center for Life Safety and Education

-Member of the Chapter Grants Committee

-Member of the Insurance Committee

-Member of the Board of Directors American Fire Association

-Member of the Budget and Finance Committee

-Member of the Convention Committee

-Member of the Legislative Committee

-Member of the Membership Committee

-Member of the Apprenticeship and Education Committee

Completed 4 year Correspondence Course,

Pennsylvania State University

Automatic Sprinkler Apprenticeship Training

NICET Level II Automated Sprinkler System Layout

Strickland Fire Protection- 1983 to present

General Automatic Sprinkler- 1961 to 1983

Apprentice- 5 years; Journeyman - 4 years

Pipe Fitter Foreman, Area Superintendent - 6 years

General Manager - 7 years

Laura Strickland

Owner, Secretary Treasurer

Co-Founder of Strickland Fire Protection, Inc. - 1983 to present

Manning J. Strickland, Jr. (Jay)

Owner, Vice president

Vice Chair AFSA Chesapeake Chapter

NICET Level II Automated Sprinkler System Layout

Started in Sprinkler Industry April 1983

Strickland Fire Protection - 1983 to present

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