Retired Fulton Schools faculty member Thomas C. Schleifer is a now member of the prestigious College of Fellows of a major contracting industry group. He is pictured at the induction ceremony with his wife Sophann. Photo courtesy of Thomas C. Schleifer
Thomas C. Schleifer, retired research professor in the Fulton Schools, was recently inducted into the College of Fellows of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association.
The honor is bestowed by the international trade association on leading industry professionals who have made significant contributions to advancements in the sheet metal industry. The association represents 3,500 contractor firms.
Schleifer taught and conducted research either part-time or full-time over about 15 years in the Fulton Schools’ Del E. Webb School of Construction in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment.
The organization recognized Schleifer primarily for his role in developing its educational programs, including its flagship Business Management University.
The program’s “continuing popularity more than three decades later proves its enduring value to the industry,” the organization stated in a press release announcing Schleifer’s induction.
His educational sessions at SMACNA conventions have consistently drawn standing-room-only crowds, according to the news release.
For the Fulton Schools, Schleifer helped to lead research on construction business management and developed models to guide industry practices. He continues to lecture on construction and business management at universities, and for professional organizations and trade associations.
SMACNA notes that he has been called the “turnaround expert” because his expertise has rescued many companies from financial distress.
Schleifer was the founder of the largest international consulting firm serving the contract surety industry. He also wrote the book “Construction Contractors’ Survival Guide,” and, co-authored the book “Managing the Profitable Construction Business” with Kenneth T. Sullivan, a Fulton Schools associate professor of construction management.
