Happy New Year to Our MCAA Family

As we welcome 2024, let’s take a moment to reflect on all the great things that the MCAA family accomplished in 2023.

Safety:

• Celebrated MCAA’s 20 years of safety excellence with monthly safety resource kits on New Worker Safety & Health, Personal Protective Equipment, Power Tool & Hand Tool Safety, Worker Health, Working at Heights, MSDs/Ergonomic Safety, Heat Stress, Equipment Safety, Mental Health Awareness, Confined Spaces, Workplace Safety, and Safety Culture.

• Produced new videos on hand protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, eye protection, and head protection to help improve safety and health across the entire industry.

• Incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into safety training with Spanish-language safety videos.

• Released a mental health awareness and suicide prevention video that is a great awareness resource for our industry, which ranks among the highest professions of death by suicide in the country.

• Partnered with the UA on a set of chips and hardhat stickers with the suicide and crisis prevention hotline phone number – 988, along with the UA and MCAA logos. MCAA members can order items by filling out this form. Those with questions can contact Raffi Elchemmas (raffi@mcaa.org).

• Teamed up with our Alliance partners at CPWR, NECA, SMACNA, and TAUC to present a suicide prevention webinar and resources.

• Provided information to help members prepare for the new ANSI fall protection standard for retractables that went into effect on February 1, 2023.

• Partnered with NECA, TAUC, and SMACNA to provide video clips with tips to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of our workers during Construction Safety Week and every day.

• Collaborated with Dodge Construction Network on a new study that explores trends in jobsite safety practices in the U.S. construction industry. The findings will be released in a SmartMarket Report.

• Collaborated with CPWR and Washington University in St. Louis to prevent injury and improve productivity by reducing manual material handling (MMH).

• Teamed up with ASSE International on an ASSE 12020 Recertification webinar for those with certifications set to expire.

• Partnered with Tyfoom to give MCAA members access to select MCAA-produced training and education material and products via Tyfoom’s video-based microlearning format.

• Aligned with CNA to offer fleet safety resources that reinforce the importance of road safety.

Thanks to the Safety & Health Committee for their leadership and commitment to ensuring that every worker is safe, every day.

Educational Events:

• Hosted the largest Safety Conference in MCAA history, bringing together over 350 professionals to focus on safety and health thanks to the Safety & Health Committee and our conference sponsors, CNA and MILWAUKEE TOOL.

• Provided the industry’s premier educational event and many moments to connect at MCAA23. Thanks to the Education Committee and our sponsors for making sure this was an event to remember. Fundraisers during MCAA23 brought in $21,900 for MCAA’s Political Action Committee and $29,020 for John R. Gentille Foundation projects and research addressing our industry’s largest challenges.

• Explored the unique challenges and issues facing service contractors – and offered solutions – at MSCA23.

• Showed more than 330 attendees how mechanical contractors are adopting and innovating in the built environment during MCAA’s 2023 Fabrication Conference. Thanks to our primary host, UMC, Inc. and to our tour hosts, Shinn Mechanical, SJS Mechanical, and MacDonald Miller.

• Collaborated and shared experiences with the latest technologies at the annual MEP Innovation Conference through a partnership with our Innovative Technologies Committee, our partners at NECA and SMACNA, our title sponsor, Trimble, and our event sponsors: Procore and MILWAUKEE TOOL.

• Gave attendees an inside look at JPG Plumbing and Mechanical’s plumbing service operations during the PCA Plumbing Service Conference thanks to the Plumbing Contractors of America Board of Directors and to JPG Plumbing and Mechanical for hosting the event.

• Connected with industry improvement fund trustees and local association executives at the Industry Funds Conference thanks to the Industry Improvement Funds Committee.

• Congratulated the 42 graduates of the Advanced Institute for Project Management. (AIPM). Thanks to the Project Managers Education Committee and our instructors for their dedication and passion.

• Congratulated the 72 graduates of Institute for Project Management (IPM) classes 83 and 84. More than 2,670 project managers have completed this two-week program designed specifically for the mechanical industry.

• Congratulated the graduates of Preparatory Institute for Project Management (Pre-IPM) Classes 21-24. To date, over 1,400 Pre-IPM grads have completed 12 weeks of online introductory project management training.

• Provided focused training programs for service sales and operational personnel thanks to the MSCA Education Committee. This collection of programs, which include training for sales personnel, dispatchers, service supervisors, and service managers provide the continued training to set member company employees apart in the HVACR industry.

• Partnered with Chip Martin and the Arizona MCA, John Rayburn and the MCA of Chicago, Alex Hall and Mike Stirling at the Northern California MCA, and Scot Stoltenberg and the MCA/MSCA of Iowa, Inc. to present the Field Leaders Conference to a total of 650 field personnel. Thank you to our conference speakers and exhibitors for your passionate participation in our 2023 programs.

• Learned about key legislative and regulatory issues during the 2023 CEA National Issues Conference, the first after a 3-year COVID hiatus.

• Connected members with 150 students interested in mechanical contracting careers during the GreatFutures Forum Job Fair, part of the GreatFuturesForum.

• Educated association executives on best practices to help their associations succeed at the AEC Best Practices Conference. Thanks to the Association Executives Council for your leadership, and to all the execs who shared ideas and experiences.

• Presented the third annual Women in the Mechanical Industry (WiMI) Conference thanks to the leadership of the WiMI Committee.

• Created the Mechanical Industry Future Leaders Institute, a new three‐day program that will provide leadership education to future field leaders. The joint initiative is a key part of the UA/MCAA Strategic Planning Committee’s efforts to proactively position our industry for continued success and growth.

• Teamed up with MSCA and BuildOps to host a webinar with real, actionable tactics on how to sell service agreements.

• Joined forces with the United Association (UA) to host the 2023 UA/MCAA Labor Relations Conference. This was a great opportunity for local labor/management teams to attend and develop strategies to help protect our industry.

• Helped members and local association executives improve their understanding of the bargaining process at the 2023 Collective Bargaining Seminar.

• Provided a forum for exchanging technical information and offered presentations on topics related to pipe welding during the NCPWB Annual Technical Conference/Committee Meeting.

Career Development:

• Welcomed new student chapters at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Riverside City College. Thanks to the MCA of Eastern Missouri and ARCA/MCA for their sponsorships.

• Introduced a new award and a new scholarship at MSCA23. The MSCA Barbara Dolim Scholarship honors recently retired MSCA Executive Director Barbara Dolim. The MSCA Distinguished Service Award pays homage to those who have consistently reshaped and improved our industry while exhibiting unwavering dedication to MSCA.

• Presented John R. Gentille Foundation scholarships at MCAA23 to a record-breaking 15 students. Thanks to the incredibly generous member companies, Manufacturer/Supplier Council partners, and local affiliated associations. These included four new scholarships: ATP Inspiring Future Leaders Scholarship, Robert J. Durr, Sr. – UA/NCPWB Partnering Scholarship, Viega – Joe Pikus Scholarship, and Trimble Future Estimator Scholarship.

• Created a new tool for members looking to start or improve their internship programs thanks to the Career Development Committee. The four short documents are intended to be stand-alone resources but can be combined into a more comprehensive Internship Guide.

• Revised the internship grant application process to ensure program success is being rewarded and celebrated. Remember to submit your 2023 internship grant applications by January 31, 2024. 

• Connected with our industry’s future professionals through the MCAA GreatFutures program thanks to the Career Development Committee.

Resources:

• Released new Management Methods Bulletins on DEI Committee, Design-Assist , Captive Insurance, and Identifying, Quantifying and Preventing BIM Related Cost and Time Impacts thanks to the Management Methods Committee.

• Expanded our National Education Initiative (NEI) seminars with new classes from instructors Troy Aichele, Jim McCarl, Leah Gutmann, Frank Favaro, and Kathryn Crosby. MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal receive a 20% rebate on instructor fees for select classes.

• Released NCPWB Technical Bulletins covering qualification of welding operators for orbital TIG welding, how the NCPWB Welding Procedure Specifications (WPSs) differ from the American Welding Society (AWS) Standard Welding Procedures, The 37-1/2 Bevel, and modifications made to NCPWB’s Brazing Procedure Specifications (BPSs) due to the reassignment of P-numbers in section IX thanks to NCPWB Consultant Walter Sperko, P.E. and the NCPWB leadership.

• Gained widespread attention for Quantifying the Value of Union Labor in Construction Projects,the groundbreaking report showing that union contractors add value, reduce project costs, and mitigate project risks.

• Produced a full-featured digital version of MCAA’s Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide that enhances the look and feel of our printed directory.

• Conducted an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance survey in cooperation with the Manufacturer/Supplier Council to further our commitment to developing ESG compliance resources to assist members in obtaining the information they require on this subject.

• Released the MSCA-commissioned 2023 Beacon Economics study, which delves into the critical economic dynamics shaping the mechanical service industry today.

New MCAA Affiliate Chapters:

• Welcomed the Arizona MCA, our 93rd local affiliate, to the MCAA family. Executive Director Chip Martin also leads the CPMCA.

Advocacy:

• Created an Inflation Reduction Act Tax Credit Resource Center to assist contractors in leveraging substantially larger tax credits for certain construction projects that promote energy efficiency and clean energy production and are done by contractors that employ apprentices from a registered program and pay prevailing wage. These enhanced incentives provided a significant competitive advantage to signatory contractors with existing relationships with unions and experience complying with prevailing wage and apprenticeship standards.

• Advocated for our industry’s best interests thanks to MCAA member involvement.

• Commented on proposed Federal Trade Commission regulations banning worker/employer non-compete agreements under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act authorizing regulatory measures to prevent unfair methods of competition.

• Provided comments on the proposed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) energy project tax incentives for prevailing wage projects using a minimum of 10 to 15 percent registered apprentice hours (PWA) thanks to MCAA Government Affairs Committee Chair Jim Gaffney.

• Represented union-signatory construction employers at an IRS hearing on prevailing wage and apprentice utilization proposed rules for energy projects. Thanks to MCAA Government Affairs Committee Chairman Jim Gaffney and former Congressman Earl Pomeroy, MCAA’s government relations consultant, for testifying on MCAA’s behalf.

• Provided members with a Congressional Dashboard that enables them to keep tabs on issues of interest and connect with legislators.

We also:

• Welcomed new staff members Darnelle Everett, Sosina Haileselassie, Olivia Lewis, and Beverley Liburd. Jocelyn Jackson is now Director, WiMI and Dues Management, Megan Willson is Senior Director Executive and Conference Services, and Noreen Cournoyer is Senior Director, Meetings and Events. They and the entire MCAA staff are here to help you.

• Congratulated the award winners who showcase excellence in our industry today and those who are part of our industry’s future.

• Shared member milestones and news.

• Welcomed new WiMI chapters at the MCA of Cleveland, the MCA of Western Washington, the MCA of Northwestern Ohio, and the MCA of Kansas City.

• Welcomed seven new members to MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council. IPEX USA, LLC; Kojo Technologies, Inc.; Little Giant Ladder Systems, LLC; Merit Brass Company; NEFCO; Sunbelt Rentals and T&S Brass and Bronze Works, Inc. are eager to help enhance your strategic supply chain.

• Deferred the $0.01 dues increase originally scheduled for January 1, 2024, until January 1, 2025 based on concerns expressed by the AEC community. Thank you to everyone who voiced their opinion, both for the increase and for the deferment. Our local affiliates are the lifeblood of the MCAA, and the voice for their members. To help you plan and budget, increases are planned for January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2028.

• Continued to transition to a new association management system that will make the MCAA member experience even better.

MCAA’s volunteer leaders, led by President Robert Beck and the Executive Committee, remain laser-focused on helping the industry advance and adapt to change. Thanks to the vision, talent and expertise of the MCAA Board of Directors, our contractor members, our manufacturer/supplier members and partners, local affiliates, volunteers who sit on our committees and Foundation and the national staff worked together in 2023 to ensure your businesses remain competitive. As we reflect on the last year, we hope that you – the members of the MCAA family – find value in these resources and achievements.

We look forward to a new year full of challenges and opportunities to help you!