The response to MCAA2020 is overwhelming! Registrations are pouring in at record rates, and hotel rooms are filling quickly. If you will be joining us in Maui and haven’t already registered, register today for the best room selection. You can find all the details and register through the convention website. We look forward to seeing you there!
Safe work practices can be the difference between a safe line break and an extremely hazardous situation. MCAA’s latest guide will help you benchmark your practices and protect your workers.
Inside, you’ll find information about:
By using these tools and educating your workers, you can ensure that every line break is a safe one.
This year’s MCAA Student Chapter Competition project has been released to all participating student chapters. MCAA student chapter members have been tasked with developing a proposal to be the prime contractor on a chiller and cooling tower replacement project in the Penn South building in New York City.
This year’s project details were generously provided by Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation of Fresh Meadows, New York.
The project includes the completion of all plumbing, piping and HVAC, electrical, controls and any other work required to complete the project as described in the bid documents. The student chapters are tasked with purchasing all equipment and materials, and providing all necessary labor to compete the entire project scope as detailed in the cap documents.
The successful bidder will be required to coordinate the installation of their work with all other trades. This will include full BIM coordination with all other crafts to locate and correct any clashes before fabrication or installation of any piping or ductwork. The contractor will be responsible for all costs related to any modification required for rerouting or relocation of any pipe or duct due to their lack of participation in the model clash detection exercise.
Members of MCAA’s Career Development Committee will evaluate and score the first round proposals. The teams earning the top four scores will present their proposals during the Student Chapter Competition at the MCAA2020 in Maui, Hawaii on Monday, March 16.
The stakes are high–the first place team wins $10,000, second place wins $5,000 and the finalists each receive $2,500.
MCAA Board of Directors members Scott Hinton of Harrell-Fish and Michael Russo of Fresh Meadow Mechanical discussed the project’s request for proposal (RFP) in detail at the MCAA GreatFutures Forum. Watch the video below to learn more about the first-round proposal requirements and the project’s overall scope.
Reach out to your local MCAA Student Chapter to offer guidance to the students as they navigate the competition RFP.
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
LAARS, a Bradford White Company
Powerfully innovative, MagnaTherm® HTD commercial boilers and volume water heaters feature 20:1 turndown on ALL sizes. Combustion is tracked through all firing rates for unequaled efficiency optimization.
Penta Technologies, Inc.
From maintenance contracts to mobile field data collection, PENTA empowers contractors with the information they need to optimize service operations from the field to the office. Save time and increase efficiency, with PENTA.
Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
To protect workers and prevent damage, proper planning and procedures are critical for underground facilities excavations. MCAA’s long-time partner in safety CNA has prepared a risk control bulletin on the subject, and is sharing it with MCAA members. The bulletin covers preplanning, identifying facilities on large and small projects, on site procedures, backfilling, managing damage if it occurs, employee accountability, and more.
Complete Temperature Systems of Chicago cut office staff time by 14 hours per week using MobiliForms from iBusiness Technologies to help streamline their operations. Before, field work orders, service tickets, and preventive maintenance checklists had been driven around, which delayed invoicing and created the possibility of getting lost. Now, information streams in real time, allowing for same-day or next-day invoicing. CTS’ government contracts require specific work acknowledgement letters; with MobiliForms in place, they are signed onsite, stored, and shared digitally. MobiliForms also allows techs to capture pictures and sounds on work orders.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.
Your foremen didn’t get where they are by coasting. They’re good at what they do, and they can get even better by cultivating the attributes of great foremen. Greg Fuller, whose career spans from apprentice to company president and MCAA President, will lead a discussion of the top 10 attributes of great foremen. He will inspire your field leaders with new ideas and energy, to look at their role differently through an important professional lens, so they come back highly motivated to strive for greatness.
MCAA student chapter members and member companies met in the nation’s capital September 19-21, 2019 for the MCAA GreatFutures Forum.
Molly Sizemore of the Penn State University Student Chapter said, “as a first-year attendee, I was blown away by the opportunities and resources provided to me as a student set to enter the industry.” And Molly wasn’t alone.
The forum kicked-off Thursday night with a welcome from MCAA President Brian Helm who shared the benefits of joining the mechanical industry, including the personal side — how “students will build connections and develop life-long relationships.” He touched on how fast technology is evolving in our industry and the immense opportunities for students to be part of these exciting changes.
Then speaker and illusionist Vinh Giang spoke about how creating and cultivating the right influences in your lives can make the difference for tremendous success. Next MCAA Career Development Chair and MILWAUKEE TOOL Vice President of Training Jon Finch presented on the DiSC® behavior style assessment. Attendees identified their own personality traits and learned how to engage in more impactful ways with different behavior styles.
Friday started with the 3rd annual MCAA GreatFutures Job Fair. The fair connected 35 participating MCAA member companies, both contractors and manufacturer suppliers, and 150 students looking for internship, co-op and full-time job opportunities.
After lunch attendees were given the opportunity to tour the mechanical systems of the new Museum of the Bible. The tour was facilitated by Southland Industries and Mike Miller of Kirlin Group. Students had a firsthand look at the cooling towers and generators on the building’s green roof, along with the state-of-the-art equipment in the mechanical rooms and fire pump rooms.
The day concluded with dinner at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, where attendees had time to explore the exhibits, watch an IMAX movie and enjoy riding the simulators.
Saturday began with a session on this year’s MCAA Student Chapter Competition project. The scope and proposal criteria were revealed by Scott Hinton of Harrell-Fish and Michael Russo of Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation, both members of the MCAA Board of Directors and Career Development Committee. The project was contributed by Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation and will involve a chiller and cooling tower replacement project, including the completion of all plumbing, piping and HVAC.
The keynote speaker was Colonel Nicole Malachowski, the first female pilot selected to fly as part of the USAF Thunderbirds, closed the forum with a motivating message on leadership and overcoming adversity. Nicole detailed her career and life challenges and inspired everyone with her courage and success when faced with the headwinds of her life.
MCAA thanks this year’s generous host and sponsors, the MCA of Metropolitan Washington, for their support in bringing the forum to Washington, DC. MCAA and the student chapter members are already looking forward to next year’s GreatFutures Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 1-3, 2020. Mark your calendars!
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
Designed with tilt-up concrete buildings in mind, this hydrant box will cut your wall hydrant installation labor time by 75 percent or more. Discover more products that save you time on the job.
Wheatland Tube
The uniform grain structure of SureThread™ continuous weld standard pipe delivers exceptional strength and allows for each threading, bending and cutting – making installation fast.
Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
Delta Electronics (Americas) originally specified a conventional radiant tubing heating and cooling system for its headquarters expansion in Fremont, CA, to help meet LEED® Platinum and net-zero energy building standards, but ACCO Engineered Systems suggested Uponor’s Radiant Rollout™ Mats for a faster, more efficient, consistent installation. ACCO crews installed 138,000′ of tubing with the Radiant Rollout Mats in five months—much faster than the time required for conventional PEX rails or tie-down methods.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.
What do Steve Wozniak, Geena Davis, Joe Montana and Captain Richard Phillips have in common? You can see – and hear from – all of them at MCAA2020. You won’t want to miss this line-up! Visit mcaaconvention.org to register and mark your calendars now!
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
FastEST, Inc.
FastPIPE®, FastDUCT®, and FastWRAP™ — accurate, fast, and easy-to-use mechanical estimating software.
ServiceTrade
ServiceTrade is customer service, sales, and service management software for mechanical service companies.
Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
This month we feature Stacy Johnson, President of Auburn Mechanical.
A roof collapse could have knocked IVP Plastics of Washington, IL, out of commission for a long time, but Warner Mechanical LLC, of Edwards, IL, used Aquatherm polypropylene pipe in the rebuild, helping the manufacturer get back to business quickly. The heat fusion process made Aquatherm piping easier and faster to install than traditional welded pipe, saving Warner Mechanical time.
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.
MCAA has been working with the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the United Association (UA), and Washington University in St. Louis to develop and produce ergonomics resources for the construction industry. Our September 26, 2019 webinar, which is free to members, will show you how to create an effective ergonomics program to reduce the occurrence of soft tissue injuries among mechanical construction workers. MCAA believes that effective ergonomics programs are critical in our industry, especially since more than half our workforce is 45 years old or older. In this webinar you’ll learn about two sets of new ergonomics resources, which will be made available to members for free through MCAA’s website. One set teaches contractors how to establish effective ergonomics programs for their companies. The other set is for training our worker about effective ergonomics in construction. To access the webinar, visit the link below. If you prefer to access the audio by telephone, please call 415-655-0003. The access code is 661 495 207.
Your field leaders face unprecedented change as new technologies transform the way jobs are performed. At MCAA’s Field Leaders Conference, they will get a first-hand look at these innovative products and get their questions answered by the experts—members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council. Register your field personnel today! This is a conference you can’t afford them to miss.
Excavation cave-ins happen so quickly there is literally no time to react. That’s why worker safety training on excavations is so important. When workers use the protective systems and safe work practices that are covered in MCAA’s new Excavation Safety for Mechanical Construction worker safety training video, their work in excavations will be as safe as any other part of your job.
Workers will learn:
Accompanying materials are also available to assist you in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts:
Download the Documentation Sheet
MCAA has you covered, with a full range of resources to help you protect your workers from injury and comply with applicable safety regulations. Here’s where to find them:
On our Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page, where they’re listed by category with links.
In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.
Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.
Innovation drives every industry forward. Construction is no different – just a little more challenging. Many MCAA/MSCA members are already adapting and thriving in the digital transition. If you want to keep pace with industry leaders, it’s time to learn how to work more efficiently and smarter. It’s time to innovate, and MCAA’s Technology Conference is a great place to do so. Registration is open for the January 29-31 conference in San Diego, California. It’s sure to sell out, so register today!
As more contractors use BIM in virtual design and construction, they are faced with many limitations, including no drawing standards, a lack of drawing content specific to manufacturers, software systems that don’t connect and no easy way to estimate shop hours versus field hours. The goal of MCAA’s WebLEM+Plus is to become a single solution to all of these challenges.
When the WebLEM+Plus is released soon, you will find a complete buildout of the Work Activity Method Labor Units (over 100,000 labor units are being added to the LEM) which allow contractors to specifically identify shop and field labor separately.
You will also find features in this release which allow each manufacturers and drawing content providers to attach their drawing content (.ITM and RFA), technical data, pictures of the product, item weight, etc. to each and every labor unit.
When the WebLEM+Plus website is released, be sure to keep coming back to the site as we work with manufacturers to get their information connected and available to you.
We’re also making it easier for software partners and all MCAA members to connect to our data by providing APIs for our software partners to use, and by making our unique data identifier available for our contractors to download and be the central data key that connects all of the software systems they use.
And, we’ve published the first ever drawing content standard to help all industry partners work together better.
MCAA contractors will soon have a single source for all of their needs and it’s the WebLEM+Plus. So, stay tuned! We’ll keep you updated!
MCAA has been working with the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the United Association (UA), and Washington University in St. Louis to develop and produce ergonomics resources for the construction industry. Our September 26, 2019 webinar, which is free to members, will show you how to create an effective ergonomics program to reduce the occurrence of soft tissue injuries among mechanical construction workers. MCAA believes that effective ergonomics programs are critical in our industry, especially since more than half our workforce is 45 years old or older. In this webinar you’ll learn about two sets of new ergonomics resources, which will be made available to members for free through MCAA’s website. One set teaches contractors how to establish effective ergonomics programs for their companies. The other set is for training our worker about effective ergonomics in construction. To access the webinar, visit the link below. If you prefer to access the audio by telephone, please call 415-655-0003. The access code is 661 495 207.
