Organization: MCAA

MCAA GreatFutures Forum Helps Jump Start Student Chapter Member’s Career

MCAA congratulates Thomas Walsh for accepting a full-time position with U.S. Engineering Innovations. Thomas is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He was a presenter in the MCAA19 Student Chapter Competition Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona where he also received the Reilly Family Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by the John W. Danforth Company.

Thomas reflects on how his experiences with MCAA, the MCA of Eastern Missouri and his student chapter helped him find his great future in the mechanical industry:

My experience with the MCAA student chapter was instrumental in helping me find full-time employment in mechanical contracting. I first met U.S. Engineering at the 2018 MCAA Great Futures Forum in Anaheim with the Missouri-Columbia student chapter where I applied for an internship. During interviews for this internship, I was able to speak at great length about my involvement in the MCAA student chapter and the annual competition. The interviewees were very impressed with my work on the competition and how easily it translated to the work they do every day as mechanical contractors.

I had the opportunity to present part of Mizzou’s competition proposal on stage at MCAA19 in Phoenix which played a big role in helping me become a better public speaker and presenter.

My internship with U.S. Engineering was amazing. I primarily worked alongside Preconstruction Managers and Project Managers. One of the larger responsibilities I had was to put together a full mechanical bid from design documents for a potential project. I was also responsible for acquiring and reviewing quotes from vendors for large mechanical equipment. I shadowed project controls to learn more about scheduling and real estate to learn more about renovations. My internship with U.S. Engineering was primarily so rewarding, because I was able to pursue parts of contracting that I found interesting.

Because my internship was so rewarding, I accepted a full-time opportunity with U.S. Engineering Innovations. I will be returning to work with the same team that I interned alongside. At my full-time position, I will work as a Preconstruction Engineer creating bids and proposals, estimating change orders, and assisting in scheduling. I will also work as a project engineer to assist in logistics, procurement and quality control of our ongoing projects. I will have the opportunity to travel to some of our sites and assist in and experience construction in the field.

Major Growth Expected for Prefabrication and Modular Construction, New Study Finds

Findings of a landmark Dodge Data & Analytics study on the use of fabrication and modular construction show that most design and construction professionals using these methods experience improved productivity and project quality, plus increases in schedule certainty. MCAA partnered with Dodge to produce the report, which includes input from many MCAA members.

The Prefabrication and Modular Construction SmartMarket Report based on the study’s findings provides a comprehensive examination of the current state and future expectations for prefabrication and modular construction. It takes a close look at critical drivers, obstacles and benefits of using these methods, based on insight from architects, engineers and contractors already leveraging them.

The report shows that architects, engineers and contractors that have used these methods plan to significantly increase their engagement with them, especially for healthcare facilities, hotels and motels, multifamily projects, and college buildings and dormitories, which are at the vanguard of the new wave of interest in these methods. Critical trends in the construction industry, such as shorter project schedules and workforce shortages, are driving wider use of these methods, and technology like building information modeling (BIM) is enabling increased use.

In order to better understand the critical drivers and obstacles for using these methods and the benefits achieved, the study focuses on the architects, engineers and contractors that are already using them.

When it comes to methods already in use, the study shows that:

Prefabricating single-trade assemblies (such as plumbing assemblies behind the wall in hospital rooms) is widely practiced, with 62% of respondents using prefabricated single-trade assemblies in the last three years.
48% of those doing modular are using panelized modular components (such as wall or floor panels).
Use of each of these methods is expected to increase in the next three years, with the percentage of those leveraging them on 10% or more of their projects nearly 15 points higher than present use.

However, most interesting growth is expected in practices less widely used now:

Prefabricated multi-trade assemblies, which involve the work of several trades combined together (such as a corridor rack in a hospital) will be used by 58% of those doing prefabrication in general—up dramatically from the 33% using this approach now.
Equally dramatic growth is seen among those doing modular construction in the use of full volumetric approach, in which entire parts of buildings (such as bathrooms or hotel and hospital rooms) are delivered preconstructed onsite and assembled together. A striking 61% expect to employ that method at least 10% of their projects in the next three years, up from just 44% of those doing modular construction who report using this method currently.

“It comes as no surprise to us that more developers and GCs plan to use modular construction over the next few years,” said Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of the Modular Building Institute. “The lack of adequate housing and the shortage of skilled labor, coupled with chronic cost and schedule overruns are leading more people towards this process.”

And when it comes to benefits of use:

About 90% report that they achieve improved productivity, improved quality and increased schedule certainty when using these methods compared to traditional stick-built construction.
80% or more also report that they see improved cost predictability, reduced waste and increased client satisfaction.
Improved schedule performance, decreased construction costs and improved quality are also the top drivers for increasing their use of prefabrication and modular construction in the next three years.

The use of building information modeling (BIM) is also tied to the experience of those benefits. Among those using BIM on the majority of their projects, 60% credit it with improving the schedule performance of their prefabricated or modular projects, and 50% with improving budget performance. “BIM improves the prefabrication and modular process by providing the means to accelerate the design early enough to take advantage of these approaches and then offering certainty during the entire process,” says Steve Jones, senior director of industry insights at Dodge Data and Analytics. “Having these tools helps enable the industry to invest more in the use of multi-trade assemblies and volumetric construction in particular and may be contributing to the strong growth expected in these areas.”

The greatest growth in the use of these methods will be in building types in which they are already well established, such as healthcare facilities, hotels and motels, multifamily and college buildings and dormitories. However, a sizable percentage also expect low-rise offices, K-12 schools, public buildings and commercial warehouse to experience a high frequency of use of prefabrication or modular construction.

The report findings will be discussed during a general session at the MCAA Technology Conference.

Enjoy the Pictures from MCAA’s 17th Annual Safety Directors’ Conference

Check out the pictures from MCAA’s 17th Annual Safety Directors Conference (SDC) where a record number of attendees, including member safety professionals, UA safety instructors, and MCA local executives came together for world class education on the safety and health topics and issues that are currently affecting the mechanical construction and service industry. This conference marks the 17th consecutive year of record attendance. Join us next year in San Diego for SDC-2021, January 19-21.

See the Pictures

Explore the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. and GTP Services in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

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
The Guardian Dual Check hydrant, with the box, is the go-to choice for contractors working on brick façade buildings. This ergonomic hydrant is designed to fit into the space of one standard brick for easy installation. That adds up to significant time savings because you eliminate extra cuts and mortar repair. Discover more products that save you time on the job.

Learn More

GTP Services, LLC
STRATUS, the premiere Virtual Design and Construction Productivity software solution for MEP Contractors, takes you beyond the model. Elevate your technology capabilities in the shop and field. Empower your team with information. Encourage more communication and engagement.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

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!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Safety Directors’ Conference Provides World-Class Education

Mechanical industry safety professionals and UA safety instructors came together for world-class education on the most current, mechanical industry-specific safety and health topics and issues during MCAA’s Annual Safety Directors’ Conference. MCAA thanks CNA and MILWAUKEE TOOL for sponsoring the event.

MCAA PAC Appreciates Your Support

Thank you to everyone who supported the MCAA PAC in 2019. With your support, the MCAA PAC can continue its efforts to gain our members and our industry a fair hearing in federal public policy decisions.

Those supporting the MCAA PAC from January 1, 2019 – December 30, 2019 were:

Shannon Baker
Robert Beck
Robert M. Bolton
Michael Brandt
Pete Buongiorno
Michael Cables
Robert Carder
Jay Chase
Lonzo Coleman
Steve Cornelius
Dennis Corrigan
Matthew Cunningham
Anthony D’Ascenzo
Jim DeFlavio
Fredric J. Dorci
Carl M. Evans
Robert Felix
Chuck Fell
Christopher J. Freeman
Greg Fuller
Michael Gallagher
Don Giarratano
Richard Gopffarth
Jason Gordon
Curtis Harbour
Tim Healy
Brian Helm
Brian C. Hughes
Robert A. Lake
William Lynch
Mark Magnuson
The Miles Family Revocable Trust
Beni Monaco
Michael Reed
Rebecca A. Rex
James R. Reynolds
Mark Rogers
Nicholas Sapnar
Richard Sawhill
Bryan Suttles
Michael Tobin
Tim Vasquez
Lawrence Verne
David J. Voytko
Frank Wall

MCAA PAC appreciates your support.

Learn More and Contribute

Penn State University Student Finds Opportunities with MCAA

Molly Sizemore has accepted her second summer internship at Southland Industries, a member of the MCA of Metropolitan Washington.

She will be interning in the company’s engineering department, where she will work on mechanical and plumbing systems projects in Navisworks and Revit. Last summer, she saw the project management side of the industry as an intern on a data center project in Ashburn, Virginia.

Molly said, “working on a data center opened my eyes to understand different heating and cooling systems since they’re so MEP-heavy and mission critical. Southland has opened many doors of opportunity in the past year – one of them being MCAA.”

Molly learned about the opportunity to be part of a MCAA Student Chapter during her internship last summer. There, she met Lauren Boyle, a Southland Industries design engineer and a past member of the MCAA Student Chapter at the Pennsylvania State University, also known as Penn State. Lauren told Molly about MCAA and the resources that would be available to her.

Molly worked with her faculty advisor and her local association, the MCA of Central Pennsylvania, to help the Penn State University chapter gain momentum and even participate in this year’s MCAA Student Chapter Competition. She said, “Participating in the competition has been a really unique experience in my college career.”

Molly also attended the 2019 GreatFutures Forum in Washington, D.C., where she was, “…blown away by the friendly faces of both students and professionals along with the engaging and fulfilling content of the conference.”

Molly is looking forward to attending MCAA2020 in Maui and expanding her network before heading to Washington, D.C. for her internship.

“MCAA has definitely created a springboard for me into the mechanical contracting industry, and I’m very excited to continue this journey and get others involved,” she said.

You can find student chapter members like Molly on mcaagreatfutures.org.

Explore the Latest from Charlotte Pipe & Foundry and Autodesk in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

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:

Charlotte Pipe & Foundry
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry is the nation’s leading maker of cast iron and plastic pipe and fittings for the plumbing industry.

Learn More

Autodesk, Inc.
Revit supports sheet metal fabrication workflows through utilization of sheet metal libraries defined in Autodesk’s Fabrication products (CADmep, CAMduct, and ESTmep). Using the Fabrication libraries enables detailed definition of materials, connectors, seams, fittings, and other data. After authoring the model in Revit, the Revit Extension for Fabrication may be utilized to share Revit authored model data with CAMduct.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

MCAA and the UA File Joint Comments on Multiemployer Pension Reform

The UA and MCAA continue to actively press for balanced multiemployer pension reform this year. In a joint letter to the Senate, the two organizations detailed specific elements of compromise to ameliorate the damaging aspects of the recent Grassley/Alexander proposal. The organizations’ goal is to attain consensus compromise that gets multiemployer pension reform back on track for possible enactment this year.

In the joint letter transmitted to the Senate on January 14, 2020, the UA and MCAA outline the key elements of analysis and potential compromise. The letter:

Continues strong support for the adoption of new plan designs such as Composite Plans as a key element in restoring options to ground the multiemployer defined benefit system in more sustainable models going forward as a viable option to conversion to defined contribution plans overall, as is prevalent now in the single employer system.
Backs the PBGC partition elements of the Grassley/Alexander proposal generally, with some substantive and procedural modifications.
Calls for substantial moderation of the proposed PBGC premium increases.
Demonstrates the imperative need to moderate the crippling imposition of significantly detrimental mandated lower asset return assumptions in the near term.
Backs the proposed new Zone status provisions, with some needed clarifications.

The joint letter also transmits the two latest UA/MCAA/Horizon Actuarial Services analyses of pension reform impact on UA/MCAA plans based on the comprehensive data in the MCAA/Horizon database of all multiemployer plans nationwide.

Joint Letter

Analysis of Grassley/Alexander Proposal

Multiemployer Pension Plan Reform Policy Issues

How to Log in to the WebLEM+Plus When It Goes Live on January 27th

Here’s how to log in to the WebLEM+Plus as an Administrator or Non-administrator…

As of January 27^th the WebLEM Administrator for MCAA member companies will be able to log in to the WebLEM+Plus using their current User ID and administrator password. (If you forgot your administrator password, use the “Forgot Password” link to reset your password.)

IMPORTANT: The current WebLEM will not be available January 24-26 while we make the switch to the WebLEM+Plus. On January 27 you will be able to log in with your current credentials (as outlined earlier in this article).

Once you’ve logged in to the WebLEM+Plus as the Administrator, we urge you to change your administrator password and create a shared password for the rest of the staff in your company. The shared password is a new feature that allows the company administrators to create unique passwords for their employees.

Non-administrators can access the WebLEM+Plus by using their current User ID followed by “.shared” (i.e. 58575.shared) and their current WebLEM password (which is comprised of six alphanumeric characters).

On January 27, the WebLEM Administrator of each member company will receive an email from support@weblem.org. Along with other useful information, this email will reiterate the details on how to access the new WebLEM+Plus database and update your passwords.

To help ensure proper delivery of emails to your inbox, please add support@weblem.org as a legitimate email to your Whitelist.

Here’s what you will find in the WebLEM+Plus: a complete buildout of the Work Activity Method Labor Units (over 100,000 labor units have been added to the LEM), allowing you to easily identify shop and field labor separately.

Additionally, as more contractors use BIM in virtual design and construction, they are faced with many limitations, such as: 1) a lack of drawing content specific to manufacturers; 2) software systems that don’t connect; and 3) no drawing standards. The goal of MCAA’s WebLEM+Plus is to become a single solution to all these challenges.

1) Features currently being added to the WebLEM+Plus will allow manufacturers and drawing content providers to attach their drawing content technical data, pictures of each product, item weight, and so forth to each labor unit.

Having all that information specific to a manufacturer in one location will allow MCAA contractors to move seamlessly from estimating to virtual construction to fabrication and manufacturing to installation, all the while allowing contractors to keep the data consistent and accurate.

MCAA is actively working with many of our Manufacturer/Supplier Council members to connect their specific product data to our labor units. (We are initially working with manufacturers such as Victaulic, Milwaukee Valve, NIBCO, Viega, Weldbend and Zurn.)

Also, thanks to MCAA contractor member U.S. Engineering for donating its drawing content library to accelerate the effort of helping manufacturers get their data connected for our members’ use. And thanks to Manufacturer/Supplier Council member Trimble, which will be offering its Building Data and SysQue content to MCAA members at a special discounted price.

2) We’ve also created and made the unique data identifier available for our members to download and be the central data key that connects all the software systems they use.

3) And, we are publishing the first-ever drawing content standard to help all industry partners work together better.

At MCAA we’re excited about this project, so mark your calendar for January 27^th. Once it goes live keep checking the WebLEM+Plus for real-time updates, such as when specific manufacturers get their information connected and available.

Should you have questions at any point, please feel free to contact MCAA’s Nick Nikpourfard at nickn@mcaa.org.

Student Chapter Competition Final Four Announced

Congratulations to our four finalists for this year’s Student Chapter Competition: Ball State University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The MCAA Student Chapter Competition drew a record 33 submissions this year.

Thanks to Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation of Fresh Meadows, New York for providing this year’s project details.

The project tasked students 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. 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.

You can see the final four teams compete at MCAA2020 on Monday, March 16 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from these students’ insightful approaches to a real-world contracting bid!

The winners will be announced at the Awards of Excellence Breakfast featuring Joe Montana on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:30 a.m. The top competition prize is $10,000. The second-place team will receive $5,000 and the other two finalists will each receive $2,500.

Each of the other six teams in the top ten will receive a Certificate of Merit and a check for $1,000. Congratulations to those recipients:

National Issues Conference Registration Is Open

Our industry’s legislative agenda is packed with critical legislation and regulations that will affect your company’s future. The 2020 National Issues Conference provides updates on these issues and a chance to share your concerns about them with your House and Senate representatives. Join us from May 5 – 7, 2020 in Washington, D.C. Your participation is essential to gaining credible outcomes for our industry!

Student Chapter Member Finds Internship Opportunity at the GreatFutures Forum

Andrew Nguyen has accepted a summer internship with MCA of Metropolitan Washington (MCAMW) member The Bowers Group, also known as W.E. Bowers. Andrew is a junior at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, studying Building Construction.

He shared that, “…attending The 2019 Great Futures Forum was my first experience with MCAA and my golden ticket into the mechanical contracting industry.”

Andrew first met members of the W.E. Bowers team at The Great Futures Forum Job Fair. “We had a great conversation where I told them about my interest to pursue a path revolving around technology within the industry,” he says. “One of the W.E. Bowers representatives mentioned that she could see if there could be an opportunity for me there with their BIM Coordinator. After the job fair, she notified me that there was an opportunity for me to interview for an internship at the Sterling, Virginia, office.”

During the interview, Andrew learned that he will be assisting with implementing new 3D modeling, fabrication, and product tracking software to help the company increase efficiency and organization. He also toured the company’s Beltsville, Maryland, fabrication shop.

Reflecting on his student chapter experience and his interactions with MCAA and the MCAMW, Andrew said, “My experiences with the MCAA are all filled with grateful memories of meeting people who generously continue to open doors for me full of opportunity and improvement. Everyone I meet is obviously passionate, not just about their profession, but also about introducing new generations into the field. It’s both relieving and exciting to feel welcome in a field where I am new and unfamiliar, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

He adds, “Working with my student chapter was an experience of personal and team development as well. The students within the chapter push and support each other as we all build our experiences and knowledge of the industry. In addition, the MCAMW have been our backbone as the team and I advance into the field by connecting us to the community and building up the resources we have available.”

To preview students’ resumes and to see who will be in Maui, visit mcaagreatfutures.org.

Ever Popular MSCA Service Managers Training Program Registration is Now Open

The 2020 MSCA Service Managers Training Program is now open for registration. Scheduled for April 27-30, 2020 in Baltimore, MD, this intensive four-day class will provide service professionals with critical management and leadership skills to enhance their performance, provide added-value to their company and ensure their success. The program was developed with the service manager’s typical day-to-day problems in mind and will address key topics in financial management, communication, conflict resolution, leadership, coaching and motivation.

The course content has been revamped in order to keep up with our ever changing industry and will feature a new instructor! Class size is limited and program sells out quickly so register today.

Explore the Latest from Zurn Industries, LLC and Applied Software in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

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:

Zurn Industries, LLC
Contractors have waited long enough for a floor drain that’s easy to install and built for the long haul. Zurn’s EZ1–available in cast iron and plastic–ships complete, and is adjustable and durable.

Learn More

Applied Software
Applied Software is the Southeast’s premier Autodesk software reseller, providing design technology planning, training, mentoring, and solutions to help clients improve project performance and workflows.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

WiMI Minute – Meet the Women of WiMI: Kristy Wolfe

This month we feature Kristy Wolfe, Faculty Advisor of Bradley University.

Study Reinforces the Value of Joint Apprenticeship Programs

A new study on Illinois apprenticeship programs shows that apprenticeships are the bachelor’s degrees of the construction industry. Joint labor-management programs, in particular, provide a more effective and inclusive offering than unilateral (open shop) programs in key areas such as training hours, graduation rates, and competitive earnings that rival the performance of Illinois’ four-year universities.

The study, titled The Apprenticeship Alternative Enrollment, Completion Rates, and Earnings in Registered Apprenticeship Programs in Illinois, provides 5 key takeaways from analyzing 17 years of apprenticeship data in Illinois:

1) Joint labor-management programs enrolled 97% of all construction apprentices in Illinois.

2) Joint construction programs require 27% more hours of training (7,306 hours) than the minimum requirements to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois (5,760 hours).

3) Joint construction programs have a completion rate of 54%, on par with Illinois’ public universities (61%), higher than for-profit institutions (43%), and significantly higher than employer-only programs (31%). The ABC completion rate in Illinois is a dismal 16%.

4) The racial diversity of graduates from joint construction programs is similar to Illinois’ public universities, and joint construction programs are both more diverse and have higher completion rates among people of color, women, and veterans than employer-only programs.

5) Despite a higher likelihood of suffering an unemployment spell, a union journeyworker earns about as much over a career ($2.4 million) as a worker with a bachelor’s degree ($2.5 million after student debt).

Read the Study

The Next-Generation of MCAA’s Most Valuable Resource Goes Live on January 27th!

When you log onto the WebLEM on January 27^th you will be automatically redirected to a new MCAA member landing page for the WebLEM+Plus, which is the next generation of our most valuable resource.

Here’s what you will find there: a complete buildout of the Work Activity Method Labor Units (over 100,000 labor units have been added to the LEM), allowing you to easily identify shop and field labor separately.

Additionally, as more contractors use BIM in virtual design and construction, they are faced with many limitations, such as: 1) a lack of drawing content specific to manufacturers; 2) software systems that don’t connect; and 3), no drawing standards. The goal of MCAA’s WebLEM+Plus is to become a single solution to all these challenges.

2) We’ve also created and made the unique data identifier available for our members to download and be the central data key that connects all the software systems they use.

3) And, we are publishing the first-ever drawing content standard to help all industry partners work together better.

Soon the WebLEM Administrator of each member company will receive an email from the support@weblem.org. The email will provide you, among other information, details on how to access the new WebLEM+Plus database and update your passwords.

At MCAA we’re excited about this project, so mark your calendar for January 27^th and then keep checking the WebLEM+Plus for real-time updates, such as when specific manufacturers get their information connected and available.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Nick Nikpourfard at nickn@mcaa.org.

Have You Seen the New MCERF.org?

The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation, or MCERF, has a new website. Take a look!

MCA Eastern Missouri’s Student Chapter Member Finds Full-time Opportunity at Murphy Company

MCAA congratulates Paige Theby, a member of the MCAA Student Chapter at the University of Missouri-Columbia, for graduating with a B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. She is excited to start her career as an Engineer with the Murphy Company.

As part of her student chapter experience, Paige competed in the final four of the MCAA Student Chapter Competition at MCAA19 in Phoenix, Arizona. She also attended the 2018 GreatFutures Forum and the 2019 GreatFutures Forum in Washington, D.C.

Through her MCAA experiences, Paige says, “I have met so many professionals in different sides of the industry that I feel comfortable enough asking them questions and have them involved in our student chapter meetings.”

She was a Building Engineering Sales Engineer Intern for Johnson Controls in the St. Louis office, where she assisted the sales team with estimates, walk-throughs, and field surveys. The internship experience led Paige to know mechanical contracting was for her.

Paige reflects on the benefits of being a part of a student chapter and having the MCA of Eastern Missouri’s support in steering her in the direction of mechanical contracting.

“It has definitely taught me to get out of my comfort zone and get out of the traditional mechanical engineering job the university steers you towards, which is design, and not everybody wants to do design.

I think it’s really neat that they [MCA] are focusing on and teaching the younger generation about the mechanical contracting industry.”

At Murphy Company, Paige will be the first Engineer to go through their Inaugural Integration Rotational Program. She says, “I will spend a couple months in estimating, engineering, operations and BIM and at the conclusion of the program we will identify the best fit for me as a full-time position.”

To preview students’ resumes, visit mcaagreatfutures.org.