Wintry blasts already getting you down? Close your eyes and imagine the warm sun on your face, an endless sky above you, a club in your bag, a drink in your hand, and a breeze at your back – an oasis where you can learn, play, connect, and leave your worries behind. Come join us! See everything that MCAA19 has to offer and register online at our special MCAA19 website!
New products can bring change to the industry. This happens in one of two ways – evolutionary or revolutionary. Sometimes it is easy to spot the difference. A new feature in software that can make the user interface easier is an evolutionary design. It makes the next incremental step in the process and while adding value and productivity, does so in a small way.
Revolutionary products can bring exponential change to the industry. These are products that create new processes that eliminate old ones. An example of a revolutionary change would be the robotic total station. Instead of tape measures and T-squares, total stations use BIM, control points and positioning lasers to accurately determine locations in a construction project today. New processes are used entirely, but huge productivity gains are made.
While most evolutionary products that move the process forward are beneficial, revolutionary products that can bring exponential productivity increases are celebrated. During the opening session of the MCAA Tech Conference, James Benham will present multiple products that can be classified as revolutionary. If there is one session that cannot be missed at the conference, it will be this one.
In order to showcase how these new products will impact MCAA members, James Benham will bring in the experts. This will include contractors that have beta tested them, research teams that have evaluated them and the developers themselves who will provide demonstrations of their purpose. Some of these new products will be available immediately, some later in the year, but all will have an impact on our industry.
To learn more or register for the conference, visit the MCAA Technology Conference Website.
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:
MILWAUKEE TOOL
MILWAUKEE™ is committed to providing safe and versatile silica dust management solutions that help address the OSHA regulation on respirable crystalline silica dust (29 CFR 1926.1153). MILWAUKEE™ dust management solutions are focused on enhancing productivity. From the most universal dust extraction solutions fitting all major brands to a full range of products for floor-to-ceiling dust management, this is compliance made simple.
Viega
When it comes to your work, “good enough” isn’t good enough. With your reputation on the line, you don’t trust just any press system. You want the original ProPress®. Viega. Connected in quality.
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
The Smith PVCeptor is easy to install, easy to clean, and provides maximum sanitation in kitchens, hospitals, and all food handling areas.
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!
Twenty-five of MCAA/MSCA’s top women leaders and manufacturer-supplier executives met this week in Arizona to shape the future of Women in the Mechanical Industry. Excitement was evident throughout the event as the attendees shared challenges and inspiring stories of success and accomplishments in their own businesses. Through brainstorming and strategic sessions, the attendees discussed an array of programming options to help women in the industry advance their careers, network, share resources and mentor young women entering the industry. Attendees left the event with a renewed sense of community and a new network of peers. Stay tuned for additional information about WiMI events and programs for the coming year.
MCAA19 features something for everyone, whether you want to explore business topics in depth, learn from others’ experiences, find your path to retirement, or gain crucial knowledge to ensure your business succeeds in the coming year…and beyond! You can find all the event details and register online at our special MCAA19 website.
Each year, as part of Autodesk’s annual education conference, Autodesk University, there is an optional session the first day that is geared towards the AEC industry called Connect & Construct. It features Autodesk’s corporate leaders like the new Autodesk President and CEO Andrew Anagnost talking about products designed for the construction industry as well as some of the industry’s leading innovators.
One such innovator featured this year was Travis Voss, Mechanical Inc’s Director of Technology. Mr. Voss was part of the keynote address that included Dr. Peter Diamandis, a recent speaker at the MSCA Conference and MCAA Convention, and Lorien Barlow, the Documentary filmmaker behind a movie titled, Hard Hatted Woman.
During his keynote address, Travis spoke about Mechanical Inc.’s path to technology leadership, what his role as a Construction Technologist means and how collaboration and cooperation with other MCAA members through the Technology Committee has helped their company.
The video is available through Autodesk’s Online University through this link. Travis begins his presentation at the 45 minute mark.
Travis Voss will also be speaking at the MCAA Technology Conference in Tampa Bay, Florida on January 30- February 1. His presentation will be part of a session titled, Next Generation Workflows, in which he will demonstrate how Mechanical Inc. has begun using augmented reality on the job site.
The Milwaukee Tool Mechanical Industry Safety Professional of the Year Award will be presented for the first time at MCAA19 in Phoenix, AZ. The annual award will be presented to a mechanical industry safety and health professional who has led his or her company to an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence.
To nominate someone from your company, or from another MCAA/MSCA member company, for this extremely prestigious award, complete the Nomination Form and e-mail it to Pete Chaney by the close of business on December 10, 2018.
MCAA’s Model Fall Protection Program can be quickly and easily tailored to create your company’s program. You can supplement your written program with safety training from these MCAA resources.
If you have any questions about this publication, or about other occupational safety and health issues, please contact Pete Chaney.
Within 90 days of adopting the XOi Vision™ platform’s field service management program See, MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions (MacMiller) landed a huge national account, based in part on the company’s use of video technology. With See, MacMiller technicians can easily link video and photos to customer accounts through mobile devices.
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.
Each class of MCAA’s Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI), 
conducted annually at Babson College’s Executive Education Center, is an assembly of the some of smartest, most forward-thinking professionals in the mechanical contracting industry.
That’s why MCAA asked Class 18 to attack one of its thorniest, most intractable issues as a final class project…the recruitment and retention of top talent.
MCAA’s ALI Committee and Management Methods Committees collaborated to give ALI Class 18 an assignment that would not only attack this industry challenge, 
but would do so by sourcing and developing content that could be incorporated by professional writers into the new Management Methods Manual in the form of online WebBooks.
By developing for the WebBook format, a wide array of valuable and previously non-starter 
content was now ideal for inclusion, including new or existing videos, animation, and even the development and inclusion of a software solution for comparing the costs of college vs trades education and their relative payback periods.
Babson divided the class into project teams who then broke the ponderous recruitment-retention topic into a series of six areas of “opportunity”:
Team 1 “Recruitment Into the Mechanical Trade”
Team 2 “5 Ways to Run Off Your Best Employees…and What You Can Do About That”
Team 3 “Converting Non-Union to Union”
Team 4 “Engaging With Universities”
Team 5 “4 Ways Your Company Culture Attracts and Retains Top Talent”
Team 6 “Talent Procurement Through Social Media”
MCAA’s Management Methods Committee will review each topic and presentation for content and suitability for further possible development.
The dates for the next Advanced Leadership Institute, which will be ALI Course 19, are September 22-26 and November 10-15, 2019. Applications for Course 19 are being finalized and will be announced here soon.
For general information about MCAA’s Advanced Leadership Institute, send your questions to ALI@mcaa.org.
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:
NIBCO INC.
Press Forward, with NIBCO! Use NIBCO® Press System® for a perfect fit every time. With flame-free installation and a new leak detection feature, you can drive your business forward and press on to your next project.
Kahua
Manage costs and get paid faster. Track budgets, change orders, and resource utilization from project inception to closeout. Create and manage pay applications for prompt payment. Send data to your existing accounting system to populate financial statements.
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!
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:
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Whether you’re building from scratch or retrofitting an existing facility or plant, Johnson Controls has nearly everything you need, with the most comprehensive line card in the industry.
Trimble
By connecting key workflows between estimating, design and installation, Trimble helps MEP contractors reduce project risk while increasing overall productivity and efficiency.
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!
Rework plagues owners, managers, and subcontractors alike. It is one of the biggest reasons for stagnant and declining productivity and steals hours, days, and even months from projects. In some cases, it causes such severe missed deadlines and budget overruns that subs fail to meet contracts, facing legal consequences or, at the very least, the potential loss of their good name and future business. Much of the rework that is seen as a “necessary evil” by subcontractors can be avoided through better collaboration and more efficient processes. With these tips from PlanGrid, you can learn the common causes and effects of rework—and avoid the need to fix what has already been built.
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.
Every year, new innovations help leading contractors get a little more effective, productive and profitable. Missing out will not put you out of business right away, but it will gradually widen the gap between your company and the leaders in the market. It is never too late to catch up. Be an innovator. The MCAA Technology Conference is the best resource for learning how members are using the latest tools, software, and processes to thrive in these changing times. Join us January 29 – February 1 in Tampa Bay, Florida at the MCAA Technology Conference.
ARCA/MCA Executive Vice President Dick Sawhill and the ARCA/MCA Board made substantial contributions to the MCAA Political Action Committee again this year. This ongoing commitment, along with commitments from several other MCA local affiliate Boards and other groups across the country, ensure that MCAA’s Government Affairs Committee has sufficient resources to deploy on a non-partisan basis to advance key MCAA member interests on Capitol Hill.
MCAA recently released the MCAA Guide to In-Person Safety Training. The guide replaces the outdated MCAA Safety Training Guide. The new guide provides tips for making safety training sessions more engaging, walks the user through initial and on site safety training preparations, presents the most effective safety training methods, and describes the most critical safety training topics for the mechanical construction, service, and fabrication shop industry. The publication also guides the user through OSHA’s safety training requirements, and MCAA’s safety training resources, which are free to members as a benefit of membership.
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:
Daikin Group
Daikin North America LLC (DNA) has announced the launch of VRV IV-S-series heat pump – The next generation “Mini-VRV” for residential and light commercial applications.
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.
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!
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, design-build contractor Western Allied Mechanical, Inc. has been using Viewpoint software for over a decade. As a result, it has streamlined project management and processes—for example, cutting RFI response time from days to minutes.
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.
3M Fall Protection has received reports that the aluminum reinforcement plate used in the seat sling on certain DBI-SALA ExoFit harnesses can become dislodged from the webbing. The aluminum plate can separate from the harness and fall, creating a potential struck by hazard. If your company is using the ExoFit harnesses, please read the Quality Alert for more detailed information.
OSHA recently released a final rule clarifying the agency’s crane operator qualification requirements. Affected employers are required to:
The rule requires crane operators to be certified or licensed and receive ongoing training as necessary. Operators can be certified based on the crane’s type and capacity, or type only.
The rule becomes effective on February 7, 2019.
