If your professional recruiting efforts could use a boost, then plan to show off your company and its attributes during Future Fest, the kick-off event for MCAA’s 2017 GreatFutures Forum in Indianapolis, IN, September 28-30.

Future Fest (September 28) brings MCAA members—the champions of the construction industry—together with students from across the U.S. and Canada majoring in construction management, engineering, architectural engineering and other disciplines related to our industry to explore potential full-time employment or internship opportunities. There’s no fee to exhibit, and each company’s booth will be equipped with a draped table, chairs and electrical power, if needed.

That’s not all!  For every student hired, MCAA members may apply for a $1,000 Student Internship Grant from the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF); the two-grants-per company limit for 2017 will be waived.  And, MCAA members who hire students for either a full-time position or an internship during the Forum will receive a $500 gift card.

Students get a hiring bonus too! Once they land either an internship or a full-time position at the Forum, they will receive a $500 gift card.

To further support members’ and students’ career development efforts, an interviewing area will be available throughout the Forum for more private employment discussions.

Plan now to take part in this excellent recruiting opportunity. More details are coming soon, but get a head-start by asking Harlee Gallo to add your company’s name to the list of exhibitors.

Congratulations to the MCA of Western Pennsylvania and Robert Morris University for organizing and establishing MCAA’s 53^rd student chapter!  Chapter representatives of the Robert Morris Student Chapter will receive their charter at MCAA’s 2018 convention in San Antonio, TX.

The seeds for the new chapter were sown when MCA of Western PA members decided to approach a Pittsburgh-area university about creating a resource for well-educated future professionals for their businesses. The faculty at Robert Morris University not only liked the idea of an organization that prepares students for a great career, but took the extra step of creating additional classes in its mechanical engineering department to ensure students are well-qualified for professional positions in the mechanical contracting industry.  Currently, 18 to 20 students have applied for internships with MCAA members in the Pittsburgh area.

For more information about creating an MCAA student chapter in your area, contact Harlee Gallo.

MCAA’s sold-out Field Leaders Conference in Denver May 10-12, 2017 provided 200 foremen and superintendents with the management and leadership skills they need to effectively manage jobsite labor, other personnel and operations to keep projects on time, on budget and profitable.

The event began with John Koontz, MCAA president Greg Fuller, Mike Shinn and Mark Rogers leading a Discussion on What Keeps You Up at Night. Afterward, attendees had time to get acquainted and share information about their companies, projects and challenges during a networking reception and dinner.

The next day began bright and early with a session on The Foreman’s Impact on Profitability. Mark Rogers discussed how attendees impact their company’s profitability, the importance of accurate costing and strategies for managing actual hours to budget.

Greg Fuller then examined the top 10 attributes of a great foreman, providing attendees with a contractor’s perspective on how to make themselves even more valuable to the company.

After a break for lunch, UA Training Director Chris Haslinger discussed the latest in new equipment and technology that’s changing the way projects at the jobsite are managed and performed.

Kevin Dougherty’s session on Building Relationships: Communication on the Jobsite provided attendees with tricks and tactics to help them improve communication with their crew, other subs, their management and owners.
Attendees had an opportunity to explore the latest tools and construction resources during a reception complete with product demonstrations.

The following morning began with John Koontz on The Impact of Planning – Greatest Challenges to Planning. The session provided attendees with a better understanding of how planning impacts every aspect of a project and the entire company. In addition to exploring “tried and true” methods for planning projects, attendees discussed why planning is so difficult in today’s construction environment.

During his session on Legacy Leadership, Mark Breslin focused on the compelling reasons to promote positive change and the most effective means of achieving it. Attendees learned:

• The necessity of seeing field leadership as a professional position, not a blue-collar occupation;
• The difference between building projects and building people;
• The three most effective ways to motivate people on the jobsite;
• How to use influence instead of authority and how that impacts the project
• Mentoring, coaching and the difference between them; and
• How to empower and engage through solicitation of field input and shared decision making.

The session provided new ideas, strategies and tools that will help attendees create a professional self-identity and enhance crew performance.

Wrapping up the conference, John Koontz facilitated a discussion of the best practices and takeaways attendees learned during the conference. He also assisted as attendees put the finishing touches on their personal Action Item Lists.

Reserve Your Spaces for Next Time Now, While Spots Are Still Available

If you missed registering your team for the May conference, you’re in luck! MCAA will be offering the conference again October 11, 2017 – October 13, 2017 in Philadelphia.

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Register Now

Whether you’re planning to attend the Fabrication Conference or looking for tips to help you build or fine-tune your fab shop, MCAA has a resource to assist. These resources were written by contractors who have been in your shoes and want to share their knowledge.

Getting Started and Maintaining Peak Performance

• Factors to Consider in Establishing, Operating and Maintaining a Fabrication Shop
• Pre-Fabrication Operations Guide for Plumbing

Simplifying Documentation

Why start building your documentation from scratch? Save time when you begin with this model piping specification. It can be used to document the materials, fabrication, installation, examination, testing and quality control for hydronic piping and similar steam, and hot and chilled water applications.

• Basic Model Piping Specification Technical Resource

Training Workers to Keep Fab Safe

Safety is job one in the fab shop and these resources provide fabrication shop workers with critical safety information on everything from working safely with overhead and gantry cranes to preventing overexposure to manganese while performing hot work. General fabrication shop safety, personal protection, respiratory hazards, material handling, welding/cutting/brazing, fire prevention and protection, power tools and specialized equipment used in fabrication shops are among the other topics covered in these training tools.

• Safety Manual for Mechanical Fabrication Shop Workers
• Toolbox Safety Talks for Fabrication Shops

Taking it to the Next Level with BIM

Companies are embracing BIM technologies in their fabrication shops to stay competitive, especially on large projects. Where do you begin? Right here, with these resources:

• BIM: What Is It and Is It Right for My Company?
• Achieving Spatial Coordination through BIM – A Guide for Specialty Contractors

MCAA offers many more BIM resources…take a look.

Looking for Something on Another Topic?

MCAA’s Resource Center provides all of our valuable resources for management methods, safety and health, construction technology and running your business — available free to members with one click!

Visit the Resource Center

OSHA recently delayed enforcement of its 2016 rule on respirable crystalline silica. The enforcement date has been changed from June 23, 2017 to September 23, 2017. Affected employers can comply by either following Table 1 of the rule, or by implementing the alternative exposure control methods that are established by the rule. (Note: This rule is under litigation by the Construction Industry Safety Coalition and other groups. The groups that are in opposition to the rule believe that OSHA did not meet its burden of prove with regard to the rule being technologically and economically feasible. It is unknown whether the litigation will be resolved prior to the newly established September 23 enforcement date. 

MCAA has several silica safety resources to help your company comply with the rule. They are available to you for free as a benefit of membership. The resources, which can be accessed here, are listed below.

• Worker Safety Training Video on Silica
• Accompanying Silica Safety Pocket Guide
• 20-Question Multiple Choice Test and Answer Key
• Worker Safety Training Documentation Sheet
• Model Silica Exposure Control Plan
• Silica Safety Guide
• Silica Safety Bulletin

MCAA urges all affected members to participate in the 4th annual nationwide OSHA Safety Stand Down to help prevent workers from falling from elevations, and protect those workers who do fall. Falls from elevations are the third leading cause of injury in the mechanical construction and service injury, and the injuries from the impact of falling are often extremely severe. The stand down takes place May 8-12, 2017. To participate, take time out during that week to refresh your workers memories about the industry’s fall hazards and accompanying fall prevention and protection measures. MCAA’s educational fall prevention and protection safety resources, which are provided for you as a benefit of membership, are listed below. You can access them here.

MCAA Educational Safety Resources:

Fall Restraint and Arrest Systems – Video – Pocket Guide – Training Documentation Sheet – 20-Question Multiple Choice Test – Test Answer Key

Ladder Safety – Video – Pocket Guide – Training Documentation Sheet – 20-Question Multiple Choice Test – Test Answer Key

Aerial Lift Safety – Video – Pocket Guide – Training Documentation Sheet – 20-Question Multiple Choice Test – Test Answer Key

Scaffold Safety – Video – Pocket Guide – Training Documentation Sheet – 20-Question Multiple Choice Test – Test Answer Key

MCAA Toolbox Safety Talk – Volume I – Talk #s (1 – 11)

MCAA Toolbox Safety Talk – Volume II – Talk #s (1 – 6)

MCAA Toolbox Safety Talk – Volume IV – Talk #s (1 – 5)