MCAA together with our specialty contractor alliance partners – TAUC, NECA, and SMACNA – are asking for your help in learning more about the experiences of contractors who are required to utilize 3rd party pre-qualification services. Please spend a few minutes answering this 16-question survey by Friday, November 19, 2021.
The Manufacturer/Supplier Training area of MCAA’s website connects our contractor members with training opportunities available from the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new webinars and training opportunities across their product lines, services, solutions or web pages. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Trimble
Trimble’s services don’t end after the sales transaction has completed. We are committed to partnering with your business to ensure that you are on the path to success. We offer instructor-led classroom and onsite experiences that blend product demonstrations with hands-on exercises and virtual instructor-led training to help you maximize the benefits of your new software as fast and as easy as possible.
SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc.
Looking to tune up your evaporative cooling knowledge? SPX Marley Contractor Resources include live and on-demand webinars, School of Cool® training, installation videos and more. Check it out.
Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.
Member involvement from those serving on MCAA and MSCA national committees helps all of us run more successful businesses and strengthens our industry. MCAA/MSCA members who are willing to serve on a national committee in 2022 are encouraged to learn more and complete the application. Completed applications are due by November 5, 2021.
On October 25, 2021, the White House revoked the prior COVID-19 travel restrictions and announced that as of November 8, 2021, international travelers traveling to the U.S. by air will be permitted to enter the U.S. if they:
To be clear, the announcement is still a modified travel ban (“Global Suspension and Limitation on Entry of Certain Individuals Who Are Not Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19”). A failure to meet the requirements or an exemption will result in an international traveler being denied entry into the United States. The new modified ban will remain in effect until terminated by the President.
Limited exemptions exist for some travelers. Of note:
Additionally, international travelers who are not fully vaccinated but permitted to enter the United States based on an exemption must agree to become fully vaccinated within 60 days of arrival or in a timeframe determined by the CDC and must provide proof of arrangements for becoming fully vaccinated after arrival, with some exceptions (sufficiently brief stay, among others).
This means that travelers from regions previously subject to U.S. COVID travel bans (Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the Schengen Area) will now be able to enter the United States directly from those countries, so long as they meet the requirements for being fully vaccinated and can present evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of their entry. This also means that minors, depending on their age, and travelers from countries with low vaccine availability (less than 10% full vaccination rate), may now be exempt from the travel bans.
Earlier this week, the Senate confirmed Doug Parker to the lead the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Parker will be the first head of OSHA in almost 5 years. Prior to OSHA, Parker was the Chief at Cal/OSHA, where he administered their COVID-19 emergency temporary standards (ETS) for workplace safety. He is an outspoken advocate for workers’ rights.
MCAA will continue to work closely with OSHA, and we look forward to working with the new assistant secretary. Under the new OSHA administration, we expect to see increased engagement with employers, which highlights the need for all of us to focus on our safety & health programs. This is a great time for members to learn about, and take advantage of MCAA’s safety and health resources, all of which are available to members for free as a benefit of membership.
We’ve congratulated Doug Parker on his confirmation and wished him the best at OSHA.
For additional questions on MCAA’s Safety & Health resources please contact Raffi Elchemmas at raffi@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:
Key2Act
Key2Act is the construction and field service technology leader, focused on mechanical and non-mechanical specialty trades, facilities maintenance and other large asset or equipment-centric industries.
Metraflex Company
Metraflex energy-saving LPD-Y-Strainer dramatically reduces pressure drops. ROI within 1 year. Larger screen with more holes. Re-engineered to reduce turbulence.
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 and MSCA gave a very special thanks to Barb Dolim for her service as MSCA’s Executive Director for more than 39 years. MSCA Chair Mike Star, the current members of the MSCA Board of Managers, many of the past MSCA Chairs, MCAA President Armand Kilijian, and MCAA CEO Tim Brink were on hand to express their thanks and wish Barb well on her upcoming retirement. The celebration took place at MSCA21 in Scottsdale, AZ on October 14, 2021.
MSCA Chair Mike Star said:
It has been my pleasure to get to know Barb, to serve as the MSCA Board of Managers Chair this past year and witness her commitment to the industry firsthand. Her extraordinary dedication, passion, and creativity has built the MSCA community we all enjoy today.
MCAA CEO Tim Brink spoke of the impact Barb has had during her time with MSCA, saying:
Barb has been with MCAA for over 39 years becoming executive director for MSCA in 1985. Over the years there have been many changes, from how we engage with MSCA members, changes in the industry itself, and even Barb’s evolving style, but one thing has remained completely consistent: her daily commitment to the Mechanical Service Contractors Association and her deep collaboration with the United Association in administering the National Service and Maintenance Agreement.
Barb has always led with vision—she played a key role in the development of the new marketing and membership initiative in 1990 that propelled MSCA to be the premier resource for the mechanical service industry.
Barb recognized the need for focused and robust education and developed MSCA’s first-ever national education conference in 1985. In 2019, MSCA’s 34th Annual Education Conference at the Broadmoor Hotel was attended by a record 780 people. This year’s conference sold out in 10 days. This is what Barb built.
As you can see, there are a lot of people here who appreciate what you have done, and who will miss your leadership, passion, and guidance. I think it’s remarkable that your time with us has been particularly defined by one key word: Service. Thank You
Barb Dolim also took the stage to thank all the MSCA members. She was presented with an award from MCAA for her remarkable service. She also received electric bikes for her and her husband Mike, a present from her Board of Managers and Past Chairs. Woody Woodall presented the gift for them while expressing how important and profound Barb’s time with MSCA has been.
While it was an emotional moment, all are excited for Barb to continue onto the next step in her life. Mike Star summed it up best by concluding the celebration with these words:
Barb, congratulations on your retirement, it was 39 years in the making…and you have truly earned it!
She really has earned a wonderful retirement in her new home state, Utah. She is joined by her husband, Mike, both her children and their spouses, and their four (and soon to be five!) grandchildren.
By installing Procore software, Monterey Mechanical Co. was finally able to offer mobile information access to everyone on its team. The efficiencies gained work out to a savings of one day a week of work per employee. Monterey Mechanical credits Procore with helping them complete projects early, as in the case of a Brentwood, CA, water treatment plant, and under budget, as with a San Francisco wastewater treatment facility.
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.
Registration opens this week for the MCAA’s top-level project management training program, the Advanced Institute for Project Management. Class 18 of this annual course will take place in Austin TX, January 31 – February 4, 2022. Intended for senior project managers, project executives, and operations officers, this five-day program will cover a host of topics appropriate to those who are managing multiple large projects, other project managers, a PM department, or the project-driven portion of company operations. Tuition for the course is $2,900. Registration is done online, and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit the AIPM webpage where you can learn more about the program and access the registration link starting this Tuesday.
As we approach the MEP Innovation Conference in January, MCAA is scheduling a mini-series of VDC webinars to help get the discussion going. Each of these sessions features a contractor’s case study as they have adapted their processes to compete in the age of digital construction.
The CAD to BIM software evolution has brought tremendous benefits for MEP contractors – creating less re-work and better coordination. Many contractors want to reap those benefits however making that shift can be challenging. Often, the transition is the toughest part. Detailers must unlearn engrained AutoCAD processes. It takes time to get the efficiency gains touted by the software. During the implementation stage, processes often take longer before they eventually improve. In this first webinar with icon Mechanical’s Vice-President of Engineering, Tim Riedle, shares valuable insights and first-hand experience with that transition.
In this webinar, Tim Riedle features a case study detailing icon’s progression to Revit using Trimble SysQue. Viewers will learn how to begin their journey to Revit and best practices to implement along the way.
Don’t forget to register now for the 2022 MEP Innovation Conference, powered by Trimble. This year, MCAA, NECA and SMACNA have teamed up, bringing you over 60 of the most innovative contractors to present January 24-26 live in Tampa, Florida at the Tampa Marriott Water Street.
MCAA has developed the most in-depth conference on construction technology and innovation to date. MCAA first launched the Technology Conference for MCAA members back in 2016 as a way to share knowledge and spark ideas and innovation through collaboration, demonstration and peer-to-peer instruction. The event has continued to grow year after year. In 2021, the conference was renamed and pushed further with the inclusion of NECA and SMACNA contractors providing a broader depth of experience. This year, MCAA, NECA and SMACNA have announced a joint partnership, bringing over 60 of the most innovative contractors to present January 24-26 at the 2022 MEP Innovation Conference, powered by Trimble.
Sessions at this year’s conference will be led by the country’s leading mechanical, plumbing, electrical, sheet metal and service contractors. The MEP Conference will provide a comprehensive view of the solutions digitizing our processes, using VDC software, fabricating all trades, coordinating projects with new software and using new tools to improve productivity. Sessions will be geared toward Operations Managers, VDC teams, Project Managers and Fabrication Managers.
Conference registration will be limited due to COVID restrictions. Registration will be open to MCAA/MSCA, NECA and SMACNA members as well as their union affiliated partners. For more information, visit the MEP Innovation Conference Website and register today!
Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s Quality Assurance Manual. This user-friendly, comprehensive guide will help you develop QA processes and documenting systems; it provides an easy way to evaluate your existing system.
Developed by an expert consultant, this step-by-step guide provides the elements of a QA system, which you can modify to suit your company’s needs and your customers’ requirements. Included: time- and expense-saving forms.
Contact MCAA’s Frank Wall.
MSCA recognized outgoing Board members, welcomed a new chair and introduced the members of the 2021 – 2022 MSCA Board of Managers during the MSCA21 Closing Session on October 17, 2021.
Bob Dill and Kane Armistead were recognized for their service on the MSCA Board of Managers and their commitment and dedication to MSCA and the industry.
Mike Star concluded his year as Chair of the MSCA Board of Managers and introduced the new chair, Mark Crockett. Mark is Vice President and Owner of Crockett Facilities Services in Lanham, MD, a company he and his wife Cindy have owned since 1999.
Mark is a graduate of the Calhoun MEBA Merchant Marine Engineering School and holds a Masters Certificate in Government Contracting from George Washington University. He grew up in south Baltimore and currently resides in Key West, FL.
He and Cindy have two sons and one granddaughter with a grandson due next month. In his spare time you will find Mark boating, fly fishing, paddle boarding or mixing a mean cocktail.
In his first duty as MSCA Chair, Mark Crockett presented Mike Star with a certificate to thank him for his commitment to MSCA and all the time and effort he has devoted to the association over the years. He then introduced the 2021-22 MSCA Board of Managers members who work tirelessly to provide MSCA members with resources and educational programming to help grow their companies and prepare them for future success.
They are:
Rich Happel, Vice Chair
UMC
Mukilteo, WA
Renee Fiorelli, Treasurer
Peterson Service Company Inc.
Medford, NJ
Mike Star, Past Chair
Lane Associates
Island Park, NY
David Geith
Emcor Services/MESA Energy
Irvine, CA
Drew Harrison
Harrison Energy Partners
Little Rock, AR
Mike McHenry
Enginuity LLC
Mechanicsburg, PA
Michael Rosone
Arista Air Conditioning
Long Island City, NY
Adam Wallenstein
Neptune Plumbing and Heating
Cleveland, OH
He thanked everyone for their continued support and for the time they invest in MSCA, saying, “It is through our collective strengths and expertise that we will all continue to grow and prosper.”
On October 15, 2021, the White House announced that as of November 8, 2021, the COVID-19 travel restrictions for international travelers coming into the United States will be lifted for those who:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a list of vaccines that will be accepted as evidence of being fully vaccinated. In short, the list of approved vaccines includes COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved or authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:
The CDC has indicated that the guidance also applies to COVID-19 vaccines that have been listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization, such as AstraZeneca/Oxford. The CDC considers individuals to be fully vaccinated either two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
COVID-19 testing requirements will remain in place for all airline travelers entering the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people. Travelers are required to present evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result from no more than three days before their entry into the United States or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past three months before being permitted to board a flight to the United States. (For more information, see International Travel During COVID-19.)
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the department will ease restrictions on entry into the United States for fully vaccinated travelers from Canada and Mexico in early November. The United States had imposed entry restrictions on border crossings with Canada and Mexico to limit nonessential travel since the start of the pandemic. The restrictions have been extended monthly. According to DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the new rules will be implemented in phases, starting on November 8, 2021, to allow fully vaccinated travelers to cross the border for nonessential reasons, while unvaccinated travelers will only be allowed to enter for essential reasons. By early January 2022, DHS will require evidence of being fully vaccinated for travelers to cross the border into the United States for any reason.
This most recent update means that travelers from regions previously subject to U.S. COVID travel bans (Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the Schengen Area) will now be able to enter the U.S. directly from those countries, so long as they meet the requirements for being fully vaccinated and have evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of their entry into the United States. Land border crossings will now be easier for fully vaccinated travelers.
To MCAA members and JATC trustees considering attendance at events sponsored by the International Training Fund:
The Trustees of the UA International Training Fund (ITF) are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees, instructors, and students participating in training events sponsored by the ITF.
To ensure safe and healthy training, the ITF has developed and adopted the following Preparedness Plan for in-person training that requires proof of COVID vaccination as a precondition of in-person participation.
The Plan applies to all in-person training events sponsored by the ITF in any location throughout the United States, including the upcoming Pipe Trades Training Conference, as well as Instructor Training Program, International Apprentice Contest and all Regional Training Classes.
Participants in any sponsored ITF event are responsible for complying with all aspects of the Plan.
For the past eleven years, MSCA has partnered with Convoy of Hope to help local charities in the communities where we have held our annual conferences. On Tuesday, October 12, numerous MSCA Board and member volunteers delivered a tractor trailer of needed supplies to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, a short distance from the location for MSCA21.
Thanks to your incredible donations, we raised over $40,000 to assist the Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Spouses did their part by participating in the annual Packing Party on Saturday, October 16. Take a look…
Convoy of Hope is a nonprofit organization that serves more than 35 million people throughout the world through international feeding programs, community outreaches and disaster-response. Convoy is always one of the first relief organizations on the ground when a natural disaster strikes anywhere in the world. Recently, for example, they were the first organization to arrive when the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti and when Hurricane Ida devastated the south, distributing meals, hygiene kits and sheltering supplies. They have also been sending water supplies to the western US where fires, drought and record-breaking heat are having a major impact on the area.
The Phoenix Rescue Mission is a place of hope, healing, and new beginnings for men, women, and children in the community struggling with homelessness, addiction, and trauma. At the mission, they also helped out by unloading the truckload of supplies, spreading gravel at the women’s campus, packing food totes and working at the local elementary school.
Reunite with your MCAA family and dance the night away with the Spazmatics! Come enjoy all the awesome sounds, styles and way cool dance steps from the 1980’s decade we’d love to forget, but are happy to remember. Complete with skinny ties, fashionable hairstyles, and horn-rimmed glasses, the Spazmatics recapture the best of the worst. Outstanding musicianship combined with creative flair and style makes for an evening of pure energy and entertainment. Don’t miss the Spazmatics at MCAA22’s Opening Party on Sunday, March 17th.
Registration is now open. Save your spot today!
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:
Anaco-Husky
Follow the Leader, choose Husky SD 4000 Heavy Duty Couplings. Visit our website and check out the new members of the Husky family.
Miller Electric Mfg. Co.
Simplified and optimized for pipe fabrication shop welding, the PipeWorx 400 Welding System’s streamlined set-up with one touch welding, quick process changeover, and Pulsed and Modified Short-Arc MIG processes, makes training and turn-around times faster than ever before.
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!
Seven years ago, MSCA introduced the Everyday Hero Award, thanks to the inspiration of MSCA21 D.S. O’Brien Award winner Dick Starr. The award was created to recognize an employee from one of our member companies who, in his or her own extraordinary way, quietly gives of their time and skills to benefit others while seeking no recognition or compensation.
“During the past year and a half, as we all dealt with the pandemic in our personal lives and our businesses, I think we all witnessed many acts of heroism, compassion, kindness and concern for our neighbors and friends,” said MSCA Chair Mike Star, adding, “Unlike previous years, we could not select just one winner but decided to recognize all of those ‘heroes’ that were nominated.”
The heroes are:
Kevin Armistead
COO
Armistead Mechanical
Waldwick, NJ
Melissa Feiler
Tool and Equipment Manager
UMC, Inc.
Mukilteo, WA
Greg Gyorda
Director of Customer and Employee Training
Watts Water Technologies
North Andover, MA
Harry Harris
Service Technician
Enginuity LLC
Mechanicsburg, PA
Kim Keith
Dispatcher
Enginuity LLC
Mechanicsburg, PA
Lure Martrano
Dispatcher
Enginuity LLC
Mechanicsburg, PA
Everett Washington
Service Technician
The Waldinger Corporation
Madison, WI
Each of these heroes will be receiving a special certificate and gift card. MCAA and MSCA thank them all for going above and beyond.
Dick Starr received the 2021 D.S. O’Brien Award of Excellence at the MSCA21 education conference in Scottsdale, AZ on October 14. This award was established in 2000 to recognize individuals who exhibit extraordinary dedication and outstanding commitment to our industry and to MSCA.
MSCA Board of Managers Chair Mike Star presented the award, saying:
I am certain you will agree that this year’s winner exemplifies all those traits. This year’s winner is also very special to me as a long time family friend and I met him at my very first MSCA conference. He has been a friend, mentor and an inspiration to me, both personally and professionally, in so many ways ever since. He was very influential in encouraging me to get active in MSCA and look where that has taken me today.
In 1977 our winner purchased a small HVAC company in Cleveland, OH and over 40 years grew it to one of the leading providers of HVAC services and controls in the area. In 2011 he was named Commercial Contractor of the year by Contracting Business Magazine. He has served on numerous MSCA and MCAA committees and was the MSCA chair in 2014. He was also the brains behind the MSCA Everyday Hero Award. He has a passion for educating and recruiting young people and fostering an interest in our industry. He performs volunteer work for a number of organizations and is active in his Church.
Above all though, he is a family man – married to his wife Patti, father to 4 daughters and a grandfather to 11. He is an expert on paying for weddings and if you need advice, I’m certain he would be happy to share. And, I also hear, he is now a published author.
MCAA and MSCA appreciate Dick’s dedication to and passion for our industry and our association. Congratulations!
