Organization: MCAA

Nelson Stark Brings Abandoned Factory Back to Life With Viega Products

Putting Viega products to work allowed Nelson Stark Company to overcome the slew of challenges that came with repurposing a dilapidated factory into a mixed-use development. The contractor knew that Viega’s flameless press technology was the clear choice for renovating the historic building safely and for installing piping much faster than other pipe-joining methods. Viega is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

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Looking for More Smart Solutions?

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.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

MCAA’s Sponsor Spotlight 16 Welcomes Gary Moore, Victaulic Executive Vice President

In the sixteenth episode of MCAA’s Sponsor Spotlight series, Brian Helm, MCAA President is joined by Gary Moore, Victaulic’s Global Executive Vice President of Sales. The Sponsor Spotlight Series is a new way for MCAA contractor members to learn more about the Manufacturer/Supplier Council (M/SC) Governing Board members, their products, their relationship with MCAA, and what being a member means to them.

Gary began his career with Victaulic in June 1988 as a sales representative in Canada. Within ten years, he was made the President of Victaulic Canada. When he moved to the United States in 2003, he was first the Vice President of Sales in North America, followed by North and South America, and finally, the Americas and EMEAI. He took on his current role as the company’s Global Executive Vice President of Sales in 2009. Gary was the National Director of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada’s Supplier Council, and he has been involved with the MCAA Manufacturer/Supplier Council in the U.S. for the last 18 years, including three years on the Board of Directors.

OSHA Launches National Emphasis Program to Protect High Risk Workers from COVID-19

The new administration’s January 21, 2021 Executive Order, Protecting Worker Safety and Health, requires OSHA to evaluate it’s COVID-19 enforcement actions and make improvements where necessary. In response, OSHA has launched a national emphasis program focusing enforcement efforts on companies that put the largest number of workers at serious risk of contracting the coronavirus. The program also prioritizes employers that retaliate against workers for complaints about unsafe or unhealthy conditions, or for exercising other rights protected by federal law.

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Women in Construction Week Celebrated Amazing Industry Women

MCAA was proud to have the opportunity to spotlight so many women in our industry this week on our social media channels in celebration of Women in Construction Week. Here’s a recap of just some of the amazing talent that we have in our industry, in case you missed it.

Meet Jenyll Allende F+F Mechanical in North Haven, CT. Jenyll fell into the industry 20 years ago when she was working a dead-end job barely making ends meet. She says that it was a lot tougher back then, the older generation were a lot harder on women in the trade but things have definitely improved a lot over the years. “I’d love to see a pre-maternity leave so you can still work through pregnancy.”

Meet Vanessa Conrad with CCI Mechanical, Inc. in Salt Lake City, UT. Vanessa has just joined the CCI team but has been in the trade for 21 years. Vanessa’s favorite project she’s worked on has been Intel in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The project was chaotic, but the teamwork and camaraderie has been unmatched. Vanessa is continuously complimented on her organization skills and work ethic. “I enjoy the stories shared among others in the field and the challenges that come with the trade.”

Meet Ke’La Daniels with U.S. Engineering and Local 533 in Kansas City. Ke’La enjoys working in the industry’s changing environment, working with her hands and doesn’t mind getting a little dirty. She’s always reaching out to women she knows, encouraging them to join the trade. She encourages others to always pay attention, listen and get information from those who have been in the trade for a long time to learn the “tricks”. She’s a strong believer that most of her knowledge has come from talking to everyone and meeting new people. “The more women we have in the industry, the more normal it will be.”

Meet Ariel Davis with U.S. Engineering and Local 8. Her previous job closed and moved to Mexico, so she need a new career to settle into. She says it has been an all-around amazing experience and feels she has learned a lot. “You can do anything the boys can do.”

Meet Nichole Derbyshire with Peterson Service Company in Medford, NJ. Nicole is half-way through second year in the trades. She started out in childcare, moved to healthcare and then moved to trades – loving that the industry is always growing and can’t be outsourced. “It’s a good feeling to know you can work on equipment and know you can fix things. A feeling of empowerment.”

Meet Amanda Dufrane-Palmer with EMCOR Services Betlem and Local 13 in Rochester, NY.  Amanda has been in the industry for seven years and joined after coming off active duty in the Army. She recommends the industry to other women because it is understaffed by females and is a great opportunity to pave the way for other women to join the industry.  “Customers get excited to see a women because they didn’t know we existed in the industry.”

Meet Shekinah Francis with U.S. Engineering Construction in Rocky Mountain, CO. Shekinah has been in the trades for 3 years so far and loves her job. She says the industry provides the most learning opportunities has a lot of potential to move up. “Just do it. It seems scary but there is more opportunity here than anywhere else.”

Meet Kate Gunther, John W. Danforth Company, Tonawanda, NY. She has been in the industry since 2012,  and went through Helmets to Hard Hats. Starting in the Air Force, Kate knew wanted to get into the trades. She looked at steam fitting and pipefitting, and it turns out they were hiring! “The industry is a great place for the strong willed and those eager to learn and grow.”

Meet Rene Johnson with EMCOR Services/MESA in Energy in Irvine, CA. Rene started out in the office of her dad’s AC company and saw all the people in field making more money and thought “I could do that job.” She says the industry is a lot more accepting now than when she started 31 years ago. Rene love passing the knowledge that she has learned through the years on to the new people in the trade. Her advice to them is to not take any short cuts, start from the bottom and work your way up. Respect isn’t given it’s earned. “Don’t tell me how good you are, show it in your work.”

Meet Payten King with U.S. Engineering Metalworks in Rocky Mountain, CO.  Payten has officially been in the trades for 2 years, but her experience started long before that. Her stepdad owns a welding company and when she was 14 years old, he had a project that required all the family’s help. She says the experience hasn’t always been easy and has taken a lot of adjusting but it it’s a great skill to learn and the industry will always be around! “Once he put the welder in my hand, I decided to make a career out of it.”

Meet Coley Maurer with U.S. with Engineering Construction and Local 192 in Rocky Mountain, CO. Coley has been in the industry for almost 6 years. She joined the industry through the single women’s program, Climb Wyoming. She says her experience has been really great and that she has met a lot of really amazing, all American people just trying to earn an honest living to take care of their families. She describes the industry as a Brotherhood and Sisterhood. “It’s a hard day’s work but you drive by a project you were a part of and feel really proud of what you accomplished.”

Meet Deborah Mullen with Corporate Mechanical of New England and Local 537 in Woburn, MA. Deborah has been with Corporate since 2019 and is a second-generation pipefitter. She enjoys learning from experienced Foreman on new ways to get a job done. Her toughest job challenge was drilling ¾ drop-in anchors on a 12-foot ladder over her head. “ Working in the trades has helped me build confidence.”

Meet Nicole Patchett with UMC, Inc. in Mukilteo, WA. Nicole tried quite a few traditional female jobs and had a hard time acclimating so she looked into nontraditional jobs. She started with residential HVAC and fell in love with the culture of the industry. A friend encouraged her to join the union and it has been a very positive experience. She says it can be really intimidating but is a really positive experience and the camaraderie is very high. “Give it a try! Most women don’t even give themselves the chance to succeed in the commercial trade fields.”

Meet Lindsay Phillips with US Engineering and Local 8 in Kansas City. Lindsay started as a chef before joining the industry five years ago. Starting out she felt she had to prove herself a lot and that there was a balance between being herself and walking the line to the gain trust of her team. She’s the third generation in her family to join the trades and loves the benefits that the trades have to offer. “Stand your ground but don’t take yourself too seriously.”

Meet Patty Rizzo with John W. Danforth Company in Tonawanda, NY. Patty joined the industry twenty years ago. She says there are good days and bad days and the industry can be like having 40 brothers and one ex-husband but it is a great opportunity for growth and the freedom to be able to pay your own bills and not be beholden to anyone else. “Very satisfying when you are confident in the job and get the respect you deserve.”

Meet Kerry Sampson with Unique Metal Works and Local 17 in Pawtucket, RI. Kerry joined Unique in 2018. She was looking for steady employment with good pay, benefits, and a retirement option so she could build a comfortable life with her daughter. She said, “Often, I am usually the only woman working in my trade on job sites. Kerry says she constantly pushes herself physically and mentally to prove that she can keep up to the men working beside her.

Meet Ivette Saunders with MJ Daly and Local 676 in Waterbury, CT. Ivette has been with MJ Daly since 2015. She started doing HVAC work when she was in the Air Force. She enjoyed it so much; she pursued it once she on the civilian side. “I am proud to be part of the team.”

Meet Heather Shreve with U.S. Engineering Construction, in Rocky Mountain, CO. As a kid, Heather enjoyed working with her hands and knew she wanted to choose career in the construction trade. Even though her dad was a general contractor, she received a lot of pushback from family but eventually settled on plumbing because of its versatility – loving that it was never the same thing every day. “Construction makes me happy. I love building things.”

Meet Reena Smith with US Engineering Construction and Local 192 in Rocky Mountain, CO. She is 3rd generation in the trade, following her father and grandfather who were plumbers and pipefitters. Reena has been in the industry for more than 20 years and says it has changed a lot. When she started there weren’t accommodations for women, like female restrooms. She had to work harder than the men, and her work was always picked out but now feels she’s treated more equal. “Stick with it. If you fail, take your mess-ups and keep going.”

Meet Janice Snidow with U.S. Engineering Metalworks in Rocky Mountain, CO. Janice has been in industry for 40 years. Growing up she was a hands-on girl and loved helping her dad, who was a plumber. He encouraged her to try a mechanical apprenticeship which she started right out of highs school. Janice says the industry has changed a lot since she joined – it was a lot harder in the years past with women being new to the trade – took a while for the respect for women to grow. “It’s an awesome career. Expect to work hard and don’t expect favoritism. Just do the best you can!”

Meet Amber-Rose Sousa with Arden Engineering Constructors in Pawtucket, RI. Amber has been with Arden for four years but is not new to construction job sites. She has been visiting sites with her Dad, an electrician, since she was four years old. He taught her that being able to work with your hands and know a trade is very important. Working as a project manager, she feels like the captain and team leader – the one who makes a project possible, ensuring things stay on budget and schedule from start to finish. “With every successful project I deliver, I gain more confidence in my abilities.”

Meet Quiema Spencer, Master Pipefitter for Local 533 in Kansas City, MO. Quiema is incredibly involved in the industry, sitting on the Board of Directors for the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom, President of the Heartland Women in Trades and was leader in the statewide campaign against Right-To-Work in Missouri. In addition, she has been an annual volunteer instructor in Camp NAWIC, a weeklong summer program to encourage young high-school aged women to consider their options in non-traditional occupations in building trades. Her five-year apprenticeship was an experience much like her trade school experience–very few minority women. She was the first of only two African American women in Pipefitter’s Local 533.  “Don’t shy away from the many challenges ahead of you. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.”

Meet Serene Thomas with US Engineering and Local 533 in Kansas City. During her career she been an Instructor at the Pipefitter Training Center, sat on the P.F. Finance Board, served as Interim Financial Secretary Treasurer, Delegate for MO chapter of AFL-CIO, Member of Heartland Women in Trade (HWIT) a not-for-profit volunteer organization comprised of women in the KC area that are in Union Building trades. My career in the construction industry has been fun, challenging, fulfilling, and has matured me in ways I never thought possible. But without the help and support of other trades women, family members and other industry advocates that want to see women and minorities work and thrive as Tradespeople, all of the above wouldn’t be possible. It is my hope that I will be that same support and advocate for the next generation of women in construction. “Don’t allow fear to dictate if you take the opportunities. Push past it.”

Meet Angel Whitequills with CCI Mechanical, Inc. in Salt Lake City, UT.  She joined the trades and Local 140 Plumber and Pipe Fitters Union for the lifelong career, hands on experience and traveling opportunities. Angel graduated valedictorian in her class at the apprenticeship program and was runner up for student of the year. She is complimented on thinking outside of the box, being bright and has a great work ethic. “I’m proud to be a part of the construction trade and be able to look back and that that I’ve helped build in the community.”

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Excavation Safety for Mechanical Construction Safety Training Video

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 Excavation Safety Training Video, which teaches workers to use protective systems and safe work practices to ensure their work in excavations will be as safe as any other part of the job.

Workers will learn:

  • How soil types govern protective system safety requirements
  • How weather conditions can change soil types
  • When it’s safe to enter an excavation
  • Why atmospheric monitoring is so important
  • When protective systems are needed
  • The importance of effective access and egress
  • What to do if they see anything that could be hazardous
  • What to do in case of an excavation cave-in

Download or play the video

There’s More…

Excavation cave-ins happen so quickly there is literally no time to react, so MCAA offers accompanying materials to assist members in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts:

Highlight Key Training Points

Download the Pocket Guide

Document Worker Training

Download the Documentation Sheet

Confirm that Workers Understand the Training Concepts

Download the Test

Download the Test Answer Key

Want Even More Safety Resources?

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.

Go there now

In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.

Visit the Resource Center

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

Highlighting NEI Instructor Nancy Bandy

MCAA’s National Education Initiative (NEI) Seminars bring our best programs to your local association or your company thanks to instructors like Nancy Bandy, Managing Director of TRAINSITIONS Consulting Group LLC.

Nancy draws on many years of experience in training and management consulting to develop and deliver highly effective custom training programs using proven experiential learning methods.

She is well known among MSCA members and has been responsible for developing and delivering many of the MSCA courses, webinars, and other resources highly popular with MSCA members. Prior to starting her own company, Nancy’s previous experience included executive positions with Coldwell Banker, Koll Real Estate Services, CB Richard Ellis and Strategic HR Services.

She offers four NEI seminar series designed specifically for service.

The Sales Development Series (SDS) Seminars for Service series is designed for your service sales team to excel by successfully prospecting, building presentation skills and fostering strong relationships with the customer.

Employee Development Series (EDS) Seminars for Service are geared towards all team members as they focus on developing and building the skills necessary to perform their best in and out of the office.

The Management Development Series (MDS) Seminars for Service are designed for managers to hone their coaching skills through positive feedback, motivation and recognition. The seminars teach how to build accountable teams and manage the dynamic of change. Fostering the idea of team success is key.

The Customer Service Series (CSS) Seminars for Service are designed for service professionals to enhance their service skills and create a culture of service starting at the top, with emphasis on customer loyalty and managing their most valuable assets.

Like our other NEI instructors, Nancy brings her unique blend of industry and teaching experience to virtual courses, a new NEI offering. Providing top notch, accessible education for everyone in your organization is what the MCAA’s NEI is all about! Even during the COVID-19 era. Visit the NEI website for more information about these seminars and a full list of the NEI courses available to MCAA members.

Don’t Forget to Register – MCAA’s Virtual Education Conference is Less than Two Weeks Away!

As part of the MCAA Virtual Education Conference (VEC) | Essential Learning for Unconventional Times, you will have exclusive access to a very important seminar featuring United Association General President Mark McManus and MCAA President Brian Helm as they discuss our industry including past, current and future impacts of COVID-19, membership, jobsites, and all joint UA/MCAA efforts. You will also have the opportunity to learn about cybersecurity from Nick Espinosa, the emerging mechanical contracting trends from Landon Funsten & Jason Baumgarten, how to grow a strong and profitable service business from best-in-class service contractors and much, much more!

Register today and join your MCAA friends and colleagues online at MCAA’s first Virtual Education Conference (VEC) Essential Learning for Unconventional Times, March 22 – 25, 2021. 

Registration is available for individuals and for companies (up to 10 registrants per company registration). Questions can be directed to eventregistration@mcaa.org.

We look forward to seeing you in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS! 

REGISTER NOW

Withum COVID-19 Bill Update – 3/9/21

National accounting firm Withum shares some recent developments from the IRS with respect to the ERC and one PPP development.

IRS Issues Notice 2021-20:

On the evening of March 1, the IRS released 102 pages worth of guidance surrounding the 2020 ERC program. While much of the notice was regurgitating the FAQs already on its website, they did provide some notable clarifications:

  • Self-employed individuals are not entitled to ERC with respect to their own wages, but can claim the credit for their employees’ wages.
  • Entities subject to aggregation are treated as one employer to determine the following: (i) full or partial shutdown rule, (ii) gross receipts test, (iii) 2019 FTE calculation, and (iv) determining maximum credit per employee.
  • Rules surrounding full or partial suspension of activities were greatly expanded, installing a definition of ‘nominal’ for businesses who have part of their business shut down while others are able to continue to operate. These rules are fairly facts and circumstances based, so we recommend you reach out to your advisor to discuss on a more detailed level. 
  • Interplay of PPP is discussed with 7 examples provided – in general, the notice reaffirms the flexibility of wages to be allocated in advantageous manner between programs. It further clarifies that borrowers who have already submitted their loan forgiveness application can re-allocate wages to the ERC, provided those wages were not needed to obtain forgiveness within the context of the PPP forgiveness application was filed – any excess wages can be re-allocated as necessary.
  • IRS confirmed that when claiming the 2020 credit, separate 941-Xs should be filed for each quarter. 

Taxation of the ERC:

We have received many questions around this, so we thought it appropriate to include a point of emphasis. Unfortunately, the ERC carries with it a disallowance of otherwise deductible costs in the amount of the credit. Because the amount of the credit will reduce otherwise deductible expenses, this means that taxable income for recipients will increase. Generally, this taxable income increase would occur in the year to which the credit relates. This is an important note, as companies applying now for the 2020 credit will have to adjust their 2020 taxable income and 2020 tax returns. This treatment seems particularly inequitable, especially because the actual credit amount for borrowers not receiving the amounts is not likely to be received until well after the tax deadline. We are working on a more detailed discussion of this issue, which will be posted in our resource center in short order. 

Federal Reserve Board Extends PPP Facility to June 30, 2021:

We also have one piece of news regarding the PPP to share. The Federal Reserve Board announced yesterday that it will extend the expiration date of the PPP servicing from March 31, 2021 to June 30, 2021. It is unclear whether this will also be followed by Congress and/or the SBA. The deadline of March 31, 2021 was set by the CAA, which would need to be updated in order to allow applications to be approved after March 31, 2021. If extended to June 30, 2021, this would provide businesses, including those with more than 20 employees who have not been able to apply for the PPP over the last two weeks, some comfort that they will not be up against a March 31 deadline to be approved. In theory, an extension also would provide the ability of a borrower who received PPP1 funding during 2021 to use the funds within the rules of the program and then apply for PPP2 funding prior to the cutoff date of June 30, 2021.  

These last two weeks have been busy from the IRS and SBA – with Congress in the final phases of stimulus package negotiations, we are sure to have further updates for you in the coming week. As always, we welcome you to follow along our Stimulus Package Headquarters resource center, where we will continue to publish information as notable guidance becomes available. If you have questions on the above information, please reach out to your Withum advisor.

Find the Latest from DEWALT Industrial Tool Company and FastEST, Inc. 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:

DEWALT Industrial Tool Company
Be sure to check-out the entire offering of DEWALT Anchors & Fasteners. DEWALT offers the most ICC-ES approvals for Mechanical and Adhesive Anchors in the Industry.

Learn More

FastEST, Inc.
FastPIPE®, FastDUCT®, and FastWRAP™ — accurate, fast, and easy-to-use mechanical estimating software.

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

Robin Cowper Becomes First Woman JATC Chair

Ed Kommers, Executive Director of the MCA of Western Washington (MCAWW) announced that MCAWW Associate Director Robin Cowper was elected Chair of the local union-management apprenticeship (JATC) committee. She is the first woman chair and the first association executive to hold that position locally.  

The apprenticeship committee is one of the most critical, important, and visible labor-management entities in our industry.

Robin’s election is also significant in that it was suggested by the employer members on the committee and fully supported by the local union business manager.

In addition to serving on the committee for a number of years, Robin has shown her dedication to apprenticeship by teaching soft skills classes to apprentices, participating in interviews, and conducting “mock interviews.”

Ed Kommers said, “Our ever-increasing number of female apprentices will see an apprenticeship committee that reflects the demographics of the 500 apprentices in the program. Robin will do well on the committee and Good Luck to her!”

MCAA’s Innovative Technologies Initiative Upgrades the Tech Conference to the 2021 MEP Innovation Conference – Join Us April 26-28!

One of the hardest challenges with technology is looking to improve on something that is already working and effective. Since 2016, MCAA has been producing a successful Technology Conference that focuses on sharing new ideas, processes and solutions with its members. But just because it was the leading technology conference in the industry doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.

The MCAA 2021 MEP Innovation Conference looks to build on its previous success by inviting more union affiliated sub-contractors to participate. The conference has been rebuilt to include content for mechanical, plumbing, service, electrical and sheet metal contractors. MCAA has partnered with NECA and SMACNA to provide trade-specific content for electrical and sheet metal trades, as well as extended MCAA member pricing to their membership.

“We perform work for multiple trades like many other MCAA members, so hearing about the latest tools and processes on sheet metal is just as valuable to us as are topics on mechanical.” Stacy Zerr, Director of Pre-Construction at Waldinger noted. “In addition, most of the content in our technology education is going to be directly relevant to any MEP contractor participating.  Having electricians and sheet metal participants in roundtables and breakouts just makes the discussions more valuable because we are getting better perspective and making connections.”

The three-day conference has been moved from its typical January dates to April 26-28 in order to accommodate its transition to virtual. While there are challenges in moving this conference to a virtual structure, the format has some distinct advantages for the Innovation Conference when paired with corporate pricing. Individuals can attend for $200 a person, or up to 10 people from the same company can attend for a $400 corporate registration.  This creates an opportunity for a wider range of attendees based on job type than might normally attend an in-person conference.

“It’s hard to replace an in-person meeting but being able to deliver technology training beyond BIM and VDC allows for us to reach more job types like project managers, estimators and even safety personnel, who might not normally attend this conference,” Sean McGuire, MCAA’s Director of Innovative Technologies noted. “For companies looking to utilize a corporate registration, now you might assign a safety director to a few classes or an estimator and we have the space to provide a breakout session on it.”

This thinking extends to sessions that are specific to sheet metal, electrical, service and plumbing. A wider range of courses are available this year on topics that might be relatively narrow. The common thread to all of these is that every breakout and roundtable is being driven by contractor case studies. This peer-to-peer instruction provides directly relevant experience and guidance in each session. 

To learn more and register, visit the MCAA 2021 MEP Innovation Conference Website. The conference is only open to MCAA, NECA, SMACNA members and their union partners.

MCAA MEMBER REGISTRATION

NECA and SMACNA REGISTRATION

For more information or questions, please contact Sean McGuire.

Xcel Mechanical’s Labor Savings Rocket With NIBCO Press for Aerospace Remodel

Xcel Mechanical Systems estimated saving as much as 40 percent in labor on some aspects of an aerospace laboratory renovation project by using NIBCO® Press fittings and valves. Xcel, based in Gardena, CA, was hired to design and build the mechanical, plumbing, and process piping elements to expand and modernize an occupied research and development facility in southern California for one of the nation’s largest aerospace firms. NIBCO INC. is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

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Looking for More Smart Solutions?

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.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

MCAA Welcomes Jon Howland, Marketing Director for DEWALT Industrial Tool Company in Sponsor Spotlight 15

In the fifteenth episode of MCAA’s Sponsor Spotlight series, MCAA CEO, Tim Brink welcomes Jon Howland, Marketing Director, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. The Sponsor Spotlight Series is a new way for MCAA contractor members to learn more about the Manufacturer/Supplier Council (M/SC) Governing Board members, their products, their relationship with MCAA, and what being a member means to them.

An innovative and highly-effective strategist with a track record of delivering multimillion-dollar sales increases through the implementation of astute marketing initiatives focused on the Commercial and Industrial End User, Jon Howland serves as a Marketing Director for the Industrial and Commercial Division of the North America Commercial Team within Stanley Black & Decker’s Global Tools & Storage Division. A twenty-six-year veteran of Stanley Black & Decker, in his current role, Jon’s main charge is developing and executing a relevant approach for the division’s commercial and digital implementation of its Total Trade Solutions offering through their Enterprise Solutions Teams by working closely with Trade Organizations, Associations, and Companies articulating the Corporation’s Innovation, Safety, Productivity, and Profitability message. Jon is a veteran of the United States Navy; chairman of Stanley Black & Decker’s Global Tools & Storage Veterans Network Employee Resource Group; Member of the National Board of Directors of the ToolBank USA; and representative on the MCAA Manufacturer/Supplier Council. He and his wife, Erin, reside in Towson, MD with their twins, Mac & Livi.

The bold portfolio of Stanley Black & Decker’s brands, products, and services, inclusive of their Total Trade Solutions, is anchored by Dewalt, Dewalt Anchors & Fasteners, Lenox Tools, and Proto Industrial Tools from which Howland drives End User acquisition and fidelity. 

Need Guidance On Your Electrical Safety Lockout/Tagout Program to Comply with NFPA 70E – 2021? MCAA Has What You Need

NFPA 70E is the industry consensus standard for electrical safety in the workplace. It is part of the National Electrical Codes, and it is revised by the National Fire Protection Association every three years. The most current version is NFPA 70E – 2021. Parts of the standard help us protect our service technicians from electrical shock and arc flash hazards. One of the provisions in the standard calls for affected employers to establish a lockout/tagout program that is specific to electrical safety. MCAA’s Model Lockout/Tagout Program for Electrical Safety, which addresses work on mechanical equipment pushing 480 volts or less, was recently revised to make it consistent with NFPA 70E – 2021.

Withum COVID-19 Update – 3/4/21

National accounting firm Withum shares information about the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) new Interim Final Rule and updated FAQs.

SBA Issues a New Interim Final Rule (“IFR”):

Much-awaited guidance on the changes to the calculation for sole proprietors and independent contractors has been released. Would-be borrowers that fall into these two categories will now be able to utilize either their net income or their gross receipts as their portion of ‘payroll costs’ with respect to calculating the loan amount . While the overall $100,000 limitation still remains, the change benefits any sole proprietor or independent contractor who has less than $100,000 of net income reported on their schedule C, but higher gross receipts. A borrower who has payroll costs paid to employees must reduce their overall gross receipts for these payroll costs in order to avoid double dipping. 

An important (and sure to be controversial) point made in the IFR is that the SBA is implementing the change on a prospective basis, and will not allow borrowers who already have an approved loan to increase their loan amount. Finally, the SBA indicated that any borrower who utilizes the gross receipts metric to calculate their loan amount, and receives in excess of $150,000 in loan (presumably combined with employees), will not be covered by the safe harbor that presumes their loan necessity certification was made in good faith. 

The SBA has also released updated borrower loan application forms to account for these changes, which can be found here. 

SBA Issues Updated FAQs: 

Concurrent with the above IFR, the SBA released updated FAQs which now reflect the changes in FAQs as a result of the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 22. The FAQs are 65 strong – some highlights are as follows:

  • FAQ 14 updates the understanding of which period the borrowers should use to determine their number of employees – borrowers may use the average employment over the time period used to calculate their loan amount to determine their number of employees for purposes of applying an employee-based size standard. Borrowers may also elect to use the SBA’s usual calculation – average number of employees per pay period in the 12 calendar months prior to the date of the loan application.
    • FAQ 36 reminds borrowers that employee count for establishing eligibility under the 500 or 300 thresholds requires a company to count all employees, not FTEs. Example provided is 200 full-time employees, 50 part-time employees working 10 hours a week – resulting employee count is 250.
  • FAQ 31 continues to indicate that all borrowers should review carefully the required certification that “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.”
  • FAQ 46 updates the prior safe harbor guidance issued around the loan necessity certification. Specifically, it indicates “because Second Draw PPP Loan borrowers must demonstrate that they have had a 25% reduction in gross revenues, all Second Draw PPP Loan borrowers will be deemed to have made the required certification concerning the necessity of the loan in good faith.” While not precluding the IRS from selecting certain loans for review, this is certainly a big update for all borrowers of PPP loans. 
  • FAQ 53 reaffirms that borrowers of $2m+ loans for PPP1 will receive the Form 3509 Loan Necessity Questionnaire and that the SBA will utilize it in conjunction with other data to affirm that the borrower made economic uncertainty certifications in good faith at the time the loan application was made. The focus continues to remain on the time at which the loan application was made, regardless is subsequent developments resulted in the loan no longer being necessary. 
  • New FAQ 61 provides color to the certification that the borrower has utilized all of the first draw PPP funds prior to the disbursement of PPP2 funding. Specifically, it indicates that a borrower can make this certification in good faith provided they have spent the funds on eligible expenses, regardless of the percentage of those funds used toward payroll costs. This appears to be a departure from a prior IFR, which seemed to indicate that the 60% requirement still had to be met.
  • New FAQ 63 reaffirms previous guidance that the alternative size standard cannot be utilized to establish eligibility for a second draw loan.

This week has been a busy week from the IRS and SBA – be on the lookout in the next couple days for another update dedicated to discussing the guidance that was issued on the ERC. As always, we welcome you to follow along our Stimulus Package Headquarters resource center, where we will continue to publish information as notable guidance becomes available. If you have questions on the above information, please reach out to your Withum advisor.

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Project Manager’s Manual

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 Project Manager’s Manual. This manual covers all aspects of mechanical industry project management, including key topics like managing change orders and claims, job cost and labor control, productivity, scheduling, safety and much more. In addition to guidance, explanation, and best practices, it includes templates and examples of commonly used forms and documents like a Short Interval Schedule.

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Ashley Martin Named NIBCO Executive Vice President

NIBCO INC., an MCAA member, announced that its Board of Directors appointed Ashley Martin as executive vice president effective immediately. Reporting to Steve Malm, president and CEO, Martin continues in her role as corporate officer and Executive Leadership Team member; and serves as member of the Board of Directors, a position she has held since 2018. She is responsible for maximizing the company’s operating performance and achieving its financial goals.

“Ashley’s business acumen, industry connections and experience have prepared her well,” said Steve Malm in announcing Martin’s appointment. “Her innate leadership qualities and strategic vision will successfully propel NIBCO forward into its fifth generation.”

Since joining NIBCO in 2012, Martin has held a variety of positions including senior vice president, sales; vice president of wholesale sales; general manager of PEX; and director of distribution and transportation.

Martin co-founded the American Supply Association Women in Industry group in 2013. She served a two-year term as chairperson, beginning in 2016.

In addition to these activities, Martin serves on MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Governing Board.

Martin received her bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind. She holds a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in strategy and operations management from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Founded in 1904, NIBCO INC. is a leading provider of valves, fittings, and flow control products for commercial, industrial and institutional construction, Navy marine markets, as well as residential and irrigation markets. NIBCO is headquartered in Elkhart, Ind., and has 13 manufacturing plants located throughout the United States and globally.

Visit NIBCO.com for information on the complete line of NIBCO products.

MCAA President-Elect Armand Kilijian Shares His Vision for the Year Ahead

MCAA President-Elect Armand Kilijian spoke with Kelly Faloon for a recent Contractor magazine article. He discussed his plans for his year as MCAA’s president, which will begin at the Annual Business Meeting & Closing General Session of MCAA’s Virtual Education Conference (Thursday, March 25, 2021 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST). He also spoke about how the changes brought about by COVID-19 have impacted both MCAA and its members.

Would a Zero Injury Safety Award from NMAPC Benefit Your Company?

The National Maintenance Agreements Policy Committee (NMAPC) is now accepting online applications for its 21st Annual Zero Injury Safety Awards® (ZISA®), which will recognize zero-injury achievements in calendar year 2020. ZISA® celebrates the efforts of industrial business owners/clients, union contractors and building trades in achieving world-class safety performance on their projects. To be eligible, projects must be completed under the terms of the National Maintenance Agreement.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ZISA® CRITERIA

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Highlighting NEI Instructor Woody Woodall

MCAA’s National Education Initiative (NEI) Seminars bring our best programs to your local association or your company thanks to instructors like Woody Woodall, the managing principal of Customer Focused Solutions, Inc.

Woody has had a long and distinguished career in the mechanical contracting industry, where he has seen and experienced the cutting edge processes that truly can make service groups the best in class in their areas.

He started as a Steamfitter with Local 602 in the Washington, D.C. area. After completing his apprenticeship, he went on to become an Instructor for the Union Apprentice Program in Washington, D.C.

Through his passion for teaching, he has since become an integral part of the education offerings of the Mechanical Service Contractors Association (MSCA). He was instrumental in helping develop many of their educational offerings, including the HVAC 101 program and the Sales Institute.

Woody has received many accolades throughout his career including Certified Instructor through the United Association and the D.S. O’Brien Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions to the industry.

His Fundamentals of Service Series (FOS) Seminars focus on the building blocks of what makes a healthy and successful service company, with an emphasis on customer service, team-building and effective communication.

Like our other NEI instructors, Woody brings his unique blend of industry and teaching experience to virtual courses, a new NEI offering. Providing top notch, accessible education for everyone in your organization is what the MCAA’s NEI is all about! Even during the COVID-19 era. Visit the NEI website for more information about these seminars and a full list of the NEI courses available to MCAA members.