What’s New / Uncategorized

Category: Uncategorized

Helm Group, Inc. Streamlines Work, Wins Jobs with Autodesk’s BIM 360

Helm Group, Inc. (formerly Mechanical, Inc.) combines leading technology like BIM 360 within Autodesk Construction Cloud^TM with Lean construction principles to implement new design, engineering, and construction methods. For example, by fabricating multitrade skids in an offsite fabrication shop, Helm Group increases collaboration and drives efficiencies to deliver highly complex projects while achieving certainty in cost, schedule, and quality. BIM 360 enables the coordination and data sharing that allows the fabrication to be so accurate that, once it arrives onsite, all that is necessary is to lift it into place and install it.

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

Connect With the Latest Training from Trimble and Ridge Tool Company at MCAA.org

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.

Ridge Tool Company
RIDGID is #1 in pressing for a reason. In this training we walk through the RP 350 and RP 342-XL. We talk about all the applications and uses to ensure you get the most out of these tools.

Interested in More Training from Our Supplier Partners?

Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.

Find the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® and Lochinvar, LLC in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
Our branch-style distribution units are a part of our new Smith Fluid Controls ™ line. You can simply and effectively prime up to four floor drain traps with one trap primer. The branches are flexible for ease of connection and are engineered so that water leaving the trap primer is divided evenly between branches. And of course, a variety of connection types are available.

Lochinvar, LLC
Developed for new construction and retrofit projects, our 20-model commercial heat pump water heater product line helps customers meet energy-savings and sustainability goals.

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

Aquatherm Outlines Steps to Success With Butt Fusing Polypropylene Piping

A properly performed butt fusion on polypropylene piping is a wonder of the modern world: two pieces of pipe (or a pipe and fitting) become one solid piece. The joint is as strong—if not stronger—than the pipe itself. There are no leak paths, and, when properly performed, the fused joint will remain leak-free throughout its 50-year-plus year lifespan.

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

Our New Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide Is Available Online

The full-featured digital version of MCAA’s Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide enhances the look and feel of our printed directory. Download your copy for digital-only benefits that help you stay connected throughout the year. Printed copies are in the mail. Whichever version you choose to use, the directory is free as a benefit of membership.

The digital version of the directory helps you:

Network from anywhere with linked email addresses.
Connect with the companies, products and services that interest you using linked web addresses.
Get where you’re going…fast…with bookmarks and a linked table of contents.
Find advertisers instantly with a linked advertiser index.

Download Your Copy

Have updates? Please share! Contact Jan Grillo for assistance updating your member record at any time.

Find the Latest from Harris Products Group and Conex Bänninger 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:

Harris Products Group
Your customers deserve a better way to manage their industrial and specialty gas usage. DataSMART™ keeps their gas flowing and delivers the most advanced reporting features in the market today.

Conex Bänninger (IBP GROUP LLC)
Benefiting from over 100 years’ experience in fittings manufacture and over two decades experience in press system design, >B< MaxiPro is set to revolutionize pipe jointing in air conditioning and refrigeration applications. The >B< MaxiPro range is brought to you by Conex Bänninger, a specialist in providing high quality fittings, valves and accessories across the globe.

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

MCAA’s MEP Innovation Conference Successfully Delivers the Content Members Need to Compete in a Digital Age

It takes a lot to compete in an industry that is constantly changing. Digital tools have integrated with the entire construction process. The contractors that are integrating more of their processes with these solutions are becoming the ones best positioned to compete going forward.

MCAA’s MEP Innovation Conference delivered contractor-based case studies to over 1,300 attendees and demonstrated how members are using these tools to thrive in today’s industry. Over three days, 32 breakout sessions, 30 roundtables and more than 100 exhibitor demonstrations, contractors learned about the arsenal of new tools designed for a digital age. Sessions focused on real-world practical applications in use by contractors.

This year, the conference was virtual. As Jeff Miller, Director of Virtual Construction at HFI put it, “I went into the roundtable sessions thinking that it was going to be another Zoom call that I had on in the background while I worked, but when we moved to smaller breakout rooms, and all of us were asked to turn on our cameras and have a face-to-face virtual conversation, it actually felt refreshing to talk and connect with some of the same people I would have been seeing in a live conference.”

Plans are already underway on the next MEP Innovation Conference, to be held in person next January in collaboration with NECA and SMACNA. Stay tuned for additional virtual mini sessions to keep you up to speed on more innovations the rest of the year.

Connect With the Latest Training from NIBCO INC. and Aquatherm LP at MCAA.org

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:

NIBCO INC.
NIBCO is here to support the industry and we’re here to support you! When in-person training or distance is an issue, we bring the virtual classroom to you. Topics include Press System Installation, PressACR™, PressG™, BenchPress™, Valve Selection Basics, and Lead-Free Soldering.

Aquatherm LP
As the leader in polypropylene piping systems, Aquatherm offers comprehensive heat-fusion installation training at our Utah HQ, at partner sites and jobsites across North America, and virtually upon request.

Interested in More Training from Our Supplier Partners?

Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.

Find the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® and Autodesk, 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:

Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
Dielectric fittings protect the plumbing system with a steel-to-plastic design that interrupts electrical current where dissimilar metals are connected, preventing pipe corrosion and eventual leakage. These fittings are part of our new Smith Fluid Controls™ line and are available in three models for flexible installations.

Revit Extension for Autodesk Fabrication 2019

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

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

Raken Outlines Three Ways to Maximize Efficiency During COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed the way we work—in construction and beyond. From implementing new safety protocols to navigating delays, contractors have more processes to learn and more variables to consider. Here are three ways you can use digital technology to maximize your efficiency during the pandemic.

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

Over 900 Attendees for MEP Innovation Conference Already Registered. Register Today & Join Them!

With more than double the number of attendees from the 2020 Tech Conference, the MEP Innovation Conference is providing more educational content over a wider spectrum of roles for contractors.

Event Dates: April 26 – 28, 2021

MCAA’s 2021 MEP Innovation Conference is proving to be a popular platform for contractors to learn about how new tools, processes, technology and equipment are impacting our operations. Participation is at an all-time high this year for many reasons. The virtual platform allows for more sessions to be held, all of the sessions address real-world issues because they are contractor-led, and corporate registration allows for up to 10 people from the same company to attend for $400.

Moving the conference to a virtual platform has provided some anxiety for attendees and organizers alike, but the benefits of providing an accessible conference in terms of affordability and availability are hard to disagree with. Contractors from all over the country can attend without worrying about costs and time associated with travel and how much they are being pulled away from project obligations or personal commitments.

The content has also expanded into more areas of a contractor’s operations. Technology has impacted estimating, project management, fabrication, service and safety. The MEP Innovation Conference has 32 breakout sessions and 30 roundtable discussions that allow the conversations to target specific areas of your business. Even more importantly, sessions are all being led by contractors. In order to provide real life solutions, not unrealistic projects in development, contractors that perform very similar roles are leading the discussions and sharing their processes.

Registration for the conference will be available through meeting dates, April 26 – 28. To learn more and register, visit the MCAA 2021 MEP Innovation Conference website.

REGISTER NOW

Connect With the Latest Training from Watts Water Technologies and A.O. Smith at MCAA.org

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:

Watts Water Technologies
Watts eLearning system provides access to a wide selection of products and solutions from our family of brands. Courses can be accessed anytime, anywhere; perfect for your busy schedule!

A.O. Smith
We offer top notch training, available 24/7. You can learn about our Residential, Commercial, and even Tankless. Training includes items like How it Works, Installation, Application, & Service tips.

Interested in More Training from Our Supplier Partners?

Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.

Find the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® and Delta Faucet Company in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
An air gap is a vertical break between the supply pipe and the receiving source to provide backflow protection into the potable water system. This is required by code to prevent contamination of the potable water system. Optional finishes are chrome-plated brass (-CP) and nickel-plated brass (-NP).

Delta Faucet Company
The Delta® MultiChoice® Universal Valve gives you the ability to change shower styles as easily as customers change their minds. Upgrade the style and functionality of your clients’ showers without altering the plumbing behind the wall, offering flexibility that you and your customers will appreciate. With MultiChoice Universal Valves, giving them what they want has never been so simple.

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

J.M. Brennan Saves Time, Materials With Zurn EZ Lavatory Carrier Upgrades

To upgrade four restrooms for PHC—Waterford Clinic, J.M. Brennan, Inc. installed Zurn’s new universal lavatory carriers, saving time and material “without sacrificing support,” said Justin Sherman, J.M. Brennan project manager. The Zurn Z1231EZ Universal Lavatory Carrier is designed to simplify installation. It includes arms that can be adjusted in the field, an independent bracket system that positions horizontally or vertically, and two foot-anchors per upright, instead of four—ultimately saving material, time, and tool wear. Zurn is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

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

MEP Innovations Conference Goes Beyond BIM – Sessions Geared Towards Fabrication, Project Management and Process

Event Dates: April 26 – 28, 2021

MCAA’s 2021 MEP Innovations Conference provides more than just education towards BIM and VDC, it approaches every aspect of your operations that interacts with digital information. With the construction process adopting digital workflows, it is important to understand the impact on your business, including productivity gains and time saved due to new tools.

“There has been a fundamental shift in how construction works today in the movement from paper to data,” Bob Snyder, CEO of Binsky & Snyder says. “You might be able to compete with lower margins and higher risk today by sticking with paper-based processes, but when our company leaned into it and embraced a digital transformation, we started finding that we could do more, communicate better, be safer and work on a wider variety of projects.”

To address this change, the MEP Innovations Conference has sessions on processes beyond BIM and VDC. Breakouts have been developed on topics including fabrication, estimating, project management, safety, operations and service. These sessions focus on solutions for those just getting started, as well as those at the cutting edge.

For example, education geared towards project managers ranges from beginner sessions like Model Viewing 101 for PMs and VDC 101 for PMs, to more advanced topics like Aligning VDC Team with Project Schedules, an Inside Look at a Contractors’ Tech Stack and Managing Change Orders. For people with fabrication focused interests, there are beginner sessions like Fabrication 101 and much more advanced sessions like Increasing Your Spooling Productivity 5x and Going Beyond Paperless which will showcase a contractors’ digital implementation in their fabrication facilities.

All of these new tools and strategies are built on processes. In one of the most important sessions of the conference, North Mechanical’s Rod Foley and MEP Innovation Lab’s Jonathan Marsh talk about how to document processes. Tuesday’s opening general session called Understanding the Process Before Buying the Solution talks about not only the importance of establishing and documenting your process, but how it is important to keep it flexible as new tools are brought in.

These highlights are just a few of the 100+ sessions at the MEP Innovation Conference. Visit the MEP Innovations Conference website if you would like to learn more and see how many of them can be of value to you and your team. While individual registrations are available for $200, corporate registrations for $400 allow you to register up to 10 people from your company.

REGISTER NOW

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Musculoskeletal Wellness Safety Resources

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 musculoskeletal wellness safety resources, which can help keep workers safe from one of the mechanical construction and service industry’s most frequently occurring injuries.

Musculoskeletal injuries in the mechanical construction and service industry happen mostly due to poor ergonomics during the manual handling of materials and while performing overhead work. This video addresses the most common causes of non-trauma related musculoskeletal pains and injuries in our industry. It includes safe work and personal health practices to help prevent them.

MCAA’s Musculoskeletal Wellness Safety Resources Include

Musculoskeletal Wellness (Ergonomics) Safety Training Video with Accompanying Materials
Video | Pocket Guide | Documentation Sheet | Test | Answer Key

You Might Also Like This Related Webinar Recording

Creating a Contractor Ergonomics Program to Reduce Soft Tissue Injuries Among Construction Workers

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

icon Mechanical Earns Top MCAA/CNA Safety Award

icon Mechanical was recently recognized as the MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards winner for 2020 in Size Category 4, 450,001 – 1 Million Work Hours. icon Mechanical’s successful COVID-19 safety initiative set the company apart.

icon Mechanical went well above and beyond CDC recommendations to contractors to keep their workers safe. The company installed Global Plasma Solutions (GPS) systems in all company buildings. These systems use needlepoint bipolar ionization technology to help purify and sanitize the air.

The company rewarded employees for identifying potential gaps in the company’s COVID-19 precautions and for helping to identify solutions to remedy these gaps. Each worker was provided with foam-lined safety glasses that do not fog up when worn with face coverings for protection from the virus.

The MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards Program began in the 1990s when MCAA partnered with CNA Insurance. It is a fiercely competitive program in which only the best of the best compete for the awards.

Participants are required to describe their safety programs in detail, including how they achieved safety excellence and why they believe they deserve the award. The Safety Awards Selection Taskforce, which is led by CNA, carefully evaluates each submission looking for safety leadership, an advanced safety culture, effective leading indicators of safety performance, and innovative safety initiatives that helped the company achieve an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence. MCAA and CNA congratulate icon Mechanical for earning such a high degree of safety excellence in 2020.

Alston & Bird Offers April 13 Webinar on the New and Improved Employee Retention Tax Credit and Expanded FFCRA Leave Opportunities

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

Originally enacted in March 2020 as part of the CARES Act, the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) was modified and extended through 2021. Join experts from Alston & Bird On Tuesday, April 13, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET as they explore the new opportunities for employers to claim ERTCs in 2021 and some of the challenges employers may face in determining eligibility for the credits. They will also discuss recent changes to the paid employee leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that provide additional opportunities for employer tax credits associated with FFCRA leave. Register now!

Alston & Bird experts will:

Provide an overview of the employee retention tax credit as originally enacted in the CARES Act
Discuss taxpayer-friendly changes to the ERTC provisions for 2020 and 2021
Explore some of the challenges employers are facing when determining eligibility for ERTCs
Discuss recent changes to FFCRA employee leave provisions and the additional tax credit opportunities they create

Meet the Panelists

Scott Harty | Partner | Alston & Bird
Companies rely on Scott to guide them through the tax implications of domestic and cross-border commercial transactions. An experienced negotiator and technician, Scott provides clients the counsel they need to navigate complex transactions.

Seth Buchwald | Associate | Alston & Bird
Drawing from his experience as a certified public accountant, Seth guides his clients through complex business transactions and controversy matters. Since enactment of the CARES Act, Seth has worked extensively with the ERTC provisions.

Brett Coburn | Partner | Alston & Bird
Brett regularly counsels employers of all sizes on compliance with federal and state employment laws. During the pandemic, he has worked extensively with employers regarding their compliance with the paid leave provisions of the FFCRA.

Find the Latest from ASC Engineered Solutions and Nu Flow Technologies 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:

ASC Engineered Solutions
Recently updated with more products, our BIM & CAD catalog is now available online! It contains several file formats including Revit & AutoCAD, customizable parts and allows for seamless workflow integration for building projects. End-users can quickly produce an accurate and complete bill of materials.

Nu Flow Technologies
Becoming a NuFlow Certified Contractor is more than buying our equipment. We prepare our contractors with everything they need to develop new expertise, product offerings, and revenue streams. Grow your business with NuFlow!

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

Renick Brothers Accelerates Project Delivery Using Trimble’s SysQue Software

Dominick Florentine, director of virtual design and construction at Renick Brothers, was skeptical that Trimble SysQue MEP software would improve productivity, but since trying it out, he admitted, “I’m working smarter because of the features and functionality of the software.” Trimble is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

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