Grant Willis, vice president of Willis
Mechanical, Inc., provides insights
from the contractor's side during a recent Heritage Class. In the background is Lance Streetman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State Competition
The Georgia State Apprenticeship Competition Program was held recently in Brunswick, GA. Competitors from LU 72 and from Augusta, Savannah and Brunswick participated in the event.
Representing LU 72 were Dustin Allen, welding; Jon Michael Hames, HVAC; Chris McKinney, plumbing; and Gene Watkins, pipefitting.  LU 72 was well represented at the competition. They had previously taken top honors in the LU 72 competition.
The intensive two-day competition included not only a comprehensive written exam but also a number of hands-on practical tests spotlighting a variety of situations and skills.
At the end of the state competition, LU 72 apprentice Dustin Allen took top state honors in welding, while LU 72 apprentice Jon Michael Hames took top state honors in HVAC.

Regional Competition

As state competition winners, Allen and Hames joined competitors from as far away as Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas at the District 3 UA Apprenticeship Competition in Charleston, SC.
Dustin Allen represented LU 72 in the Welding category, and Jon Michael Hames represented LU 72 in the HVAC category.

Competitions Provide Invaluable Experience and Insights
John Bailey, executive director of the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust (JATT) (Mechanical Trades Institute), notes that the value of these competitions goes far beyond the competitions themselves.
"As they participate in the competitions, the competitors are able to see how other do things," Bailey said. "They get a lot out of the experience."
He added that the competitions also give schools an opportunity to compare notes and discover how others in the field are addressing various training issues.
But the greatest value, he says, may be the camaraderie among the participating apprentices, who are able to visit with and learn from their peers from other regions.
"These competitions have worked out very well," he said.

Dustin Allen represented LU 72 in the welding category.
 


Service Judge Randal Beal, Houston Texas, LU 211 JATT HVAC Curriculum Coordinator; George Head, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local #72 business manager; and John Bailey, executive director of the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust (JATT) (Mechanical Trades Institute) observe LU 72 JATT HVAC service tech contestant Jon Michael Hames.



Cajun Seeger, left, welding director for the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Trust/Mechanical Trades Institute, and John Freeman, vice president & welding instructor, LU 421 in Raleigh, perform visual inspection on a weld prior to pressure testing.



Service judge contractor Emmet Riddick, owner of 1st Mechanical Services, Inc.; George Head and Judge Fred Sheppard, service tech from the contracting firm of The Padgett Group.



The welding competition.



Judge David Cagle, left, LU 72 service agent/organizer, discusses one of the competition challenges with service judge contractor Emmet Riddick.

Among those attending were Doug Martin, president and CEO of B&W Mechanical Contractors and president of MCAG, and Gary Fowler, executive vice president and CEO of MCAG.

 

Lonnie Coleman, right, MCAA president elect and president of Coleman Spohn Corp., discusses legislative issues with Doug Martin, president and CEO of B&W Mechanical Contractors and MCAG president; and John Barrasso, executive vice president of the MCA of Connecticut.


During the conference, Martin and Fowler met with Georgia Sen. Isakson and with Congressmen Deal and Johnson. Topics discussed during these meetings included support of the Helmets-to-Hardhats program, which these legislators support. 

 

 

Doug Martin and Congressman Nathan Deal of  the 9th District of Georgia.



Gary Fowler, executive vice president & CEO of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Georgia, and Congressman Hank Johnson of the 4th District of Georgia.



Gary Fowler; Senator Johnny Isakson; Doug Martin; John McNerney, general counsel for the MCAA.

 

The festivities began with a Thursday evening welcome reception. Then, bright and early Friday morning, the education program opened with a presentation by Kathy Crosby, C2 Consulting, entitled "Knowing the Score," which focused on the importance of financial
monitoring of projects. Such monitoring is critical to success in today's construction market, Crosby said, and she went on to look at the importance of monthly financial monitoring of projects and also of the company as a whole.  "If your projects are not profitable you cannot stay in business," she said, "and the only way to know if they are profitable is to track them."

Next on the program was a presentation by attorney David R. Hendrick of the law firm Hendrick, Phillips, Salzman & Flatt in Atlanta. David's presentation was entitled "Pop Quiz: Are You as Smart as You Think You
Are Regarding Your Legal and Contractual Rights?" David looked at a number of key issues facing contractors today, first setting up hypothetical situations and then interacting with the audience to explore various ways of dealing with those situation. He began by exploring sales and use tax issues, looking at a number of scenarios where sales and use tax considerations can impact a contractor's business, and continued with an in-depth look at a number of important bidding and contract issues.

"Poor contracting leads to disputes," David noted, and his presentation explored some of the contracting considerations that are important in today's marketplace. Steve Hudson, editor of Dixie Contractor
Magazine, concluded the formal portion of the education program session with a lively presentation entitled "Dealing with the Media When Disaster Strikes - Or Is That Dealing With Disaster When The Media
Strikes?" Steve kept the audience involved from start to finish with an interactive presentation which spotlighted how companies can prepare to deal with media attention in the event of a crisis situation.

"It is of critical importance to your company to take proactive control of communications in a crisis situation," he said, and he shared a number of specific steps that contractors should follow in preparing a crisis communication plan.

The education session concluded with an open forum, during which the discussion spotlighted issues ranging from labor relations and local trust funds issues to
market conditions and manpower development.

On Saturday morning, members took to the Gulf of Mexico for an enjoyable (and very successful!) fishing outing. The retreat concluded with a dinner Saturday evening.

Next year's retreat will be held at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, April 30-May 3. Be looking for more details, and start making plans to attend!

 

 

 

 

  

More than 30 attended the recent Existing Buildings LEED Accredited Professional Preparation Course held in May.
The LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency
while minimizing environmental impacts. LEED
for Existing Buildings addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues, including chemical use, recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs and systems upgrades.

This intensive day-long workshop provided a technical overview of the LEED Existing Buildings program. It was designed to provide a working knowledge of credit intents, submittals and credit strategy and to prepare participants to take the Existing Building LEED Acredited Professional Exam. Southface Energy Institute was the presenter. Participants also received
training on the integrated project management and documentation processes that are fundamental to the LEED program and learned tips for working as LEED Accredited Professionals in the field. This LEED
Accredited Professional Preparation Course is one of six that have been provided in 2007 & 2008. 

More than 30 attended the Existing Buildings LEED Accredited Professional Preparation Course.



 

 

 

The annual meeting of the NCPWB Technical
Committee was held in April at the Westin La Cantera in San Antonio, TX. Focusing on Green, Technology and Safety, the meeting included an update on MCAA initiatives in the area of sustainable construction and
highlights of new welding and safety technologies. Attendees also heard an update from the UA and recognized members for outstanding service and attendance.

 

The meeting also included a number of timely
technical sessions.
Representatives from Lincoln Electric presented two sessions during the meeting. "Advanced Welding Technologies" highlighted advances in welding process technologies, including Surface Tension Transfer (STT) arc welding, which significantly reduces the spatter and smoke generated by arc welding.  STT controls the electrode current during gas metal arc welding (GMAW) using Waveform Control Technology, which relies on inverter-based welding power sources for
pulse GMAW.  This technology also controls every aspect of welding output by manipulating waveforms via sophisticated internal control software. To achieve complete control of the system, the operator specifies one variable-wire feed speed. The second session, "Welding Environmental Solutions," discussed methods of controlling the welding fume as well as safety communication in arc welding. Welding fume control methods discussed included: engineering controls, safe work practice controls and personal protective equipment. Two key items were stressed in the area of safety communication: the importance of reading and understanding warning labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS) before welding, and the importance of being familiar with ANSI code Z49.1 (Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes). 

 

 

 

 

The first session focused on the "Practical Time Management Skills for Foremen." This session focused on the practical time management methods and techniques that a foreman can easily use to increase management efficiency and effectiveness.

The second part of the workshop looked at the "Qualities, Characteristics and Habits of the Industry's Best Foremen." The focus was on developing the qualities, methods and practices that separate a good foreman from a great foreman.

Response to this year's spring workshop was outstanding.

"Great training - very informative," noted one participant. Another added that it was a "fun learning experience."
The next MIC Supervisory Training workshop is set for Nov. 5, 2008. The program is still being finalized - watch for details!

 

Mark your calendars for the MIC Dinner and Casino Night Party, set for Saturday, August 16.
The dinner will be held at Maggiano's in Buckhead.
For more information, MIC members can call MCAG/MIC at (770) 934-1427.
 

 

MCAG has become affiliated with the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
The affiliation was announced to the MCAG membership in early June, enabling MCAG members to take advantage of USGBC's many benefits and resources.
"This will help keep MCAG and its members in the forefront of our industry," said Gary Fowler, executive vice president and CEO of MCAG.
 

 

 

# Also Members of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Georgia, Inc.

 

+ Also Members of the National Certified Pipe Welding Bureau