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| MCAA National Update for March 12, 2012 |
 A GUIDE TO MCAA'S SUPPLIER PARTNERSis a new tool brought to you by the manufacturers and suppliers who support your association. Currently available at www.mcaa.org and coming soon to your mailbox, the excellent companies represented play an increasing role in MCAA's commitment to lifelong learning. We encourage you to give these companies extra consideration when you are choosing a product or service for your next project. Many of these companies will be sponsoring various components of MCAA 2012-we would like to thank them for their generous support.Benefactors are CNA, Ferguson, Grinnell Mechanical Products by Tyco, Johnson Controls, Inc. and Sloan Valve Company. Major Sponsors include Anvil International, Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc., Bradford White Corporation, Carrier Corporation, Daikin US, EVAPCO, Inc., Milwaukee Valve Company, Inc., Mueller Industries, Inc., NIBCO, Inc., SIEMENS, Victaulic, Viega, Weldbend Corporation and Zurn Industries, Inc. Supporters are Apollo Valves, Charlotte Pipe & Foundry, ERICO, Inc., Parker Legris Transair, QuickPen International, Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co., and Trane. In addition, M/SC also publishes Smart Solutions, a semiannual newsletter, which showcases new technologies and promotes cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications. When contacting MCAA's Supplier Partners, remember to thank them for all they do for your association. |
DO YOUR SERVICE SUPERVISORS' SKILLS NEED A BOOST?
MSCA's Growing and Developing Service Supervisors program (May 10-12 in Indianapolis, IN) will give your service field supervisors...and your company...an edge in today's tough market. Oftentimes, highly qualified technicians are placed in this management position with virtually no management or leadership training. MSCA's Growing and Developing Service Supervisors addresses that experience issue with a focused training program that covers: leadership, coaching, planning, time management, communication, motivational techniques and many more skills which will provide service supervisors with the edge and confidence to deal with today's workplace challenges. Instructor Kevin Dougherty facilitates role plays based on real-life situations that are videotaped for an even greater learning experience for participants. To register, go to www.mcaa.org/education. |
NCPWB MEMBERSHIP IS AN INVESTMENT THAT KEEPS ON PAYING
Developing a welding procedure is a process of trial and error; many coupons are welded and tested until one passes, costing contractors considerable time and money to develop a single procedure. However, as a member of the National Certified Pipe Welding Bureau (NCPWB), you would have access to 100-plus welding and four brazing procedures that have already been peer-reviewed and qualified by a third party. No more trial and error. If this makes financial sense, then consider joining the NCPWB. The cost of qualifying one procedure can buy your membership in the NCPWB. For more information, please contact Dariush (Nick) Nikpourfard at 800-556-3653 or at nnikpourfard@mcaa.org. |
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SMALL BUSINESS FEDERAL CONTRACTING PROTECTION BILLS MAKE STRIDES
MCAA made strides last week advancing Rep. Carolyn Maloney's (D-NY) federal low-bid contracting reform bill at a Small Business Committee mark-up session on several measures aimed at shoring up small business federal contracting protections. MCAA and several local affiliates contacted lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, pressing for the subcontractor bid listing bill (H.R. 1778) to be added as an amendment to several small business proposals. MCAA has been pressing for equitable protections against deleterious bid shopping in prime contract and subcontract selection procedures on low-bid awards and promoting parallel proposals to ban Internet reverse auctions for prime contract selection, along with subcontractor bid listing, to guard against post-award bid shopping at the subcontract level. The MCAA proposal is aimed at preserving the low-bid selection method as a viable contractor selection method for direct federal construction projects. MCAA will continue to press Congress to examine the good-government and equitable contracting aspects of the proposals. MCAA is canvassing several key state and local public contracting agencies that use bid listing to vouch for it to guard the integrity of their selection procedures, improve competitive market conditions, and to improve project performance overall. |
LEGISLATIVE/NATIONAL ISSUES CONFERENCE ADDING KEY PROGRAM ELEMENT
Multiemployer defined benefit pension reform will take center stage in the upcoming MCAA/Quality Construction Alliance Legislative/National Issues Conference (May 2 - 4, 2012, Washington D.C.). Officials from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation will address the conference on May 2, and principals from Cheiron Actuarial Consulting will address the conference on May 4, with a presentation on relative new approaches to variable benefit defined benefit plans, called hybrid plans, that are gaining acceptance by regulators. Also, representatives from the Retirement Security Review Commission, assembled by the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans, will discuss the political landscape in Congress and prospects for pension reform later this year or next year in Congress. Register now at www.mcaa.org/education. |
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