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MCAA National Update for
January 28, 2013 |
ANNOUNCING ANOTHER MCAA MEMBER BENEFIT - THIS TIME ON YOUR iPad!
 MCAA members have come to count on our safety training DVDs to help ensure the safety of their valued workers. Now, as an additional benefit of membership, MCAA members will be able to access, at no charge, our entire library of mechanical construction, service, plumbing and welding safety videos on their iPad, iPhone or Android device. We hope our new MCAA Video App will help your company extend its safety training to new lengths and offer yet another significant business advantage of belonging to MCAA. Simply go to Apple's App Store or the Android Play Store and search for "MCAA Video." Then use your MCAA Members-Only password to view, for free, more than 35 valuable safety training videos - 22 of which are now also presented in Spanish. Don't remember your password? Just go to www.mcaa.org/password/forget to retrieve it or create a new one. |
FIND OUT ABOUT THE COMING CHANGES TO YOUR COMPANY'S HEALTH CARE BENEFITS AT MCAA 2013
Will the new National Health Care Law make or break your company...or just cause you to restructure your employees' health benefits? Aruna Vohra of Horizon Actuarial Services will break down the 2,700-page law into the 10 most critical issues affecting your company and its future well-being. She will explain: how the health care law applies to your company's benefits; what you need to do to comply with the new law and by when; and how to save money on retiree medical benefits through a win-win solution for the retiree and your company. This is just one of many business-oriented sessions at MCAA 2013 (March 17-21, San Antonio, TX) that will help you plan a more profitable year for your company. If you haven't signed up yet, take a few minutes to review the program at www.mcaa.org/mcaa2013 and then register using our convenient online process. Rooms are still available. |
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2013 PRE-FAB CONFERENCE IS SOLD OUT!
MCAA's popular annual Pre-Fabrication Conference is completely full, but we are maintaining a waiting list. Please contact Taj Homayouni (thomayouni@mcaa.org) if you would like your name added. MCAA wishes to thank the hosts of this year's conference who opened their facilities for the tours-MCAA Board of Directors member Mike Brandt of Smith & Oby Company, MCAA Education and PCA Committee member Scott Wallenstein of Neptune Plumbing & Heating Company and Steve Comunale and his daughter Amanda of S.A. Comunale Company, Inc.-and Tom Wanner of the MCA of Cleveland. |
FINALISTS CHOSEN FOR 2012-2013 STUDENT CHAPTER COMPETITION
Earlier this month, a panel of judges from MCAA's Career Development Committee selected the MCAA student chapter competition teams that will make their final presentations at MCAA 2013 in San Antonio, TX on March 19. The teams are:
- the MCAA Student Chapter at the Milwaukee School of Engineering;
- the Student Chapter of Specialty Contracting (Mechanical/Electrical) at Southern Polytechnic State University;
- the University of Washington Mechanical Contractors Student Chapter;
- and the MCAA Student Chapter at Northeastern University.
Twenty-five chapters submitted proposals on a project involving the installation of the HVAC and plumbing systems in the Space Exploration Center Building at the NASA Research Park in Cape Canaveral, FL. Bidders were also encouraged to propose design features that exceed LEED Platinum requirements and a post-construction service component. The committee thanks Kathleen McCauley of Mechanical Construction, Inc. (Bridgeview, IL), John Powell of Marelich Mechanical Company, Inc. (Hayward, CA), Matthew Miller of Irven Bob Miller, Inc. (Long Branch, N.J.) and JL Williams of Ryan & Associates, Inc. (Davenport, IA) who judged the submissions. Be sure to include this session in your list of "must attend" sessions at MCAA 2013. You just might spot your next professional hire. Congratulations to the finalists and good luck! |
MCAA ANNOUNCES NEW, IMPROVED MCAA PROJECT MANAGER'S MANUAL
One of MCAA's most popular, informative and valuable publications is better than ever and is now available for purchase. The MCAA Project Manager's Manual has been substantially revised to ensure project managers have the latest information on managing change orders and claims, job cost and labor control, productivity, scheduling, safety and much more. And, MCAA members save by ordering the Manual at www.mcaa.org/store. |
MSCA'S SELLING EFFICIENCY EFFECTIVELY PROGRAM WILL HELP YOUR SALES STAFF CLOSE THE DEAL
Knowing who makes the "go/no go" decisions about energy-saving projects and what factors influence their decision is what MSCA's Selling Efficiency Effectively program is all about. At this value-laden program, your sales staff will learn to focus on the critical selling points that will convince your customers to sign off and move ahead with an energy- and cost-saving project. Popular presenter Mark Jewell will lead this intensive two-day program February 28 - March 1, at the BWI Airport Marriott, Baltimore, MD. Go to http://www.mcaa.org/education/msca to register. |
2013 STUDENT INTERNSHIP GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE
MCAA's Career Development Committee is announcing the availability of 2013 Student Internship Grants. The grants are made possible with funding provided by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF). All MCAA members who hire student interns to work in their operations this year are eligible to apply. To maximize the number of members who may qualify for the grants, the committee will issue one grant per member. Each grant is $1,200 and is intended to help members defray the intern's salary. The benefits are many; the intern gains valuable experience for his/her long-term career development and the employer gains the fresh perspective and technology prowess of a rising young professional. It's a win-win for everyone! Go to www.mcaa.org/careers to complete the brief application form. Please contact Ann by e-mail or by phone (800-556-3653) with questions. |
GREEN BUILDING WEBINAR TO FOCUS ON CHILLED BEAMS AND RADIANT PANELS TO COOL BUILDINGS
Are HVAC systems the only way to cool buildings? Because standard HVAC systems account for a significant portion of a building's energy usage, some projects are exploring chilled beams and radiant panels as alternatives to provide cooling for buildings. These systems can be designed to be passive and active and reduce the amount of ductwork. MCAA's next Green Webinar (February 21, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will explain the technology, some design concerns for contractors and how it ties in with the LEED rating system. Matt Gregg, PE, LEED AP of the McKinstry Company (Seattle, WA) will lead the session. This webinar is free as a benefit of MCAA/MSCA membership; please register at https://mcaa.webex.com. |
MARK YOUR CALENDARS...2013 NATIONAL ISSUES CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 30
The 2013 National Issues Conference (May 1-3, Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel) opens January 30. This is the conference that brings you up to date on the latest federal legislative and regulatory issues that directly affect your company and our industry AND provides you with the opportunity to explain your concerns about those issues to your elected House and Senate representatives. Key issues to be discussed include pension reform, energy policy developments, misclassification and payroll fraud. Plan to participate in this important conference. Check www.mcaa.org/education on January 30 for more information and to register. |
ALI CAN HELP YOU ALONG YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS
You or a member of your management team may already have what it takes to make it in this industry, but MCAA's Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI) can enhance all those positive attributes to ensure your company's long-term success. ALI has helped our industry's top executives develop the leadership and business planning skills they need to take on new challenges and opportunities. The refined course curriculum, featuring a new and very challenging case study, and excellent networking opportunities, bring a new dimension to the experience of acquiring leadership and strategic planning skills. Make sure your company has what it takes to move up and ahead this year and in the future. Send in an application for yourself and/or one of your executives for ALI's Course 13 (September 22-27 and November 10 - 15, 2013). Go to http://www.mcaa.org/ali/ for more ALI information and then contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org) for an e-application. |
SIGN UP YOUR SAFETY PROFESSIONALS FOR NEXT NFPA 70E QUALIFIED-LEVEL ARC FLASH SAFETY TRAINING WEBINAR
If your service technicians have not yet attended the previous NFPA 70E Qualified-Level Arc Flash Safety Training webinars, they can sign up for one of the next webinars on February 19. They will take place at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. This webinar is designed for MCAA/MSCA members' employees who are potentially exposed to live conductors of 50 volts of electricity or more during their workday and is ideal for mechanical service technicians working on units that push 480 volts or less. Presented by the Hilgeman Group, the session covers all OSHA and NFPA requirements, best practices and NFPA's recent changes to the 70E requirements and provides participants with real-world accident information that will reinforce the importance of this training. This training is available at a special rate for MCAA/MSCA members. Register by e-mailing ahilgeman@frontier.com. |
CPMCA CONTRIBUTES TO MCERF
The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) recently received $7,500 from the California Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association (CPMCA), raising its total contributions to $232,500. The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for the contribution, which will support ongoing education and research programs that help our industry grow and advance. Find out more about MCERF programs and projects and how you can help by visiting www.mcerf.org or contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org). |
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