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THERE'S STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE MCAA WEBINAR THAT WILL HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS

BABSON COLLEGE LECTURER AND ENTREPRENUER TIM MARKEN TO SPEAK AT 2014 MID-YEAR CONFERENCE

AIR COMFORT NAMED 2014 "COMMERCIAL HVAC CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR"

NOMINATE YOUR MANAGEMENT INNOVATION FOR A 2014 E. ROBERT KENT AWARD

WHEN YOU HIRE A STUDENT INTERN, EVERYONE WINS!

HELP US PROTECT YOUR FUTURE, YOUR PENSION REGISTER FOR THE...2014 NATIONAL ISSUES CONFERENCE

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MCA CONTRIBUTES TO MCERF

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MCAA National Update for April 14, 2014

THERE'S STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE MCAA WEBINAR THAT WILL HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS

On April 25 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, MCAA is hosting a webinar that will help you address one of the most serious issues facing businesses today...cyber security breaches. Moderated by MCAA President-Elect Steve Dawson of Harrell-Fish, Inc. (Bloomington, IN), the session will feature Paul Gouge of CNA and Jim Wenninger of WennSoft who will share information that will help you and your team identify potential weaknesses in your cyber security system. They will suggest actions and strategies that you can use to protect your operations before a breach occurs. Bring together your top management, IT and accounting department executives for this important and valuable webinar, and then begin a proactive conversation within your company and with your business partners about safeguarding all your electronic interactions. This webinar is free to all MCAA members as a benefit of membership. Please register at https://mcaa.webex.com.

BABSON COLLEGE LECTURER AND ENTREPRENUER TIM MARKEN TO SPEAK AT 2014 MID-YEAR CONFERENCE

MCAA is bringing together industry leaders and experts on topics that will help you improve the management and productivity of your business and enhance communications with your employees and customers. Just added to our line-up of exceptional speakers is Tim Marken, entrepreneur and a member of the Babson College faculty who teach at the Advanced Leadership Institute. During the June 24 lunch, Marken will address Mid-Year participants about Critical Decision Making: Where You Are Affects Where You Are Going! He has observed that companies change in predictable patterns and there is a predictable pattern to their problems. You will learn about management factors that most affect decisions and their outcome and how each of these affect all types of management situations and the people involved. Don't miss the opportunity to learn from Tim Marken and the other business-savvy experts who will help you realize even greater levels of future success for your business. The 2014 Mid-Year Conference takes place June 23-25 in Indianapolis, IN. The latest conference program and registration details are at www.mcaa.org/education.

AIR COMFORT NAMED 2014 "COMMERCIAL HVAC CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR"
ContractingBusiness.com recently named MCAA/MSCA member Air Comfort (Broadview, IL) "Commercial HVAC Contractor of the Year for 2014." This honor is given to a forward-thinking class of contractors who are dynamic and professional in every aspect of their business, from providing superior treatment of their employees, customers, and suppliers to having a strong commitment to their businesses and the industry. With more than 30 years with the company, Jim Bartolotta, executive vice president of Air Comfort and treasurer of the MSCA Board of Managers, attributes the success of the 80-year-old company to its culture of teamwork and empowerment. Join us in congratulating Jim and the entire team of Air Comfort for receiving this prestigious award. To learn more, read the article here.

NOMINATE YOUR MANAGEMENT INNOVATION FOR A 2014 E. ROBERT KENT AWARD

One of MCAA's most distinguished honors - the E. Robert Kent Award for Management Innovation - is now open for nominations. Named for an industry legend who believed strongly that the best ideas should be shared, the E. Robert Kent Award seeks out and rewards companies and their ideas that helped them overcome growth-hindering business challenges. If your company has an innovative way of dealing with a business issue or problem, consider nominating that idea for the 2014 E. Robert Kent Award. And, the publicity provided by MCAA and national trade journals may bring your company new business and bottom line growth. Go to www.mcaa.org/awards/erobertkent for more information and the downloadable form.

WHEN YOU HIRE A STUDENT INTERN, EVERYONE WINS!

Hiring a student intern for the upcoming summer months can bring benefits you may not have considered. Students gain valuable work experience, knowledge about the industry and connections with potential future employers. Their employers gain from the interns' energy, knowledge about new technologies and fresh perspective on challenging issues. And, if you hire a student intern, consider applying for a 2014 Student Internship Grant. The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation funds the grants, and all MCAA members who hire student interns to work in their companies this year are eligible to apply. Each grant is $1,200 and is intended to help members defray the intern's salary. Go to www.mcaa.org/careers for information and the link to the online application form. Need help? Contact Ann Mattheis (amattheis@mcaa.org).

HELP US PROTECT YOUR FUTURE, YOUR PENSION...REGISTER FOR THE 2014 NATIONAL ISSUES CONFERENCE

Pension reform is at the top of critical issues that need Congress' attention and decisive action this year. Pension reform legislation must pass this year to ensure the long-term sustainability of our industry's multiemployer pension plans. This critically important issue is the centerpiece of the MCAA/Quality Construction Alliance National Issues Conference (April 30 - May 2, Washington DC). For the first time, a broad and effective coalition of labor and management groups have agreed on a way to rebalance risk in the industry's multiemployer pension system, and have taken the "Solutions, Not Bailouts" proposal to our Congressional representatives and senators. MCAA members should not miss the chance at winning comprehensive reform of the industry's multiemployer pension system. Register for this important conference so you can learn more about the issue, the legislative solutions and how you can help your industry win this important effort. Go to www.mcaa.org/education.

In the fourth installment of MSCA's The Path to Higher Margins Is Not Business as Usual webinar series, you will learn how to measure productivity and increase profitability using simple metrics. You will also be taught how to manage your labor mix and indirect burdens as well as how to use technology to lower labor costs. Join us for a deep dive into the realm of cost reduction, and register today! This webinar will be held on May 21 at 1:00 p.m. EST, and is free of charge to MSCA and MCAA members. To learn more about the webinar series, visit www.msca.org or contact Barbara Dolim at bdolim@mcaa.org.

there's still time for your technical employees who work with or around electrical conductors (50 volts or more) or on units that generate 480 volts or less to register for one of the NFPA 70E Qualified-Level Arc Flash Safety Training webinar on April 17, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. Presented by the Hilgeman Group, the session covers all applicable OSHA and NFPA requirements, best practices and NFPA's recent changes to the 70E requirements and provides participants with accounts of actual accidents that will reinforce the importance of this training. Contact the Hilgeman Group (ahilgeman@frontier.com)to register.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MCA CONTRIBUTES TO MCERF

The Northern California Mechanical Contractors Association recently contributed $10,000 to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF), raising its total contribution to $346,000. The Foundation Board of Trustees is very grateful for the generous contribution and continuing support which enables MCERF to sustain its education and research activities. Find out more about MCERF and how you can help by visiting www.mcerf.org or contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org).

The MCAA National Update is is a weekly publication of the
Mechanical Contractors Association of America
1385 Piccard Drive, Rockville, MD 20850.
Questions? Contact Ann Mattheis, Editor, Phone: 301-869-5800; Fax: 301-990-9690