MCAA National Update for March 23, 2015
This Week
MCAA Launches Construction Technology Initiative with Major New Conference
Hiring Interns Pays!
Have You Submitted Your Company's 2014 Safety Data?
Learn How to Be a TEAM Leader with MSCA's Next Webinar
ALI-Graduates (ALI-G) Program is "One Hot Ticket"
Accelerate Field Supervisors' Performance with MSCA Training
ANVIL International Contributes to MCERF
Develop Sales Skills of Entry-Level Employees with MSCA Sales Basecamp
MCAA Launches Construction Technology Initiative with Major New Conference
The MCAA Technology Conference Will Help You Thrive in a High-Tech WorldNew technology is rapidly changing the mechanical construction industry and to help you keep pace with the changes, MCAA is offering the Technology Conference: The Best of Now, The Best of Next in Chicago, IL, June 6 - 9, 2015.  The program offers a high-level look at how contractors are using technology now and the innovations that are just over the horizon. Featured are new technologies in service, modeling, virtual construction, business development, collaboration, and productivity enhancement - all intended to help you better integrate and manage the systems that drive your projects and operations. This is not a conference for the IT professional who maintains your hardware, but rather the strategic decision-maker who selects the technologies that keep your business growing and advancing. Whether you are already working on the cutting edge or seeking a deeper understanding of new technology before you invest, MCAA's Technology Conference will help you ensure your company thrives in a high-tech world. This valuable conference will pay for itself when your company either moves ahead or stays way out in front of your market competition. Register now because space is limited. Go to www.mcaa.org/education/mcaa/technology for more information and to sign up.
Hiring Interns Pays!
There are lots of good reasons to hire interns - quick to learn, fresh perspective, high energy, eager to please, technology savvy - but the best one is that you may qualify for a $1,500 Student Internship Grant from the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) for every intern you hire. So far this year, MCERF has paid out $172,500 in Student Internship Grants. MCAA and MCERF are offering this benefit to members because we want to attract to our industry the brightest and best young people coming through and from the top universities and colleges with majors in construction management, mechanical engineering, architectural engineering and related disciplines. The best way to influence students' career choices is by hiring them as interns. If you are just beginning your search for a student intern, then be sure to check out the postings on www.MCAAGreatFutures.org.  Over 200 students are listed and searching for an internship or a full-time position.  Their profiles and resumes tell their story and plans for the future, but find out more by contacting them directly. And, when you find the intern(s) for your company, apply for a Student Internship Grant at www.mcerf.org/internships. Questions?  Contact Ann Mattheis at amattheis@mcaa.org.
Have You Submitted Your Company's 2014 Safety Data?
If you have not yet sent MCAA your company's 2014 safety information, time is running out! Completed forms are due to MCAA by the close of business on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. You'll receive a safety benchmarking report which allows you to confidentially compare your company's incidence rates with the aggregates of others in your size category and with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for the mechanical industry. And, if your company qualifies, you'll receive an MCAA Safety Certificate of Commendation in recognition of your company's commitment to safe work practices. To qualify, your company must have achieved a Lost Workday Cases Incidence Rate of zero or one that is 25% or more below the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average for mechanical construction in 2014. Please visit www.mcaa.org/safetycommendation and complete a short, simple form using your company's 2014 OSHA 300A form as a guide. The certificates will be delivered during April 2015. 
Learn How to Be a TEAM Leader with MSCA's Next Webinar
Register for the Next MSCA The TEAM Thing Webinar In the second webinar of MSCA's six-part "The TEAM Thing" series, presenter Steve Thomas will discuss the four qualities that others look for to determine if they will follow someone's leadership. He will also introduce practices you can apply to ensure that you are that "follow-able" leader. The webinar will be April 1 at 1:00 p.m. EDT and is free to all MCAA/MSCA members as a benefit. Visit https://msca.webex.com to register (or click here to register via mobile device). Tentative dates for the remaining webinars are June 3, September 2, November 4, and December 6. For more information, contact Barbara Dolim (bdolim@mcaa.org). The first webinar in the series, "Rethink the TEAM Thing," is available for viewing at www.msca.org along with PowerPoint slides and a handout.
ALI-Graduates (ALI-G) Program is "One Hot Ticket"
Graduates of MCAA's Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI) are rushing to apply for a seat in Learn to Lead at the ALI and Enhance those Skills at the New ALI-Gthe new ALI-Graduates program. MCAA's ALI Committee developed the new offering in response to ALI graduates' calls for an advanced version of the original. The curriculum for ALI-G was meticulously crafted in consultation with the academic leaders of Babson Executive Education, and the faculty members were hand-picked for the program. Attendance will be strictly limited to 30 ALI alumni and nearly 2/3 of the seats are filled. Attendees are accepted on a first-come/first-served basis. ALI-G takes place June 17 - 20 at the Babson Executive Education Center in Wellesley, MA. Please contact Dennis Langley at dlangley@mcaa.org for a flier, curriculum schedule and registration form. And, if you have not attended the ALI, MCAA's foremost educational and leadership program, and are planning to apply, only a few spots remain for Course 15 as well.  ALI 15 will take place September 27 - October 1 and November 8 - 13 at the Babson College Executive Education Center.  To obtain an application for Course 15, contact Dennis Langley at the link noted above.
Accelerate Field Supervisors' Performance with MSCA Training
Growing and Developing Service Supervisors, one of MSCA's most popular courses, will help attendees understand how to coach, mentor, manage, and motivate their technicians. In addition to the skills they will learn during the seminar, each participant will receive a manual complete with more than 100 forms and worksheets that will help them manage day-to-day responsibilities in the office and field. This two-day course will be held April 23-25 at MILWAUKEE TOOL headquarters in Brookfield, WI. Only a few seats remain, so register today at www.mcaa.org/education/msca/superservice. Contact Sobeida Orantes (saorantes@mcaa.org) with registration questions.
ANVIL International Contributes to MCERF
The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) recently received a $10,000 payment from ANVIL International, raising its total contribution - in cash and in-kind donations - to $1,180,000.  The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for the generous contribution which helps the Foundation continue its industry-oriented education and research activities and programs.  Find out how MCERF is helping our industry advance and thrive by visiting www.mcerf.org and then consider making a donation. Please contact Dennis Langley at dlangley@mcaa.org with questions.
Develop Sales Skills of Entry-Level Employees with MSCA Sales Basecamp
Advance Entry-Level Employees' Skills at Sales Basecamp The MSCA Sales Basecamp program will prepare employees new to service sales and/or the HVACR and plumbing industry to confidently sell services while creating added value for the customer. This two-day course is scheduled for May 4 - 5 in Baltimore, MD. Topics will include understanding the MSCA Sales Cycle, building trust with potential customers, effectively linking features with needs, and handling objections professionally during the proposal presentation. Sign-up at www.msca.org/salesinstitute/basecamp. Contact Barbara Dolim (bdolim@mcaa.org) with any questions about the program.
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
Copyright © 2015 MCAA