MCAA National Update for April 27, 2015

This Week

MSCA, MCAA Members Mourn Passing of Donald Batz

Hear from a Leading GC How New Technologies Will Impact Work in the Field at MCAA's Construction Technology Conference

ALI 15 is SOLD OUT!

For ALI Graduates ONLY...the New ALI-G

Your Management Innovation Could be a Game-Changer...Nominate it for the 2015 E. Robert Kent Award

Inspire Your Employees to Work Safely...Celebrate Safety Week 2015

Set Up Entry-Level Sales Employees for Success with MSCA Sales Basecamp

MCA of Indiana Contributes to MCERF

Discover How to Create a Cohesive Team with MSCA's Upcoming Webinar

MSCA, MCAA Members Mourn Passing of Donald Batz

Mechanical services industry icon Donald ("Don") Batz passed away on April 22 at the age of 77. Don was Senior Vice President and Director of Operations for CommAir Mechanical Services before retiring. He was actively involved in the MCA of Northern California and served as its president. In recent years, he was very involved with the Kent Morrill Scholarship program (which provides scholarships for the children of MCA of Northern California members) as well as other northern California charities. Don was very involved in MCAA, serving as chair of the Mechanical Service Contractors of America and as a past member of the MCAA Board of Directors. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the International Training Fund. In 2005, Batz was presented with MSCA's D.S. O'Brien Award for Distinguished Service, and in 2006, he received MCAA's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. He is survived by Darolyn, his wife of 55 years, six children, 16 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. Don's memorial service will take place on April 27 at 1:00 p.m. at the Clayton Valley Church, 5430 Michigan Boulevard, Concord, CA.

Hear from a Leading GC How New Technologies Will Impact Work in the Field at MCAA's Construction Technology Conference

Learn How New Technologies Can Work for Your Business at MCAA's Construction Technology Conference

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), augmented reality (AR) and aerial drones may sound like sci-fi movie special effects, but they're real and they are being increasingly employed on construction projects across the U.S. During MCAA's Construction Technology Conference (June 8 - 9, Chicago, IL), Dr. Atul Khanzode of DPR Construction will share with you the experience of general contractors who are using these new technologies in the field, how these technologies are solving problems and presenting new opportunities, what kind of challenges they present to GCs, and collaborative methods contractors are using to improve project management. Go to www.mcaa.org/education/mcaa/technology to find out more. Don't delay, attendance is limited!

ALI 15 is SOLD OUT!

MCAA's flagship leadership development program, the Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI) Course 15 is sold out, beating last year's sell out date by a week. Those interested in getting on the waiting list, should an opening occur, should contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org) for an e-application package.

For ALI Graduates ONLY...the New ALI-G

Not an ALI Graduate Yet? Learn More About the ALI!

If you are a graduate of MCAA's Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI) program, you have an opportunity to enhance the leadership and strategic planning skills you acquired by attending the new ALI-Graduates program. You and your fellow ALI graduates asked for this advanced curriculum, and the Advanced Leadership Committee responded. They worked closely with the academic leaders of Babson Executive Education to create a program that will meet the demands for new leadership strategy. Attendance is strictly limited to 30 ALI alumni.
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. Contact Dennis Langley at dlangley@mcaa.org for program and scheduling information as well as a registration form. Don't delay because the program is almost fully subscribed.

Your Management Innovation Could be a Game-Changer...Nominate it for the 2015 E. Robert Kent Award

Undoubtedly, you have a technique, process or procedure that helps you and your company successfully meet challenges; one that keeps your company operations and projects running smoothly. If you believe this management innovation could open a new, better path to success for companies in our industry, nominate that idea for a 2015 E. Robert Kent Award for Management Innovation. Last year, Air Masters, Inc. (Fenton, MO) won the award for a stationary fabricator that could enable smaller contractors to start up a fabrication operation. Learn more about the award and the qualifying criteria by visiting www.mcaa.org/awards/erobertkent for information and the downloadable form. Questions? Contact Ann Mattheis at amattheis@mcaa.org.

Inspire Your Employees to Work Safely...Celebrate Safety Week 2015

Safety Week (May 4 - 8) is all about leading and inspiring our industry to promote safe work practices. MCAA has joined 40 construction companies and trade associations in establishing and celebrating Safety Week to commend employees for working safely, increase their awareness of applicable safety topics and hazards, inspire all parties in our industry to share best work practices and to work together to strengthen our industry's safety culture, educate them about safe work practices, and to celebrate their good health and well-being. Each day of Safety Week will focus on a different occupational safety topic. Participants may highlight the topics within their companies however they choose. The topics for 2015 are: May 4 - Fall Protection; May 5 - Soft Tissue Incidents; May 6 - Health and Wellness; May 7 - Hand Protection or Head and Eye Protection; and May 8 - Celebrate and Recognize Positive Safety Accomplishments. MCAA encourages all members to participate in Safety Week 2015. To learn more about Safety Week, visit www.safetyweek2015.com.

NFPA Safety Training Webinars Are Open for Registration

For employees who are exposed to electricity during their workday, knowing how to avoid an accident or an injury or worse is a top priority. The NFPA 70E Qualified-Level Arc Flash Safety Training Webinars provide excellent training for employees who are potentially exposed to live conductors of 50 volts of electricity or more during their workday, and especially mechanical service technicians who work on units that generate up to 480 volts. The next webinars will take place on May 19, 2015 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 including the new NFPA revised 70E requirements that took effect on January 1, best practices, and real-world accident information to reinforce the training. Contact the Hilgeman Group at ahilgeman@frontier.com to register.

Set Up Entry-Level Sales Employees for Success with MSCA Sales Basecamp

Advance Entry-Level Employees' Skills at Sales Basecamp

Prepare employees new to service sales or the HVACR/plumbing industry to confidently sell services while creating value for customers with the MSCA Sales Basecamp. To be held May 4-5 in Baltimore, MD, this two-day course will accelerate the learning curve of entry-level service sales personnel empowering them to contribute to your bottom line sooner. Course 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. Offered for the last time this year, only a few seats remain. Register today at www.msca.org/salesinstitute/basecamp. Contact Sobeida Orantes (saorantes@mcaa.org) with registration questions.

MCA of Indiana Contributes to MCERF

The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) has received a $5,000 contribution from the MCA of Indiana (MCAI), raising its total contributions to $150,440. The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for MCAI's contribution which helps the Foundation continue its education and research programs toward our industry's advancement. Find out more about MCERF programs and how you can help by visiting www.mcerf.org.

Discover How to Create a Cohesive Team with MSCA's Upcoming Webinar

Join MSCA presenter Steve Thomas on June 3 at 1:00 p.m. EDT for "The Effective TEAM Player" webinar. He will explain how to identify the four types of people who come to work every day and how each one helps or hinders performance. You will also learn how to align your employees in a way that strengthens the team and, ultimately, your bottom line. Register today at https://msca.webex.com (or click here to sign-up via mobile device). Tentative dates for the remaining webinars in the six-part series are September 2, November 4 and December 6. For more information, contact Barbara Dolim (bdolim@mcaa.org). The first two webinars in the series, "Rethink the TEAM Thing" and "The TEAM Leader," are available for viewing at www.msca.org along with PowerPoint slides and handouts.

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