This year has certainly challenged us all. COVID-19 has forced us all to change and adapt, to re-invent the way we provide services and resources and change the way we learn. Thanks to your MCAA Officers, Board of Directors and dedicated national staff, MCAA has not skipped a beat. Considering the safety of MCAA members, the association and our industry partners, it was decided that the MCAA 2021 Annual Convention will be cancelled due to the impacts of COVID-19. Instead, MCAA will hold the first MCAA Virtual Education Conference.

PCA’s second module in their Virtual Education Series on Plumbing Service focuses on the integration of dispatch and service software with their accounting system. The series is a seven-module case study with weekly sessions focusing on JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services. Each module includes a video, an online discussion and handouts. Register today.

Thanks to Sloan’s integrated lineup of touch-free commercial plumbing systems, Chicago’s new Fulton East office and retail building is the nation’s first office building designed specifically to address employee health, safety, and wellness in the post-COVID-19 environment.

MCAA/MSCA is pleased to announce a new set of Tailgate Safety Talks on refrigerant safety. Recent changes to ASHRAE’s refrigerant Safety Group Classification System, along with toxicity and flammability characteristics associated with some of the newer refrigerants, prompted production of the new resource.

MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

MCAA/MSCA is pleased to announce the release of a new refrigerant safety training resource for members. The resource, which includes a PowerPoint safety training presentation and accompanying notes for the instructors will help you bring your service technicians and other affected workers up to speed on the most current ASHRAE refrigerant designations and safety classifications, new and existing refrigerant safety concerns, toxicity and flammability protective measures, and much more.

Guy’s Mechanical Systems discovered that the Viega MegaPress Press-In Branch Connector saved them time by reducing the steps for installation in the process of remodeling a 20-story high-rise in downtown Pittsburgh. Renovating the aged building—constructed in 1902—into a hotel has been a complicated process, and Foreman Josh Mitchell said MegaPress has made it simpler. Viega is an MCAA benefactor sponsor.

MCAA has combined several approaches and techniques to create the PCA Virtual Education Series hosted by JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Service, Inc. This year, MCAA attendees will be able to virtually walk through JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Service’s operations through seven workstations as representatives speak about the various aspects. You can still register–don’t miss out!

Please join BNY Mellon on Tuesday, September 22, or Thursday, September 24, at 3:00pm ET for a discussion of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) recent proposed rule, “Fiduciary Duties Regarding Proxy Voting and Shareholder Rights.” The proposed rule, filed on September 4, 2020, outlines a proxy voting framework for Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) governed plans that has far reaching implications on how fiduciaries allocate governance resources and what constitutes economic benefits for plan participants.

Construction owners, general contractors and subcontractors are increasingly using master agreements to become more efficient in their contract negotiations. The American Bar Association (ABA) and ConsensusDocs will discuss practical ways to maximize the advantages and avoid potential traps in using master agreements in a coordinated manner during a September 24 webinar from 1:00-2:30 PM ET. Registration is open to all, with special savings for those who are ConsensusDocs subscribers.

Frank Wall has joined the MCAA staff as the association’s Executive Director, Operations. Frank is no stranger to MCAA. He was the Executive Director of the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association of Oregon for 12 years, followed by two years as the Executive Vice President of the M&SCA of Eastern Pennsylvania. During that time, he was also Chair of MCAA’s Association Executives Council. “I am personally excited to work with such a professional staff,” Frank said.

National accounting firm Withum shares some thoughts on the deductibility of PPP expenses.