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MCA of Omaha, Inc. Contributes to MCERF

The Mechanical Contractors Association of Omaha, Inc., Omaha, NE, has contributed an additional $3,000 to MCERF, raising their total contribution to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) to $141,500. Marsha Babcock, Executive Vice President of the association, says that everyone at the MCA of Omaha supports MCERF’s educational and research efforts, especially its many efforts to recruit and retain great young people for the mechanical contracting industry.

President of MCERF, Mark Rogers, thanked the leadership and members of the MCA of Omaha for their long term and generous support of the Foundation.

For more information on MCERF, contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org).

Erickson’s Aircrane Cuts The Hill Group’s Installation Time Down to Hours

In the summer of 2016, The Hill Group called on Erickson Inc. to lift and place cooling towers and chillers by air into a building in crowded downtown Chicago, accomplishing the goal in hours compared with weeks needed for other methods. The project was located at East Randolph Street in a crowded landscape with multilevel streets and nearby residential buildings, so land crane equipment was not an option. Using Erickson’s precision capabilities, aerial crane operators placed chiller equipment through a hole in the roof, with inches to spare, and then set it 15’ below the roof level.

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Need Solutions to Other Challenging Conditions?

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Register Now for the MCAA Technology Conference November 8 – 10 in Austin, Texas

MCAA’s annual Technology Conference is the one place where mechanical contractors in construction, plumbing, and service can get tech info you can actually use. Designed by contractors in your business, our goal is to provide takeaways for everyone attending. So if you’re a CEO or an IT geek, Director of Operations or BIM ninja, or just about anyone else wanting to know where the mechanical industry is heading and how you can use that knowledge in your company NOW, this conference is for you.

Our goal is to share both the big picture and some details that will help you optimize what you’re doing at your company every day of the week. Take a minute to check out our program, our speakers, and our roundtable plans. The registration fee is only $595 – a special value available only to our members and exhibitors.

Flo-Tron Tackles Outdated Business Processes with Jonas Construction Software

Implementing a fully automated, integrated software solution from Jonas Construction Software helped Flo-Tron Contracting streamline their business, enhance efficiencies, and reduce payroll processing time by 50 percent. “The software we were using prior to Jonas was very limited, and we found ourselves having to regularly pay for external services and consultants to handle many of our business processes. With the fully-integrated nature of Jonas, we could handle all facets of our business in-house, which truly helped us meet all of our needs in a single software solution,” said Kari Cordell, controller at Flo-Tron.

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Registered Yet for GreatFutures Forum?

Come join us for the 2017 GreatFutures Forum in Indianapolis, IN at the Downtown Marriott, September 28-30. If you have not yet registered, the cut-off date is September 7.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of this unique conference that brings together MCAA members with students from major universities across the U.S. and Canada majoring in construction management, mechanical engineering, architectural engineering and other disciplines related to our industry. The conference is a great way to meet and learn more about these talented young, their interests and their career goals.

The Forum program will give all attendees lots to talk about too.

The Futures Fest—a career fair—kicks off the conference;
Educational sessions feature industry consultant Kevin Dougherty, MCAA Past President Mark Rogers and one of his project managers Ted McHugh and Futurist Thomas Frey;
A series of roundtable discussions, led by MCAA contractor members, about what students should expect when they begin their careers with our industry;
A presentation by our 2016 Student Chapter of the Year—the student chapter at the University of Missouri-Columbia;
The announcement of the 2017-2018 MCAA Student Chapter Competition Project;
The annual mini competition; and
A tour of the NCAA Hall of Fame.

There’s no registration fee, so don’t delay signing up for the GreatFutures Forum. Our website provides all the conference information and the registration form.

Josam Company’s Trench Drain Saves Miinc Mechanical Money, Time, and Headaches

With its light weight and easy installation, Josam Company’s Pro-Plus trench drain system not only minimized hassle for Miinc Mechanical Contractors of Dallas, TX, but it also saved them labor and installation time. Instead of using three or four workers to install the trench drain, Miinc needed only one or two workers laying the Pro-Plus system during a recent project for Southwest Airlines.

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Craft & Son Find EVAPCO Cooling Towers a Perfect Fit for Gettysburg Hospital

Only EVAPCO, Inc. had cooling towers with a small-enough footprint, yet large-enough capacity, to meet WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital’s need for upgraded towers that would lend themselves to future expansion. Manchester, PA-based James Craft & Son Inc. worked closely with EVAPCO to find the perfect solution to a challenging installation.

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Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors Cuts Installation Time in Half with Uponor’s PEX Pipe

Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors (MMC) of Eden Prairie, MN, found that using Uponor’s AquaPEX® crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) piping for the risers and the unit piping in a new hotel saved crews about two to three days of installation per floor. On a 13-story project with 50 units per floor, that adds up to almost a month of installation time savings.

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Mechanical, Inc. Makes Additional Contribution to MCERF

Mechanical_Inc Mechanical, Inc. of Freeport, IL has contributed an additional $5,000 to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF). This contribution brings Mechanical, Inc.’s total MCERF contribution to $22,500. President Brian Helm said this contribution is a “…show of support for the the Foundation’s efforts to support industry education, especially those in career development and internships.”

Mark Rogers, MCERF’s President, thanked Brian for Mechanical, Inc.’s support.

For more information on MCERF, contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org).

With Victaulic Couplings, Arden Meets Tight Timeline, Saves $100,000 on Overall Costs

Contracted to design and install the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems for a massive renovation, Arden Building Companies faced a tight timeline, a tight space, and a tight budget—all of which made welding a poor choice for completing the mechanical room. Using Victaulic’s easy-to-install grooved connections, Arden joined, hung, and installed pipe quickly and efficiently once it was lowered into the mechanical room. Arden estimated that the speed of installation reduced overall costs by approximately $100,000.

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Egan Realizes Rapid ROI with KEY2ACT’s MobileTech

Egan Company installed the MobileTech solution from KEY2ACT, slashing billing time and eliminating time-consuming paperwork. Chris Yelle, Egan’s service operations manager, estimated that Egan will see its return on investment (ROI) within 18 months of implementing MobileTech, which connects field staff to the back office, providing instant access to the information and enabling both sides to easily manage service calls and appointments.

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All Roads Lead to Great Futures at MCAA’s 2017 GreatFutures Forum

Whether you’re coming from the East, West, North or South, you’ll find the talent, energy, knowledge and eagerness to learn among students from the best colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada at the MCAA 2017 GreatFutures Forum (September 28-30, Indianapolis, IN).

Students majoring in construction management, mechanical engineering, architectural engineering and other industry-related disciplines will gather at this annual forum to meet MCAA members, learn about our industry, share ideas and, hopefully, secure future internships and full-time employment.

The conference kicks off on Thursday evening (September 28) with Futures Fest, a career fair event. If you’re in the business of mechanical contracting, mechanical service or plumbing or a manufacturer-supplier, you’re invited to attend. This is the best time of year to meet the top students from MCAA’s many student chapters.

That’s not all…our educational program will feature popular industry consultant Kevin Dougherty, who will share insights about how to communicate effectively on the jobsite. Former MCAA President Mark Rogers and his project manager Ted McHugh will take you through a typical day in the life of a contractor with all its challenges, surprises and solutions. Futurist Thomas Frey will give you a glimpse into how our industry’s future may evolve…and the career choices it may offer.

There’s still more…the announcement of the 2017-2018 Student Chapter Competition, a look at how an exceptional young student chapter exceeded everyone’s expectations by winning the Student Chapter of the Year Award (University of Missouri-Columbia Chapter of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America) and the much anticipated, always exciting Annual Mini Competition. And, if you enjoy college sports of all kinds (and who doesn’t), be prepared for an incredible evening at the NCAA Hall of Champions learning about the history and amazing accomplishments of inter-collegiate athletes and athletics.

So plan to make tracks to Indianapolis where you just may meet your company’s destiny. Learn more about the program and then register. There’s no fee, just the promise of a great time.

Arden Building Companies LLC Make New Contribution to MCERF

arden2 Arden Building Companies, LLC (Pawtucket, RI) have contributed an additional $2,500 to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF), bringing their updated total contribution to $7,700. Robert Bolton, President of Arden, says that he and all the Arden companies stand firmly behind MCERF’s efforts to “support industry education, particularly their emphasis on student and faculty internships.”

MCERF President, Mark Rogers, thanked Robert and all Arden associates for their support of the Foundation.

For more information on MCERF, contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org).

Atomatic Investment in High-Quality, U.S.-Made Wheatland Tube Pays Off

In 2015, Atomatic Mechanical Services won the bid to install a large chiller plant in a renovated office building in Chicago’s West Loop and chose Wheatland Tube pipe for nearly every part of the project. Atomatic knew that reliable, high-quality, domestic pipe is easier to weld then imported pipe and much less likely to deteriorate or cause leaks—so it would save Atomatic time both onsite and after installation. As expected, the system has had no leaks, which helped allow the chiller plant to become operational two weeks ahead of schedule.

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Looking for Additional Ways to Deliver Reliable Installations that Save Time?

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MCERF Receives Contribution from Harrell-Fish, Inc.

Harrell-Fish, Inc. (Bloomington, IN), with its recent $1,000 contribution to MCERF, has now contributed a total $3,500 to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation. Steve Dawson, President of Harrell-Fish, Past-MCAA President and now a member of the MCERF Board of Trustees, says, “MCERF is so involved in helping us find the next generation of leaders for our companies and our industry, I am proud to be playing a role in that process.”

MCERF President Mark Rogers (West Chester Mechanical, Aston, PA) thanked Steve and Harrell-Fish, Inc. for their exemplary support of MCERF.

For more information on MCERF, contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org).

JH Kelly Keeps Tabs on Tools with Milwaukee Tool’s TICK

JH Kelly recognizes how much time and money it stands to lose when tools are lost or stolen. To avoid delays on the job or, worse, the cost of replacing expensive equipment, they adopted Milwaukee Tool’s One-Key™ system, the first digital platform for tools and equipment. Now, with the addition of Milwaukee Tool’s TICK™ equipment tracker, they can manage inventory, recover tools quickly—and even locate lost items.

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Harrell-Fish Inc. Goes Digital with Jonas Construction Software – Move Slashes Payroll Processing Time, Improves Cash Flow

With their new Jonas Construction Software, Harrell-Fish Inc. (HFI) is now able to turn around billings about five days quicker, improving their cash flow in the process. They have also reduced their payroll processing time from about four hours a month spread out across three employees to about an hour only with Jonas.

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MCERF Thanks Frank Schaetzke for His Continuing Support

Frank_Schaetzke Frank Schaetzke of Pipersville, PA made a personal contribution of $500 to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF). This brings Frank’s total personal contributions to MCERF to $3,000. Frank is Vice President of National Contractor Accounts for Zurn Industries, LLC. He hopes his support allows “…MCERF to continue its outstanding support of industry education and internships. These efforts really differentiate the mechanical contracting industry from others.”

Mark Rogers, MCERF’s President, thanked Frank for his support of the Foundation. Rogers said, “Frank is a good friend to the Foundation.”

For more information on MCERF, contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org).

HOLDRITE Products Solve Jobsite Challenges for PAR Plumbing

When PAR was contracted to provide all of the plumbing for Riverside K, a 32-story luxury condominium on Manhattan’s West Side, they knew that space inside the walls would be tight. HOLDRITE support systems made for a simpler installation while also saving PAR time.

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Getting the Best Performance From Your Evaporative Cooling Equipment

Building owners and property managers have a lot at stake in their investments, so they look to their MCAA contractors for solutions. When evaluating mechanical equipment, hassle-free operation and long equipment life are important parts of the purchase equation — here are five ways to enhance the performance of evaporative cooling equipment and save on energy costs.

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Want More Tips to Keep Equipment Running at Peak Efficiency?

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

Plus, you’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS