Archives: News Items

Congratulations to Mesa Kelly, Recipient of the 2023 Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship

Marissa (Mesa) Kelly, one of the two recipients of the Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship. The Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey established these scholarships to honor the memory of Alan P. O’Shea, it’s former Executive Director, and to memorialize his many contributions to the mechanical contracting industry. The scholarships were presented by Richard Tomaiko (MCA of New Jersey President) and Phillip Petillo (MCA of New Jersey Executive Director).

Mesa is the Recruitment Chair for her student chapter at the University of Nebraska (Omaha campus) and will be graduating from their five-year program with a Master’s in Architectural Engineering in May 2026. She’s currently interning with MCAA Member, Grunwald Mechanical Contractors & Engineers in Omaha, NE.

“I really like the atmosphere at my company and the work that I’m doing. I love that I’m doing actual work and not just typical intern work. I have always known that I wanted to be an engineer, but that sounded kind of boring to me, but then I found Architectural Engineering and I instantly knew this was the degree for me. I joined the MCAA student chapter because I knew I wanted to go into the mechanical emphasis and that the student chapter provides unique opportunities that I would not get with other student groups.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Mesa on this prestigious scholarship and thank the MCA of New Jersey for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Joani Lico, Recipient of the 2023 Trimble Future Estimator Scholarship

The Trimble Future Estimator Scholarship was developed to recognize a student not only interested in mechanical contracting, but specifically for a student with an interest in being a mechanical estimator upon graduation.

For the past few years Trimble has donated complimentary use of the Trimble Estimation MEP software for our student chapter competition teams. Likewise, this new scholarship was awarded to a student chapter competition Final Four team member and future estimator, Joani Lico.

Joani is the President of his student chapter at Fairleigh Dickinson University and will be graduating in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology. Previously, Joani interned with MCAA Member, Industrial Cooling Corporation (Metuchen, NJ) where he assisted the senior estimator in calculating labor hours, created proposals, and performed take-off bids for mechanical projects ranging from $50,000 – $2,000,000.

“Looking to the future, I hope to work as a Project Manager / Estimator for a mechanical contractor. The more involved I get with MCAA, the more confident I am in joining the business and becoming a valuable asset to whichever company I work for. I led the estimating group for the MCAA Competition Team at Fairleigh Dickinson University for the past three years. Trimble showed me how fascinating and diverse the estimating profession is. I plan to continue this road further in the future and I will build on the experience I gained during my time as a student member in MCAA.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Joani on this prestigious scholarship and thank Trimble for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Winning Team, Pittsburg State University, Visits the Site Used for the 2022-2023 Student Competition

The 2022-2023 MCAA Student Chapter Competition 1st Place Team, Pittsburg State University, was invited to Denver, CO on April 21st to view the real-life completed site for their proposal of the National Western Center, which included a meeting with Lynn Mueller, CEO of SHARC Energy.

Leslie Fangman, VP of Corporate Development at Centrio, led the group through a tour of the district energy facility that features the largest SHARC system in North America.  The students learned about the inception of the project, the predevelopment process, the construction and the operation of the facility.

Andy Wright (Senior Project Manager), Taylor Heideman (Project Manager), Kevin Stoddard (Director of Preconstruction), Sarabeth Gandara (Preconstruction Manager) and John Marlow (VP of Project Development) from US Engineering also joined on the tour to meet the chapter and answer questions from the mechanical contractor’s perspective on the project.

After the tour of the energy facility, the students quickly toured a couple of additional buildings on the National Western Campus and then headed off to the US Engineering office for a tour, “101 course” of the officer air handling unit, and lunch. 

On Friday afternoon, US Engineering attendees joined the students for a few rounds of TopGolf and networking.  Attendees from US Engineering included: John Marlow (VP of Project Development), Whitney Bell-Haggard (VP of Strategy), Kevin Stoddard (Director of Preconstruction), Sarabeth Gandara (Preconstruction Manager), Josh Martinez (Preconstruction Manager), Brandon Richardt (Preconstruction Engineer) and Lupe Garza (Project Manager).  Leslie Fangman with Centrio also attended.

Thank you to US Engineering, Centrio and SHARC Energy for this incredible invitation and experience for our championship team!

Congratulations to Veronica Brems, Recipient of the 2023 William A. Bianco, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Veronica Brems is this year’s recipient of the annual William A. Bianco, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. MCAA member, Kinetics, established this scholarship to honor William “Bill” Bianco (the foundation’s former President and an MCAA Distinguished Service Award recipient) for his many contributions to the industry’s continuing advancement.

Veronica is the President of her local student chapter at Purdue University and will be graduating in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management. Last summer, Veronica interned with Auburn Mechanical in Auburn, WA where she aided in writing, reviewing and logging RFI’s and submittals, engaged in weekly site walks with members of the safety teams, field superintendents, project managers and executive team, and communicated with venders, plus wrote purchase orders for equipment.

“Working for a mechanical contractor is appealing to me because it is what makes the building come to life. There is no way for a building to function without the systems that circulate the air, provide heating and cooling, plumbing, fire sprinklers, etc. Five years after graduation, I see myself working for a mechanical contractor as a Project Manager leading a team of individuals to create something special for the clients.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Veronica on this prestigious scholarship and thank Kinetics for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Daniel Colon-Crespo, Recipient of the 2023 DEWALT Patriot Scholarship

The DEWALT Patriot Scholarship, now in its second year, was created to recognize two veterans, or those who are currently serving in the United States Military, who have valiantly served their country and have chosen to enter a career in the construction industry.  Thank you to DEWALT for honoring our military and to our scholarship recipients for their service to our country.  These two special scholarships were presented at the MCAA Awards of Excellence Breakfast in Phoenix on March 29th by Jake Sullivan (U.S. Marine Corp Veteran) and Jon Howland (U.S. Navy Veteran). 

Daniel Colon-Crespo has been serving in the Michigan National Guard since December 2019 as a Specialist and had the opportunity to lead during training events, as well as ensuring the safety of others during natural disasters and under extreme conditions. 

Daniel will be graduating in December 2024 from Ferris State University and is planning on interning this summer in Michigan with MCAA Member, Hurst Mechanical (Control Resource).  Daniel has also been serving as Ferris State’s MSCA Student Chapter President since January 2021 and previously held the offices of Community Service Chair and Historian.

“Working for a mechanical contractor appeals to me because, as I learned at the GreatFutures Forum, mechanical contracting is like the heart of a building.  I think the challenge of trying to maintain human comfort in a building is extremely rewarding.  I joined MCAA because I new it would be important for my future.  It connects me with mechanical contractors, builds my leadership skills, enhances my communication abilities, and has helped me learn more about possible job opportunities.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Daniel on this prestigious scholarship and thank DEWALT for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry, as well as for recognizing the courageous service of our country’s Veterans.

Save the Date for MCAA’s 2023 GreatFutures Forum

Time to start thinking about your summer ’24 interns! Save the date for MCAA’s GreatFutures Forum (September 28-30, 2023) in Milwaukee, WI. Conference registration (including the Friday Job Fair) is complimentary for MCAA Members, Local Association Executives and Forum Sponsors. Registration will open on June 15.

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s BIM – What Is It and Is It Right for My Company?

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a standard requirement in many project specifications. MCAA’s BIM – What Is It and Is It Right for My Company? explains what BIM is and offers tips to help companies reap the greatest benefit from this technology. It’s just one of MCAA’s educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership.

The bulletin covers:

  • What BIM is
  • Making the investment pay off
  • Why it’s a good idea to take the lead early
  • Getting started
DOWNLOAD

The Achieving Spatial Coordination through BIM – A Guide for Specialty Contractors resource mentioned in the bulletin can be found here.  

For a full list of available Management Methods Bulletins, visit the Management Methods Bulletins page.

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Frank Wall.

2023 MCAA Safety Conference Highlighted Safety Leadership & Worker Health

    Safety is the top priority for MCAA contractors, and attendance at the 2023 MCAA Safety Conference proved it. The 2023 conference was the largest safety event in MCAA history, bringing together over 350 professionals to focus on safety and health in San Diego, CA.

    The conference featured 50 hours of education and training including keynotes on safety leadership, mental health, and safety management. It included 20 breakout sessions on current safety issues and priorities.

    “This has been one of the best conferences I’ve ever been a part of.”

    Tracy Haus, MCAA Safety & Health Committee Chairman and Baker Group Safety Director

    The conference celebrated its 20th anniversary at PETCO Park at an event hosted by the MCAA Board of Directors.

    Feedback from attendees was exceptional and highlighted the new expert panel discussion and presentation from Jen Massey, the UA’s Safety, Health, and Environmental Administrator.

    With the increased focus on health, from mental health to worker health, MCAA will expand the conference moving forward. Mark your calendar and plan to join us for the 2024 MCAA Safety & Health Conference January 16-18, 2024 in Tucson, AZ.

    Inspection Notice: Specific 3M Construction & Vest Style Harnesses

    3M has notified the industry of a potential issue that could result in some construction and vest style harnesses not performing properly. This condition results in the adjuster not being able to be adjusted or not locking in place after adjustments have been made. This manufacturing issue will result in the harness not performing properly in the event of a fall, which could result in severe injury or death. Protect your workers – read the inspection notice below.

    MCAA’s Final Four Student Chapters Will Compete at MCAA23 in Phoenix for First Place and a $10,000 Prize

    Twenty-two MCAA Student Chapters submitted a proposal for the National Western Center Campus Energy project.  Congratulations to the Final Four and Merit Award teams. The teams will present their proposals on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 28th at MCAA23 in Phoenix, AZ.

    Students were asked to provide a proposal for construction of the mechanical and plumbing systems at the new district energy facility on the National Western Center Campus in Denver, CO. The scope of the project included the installation of three 1000-ton cooling towers, six 6000-mbh boilers, a SHARC sewer heat recovery system, plate and frame heat exchangers, pumps, piping and supporting infrastructure. 

    This new 9,000 SF district energy facility will heat and cool multiple vertical buildings on the campus primarily by recovering heat from the 72” Delgany sewer main. The campus buildings include a veterinary hospital, a cattle expo hall and arena, an equestrian expo hall and arena, events center, agricultural education buildings with labs, greenhouses and kitchens, and a gallery/entertainment building. Upon completion, this project will be the largest sewer heat recovery system in North America. It is a huge step forward in de-carbonizing our commercial buildings with the use of both new and traditional technologies.     

    Thank you to the following companies for their special contributions to the competition project:

    • U.S. Engineering of Westminster, CO (supplying the project)
    • Procore (use of their Project Management software)
    • Trimble (use of Trimble Estimation MEP software)
    • Ferguson (providing pricing for pipe valves and fittings)