Organization: PCA

Help Those Impacted by the California Wildfires

The MCAA Charitable Fund is collecting donations to help the members and residents is Southern California who have lost their homes and businesses in the California wildfires. Let’s unite as a community to provide hope and support for our family members affected by these fires. Your generosity can make a lasting difference in their recovery.

Department of Defense Announces new Cybersecurity Requirements

In 2020, the Department of Defense announced a new strategic effort to provide enhanced cybersecurity efforts for their building projects going forward. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) will ensure accountability for companies to implement cybersecurity standards to protect sensitive data during the design, build and operations of DoD facilities. Through research grants by the John R. Gentille Foundation and ELECTRI International, a video series, along with official DoD CMMC documentation, has been produced by MCAA’s Chief Security Fanatic, Nick Espinosa to provide ongoing updates on CMMC changes as the standard evolves and in-depth tutorials on all 110 CMMC Level 2 security controls.

Snap a Picture of Your Interns Before They Head Back to School & Submit a Grant Request for up to $2,000

Interns working at MCAA member companies are a win-win for our industry. Employers secure top talent and build a pipeline of future employees and students gain hands on experience, create connections and develop the skills needed to further their interest in mechanical contracting.  Snap a picture of your summer intern by a company sign, on the jobsite or in company apparel and upload it with your Internship Grant Application.  Interns and sponsoring companies will be featured on the virtual Intern Wall at MCAA24 before the Awards of Excellence Breakfast. 

Internship Grant Eligibility

The MCAA company must first ensure the prospective intern is in good standing with an accredited two- or four-year college, university or technical school.  While MCAA encourages its members to give priority to students from MCAA student chapters, this is not a requirement for a grant.  

Part 1

  • Companies with 1 intern are eligible for a $1,000 grant OR companies with 2+ interns may receive a $2,000 grant. 
  • Submit an application for each intern. If you have 15 interns, submit an application for all 15 of them since interns must be listed on a Part 1 application to be eligible for a Part 2 gift card upon graduation. (Maximum per company is still $2,000 no matter how many interns are submitted beyond 2.)
  • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for Part 1. 

Part 2

  • For companies successfully converting an intern from their Part 1 list to a full-time new hire, a $500 gift card will be mailed to the company to present to their new hire.  New hire conversions are unlimited, but the name must be included on a Part 1 list from an MCAA member company.
  • Part 2 applications may not be submitted until after the new hire’s full-time start date. 

Have Questions?

Please contact MCAA Director of Career Development, Michele Hoffman.

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

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) 

    Semester Break Creates Employment Golden Opportunity on MCAA’s GreatFutures Job Board

    College students across the country are finishing up finals and heading home for winter break. Following a few days of post-finals rest, their #1 priority will be to secure a summer internship or full-time position. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to put your company in the spotlight during the golden weeks between semesters! Post your entry level, full-time job or internship today and ring in the new year to successfully growing your workforce.

    How it works:

    • Login with an MCAA username and password
    • Click on the job board within the Career Development page
    • Click Manage My Jobs and Add a Job to create your posting
    • Jobs remain active for 1 month to ensure postings stay fresh
    • When the job is set to expire, a reminder will be sent for you to either “mark as filled” or “duplicate” and repost for another month
    • Interested students can view postings and submit their contact information and resume
    • Your office will be notified via email when interested students submit their resume
    • From there, your office is encouraged to continue with your company’s application and interview process

    MCAA’s Job Board Delivers Results

    A student from Ball State University was recently hired by U.S. Engineering after using the new GreatFutures job board to find a summer internship. Congratulations to Reece Manning and U.S. Engineering! Read the article.

    There’s Still Time to Apply for an Internship Grant!

    If you already employed an intern in 2022, remember to submit an application for an Internship Grant. MCAA members may submit up to two applications per year for a $1,000 grant (to your company) and an accompanying $500 gift card (to the intern).

    New Study Compares Contractor Usage of Best and Worst Language in Contract Clauses

    The John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF) has partnered with ELECTRI International (NECA) and the New Horizons Foundation (SMACNA) to assess and produce a detailed report on construction contracting best practices. Our collaboration is meant to provide industry-wide data that supports our members’ contract negotiations and guidance on better contract language to reduce liability. With better practices in place, risk can be shifted away from trade contractors to the appropriate party, leading to a more profitable industry overall.

    First, Document Crunch identified the criteria used to analyze where the provisions at issue were considered Best Practice, Medium Practice, or Deficient Practice. Once those parameters were established, the Document Crunch proprietary platform extracted specific terms from each of the contracts to determine the frequency of each practice. After analyzing the data, Document Crunch has identified the 10 riskiest contract provisions that impact trade contractors.

    Download a free copy of the research results below, which includes a description of each provision at issue, the criteria used to identify each issue, and the frequency of occurrence across the sample data.

    The John R. Gentille Foundation underwrites the development of practices, tools, methods and materials to advance the mechanical and service trades.

    Find Your Next Great Hire With MCAA’s Revamped GreatFutures Job Board

    Looking for an intern or full-time new hire? Checkout MCAA’s newly revised job board to post your open positions to a network of student chapter members from close to 50 student chapters from across the U.S. and Canada. 

    How it works:

    • Login with an MCAA username and password
    • Click on the job board within the Career Development page
    • Click Manage My Jobs and Add a Job to create your posting
    • Jobs remain active for 1 month to ensure postings stay fresh
    • When the job is set to expire, a reminder will be sent for you to either “mark as filled” or “duplicate” and repost for another month
    • Interested students can view postings and submit their contact information and resume
    • Your office will be notified via email when interested students submit their resume
    • From there, your office is encouraged to continue with your company’s application & interview process

    School-Year Internship Grants

    Have an intern working for you during the Fall semester? Don’t forget to submit an Internship Grant application! Internship grants funded by the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF) reward both the hiring company ($1,000) and the student ($500 gift card).  Each MCAA member company may submit up to two grant applications per calendar year.