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Discover the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.®, Wheatland Tube and More in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

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

Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International - MCAA Virtual Trade Show
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
Designed with tilt-up concrete buildings in mind, this hydrant box will cut your wall hydrant installation labor time by 75 percent or more. Discover more products that save you time on the job.

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Wheatland Tube - MCAA Virtual Trade Show
Wheatland Tube
The uniform grain structure of SureThread™ continuous weld standard pipe delivers exceptional strength and allows for each threading, bending and cutting – making installation fast.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

The Countdown Starts Now – MCAA2020 Registration Will Open September 30!

The wait is almost over! Registration for MCAA2020 will open at 12:00 noon Eastern time on September 30! Known as the premier event of the year for education and networking, MCAA2020 will bring you memorable speakers, sessions, parties and experiences all in a magnificent setting! Check out the Convention website at mcaaconvention.org and register soon through our secure online registration system to secure your preferred hotel accommodations. We look forward to welcoming our MCAA Family to Maui. Mahalo!

ACCO Installs Uponor Radiant to Achieve LEED Platinum in HQ Expansion

Delta Electronics (Americas) originally specified a conventional radiant tubing heating and cooling system for its headquarters expansion in Fremont, CA, to help meet LEED® Platinum and net-zero energy building standards, but ACCO Engineered Systems suggested Uponor’s Radiant Rollout™ Mats for a faster, more efficient, consistent installation. ACCO crews installed 138,000′ of tubing with the Radiant Rollout Mats in five months—much faster than the time required for conventional PEX rails or tie-down methods.

LEARN MORE

Looking for More Smart Solutions?

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! 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.

Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Warner Mechanical Uses Aquatherm Pipe to Help Manufacturer Rebound Quickly from Roof Collapse

A roof collapse could have knocked IVP Plastics of Washington, IL, out of commission for a long time, but Warner Mechanical LLC, of Edwards, IL, used Aquatherm polypropylene pipe in the rebuild, helping the manufacturer get back to business quickly. The heat fusion process made Aquatherm piping easier and faster to install than traditional welded pipe, saving Warner Mechanical time.

LEARN MORE

Looking for More Smart Solutions?

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! 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.

Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

We Have Five Great Properties. Register Early to Get Your First Pick!

When it comes to finding the perfect accommodations, MCAA2020 attendees have plenty of choices. Each of the five properties is stellar with unique amenities to make your stay memorable. Make sure you register early to get your first-choice property—Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui, Grand Wailea Resort & Spa, Grand Wailea Ho’olei Villas, Four Seasons Resort or Fairmont Kea Lani. We’ll handle the reservations for you during registration, which will open at 12pm eastern time on September 30.

reENERGIZE: Learn How to Hire and Motivate a Top Sales Team at MSCA19

Join us for this year’s MSCA19 educational conference, October 13—16 in Colorado Springs, CO. Carl Herman, Director of Operations at University of Houston’s Sales Excellence Institute and senior professor, as well as lead instructor at MSCA’s Sales Masters program, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in motivating and training the next generation of salespeople. He will delve into the value of “dashboards” that encourage peer pressure and healthy competition. Carl will demonstrate benefits of focused training of the sales process and explore the hiring process and the qualities to look for when hiring salespeople. In addition, he will open your eyes to the value of incorporating a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system in your company.

Kruse Saves Thousands Using Victaulic BIM and Products

Victaulic’s building information modeling (BIM) expertise saved Kruse Corporation an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 on the renovation of Union Station in Wichita, KS, while the streamlined construction approach reduced build hours from 4,000 to 3,100, yielding an additional $40,000 in labor savings. The combination of BIM services and Victaulic products simplified coordination, reduced risks during construction, and cut the manpower needed for this project in half.

LEARN MORE

Looking for More Smart Solutions?

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! 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.

Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

New Agreement Can Enhance Your Recruiting Efforts

Last week, representatives from the United Association and HVAC Excellence signed a new articulation agreement which can provide substantial benefits in your recruiting efforts. This  new articulation agreement establishes a pathway for students enrolled in HVACR educational programs accredited by HVAC Excellence to advanced placement in a UA apprenticeship program.

When you are in need of qualified or entry-level service technicians it is often difficult to know where to look. Local technical training schools can be a great resource for discovering potential entry-level employees. Many technical training schools have HVAC degree programs which provide students with basic courses in mechanical systems, electricity, blueprint reading, refrigeration, etc., in both classroom and field settings.  In addition students often learn basic customer service and business skills – such as the importance of showing up on time and presenting themselves in a clean respectable manner.  Probably the single greatest benefit for considering these students is that they want to be in our industry and have an understanding of the industry.  They have already made an investment of time and money, often spending thousands of dollars to enroll in these schools and have demonstrated a commitment to our industry. It will be well worth your time to get involved with these schools.

HVAC Excellence programmatic accreditation of technical training schools provides independent third-party review of HVACR educational programs to ensure they meet established standards of excellence for such programs.  Such standards are designed to assure that our future workforce receives the quality of training required to provide the skills necessary for success in the HVACR industry.  A list of accredited HVAC Excellence accredited schools can be found here: https://www.escogroup.org/accreditation/accreditedprograms.aspx.

Since MSCA members offer some of the most sought-after jobs in the industry it is advantageous for you to get involved with these HVAC Excellence accredited schools in your area.  These technical training schools are always looking for business partners to mentor students, serve on advisory boards and participant in classroom programs.  A primary goal of the school is to place these students in jobs once they graduate. By getting involved and building a relationship with the program, you will have a great advantage in recruiting the top students.   And now, with this new articulation agreement in place, working for an MSCA member contractor should be even more attractive to these students as the credits earned while in school may now count towards the time required to complete the United Association’s apprenticeship training program.

reEVALUATE and reESTABLISH Your Financial Health at MSCA19

This year at MSCA19, being held October 13—16 in Colorado Springs, CO, we are honing in on financial health — both personal and business.

reEVALUATE Your Personal Finance

We invite you to reEVALUATE the tenets of Personal Finance with Innovest Vice President and Certified Financial Planner® Jared Martin. Jared will outline aspects of personal finance and ways to reinforce your finances through estate planning, education planning, investing and retirement planning and will identify best practices that can maximize efficiencies for retirement. You’ll leave with tools to ensure your money is working for you!

reEVALUATE the Financial Health of Your Service Business

The key to financial health and sustainability is knowing what financial benchmarks you should be measuring and why. Join Leah Gutmann, owner of First Forward Consulting, LLC, to reESTABLISH and sustaining the financial health of your service business. Leah will share results from the 2019 MSCA Benchmark Survey and explain what these findings mean to you!

MCAWW Service Connections Panel

MSCA Chair, Kip Bagley was a special guest at the first “Service Connections” event, hosted by the MCA of Western Washington Service Committee on July 25th. Approximately 50 people attended the event, which connected labor and management over industry trends and challenges. The panel, including Kip Bagley (MSCA Chair), held a lively discussion on topics that included recruiting, the “uberization” of the service industry, self-diagnosing equipment, training and industry growth.

The full of panelists consisted of John Payne (Auburn Mechanical), Joel Crabtree (Local 32), Duane Bjornsen (Seattle Area Pipe Trades), Matthew Barnes (MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions) and Kip Bagley (EMCOR Services Mesa Energy Systems and MSCA Chair), held a lively discussion on topics that included recruiting, the “uberization” of the service industry, self-diagnosing equipment, training and industry growth. MCAWW’s Executive Director, Ed Kommers, served as moderator.

reIMAGINE Your Recruiting Pipeline at MSCA19

Your business relies on the best people to get the work done. As generations change, we need to rethink our methods to recruit people into our industry. Join Jon Finch, Vice President of Training, MILWAUKEE TOOL and Tim Herbert, Lead Organizer, Washington State Pipe Trades, at MSCA19 in Colorado Springs, CO from October 13-16, 2019, to discuss how you can proactively target and engage your future workforce. During this session you will reFRESH your recruiting perspective and leave with actionable steps to increase your hiring potential. This session will cover tactics on where to target to reINVIGORATE your candidate pool. You will leave the session knowing how to tell your story in a way that will reDESIGN your recruiting pitch, as well as solutions to increase your impact and network reach so that you can reENGAGE your connection strategy.
Both Jon Finch and Tim Herbert have been highly successful in recruiting the next generation of workers and ensuring that their company’s and local contractor’s manpower needs are fulfilled in a timely and efficient manner. This dynamic duo will share their best practices with you and open your eyes to new possibilities.

reBRAND: Learn How to Talk Like a Leader at MSCA19

MSCA19 is being held in Colorado Springs, CO from October 13-16, 2019. The old adage, ‘what people perceive, is what they believe,’ has never been truer than in today’s superficial society. Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly being judged by others, often subconsciously. How you communicate in everything from casual conversations to formal business meetings can be the difference between success and failure.
During this highly interactive session, Anthony Huey, owner of Reputation Management Associates, one of the nation’s leading communications training and crisis consulting companies, will demonstrate effective ways to leave a positive perception on a wide variety of audiences you deal with every day, including customers, prospects, internal staff, boards of directors, management, community partners, the news media, elected officials, investors and many others. Never again miss your only opportunity to connect and leave a lasting impression that others will remember.

Put Safety at Service Techs’ Fingertips

Could your service techs benefit from a quick reference for working safely? The Safety Manual for Mechanical Service Technicians provides the information techs need to handle common jobsite emergencies. It also provides both background and safe work practices for key safety topics, such as arc flash, electrical shock, hazard communication, and work in confined spaces. Members can download the manual free as a benefit of membership, or purchase print copies for their workers who prefer them.

Download a PDF or Purchase Hard Copies

Does Your Company Do Construction Work or Have a Fab Shop?

Then you won’t want to miss these similar titles designed especially for construction and fabrication shop workers.

Safety Manual for Mechanical Construction Workers

Download a PDF or Purchase Hard Copies

Safety Manual for Mechanical Fabrication Shop Workers

Download a PDF or Purchase Hard Copies

reENGAGE and Turn Corporate Culture Into a Competitive Advantage at MSCA19

Ryan Estis will be joining us at MSCA19 in Colorado Springs, CO from October 13-16, 2019. Ryan has more than 20 years of experience as a top-performing sales professional and leader. He will refresh participant’s perspectives on how to cultivate a high-engagement, high-performance work culture. As we prepare for the next growth cycle in business, leaders need to understand the needs and expectations of the modern workforce. Ryan pushes back on conventional thinking with new research and case studies from category-leading companies that succeed at maximizing human potential and elevating performance.
To win in today’s market, you need a healthy organization: tuned-in employees, authentic leadership, open communication and trust. Leaders are called to cultivate the kind of workplace where people come first and performance and profit follow. Most organizations leave too many opportunities on the table and waste a huge amount of their people’s potential. This session will offer practical advice to help companies reverse that trend.

reDISCOVER Exactly How to Sell at MSCA19

Join us at MSCA19 in Colorado Springs, CO from October 13-16, 2020. Phil M. Jones, author of five international best-selling books, will help the audience re-DISCOVER exactly what it takes to develop a community of customers who continue to spend with them, refer them to others and build their reputation. Participants can explore the winning tools and techniques that they can use to increase their confidence ahead of their sales conversations and achieve more from every interaction they have.
Phil Jones is the youngest winner of the coveted “British Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award” and has made it his life’s work to demystify the sales process. He re-frames what it means to “sell” and helps his audiences to learn new skills that reinforce confidence, overcome fears and instantaneously impact results. He is by no means your typical sales expert.

Need Help Combatting Unsafe Driving Behaviors? This Video Has It!

Fleet safety is getting a lot of attention because motor vehicle fatalities, which are the leading cause of deaths in America, continue to increase each year. Most vehicle accidents are caused by unsafe driving behavior, substance abuse, insufficient driver training, or inadequate vehicle condition/maintenance. MCAA’s Fleet Safety for Mechanical Service and Construction Supervisors Video will help you combat unsafe driving behaviors by teaching your supervisors:

  • How to properly screen their drivers
  • The components of effective driver training
  • How to monitor driver behavior and
  • How to ensure proper inspection and maintenance of the company’s fleet

Download or play the video

Want More Safety Resources?

MCAA has you covered, with a full range of resources to help you protect your workers from injury and comply with applicable safety regulations. Here’s where to find them:

On our Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page, where they’re listed by category with links.

Go there now

In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.

Visit the Resource Center

Have questions or need personal assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.