Organization: JRGF

Beyond the Classroom Video Series: The Power of Networking

In this month’s Beyond the Classroom video, hear about the power of networking from former Wentworth Institute of Technology student, Nolan Rochler.

Nolan is now a Project Engineer at J.C. Higgins and credits his learning and growth in the industry to those he had met at networking events through his student chapter. Upon graduating, he found this network to be quite useful. “You have people who are there to help you. They help you find endless opportunities. By coming to these events, you are able to build such a strong network and basically go anywhere,” Nolan shared.

Participating in MCAA’s Annual Student Chapter Competition was also an invaluable experience for Nolan. He says really learning, understanding and dissecting a real-life project, is unlike any other learning process. Nolan reminds current students to take these learning and networking opportunities and “make it whatever you want to make it.” People in this industry welcome you in, respect you, and give you the opportunity to learn and grow. Use them to help set you up for success–Nolan certainly has!

Upcoming Beyond the Classroom videos will continue to showcase opportunities available to MCAA student chapter members and MCAA members alike who choose careers in the mechanical industry.

Beyond the Classroom Video Series: Opportunities in the Mechanical Contracting Industry

Meet Marie. California State University, Chico Faculty Advisor and MCAA Career Development Committee member, Marie Patterson, shares how she got her start in the Mechanical Contracting Industry and what excites her about still working in the industry today, in this month’s Beyond the Classroom video.

Marie emphasizes there are endless opportunities for students who hope to work in the Mechanical Contracting industry, highlighting fun, cool, everyday venues and structures such as wineries and breweries, as mechanical construction. Marie likes to put her efforts to working on a pharmaceutical product, or a mechanical contracting project, that she knows at the end of the day will save or improve people’s lives.

Upcoming Beyond the Classroom videos will continue to showcase opportunities available to MCAA student chapter members and MCAA members alike who choose careers in the mechanical industry.

MCAA Welcomes Frank Wall as Executive Director, Operations

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.

In his new role, Frank serves as Executive Director of the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF). He also focuses his attentions on MCAA’s National Education Initiative (NEI) and Management Methods Committee.

Frank’s extensive experience in leadership development will serve him well in another aspect of his job, handling the human resources function for MCAA.

Frank and his wife, Colleen, have two sons and are expecting their first grandchild in January.

Thank You for Supporting Your Foundation

Please join us in saying thank you to the MCAA members who have given to the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF) in 2020. Their support enables the JRGF to identify and work to solve the issues that confront the organized mechanical construction and service industry, challenges such as future workforce, productivity and technology.

Your peers supporting these vital efforts in 2020 are:

Arden Engineering Constructors, LLC
Binsky & Snyder, LLC
CCI Mechanical, Inc.
CFI Mechanical, Inc.
Cleveland Plumbing Industry Promotional and Education Fund
CPMCA
Dynamics Systems, Inc.
Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois MCA
Ferguson
Harrell-Fish, Inc.
Hughes Environmental Engineering, Inc.
John W Danforth Company
JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services, Inc.
Kinetics Systems, Inc. – (Bill Bianco Scholarship)
MCA of Akron, Ohio, Inc.
MCA of Greater Springfield, Missouri
MCA of Indiana, Inc.
MCA of Kansas City
MCA of Northwestern Ohio, Inc.
MCA of Rockford, Inc.
MCA/MSCA of New York, Inc.
McCauley Mechanical Construction, Inc.
Mechanical Contracting Industry Fund of Cleveland
Michael F. Russo
Mid-Atlantic MCA
Nooter Construction Company
North Mechanical Contracting, Inc.
Piping and Service Industry Coalition
Poole & Kent Corporation
Service Fitters Industry Promotional Fund of New York
The John F. Gallagher Company
West Chester Mechanical Contractors
Western New York Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

Learn more and donate on the JRGF website.

MCAA’s GreatFutures Virtual Fall Program Registration Opening Next Week!

Registration for MCAA’s GreatFutures Virtual Fall Program will open on Friday, August 21 and it’s free! The program will begin September 15 and continue through November 16. MCAA will be hosting live sessions each week, available to all students, faculty advisors and MCAA members.

The program is aimed to help give the next generation of mechanical contracting leaders a deeper understanding of the industry and the ins and outs of creating a construction bid. Each session will be taught by MCAA industry leaders and navigate students through the competition project with online instructional sessions focused on components of a real-world contracting bid.

Included in this program will be the annual MCAA Student Chapter Competition, which will be released virtually to student chapters through Procore. The competition gives students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom by creating a bid for a real-life mechanical construction project.

The fall schedule includes:

Tuesday, September 15, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – GreatFutures Virtual Fall Program Introduction
Thursday, September 17, 1:00 p.m. Eastern – Student Chapter Competition Overview
Tuesday, September 22, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – Procore Overview: Learning About Construction Management Software
Thursday, September 24, 1:00 p.m. Eastern – Young Professionals Panel: Kickstarting Your Student Competition Project
Tuesday, September 29, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – Intro to WebLEM+Plus
Thursday, October 1, 1:00 p.m. Eastern – Basics of Estimating for a Project
Tuesday, October 6, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – Project Organizational Chart: Staffing Your Project
Thursday, October 8, 1:00 p.m. Eastern – Scheduling 101
Tuesday, October 13, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – How Companies Use Fabrication
Tuesday, October 20, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – The Business Side of Safety
Thursday, October 22, 1:00 p.m. Eastern – Identifying Project Risks
Tuesday, October 27, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – Digital Process of BIM
Tuesday, November 3, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – Understanding Service
Thursday, November 5, 1:00 p.m. Eastern – Services Sales: The Importance of Planned Maintenance
Tuesday, November 10, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – Understanding Finances of a Job
Thursday, November 12, 1:00 p.m. Eastern – Organizing Your Proposal
Tuesday, November 17, 3:00 p.m. Eastern – Competition Panel Wrap-Up

Please contact Megan Walsh if you have questions about the GreatFutures Virtual Fall Program or any of our student activities.

Modern Piping Inc. Intern Receives MCAA Internship Grant

Modern Piping, Inc, an MCA of Iowa member, presented Matt HermsenWhite with an MCAA Internship Grant at the start of his 2020 summer internship. The grant is funded by the John R. Gentille Foundation. Matt says, “I would like to express my gratitude to all of the members at MCAA for the grant. I have felt great reception from the mechanical contracting community, both at Modern Piping Inc and from MCAA. I am definitely considering a career in mechanical contracting and would like to say thank you again to MCAA for supporting engineering students with their education.”

Matt is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University with plans to graduate in December of 2020. This is Matt’s second year with Modern Piping as Project Manager Intern. He previously worked on piping in the summer of 2018 and this year’s focus was in HVAC work.

“I am very grateful to be with Modern Piping for a second summer. They have given me ample opportunities to participate in team meetings, bidding, productivity tracking, and project manager tasks. All of the people at Modern Piping have been friendly, welcoming, and willing to teach me practical and technical skills.”

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, Matt’s internship experience was completely virtual. Throughout his work, Matt has been supervised by Bob Brown, the President of Modern Sheet Metal.

Matt’s main summer projects consist of the following:

Project bidding for commercial and medical buildings
Duct fabrication productivity tracking
Creating weekly report system to help Project Managers better understand costs hitting projects on a weekly basis
Project administrative tasks: startup, permits, close out documents, etc.

Matt says “although the virtual format came with challenges, it was an opportunity to learn how to collaborate with coworkers and accomplish tasks in an online setting which will be a valuable skill for a 21^st century workplace.”

About the MCAA Internship Grants

Having MCAA interns working at member companies is a win-win for both the students and the mechanical contracting industry. Employers get fresh talent and build a pipeline of future employees, while students gain experience, create connections, develop skills and further their interest in mechanical contracting. In paying the student instead of the employer, MCAA’s goal is to increase the overall number of interns and drive the overall number of talented employees accepting full-time positions with MCAA members post-graduation.

How the Grant Application Process Works

Prospective interns must be in good standing at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or technical school. While MCAA encourages its members to give priority to students from the MCAA Student Chapter Program, this is not a requirement to receive a grant.

Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 gift card to the member company so they can present it to the student at the start of their internship.

MCAA will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship experience was successful.

Start Your Search for Top Talent Today

MCAAGreatFutures.org gives members access to student profiles and resumes. The profiles are searchable by university, desired location, and even a specific skill set, like BIM or AutoCAD. A keyword filter allows users to zero in on students who fit the bill.

Not finding a match? Try reaching out to our 61 MCAA Student Chapters. The chapter advisors are a great resource to help find the right person. And, MCAA members have exclusive access to post job openings on our job board.

Help build our industry’s GreatFuture – apply for a grant!

GreatFutures Virtual Education Program Coming this September!

MCAA plans are underway to host the GreatFutures Virtual Education Fall Program! The program is aimed to help give the next generation of mechanical contracting leaders a deeper understanding of the industry and the ins and outs of creating a construction bid. The program will start September 15 and continue through November 16, 2020.

The GreatFutures education program will navigate students through the competition project with online instructional sessions focused on components of a real-world contracting bid. MCAA will be launching live sessions each week, available to all students, faculty advisors and MCAA members. The topics of the sessions will be taught by current MCAA industry leaders. Topics that will be covered include:

Student Chapter Competition Overview
Procore Overview: Learning about Construction Management Software
Young Professionals Panel: Kickstarting Your Student Competition Project
Basics of Estimating
Fundamentals of Scheduling
Project Organization: Staffing Your Project
Identifying Risks in a Construction Project
Digital Process of BIM
Understanding the HVAC/R Industry
The Importance of Planned Maintenance
How Companies Use Fabrication
The Business Side of Safety
Identifying Project Risks
Understanding the Finances of a Job
Organizing Your Proposal

Stay tuned for additional schedule and registration information!

Please contact Megan Walsh if you have questions about the GreatFutures Virtual Education program or any of our student activities.

GreatFutures Virtual Education Fall Program Coming Soon

In light of COVID-19-related restrictions and with the safety of our members and students in mind, MCAA has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s in-person GreatFutures Forum, scheduled for October 1–3 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

To continue providing the top-of-the-line education that MCAA is known for, our Career Development Committee has come together to develop the GreatFutures Virtual Education Fall Program! The program is aimed to help give the next generation of mechanical contracting leaders a deeper understanding of the industry and the ins and outs of creating a construction bid. The program will start September 15 and continue through November 16, 2020.

Included in this program will be the annual MCAA Student Chapter Competition, which will be released virtually to student chapters this September. The competition gives students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom by creating a bid for a real-life mechanical construction project.

The GreatFutures education program will navigate students through the competition project with online instructional sessions focused on components of a real-world contracting bid. MCAA will be launching live sessions each week, available to all students, faculty advisors and MCAA members. The topics of the sessions include estimating, scheduling, construction technology, safety and service, all taught by industry leaders.

Stay tuned for schedule and registration information in the coming weeks!

Please contact Megan Walsh if you have questions about the GreatFutures Virtual Education program or any of our student activities.

MCA of Chicago Hosts Summer Interns

The mechanical contracting industry provides many career paths, and that includes the opportunity to work for an MCA local affiliated association. This summer, MCA of Chicago has two interns, Judie Prophete and Ervin Prophete. They are learning about how an association is managed and how the MCA of Chicago provides resources and education to its members.

MCA of Chicago Director of Communications Abby Baughan said, “It’s been great having Judie and Ervin working with us this summer. They’re bright, hard-working and make great additions to our team. When I was in college, I knew very little about association work and mechanical contracting. Like most people, I sort of fell into it. I think it’s great that, as college students, Judie and Ervin are being introduced to this world filled with so much opportunity. I hope this internship opens their eyes to all of the possible career paths that are available to them.”

Meet Judie Prophete

Judie is an incoming senior at DePaul University, studying accounting and business management.

“As the accounting intern and administrative assistant for the MCA of Chicago, I spend the majority of my time helping our Director of Finance, Susan Rocque, with various tasks and projects. The other part of my time is spent doing administrative work around the office and helping where I am needed. I am learning a lot about accounting and finance, gaining a lot of new experience and learning a lot about what it is like to work in an office setting.”

During her internship, Judie hopes to continue learning more about the professional workplace and about programs and tools that are specific to her field of study. She also hopes to gain more confidence so she is prepared to enter the business world.

“From what I have seen in the month that I have been interning here, there are a lot of aspects of the professional workplace that school cannot prepare you for. The only way to truly learn these things and succeed is to actually be put in those situations and just do the best you can with what you have. I am fortunate enough to be learning those things surrounded by welcoming, forgiving and patient co-workers in a friendly and positive work environment.”

Meet Ervin Prophete

Ervin Prophete is a senior at DePaul University in Chicago, studying public relations and advertising.

Ervin is a marketing intern. His responsibilities include creating and posting graphics on social media, helping Director of Communications Abby Baughan with compiling the weekly emails, scheduling events on the MCA of Chicago Facebook page and updating the MCA website with future events and classes.

Ervin talked about what he hopes to get out of this internship. “I have learned a lot so far in this internship and feel that every day I step in the office is a day I gain more knowledge about the marketing world. I am hoping to just learn as much as I can and become proficient in the tools I have been introduced to in my time here so far. By the end, I would like to be able to use the knowledge I will have gained to do some freelance work while I finish school.”

MCA of Chicago Career Development

MCA of Chicago members are also focused on getting talented students into the mechanical contracting industry, even if they do not follow the typical academic path.

Brandon Hubner of Premier Mechanical, Inc., shared his company’s unique insight about hiring the right talent:

“The way the Premier has looked at hiring is that a person’s major focus of study or background is less important than the skills that they bring to the table and how well they can help round out our team and add value with other talents that they have. Construction, and mechanical contracting even more so, is a unique industry and every system we install is different. Rarely are two buildings built identically, or with the same team of general contractors and subcontractors. If systems and teams are rarely the same, then why always hire from within the same field of study? In our experience, we can better tackle unique projects with unique individuals. Given the number of variables there are to construction, we would be passing over a lot of really good candidates if we focused just on construction management and mechanical engineering majors.”

McElroy’s Inc. Intern Receives MCAA Internship Grant

McElroy’s Inc., an MCA of Kansas City member, presented Parker Beal with an MCAA Internship Grant at the start of his 2020 summer internship. The grant is funded by the John R. Gentille Foundation. Parker said, “This grant will help me continue to fund my college degree and expenses. I see this not only as a great learning opportunity, but also as a motivation to tell other interns in the future about what I have learned and experienced in the mechanical industry.”

This is Parker’s third consecutive internship with McElroy’s Inc. The Architectural Engineering student has a particular interest in MEP. After he graduates from the University of Kansas in the spring of 2022, he intends to pursue a master’s degree in Business Administration.

This summer, Parker is using BIM software and other programs to aid in design and load calculations for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems in both commercial and industrial buildings. He will be shadowing Vice President Wade Jueneman, head of commercial construction for McElroy’s Inc.

“McElroy’s has given me valuable opportunities to help further my understanding and knowledge in the mechanical industry,” Parker said of his experiences. “I’m looking forward to developing my skills to transform ideas into design solutions and then see my work in action.”

About the MCAA Internship Grants

Having MCAA interns working at member companies is a win-win for the mechanical contracting industry. Employers get top talent and build a pipeline of future employees. Students gain experience, create connections, develop skills and further their interest in mechanical contracting. In paying the student instead of the employer, MCAA’s goal is to increase the overall number of interns and drive the overall number of talented employees accepting full-time positions with MCAA members after graduation.

How the Grant Application Process Works

The MCAA member company will first ensure a prospective intern is in good standing at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or technical school. While MCAA encourages its members to give priority to students from the MCAA Student Chapter Program, this is not a requirement to receive a grant.

Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 gift card to the member company so it can present the Gift Card to the student at the start of their internship.

MCAA will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship was successful.

Start Your Search for Top Talent Today

Not finding a match? Try reaching out to our 60 MCAA Student Chapters. The chapter advisors are a great resource to help find the right person. And, MCAA members have exclusive access to post job openings on our job board.

Help build our industry’s GreatFuture – apply for a grant!

Beyond the Classroom: Let’s Get Down to Business

In this month’s Beyond the Classroom, meet University of Nebraska senior, Ali Brown. She is an MCAA Student Chapter member and current intern for The Waldinger Corporation. Ali is the 2020 Women in the Mechanical Industry – Ferguson Scholarship recipient. You can read Ali’s profile HERE.

Ali is earning her degree in Business Administration & Human Resources. In this video, Ali shares her perspective on entering the mechanical contracting industry and emphasizes the importance of business and human resources.

Upcoming Beyond the Classroom videos will showcase how MCAA student chapter members and MCAA members alike are benefiting from the program. They will also share the opportunities available to students who choose careers in the mechanical industry.

Marelich Mechanical Company, Inc. Offers Career Opportunities for Chico State Student Chapter Members

Marelich Mechanical Company, Inc. employs summer interns and new-hire project engineers from Northern California MCA student chapter programs. Chad Johnston, VP of Operations said, “Even with the circumstances we were still able to bring aboard seven summer intern and new-hire project engineers. We provide them a job opportunity, and most importantly give them experience in the plumbing and mechanical sector of the construction industry.”

Chad Johnston shares an overview of Marelich Mechanical’s onboarding process for interns and full-time hires:

New hires get the chance to spend a day in the main office meeting different department staff: Human Resources, IT, Safety, Purchasing, Estimating, Detailing, Design and Operations. The following days are typically spent riding around with the plumbing, piping, and sheet metal superintendents walking through various projects and fabrication shops to experience all aspects of Marelich operations beyond their specific project assignment.

This summer, due to the impacts of COVID-19, the onboarding process was drastically modified. All new hires were brought into a mostly vacant office, meeting only a few essential individuals allowed in the office, with face masks used and social distancing maintained. No welcome aboard handshakes, no superintendent ride-along, no touring of multiple jobsites, and no group Marelich camping and rafting trip that have been done in past years.

Chad says, “Yes, things are different this year. For any new hire to any company right now, the empty offices, teams working remotely, and the mandated social distancing makes our organizations feel different than they did just a few months ago. Fortunately, we were able to continue our process of giving students of our Nor Cal MCA Student Chapters schools the opportunity for a career and experience in the industry.”

Below are just a few of the tasks interns and new-hires will be performing this summer:

Reading and understanding project plans and specifications
Writing, submitting, tracking, and resolving RFI’s
Shop drawing submittals and tracking
Processing equipment and material submittals and structural anchorage packages
Managing equipment and material procurement and their releases to meet the project schedule
Attending, documenting, and follow up for on-site meetings
Developing labor loaded schedules; Tracking installed quantities and labor tracking
Estimating, tracking and managing change orders
Coordinating design changes with subcontractors & vendors
QA/QC process follow-up

Chico State Interns

Marelich currently has three MCAA Student Chapter members of California State University, Chico interning this summer including, mechanical engineering major, Jimmie Whitton and construction management majors, Erich Anderson and Wyatt Hattich.

Wyatt Hattich is the retuning MCAA Student Chapter Vice President at Chico State. This summer, Wyatt is working on the HVAC in a luxury 19-story apartment building, Trinity Phase IV, in San Francisco. The largest Whole Foods in San Francisco is being built in the basement below the lobby of the apartments. Below the Whole Foods are five-floors of parking that will connect to the Trinity Phase III building next door.

Wyatt reflects on his experience so far as an intern, “What I really like about Marelich is that they all have made me feel very welcome in their company. They are all so open to help me succeed and learn new things about the mechanical industry. I am very grateful that Marelich allowed me to intern this summer and have given me such a positive experience.”

Full-time Chico State Hire

Ryan Smith graduated Chico State May 2020 with a Construction Management degree and just started full-time as a Project Manager with Marelich.

He is helping to manage the pipe fitters and sheet metal unions, focusing on HVAC work. During his experiences so far, Ryan has learned, “what truly make a great project manager is how you fix your mistakes when they arise.”

His current project is a San Francisco high end hotel and residential condo project. There are over 500 units between the hotel and condos, each has a fan coil unit which is connected to a VRF, and over five miles of refrigerant line.

“Since it is San Francisco we get to use cool tools like zoom lock which is like pro press. I process the submittals, RFI’s, IOM’s, and fix problems on the daily basis. San Francisco is a high stress environment but has some of the smartest individuals I have ever worked with. I thank MCAA for giving me such a great opportunity and for connecting me with such a great employer, Marelich Mechanical. Thank you for all you have done and for pointing me in the right direction.”

Start Your Search for Top Talent Today

Find student chapter members like Wyatt and Ryan by visiting MCAAGreatFutures.org, where members have access to student profiles and resumes. The profiles are searchable by university, desired location, and even a specific skill set, like BIM or AutoCAD. A keyword filter allows users to zero in on students who fit the bill.

Arden Engineering Constructors, LLC Internships Pave the Way to Full-time Careers

Arden Engineering Constructors, LLC, internships prepare students for careers in the construction industry. That guidance has paid off for both the company and three recent graduates who accepted full-time positions within the Arden Building Companies family of businesses. Congratulations to Natalie Mansson, Andrew Basile and Alex Appolonia on finding their great futures with Arden.

About Natalie

Natalie Mansson was hired in May 2020 as Arden Engineering Constructors, LLC’s newest Project Engineer. She interned for the company last winter.

She has had an interest in construction from an early age. “I knew construction would be a great career path for me when my family bought an old Cape house that needed a major renovation,” she said. “I would always ask the contractor, plumber, and electrician questions about their work and the different systems used.”

A recent graduate of Roger Williams University, Natalie studied Construction Management (CM). She grew to love the construction industry more during her time in school, so she decided to take another year to receive her master’s degree in CM.

“My experience at Arden so far has been incredible. I have been working in the estimating department, learning the different software the estimators use and completing various takeoffs. I have also worked with project managers, attended an on-site meeting, and did a site walk-through to see the incredible work Arden is doing.”

About Andrew

Andrew Basile was hired this May as a Controls Engineer with Earthwise Energy Technologies. Andrew is a graduate of Western New England University where he studied Mechanical Engineering.

“I chose mechanical engineering as my field of study because of my love to learn about the inner workings of everyday objects and systems and to be able to use that information, along with some creativity, to create a useful end product,” he said. “For my future in this field, I hope to find a specific application that I am passionate about so I can be invested in my projects and produce results I am proud of.”

Andrew, who interned for Arden during the past two summers recalls his internship experience fondly:

“My experience at Arden has been very informative, with the possibilities for work with a mechanical engineering degree, and the amount of information I can still learn. Working with Paul Carter, General Manager of Earthwise Energy Technologies has shown me the more technical, controls side of HVAC, while working with Tim Elliott, Director of Design & Engineering at Arden Engineering Constructors gave me a more physical understanding of the systems. With the combination of both experiences, I have obtained a more complete understanding of HVAC systems and every step taken to create a functioning system.”

About Alex

Alex Appolonia was recently hired as a Project Engineer on the Unique Metal Works, LLC team.

A University of Rhode Island (URI) graduate, Alex was a Civil Engineering major when he interned with Arden last winter. He worked under Arden Engineering Constructors, LLC Project Manager Rob Cote, and enjoyed on-site visits to the new URI College of Engineering building.

Alex Appolonia determines what size fan cover is needed for an exhaust fan at the Infinity Meat Solutions project.

He says, “I have been able to experience the precise detail and coordination it takes to complete a project of substantial caliber. My time here at Arden has given me hands-on experience in the field and shown me that to be a successful project manager or engineer one must be punctual, concise and transparent when coordinating with all the other trades from start to finish of every project.”

Alex is currently working on the Infinity Meat Solutions project, a new $100M, 200,000 sq. ft. meat-packaging facility in North Kingstown, RI. This is a joint project for Unique Metal Works, LLC, Arden Engineering Constructors, LLC, and Earthwise Energy Technologies.

MCAA Mourns the Passing of Past President Robert T. Armistead, P.E.

MCAA is saddened by the loss of Robert T. Armistead, P.E., who served as our President in 2010. He died peacefully at his home on June 16, 2020, surrounded by his loving family. Our thoughts are with Susan, Robert, Kane, Bryan and the extended Armistead family during this difficult time. “Bob truly loved the MCAA and his time with everyone involved in the organization. He will be greatly missed,” said Timothy J. Brink, MCAA’s Chief Executive Officer.

In an announcement to MCA of New Jersey, Inc. members, Executive Director Marty Drobny said, “We will miss our friend much. His positive impact within the industry will live on forever.”

Bob was President of Armistead Mechanical, Inc., a fourth-generation mechanical contracting and engineering firm that predominantly serves the New Jersey and New York Hudson Valley areas. The company specializes in commercial and industrial plumbing, heating, air conditioning and process piping. Raised in the family business, Bob worked there over summers and school breaks, learned the trade in the field and later worked with the estimators and project managers in the office.

After college and Navy service, Bob returned to the family business, where under his leadership, Armistead Mechanical developed an impressive project portfolio and a staff that is known for excellent customer service.

When Bob brought his energetic style and understanding of the details of the industry to MCAA, his strong belief in educating students led to an invitation to serve on the MCAA Career Development Committee, where he tirelessly volunteered his time to aid in the development of programs and services for our industry’s future leaders. In fact, Bob was one of the committee’s longest serving members, acting as a judge during the final round of the annual Student Chapter Competition at many of our annual conventions, and helping to set the standard for the dynamic program it has become today.

A natural off-shoot of his service on the Career Development Committee, Bob’s passion for perpetuating the flow of talent into the industry also extended to his position on the National Board of the ACE Mentor Program that educates and mentors high school students about careers in the architecture, construction—including the building trades, and engineering. He also served the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation, now the John R. Gentille Foundation, which funds many of MCAA’s student chapter activities. He also served on the foundation’s Board of Trustees as well as on the MCAA Technology Committee.

On a personal note, Bob was blessed with a beautiful wife of over 50 years, Susan, and three sons, Robert, Kane, and Bryan, who work in the family business. In his spare time, Bob served on the Orange County Industrial Development Agency and was active with the Boy Scouts, winning the Orange County Boy Scouts’ Distinguished Citizen Award in October of 2009.

Due to the current national health crisis and continuing restrictions, funeral services and interment will take place privately, and a memorial event celebrating Robert’s life will be planned for a later date.

Friends are encouraged to share stories, photos, and memories of him with the family by sending letters to: The Armisteads at 6 Hilltop Drive in Goshen, NY 10924.

In lieu of sending flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to the following organizations:

Obituary

William E. Walter Summer Intern Receives MCAA Internship Grant

William E. Walter Inc. Mechanical Contractors (William E. Walter) presented Alex Vernon-Venzuela Peter with an MCAA Internship Grant at the start of his internship. The grant, which is funded by the John R. Gentille Foundation, will help subsidize his expenses while he gains valuable work experience this summer.

Alex is a junior at Ferris State University, where he studies HVAC/R Engineering Technology and Energy Management.

William E. Walter chose to honor their commitment to Alex’s 4-month, 40 hours a week internship in spite of COVID-19. “Even in these challenging times it is important that we continue to support the growth and knowledge of future employees entering into the industry,” said Bruce Wenzlick, the company’s Director of Construction Services.

This is Alex’s first year as an intern with William E. Walter. His duties are focused on estimating and project management. He is assisting with things like quoting new jobs and submittals, change orders, schedules and material tracking.

About the MCAA Internship Grants

How the Grant Application Process Works

Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 gift card to the member company so it can present the Gift Card to the student at the start of their internship.

MCAA will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship was successful.

Start Your Search for Top Talent Today

Help build our industry’s GreatFuture – apply for a grant!

Murphy Company Interns Get Project Experience on Their College Campus

Murphy Company interns Jacob Reed and Morgan Hanley have been onsite project engineering interns for the University of Missouri-Columbia’s NextGen Precision Health Institute. The opportunity has given them a first-hand look at what it takes to build a job on their college campus.

About the Project

The company continues its work on the facility which supports a systemwide precision health initiative aimed at harnessing and supporting the research activities of its four universities and health system. The building will include lab space for current and new faculty, graduate students, clinicians and have collaborative spaces for work with industry partners.

The facility is the largest single project that the University of Missouri has ever undertaken. The project consists of a new 265,000 sq. ft. six story facility.

The Murphy Company team, in collaboration with their general contractor and trade partners, was hired on in a design-assist capacity completed the following extensive BIM and fabrication on this past year:

Identified and corrected 1,134 BIM clashes prior to installation
Fabricated 121,000 lbs. of ductwork and 65,000 lbs. of mechanical piping and racks
Installed the following:
- 7,600 Linear Feet (LF) of underground piping
- 22,500 MEP Trimble points based on BIM
- 41,700 LF of above ground plumbing and piping
- 3,4000 of LF of reverse osmosis (RO) piping
- 21,640 LF of copper process piping

Construction on the institute is expected to be completed in October 2021.

Both Jacob Reed and Morgan Hanley began their internships in Murphy Company’s St. Louis office this past spring semester.

About Jacob

Jacob is entering his senior year at the University of Missouri-Columbia, studying Mechanical Engineering. In the spring working 20-hour week, Jacob was able to see the project manager role in action by attending coordination meetings, daily site walks and reviewing construction drawings making him more familiar with the project layout. Since the spring Jacob has transition to a full-time intern this summer.

“Since I have transitioned to full-time for the summer, I feel that I am gaining valuable real-world experience without too much of an internship feel. My responsibilities now include reviewing submittals, tracking productivity, and the commissioning process of equipment. I have been able to soak in as much information as possible, ask plenty of questions about topics I did not fully understand, and have real responsibilities that add value to the work being completed here. I believe it is the perfect balance that is allowing me to apply my skills and develop new ones.”

Jacob looks forward to the rest of his summer internship and continue to learn from Murphy employees the importance of coordination, communication, and critical problem solving.

“I have now seen multiple times how project managers are able to take a problem in stride, communicate with co-workers to create a solution, and implement that solution in a timely manner. I am also looking forward to watching further completion of the NextGen Precision Health Institute. I find it very exciting that I get to see firsthand the construction of a multi-million-dollar research institute at my college.”

About Morgan

Morgan Hanley is a Junior at the University of Missouri-Columbia studying chemical engineering. In the spring Morgan was on-site at the NextGen facility and this summer is currently working in Murphy Company’s engineering department.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time so far with Murphy as it has allowed me to apply what I have learned in my coursework to practical, real-world scenarios. I have enjoyed being able to see two pieces of a bigger puzzle at work. Being on site of NextGen and then coming to the Engineering department has been really interesting because it has closed the loop between the drawings and plans I worked with at Mizzou to how those intricate details, sizings, and selections are determined during the design phase. It has been fascinating to observe the complementary aspects of both locations, and I am excited to learn even more during the rest of the summer.”

Start Your Search for Top Talent Today

Find student chapter members like Derrick by visiting MCAAGreatFutures.org, where members have access to student profiles and resumes. The profiles are searchable by university, desired location, and even a specific skill set, like BIM or AutoCAD. A keyword filter allows users to zero in on students who fit the bill.

Help MCAA Tailor Career Programming to Support Your Hiring Needs

MCAA connects students with MCAA members through networking and employment opportunities that help to cultivate the next generation of industry leaders.

The MCAA Career Development Committee is exploring new ways to make these connections with virtual networking and resources in light of the cancellation of the MCAA GreatFutures Forum due to COVID-19.

Please help to ensure that this programming supports your company’s needs by letting us know your company’s hiring plans for the coming year.

Take the Survey

Please contact Megan Walsh if you have questions about the GreatFutures program or our student activities and resources.

Titan Mechanical Intern Receives MCAA Internship Grant

Titan Mechanical presented Colton Battin with an MCAA Internship Grant at the start of his summer internship. The grant, which is funded by the John R. Gentille Foundation, will help subsidize his expenses while he gains valuable work experience this summer.

Colton is a senior at Bowling Green State University, where he is studying Construction Management. He will be graduating in December 2020. Colton is a member of the new student chapter at Bowling Green State University, sponsored by the MCA of Northwestern, Ohio, Inc.

This is Colton’s second year interning with Titan Mechanical. He has been successful in the office setting since the impacts of COVID-19, simultaneously social distancing while effectively fulfilling responsibilities as an intern. His work involves estimating, assisting project managers. Some of his duties will be reaching out to sub-contractors, vendors and assisting in implementing Titan Mechanical Inc.’s new estimating software.

John E. Gray, President of Titan Mechanical, had this to say, “Colton will be an asset to any organization moving forward, he really has a thirst for knowledge and wants to be apart of the industry moving forward.”

About the MCAA Internship Grants

How the Grant Application Process Works

Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 gift card to the member company so it can present the Gift Card to the student at the start of their internship.

MCAA will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship was successful.

Start Your Search for Top Talent Today

Help build our industry’s GreatFuture – apply for a grant!

Recruit the Best Talent – Apply for MCAA Internship Grants!

This year, $500 MCAA Internship Grants are being offered to students who accept internships or full-time positions thanks to funding from the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF). MCAA members can use these grants to help them attract much-needed talent, and interns will appreciate the investment in their success. This small gesture may be the beginning of a great future with your company.

Internship Success

MCAA members are leveraging the internship grants for their interns this summer.

Enginuty LLC presented Matthew Lawrence and Andrew Clancy with MCAA student internship grants at the start of their internships this summer. Matthew is working as a service department sales assistant and Andrew is a project assistant.

Read the full Story HERE.

Bryce Danielson, this year’s Alan O’Shea Memorial Scholarship recipient is continuing his internship for MCA of Omaha member Ray Martin Company. “I have been challenged with many tasks which include estimating and preparing bids, writing purchase orders and subcontracts, and helping with project management duties. They gave me opportunities that no other company would give a first-year intern.”

Read the full Story HERE.

How the Grant Application Process Works

Each MCAA member company can submit up to two internship grant applications per year. Once an application is reviewed and accepted, MCAA will send a $500 gift card to the member company so it can present the gift card to the student at the start of their internship.

MCAA will follow-up with each company and intern to ensure the process and overall internship was successful.

Start Your Search for Top Talent Today

Help build our industry’s GreatFuture – apply for a grant!

Purdue University Advisor Receives Faculty Continuing Education Grant

Ryan Manual, Assistant Professor of Practice for Purdue University, has received a Faculty Continuing Education Grant funded by the John R. Gentille Foundation. Ryan is the current faculty advisor of the MCAA Student Chapter at Purdue.

The Faculty Continuing Education Grant encourages MCAA members to employ college or university faculty on a part-time basis by subsidizing the faculty member’s salary. By working for a MCAA member, faculty gains a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that students may face and are thus better prepared to advise them.

Working with D.A. Dodd

This summer, Ryan will be working as a Temporary Project Advisor with MCA of Indiana member company D.A. Dodd. After meeting with each other, Ryan and D.A. Dodd found the opportunity to be mutually beneficial, the company will grow closer to academia, assisting in helping attract young talent to their organization.

Ryan discussed what he hopes to get out of the two-month position. “I am responsible for teaching all of the mechanical content in our undergraduate curriculum at Purdue. I believe my experience at D.A. Dodd, will improve my lessons and generate ideas to create more engaging learning experiences for my students. I will use this opportunity to strengthen my knowledge in the mechanical contracting industry while staying current with industry practices and trends that I will take directly to the classroom.”

As a temporary project advisor, Ryan will work alongside local and corporate project managers to gain an understanding of their roles, observe the day-to-day functions of a mechanical contractor, and provide insight regarding internship and entry level hiring programs.

Essential responsibilities will include:

• Review challenges and inefficiencies regarding Project Manager procedures, precedence, design clarifications, adequate labor and equipment, schedules, and any other applicable issues

• Assist as needed in managing day-to-day field operations of mechanical, HVAC, or plumbing projects

• Read, analyze, and interpret plans, specifications, controls, drawings, service bulletins, technical procedure manuals, equipment specifications, and government regulations

• Work with Human Resources to restructure and promote D.A. Dodd’s part-time and full-time internship programs