Organization: MSCA

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s How to Set Up Tax-Wise Corporate Minutes

Properly drafted corporate minutes that reflect the actual intentions of the corporate directors and shareholders can be, and frequently have been, the factor that tips the scales in the taxpayer’s favor during disputes with the Internal Revenue Service. MCAA’s How to Set Up Tax-Wise Corporate Minutes explains the bottom-line importance of these important business documents. It’s just one of MCAA’s educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership.

The bulletin covers:

What properly drafted minutes should include
Potential alternatives to minutes
Areas that are particularly susceptible to IRS challenges

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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.

The UA and XOi Work Together to Train the Next Generation of Skilled Labor

MCAA member XOi Technologies, a leading provider of technician-focused technology solutions, has formed a partnership with the United Association (UA) that delivers XOi’s innovative AI-based tech-enablement solution to HVACR instructors and registered service apprentices across the United States.

“XOi combines many critical functions for UA instructors and apprentices and other field professionals in a single platform,” said UA training specialist Robert Vilches. “In addition to its streamlined workflows and best-in-class data indexing and analytics, XOi keeps UA apprentices and instructors connected in the field and provides instructors with unrivaled insight into how students perform on the job. And XOi’s first-to-market virtual mentor support extends training from the classroom to the jobsite, so apprentices can continue to learn while they’re in the field.”

XOi’s deep data cataloging capabilities, advanced AI-driven analytics, and intuitive remote support options enhance the value of UA’s training programs, giving the organization resources to help contractors close the skilled labor gap.

“This partnership is an opportunity to maximize the UA’s proven training programs and to strategically extend XOi’s position as a top innovator in the industry,” said Aaron Salow, founder and CEO of XOi. “By equipping their apprentices and instructors with our powerful solutions, the UA is empowering the next generation of skilled labor talent with in-depth, hands-on education that will help contractors face the continuing labor shortage in the service industry.”

XOi’s advanced cloud-based solution allows field service technicians to utilize, aggregate and analyze critical job data and maximize customer value through industry-leading efficiency, accuracy, and accountability. With a full suite of standardized workflows, job documentation capabilities, and technician training and enablement solutions, teams can build deep and easily accessible institutional knowledge bases that support real-time decision-making and data-based continuity. Service teams can apply these extensive data-science capabilities to analyze those foundational elements and strategically respond to evolving data trends and forecasts.

For more information about XOi, visit https://xoi.io.

For more information about the UA, visit https://ua.org.

Connect With the Latest Training from SLOAN and The Harris Products Group at MCAA.org

The Manufacturer/Supplier Training area of MCAA’s website connects our contractor members with training opportunities available from the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new webinars and training opportunities across their product lines, services, solutions or web pages. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

SLOAN
Find out how to improve public restrooms in educational buildings based on government-provided stimulus funding.

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The Harris Products Group
Harris Products Group, maker of brazing and soldering equipment and consumables, provides NATE training on the basics of brazing, base and filler metals and fluxes, and torch safety. Includes brazing demonstrations and hands-on practice.

Learn More

Interested in More Training from Our Supplier Partners?

Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.

Learn More

Find the Latest from Morris Group International and Team Industries, Inc. 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:

Morris Group International
Quick, easy installation! Specifically designed with tilt-up concrete buildings in mind, our Stainless-Steel Cored Hole Hydrant Box can cut your installation time by at least 75%!

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Team Industries, Inc.
Designed in accordance with “Lean Manufacturing” concepts, Team’s pipe welding positioners deliver economical, high quality pipe welding. Team’s positioners are designed for the highest quality and peak efficiency in pipe welding.

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

Stacy Zerr Will Join the MCA of Kansas City

Stacy Zerr will become the MCA of Kansas City’s (MCAKC) next Executive Director on October 31, 2022. She brings over 24 years of mechanical contracting experience to the role, most recently as the Director of Pre-Construction Services for The Waldinger Corporation in Des Moines, Iowa. Stacy is active in MCAA as Chair of the Innovative Technologies Committee and as a member of both the Project Managers Education Committee and the Women in the Mechanical Industry Steering Committee. “We look forward to the leadership and professionalism that Stacy will bring to the association, and we’re excited to have her join our team at the end of October,” said Greg Stanger, MCAKC President.

Model-to-Machine Fabrication Will be a Focus of MCAA’s 2022 Fabrication Conference

Registration is now open for the 2022 MCAA Fabrication Conference, powered by MSUITE. The conference is returning to Seattle, November 2-4, 2022 with a tour of one of the country’s most dynamic mechanical contractors – McKinstry Company. It will feature how innovative contractors are integrating digital information throughout their fabrication process by using a “Model-to-Machine” approach.

Digital integration has been driving a lot of productivity increases to the industry. With VDC coordination, a lot of time, energy and expense is spent building a BIM model. Fabrication has already been one of the best ways to make up ground by improving the productivity and safety on projects. Up until new software was developed, information from the BIM model could only be used to generate detailed spool drawings. It created an immediate disconnect as soon as spool drawings left the detailing department and went to the fabrication facility.

Modern contractors have begun using software that is not only used in design and coordination, but also fabrication, communication, and manpower tracking. Fabrication facilities now use computers and large displays that can manipulate the latest drawings in 3D, track progress, update the team and even drive some manufacturing tools to cut, prep and even weld-assist on projects.

“What we are finding is that people are driving efficiency by being able to go directly from model to machine. They are able to also actually measure their efficiency directly from the machine and the shop floor using software”, as Benny Baltrotsky, COO of MSUITE puts it.

This means that the software can now directly drive tools that can measure and cut pipe like TigerSaw or Razor Gauge. This can be applied to copper, med gas, PVC and soil pipe. The same software can also push cuts and bevels to plasma cutting CNC machines or sheet metal manufacturing equipment. It can track status on anything produced in the fabrication shop so that project managers and foremen can be kept up to speed without constantly calling the fab shop foreman.

Many of these workflows will be demonstrated as part of the McKinstry tour, as well as in the education for the conference itself. McKinstry’s Seattle headquarters is a multi-building campus that includes fabrication, design, coordination, facility maintenance, incubator space and a public showroom for some of their services.

This is one of MCAA’s most popular conferences and it sells out quickly. Registration is limited to 2 people per company, including those from multiple locations.

REGISTRATION OPEN

MCAA Partners with OSHA for Safe + Sound Week

MCAA has partnered with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) for Safe + Sound Week, August 15-21, 2022. This nationwide event, held each August, recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America’s workers safe.

The week is part of the year-round Safe + Sound campaign to encourage every workplace to have a safety and health program. Successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, improving sustainability and the bottom line.

Participating in Safe + Sound Week can help get your program started, energize an existing program, or provide a chance to recognize your company’s safety successes.

MCAA contractors looking for an opportunity to recognize their company’s commitment to safety are welcome to participate. Last year, more than 5,300 businesses helped to raise awareness about workers’ health and safety.

If you have questions, please contact:

Raffi Elchemmas, MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management

Click the below links for more information and resources.

MCAA Safety & Health Resources

Safe + Sound Week

Build A Network of Peers at MCAA’s Field Leaders Conference

Those working in the field come to MCAA’s Field Leaders Conference prepared to discuss their companies, their projects and the challenges they face, but they leave with a new network of peers. In sharing their own experiences and listening to others, attendees build new relationships that allow them to exchange advice and support long after they leave. The conference will be offered in both Indianapolis, IN (October 12-14, 2022) and Kansas City, MO (November 2-4, 2022). Register your field leaders today!

Those who attend will also learn from industry experts who will share their real-life tips and tools for success on the job site, including ways you can professionally control crucial job site conversations. Attendees will leave with actionable education. Learning from some of the industry’s best, attendees will be inspired to take this knowledge and apply it to better themselves at work, and in life.

During this intensive conference, field leaders will learn to:

View themselves as professionals
Understand how their performance is critical to the bottom line
Establish tangible goals
Appreciate the importance of customer relationships and their role as the face of the company

They will also learn what it really means to be a great foreman, giving them the skills needed to be business and results oriented leaders who focus on growing company culture, brand and profits.

Lead field personnel cannot afford to miss this conference! Watch the video above to hear about the conference experience from previous attendees, then click the button for your preferred location to learn more and register today.

Learn More & Register for the Indianapolis Conference

Learn More & Register for the Kansas City Conference

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Purchase vs. Lease Considerations

Equipment leasing may provide attractive advantages, however much consideration should be given to the overall costs and benefits before making this important decision. MCAA’s Purchase vs. Lease Considerations helps contractors consider the overall costs and benefits before making this important decision. It’s just one of MCAA’s educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership.

The bulletin covers:

Leasing terms and what they mean
Pros and cons of vehicle leasing
Equipment leasing pros and cons
Potential challenges of leasing

DOWNLOAD

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.

ASHRAE Endorses MCAA Change Order Publication, Making it an MEP Industry Standard

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has fully endorsed the 2020 edition of MCAA’s Change Orders, Productivity, Overtime—A Primer for the Construction Industry. ASHRAE’s endorsement joins those of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), making the guide an industry standard for the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) industries.

MCAA welcomes ASHRAE to the roster of endorsing organizations. We look forward to the participation of all endorsing organizations as we develop future editions of the publication.

The guide is a planning tool to assist contractors in determining the costs associated with unplanned events, circumstances and factors that may impact the outcome, productivity, and schedule of construction projects. It includes a chapter highlighting the benefits of sharing native critical path method (CPM) schedule files.

MCAA members can download the guide free as a benefit of membership. Printed books are also available for purchase.

DOWNLOAD OR PURCHASE

MCAA Launches Heavily Requested New Worker Safety Orientation Resources

New workers are often the most vulnerable to accidents and injuries. To help, MCAA produced a New Worker Safety Orientation video and several accompanying resources. This package of resources is meant to train new workers on how to identify common hazards in the mechanical industry, and how to protect themselves from those hazards. Topics covered include: stop work authority, pre-task planning, PPE, working at heights, fall protection, fall prevention, power tool safety, hazard communication, housekeeping, and emergency procedures.

New Worker Safety Orientation resources include:

VIDEO

POCKET GUIDE

DOCUMENTATION SHEET

TEST

ANSWER KEY

For coverage of other safety topics critical to our industry, including training videos and materials, visit the Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page. If you have questions, please contact Raffi Elchemmas, MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management

Find the Latest from Zurn Industries, LLC and BuildOps 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:

Zurn Industries, LLC
Knowing your flow rate can reduce your water usage, costs, and risks. With the Zurn Connected Flow Meter, you can assess your building’s water consumption, detect potential leaks, or schedule your maintenance around off-peak hours.

Learn More

BuildOps
BuildOps is the only all-in-one operational platform built specifically for the modern commercial contractor, combining service and projects under one roof.

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

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

Arden Welcomes New Interns with Intern Day

MCAA Member Arden Building Companies recently hosted an Intern Day to familiarize new interns with the company and the industry. The event was hosted by Robert Bolton, CEO of Arden Building Companies and MCAA’s President, John Puniello, President of Arden Engineering Constructors, and Ciara Fusaro, HR Manager for Arden Building Companies. It included a mix of fun and games and serious learning about the industry, including a demonstration of Arden’s new Spool Welding Robot and a tour of the Unique Metal Works sheet metal fabrication facility. Arden’s interns are learning from the teams at Arden Engineering Constructors in Pawtucket, RI, Corporate Mechanical of New England in Woburn, MA, and MJ Daly in Waterbury, CT, all MCAA members.

Develop Growth-Oriented Project Leaders with the Field Leaders Conference this Fall

The MCAA Field Leaders Conference provides those working in the field with the skills needed to be business and results oriented leaders who focus on growing company culture, brand and profits. During this intensive conference, attendees will learn from industry experts including facilitators who have been in their shoes and worked their way through the ranks to become successful business owners and from their peers from around the country as members of breakout session teams. The conference will be offered in both Indianapolis, IN (October 12-14, 2022) and Kansas City, MO (November 2-4, 2022) this fall. Register your field leaders today!

During each of these conferences, field leaders will learn to:

View themselves as professionals
Understand how their performance is critical to the bottom line
Establish tangible goals
Appreciate the importance of customer relationships and their role as the face of the company

They will also learn what it really means to be a great foreman.

This is a conference your lead field personnel cannot afford to miss! Play the video above to hear what previous attendees have to say about their Field Leaders Conference experience then use the buttons below to learn more and register for this fall’s conferences.

Learn More & Register for the Indianapolis Conference

Learn More & Register for the Kansas City Conference

Registration Now Open for MCAA’s Fabrication Conference

The MCAA Fabrication Conference, powered by MSUITE, is going to Seattle this November 2-4 with a tour of one of the country’s most dynamic mechanical contractors – McKinstry Company.

Founded in 1960, McKinstry has grown into one of the largest MCAA members in the country. They design, build, fabricate, install and maintain buildings across the U.S. with locations in 10 cities across the West, Mid-West and South. Their headquarters located in Seattle, Washington is a multi-building campus that includes fabrication, design, coordination, facility maintenance, incubator space and a public showroom for some of their services.

This conference is one of MCAA’s most popular conferences and it sells out quickly. Registration is limited to 2 people per company, including those with multiple locations.

REGISTER NOW

Now More Than Ever, Women Are Standing Out in This Industry

MCAA’s Women in the Mechanical Industry (WiMI) initiative was launched in 2018 to enable women in the industry to further enrich their careers. Over the years the initiative has given these women an opportunity for networking, career development, mentoring and education.

One woman who has been a role model for this initiative is President of Peterson Service Co and Past President of MCANJ, Renee Fiorelli. As the first female president of the MCA of New Jersey (MCANJ) in it’s 100-year history, Fiorelli is no stranger to being one of the few women in the room. But she is also no stranger to this industry. Growing up in her family’s business, she tagged along with her father as a young girl. Fiorelli now serves as the treasurer for the Mechanical Service Contractors of America (MSCA), a Trustee for the UA International Training Fund, and a member of the MCAA’s WiMI Steering Committee.

After graduating with an Engineering degree from the University of Delaware, she enrolled in a night education program to learn the specifics of the mechanical contracting business, including estimating and project management. Fiorelli encourages more women to enter the field and eventually become leaders.

When asked about the WiMI initiative, Fiorelli shared, “At the national level, we’re focused on creating opportunities for women in the industry to connect and meet each other as well as come up with ideas to recruit more women into our field,” she said. “We need to provide mentorship and career support so that women can flourish in this industry.”

As WiMI continues its outreach, we look forward to seeing more women in this industry succeed and be celebrated for their wide-ranging accomplishments, like Renee Fiorelli.

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Connect With the Latest Training from LAARS, a Bradford White Company and Lochinvar, LLC at MCAA.org

The Manufacturer/Supplier Training area of MCAA’s website connects our contractor members with training opportunities available from the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new webinars and training opportunities across their product lines, services, solutions or web pages. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

LAARS, a Bradford White Company
Laars Academy is our commitment to ensure our industry professionals have the training and knowledge needed to stay on top. Watch a recorded training session on Laars MagnaTherm FT at www.laars.com.

Learn More

Lochinvar, LLC
Lochinvar’s commitment to training and education hasn’t wavered in over 80 years. Learn with us on-line at LochinvarU.com, on-campus in Lebanon, Tennessee or at a sponsored event in your hometown.

Learn More

Interested in More Training from Our Supplier Partners?

Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.

Learn More

Find the Latest from Morris Group International and Seton 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:

Morris Group International
Meet the Acorn Controls® brass master mixing valve. Designed for thermal shock protection and scalding prevention, head to our website to learn why these valves are ideal for healthcare facilities.

Learn More

Seton
Since 1956, we’ve been providing contractors with quality service and products designed to meet your critical project requirements. Our complimentary services allow you to free up resources to work on other critical aspects of the project.

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

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 Next Qualified Level Arc Flash Safety Training Webinars Scheduled for August 25, 2022

Make sure your service techs have the up-to-date safety training they need to protect themselves from arc flash and electrical shock hazards while working on equipment pushing 480 volts or less. The session covers all applicable OSHA requirements, NFPA 70E provisions, best practices, and real-world accident information.

VIEW BROCHURE

The next three webinars will be presented on August 25, 2022. The first webinar will take place from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. EST, the second is from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST and the last is from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m EST.

REGISTER TODAY

Take advantage of the MCAA/MSCA member discounted webinar prices below.

PRICING:

# of Trainees (per company)	Cost (per person)
1-5	$225/person
6-10	$200/person
11-25	$175/person
26-50	$150/person
51-100	$125/person
101+	Email for Pricing

If you can’t make it in August, the webinar will be taught again in September 2022. Questions? Contact Raffi Elchemmas.

Hard Work Brings High Margins – What the 2022 Plumbing Service Conference Can Teach You

Plumbing service is often seen as one of the dirtiest jobs in the industry, but the grime brings with it huge profit margins and balanced work. To help more contractors develop and optimize their plumbing service operations, the PCA is hosting the 2022 Plumbing Service Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, September 14-15.

In addition to presentations on operations, staffing and processes, the conference will include a full facility tour of Lexington Plumbing. Lexington Plumbing will showcase their full plumbing service operations through demonstrations at various stations including dispatch & billing, recruiting & training, outfitting a plumbing service truck, jetting, excavation, temporary hot water, and inventory.

The remainder of the conference will feature contractor-led presentations on operations, technology, staffing, truck procurement, and recruiting. Through a series of roundtable discussions and presentations, attendees will also learn the differences between different lines of service operations, building their business, recruiting, and training.

Registration is now open for PCA, MCAA and MSCA members to attend. Space is limited to 65 participants, so don’t delay – register today!

LEARN MORE & REGISTER