Organization: PCA

The PCA announced the opening of a new Virtual Education Series today that goes beyond the typical Zoom meeting that we have become accustomed to.  The seven-episode series features an in-depth look at JPG Plumbing & Mechanical Services, a member contractor based in Jessup, MD.  Each episode is a mini case study in a different area of operations and hosted by the JPG employees in charge of the relevant work.

What makes this series different than a typical webinar is that each area of focus includes a 15-minute video to showcase the operation, a workbook that includes products, materials and costs as well as an interactive interview with the host to get more insight into functions and share attendee solutions.

“We were all set to do a similar conference on plumbing service in person,” JPG President and CEO John Geiling stated.  “When COVID hit, instead of cancelling it or doing it via a PowerPoint presentation, we decided to try to figure out how to expand out the content and share even more information.  The result is that instead of a 15 minute demo that we would have done in our shop, we can get into a lot more details, share more information and get insight from other members as to how their operations are different.”

Beginning on Wednesday, September 23 the series will host a live module each week until its conclusion on November 4.  Each Wednesday, the session materials will be posted with a link to the live episode posted upon its completion.  Materials will be available throughout the duration of the series.  The schedule includes:

1. Wednesday September 23, 1:00 PM EDT – The Plumbing Service Vehicle – From Tools to Truck
2. Wednesday September 30, 1:00 PM EDT – Dispatch, GPS, Fleet Vehicle Tracking and Mobile App
3. Wednesday October 7, 1:00 PM EDT – Technician Training and Recruiting
4. Wednesday October 14, 1:00 PM EDT – Water Heater Repair and Installation
5. Wednesday October 21, 1:00 PM EDT – Commercial Drain and Sewer Services
6. Wednesday October 28, 1:00 PM EDT – Video Inspection/Robotic Pipe Inspection
7. Wednesday November 4, 1:00 PM EST – Vac Services

Registration for the series is $400 and open to PCA, MCAA and MSCA members only.

To learn more, visit the PCA Virtual Education Series Site.

Support for the series is brought to you by MCAA’s Sponsoring Benefactors.

During the height of the COVID-19 crisis in New York City in April, MCAA member Donnelly Mechanical was an integral part of converting two facilities within Queens and Brooklyn into temporary field hospitals. These hospitals were staffed with doctors and nurses from around the country who traveled to New York to help treat COVID-19 patients and to relieve the burden from the nearby, overtaxed hospitals.

Following a fast-paced, intense, competitive vetting process, Donnelly Mechanical was contracted by SLS Construction to install oxygen lines at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. Based in Galveston, Texas, SLS Construction provides general contracting and construction management services with a specialty in aiding disaster relief efforts. Within just a few days, the combined effort between SLS and Donnelly converted a dozen indoor tennis courts into a temporary overflow hospital with 450 additional beds.

Once the hospital was up and running, Donnelly returned to the site to assist with additional work. Fully functional ventilators require high-pressure oxygen that meets precise specifications. Donnelly’s service team ran high pressure oxygen tubes to the ventilator location in Ward 1, where many COVID-19 patients were being treated. The team took every possible safety precaution, including the use of proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and HAZMAT suits.

Quality Work Leads to Second Project

The GC was thoroughly impressed by Donnelly’s work and quickly awarded them a similar conversion project at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Work to install oxygen lines at the 750-bed facility started immediately.

Teams of 25-30 men worked very long shifts to successfully complete the conversion in five days.

Unsung Heroes Recognized

The dedication of an incredible group of service technicians and field supervisors from Donnelly’s HVAC Service Team played a crucial role in the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.

The team members involved in those projects were:

• Doug Abramowitz
• John Battles
• Aleko Bode
• Eddie Buffington
• Raphy Caba
• Daniel Carranza
• Domenico Cecere
• Vladislav Ceselka
• Cameron Clarke
• Stephen Croteau
• Eliasaph Dorilas
• William Duffy
• Nick Feliciano
• Brandon Fernandez
• Robert Flynn
• Kevin Gaertner
• Ivan Grigorov
• Richard Harker
• Christopher Hartley
• Luis Hoyos
• Luis Joseph
• John Keaveney
• Delano King
• Everett Kinsler
• Jeremy Klink
• Robert Lagomarsine
• Nekeb (Chad) Laurencin
• Aleksandar Lazic
• James LeCrichia
• Joseph Lopez
• James Lovett
• John Mangino
• James Mansfield
• Timothy Meyers
• Bryan Montesino
• Antonio Mota
• Arnold Padarath
• Gavin Petersen
• George Petersen
• Endri Prifti
• Felix Rivera
• Nicholas Rizoglou
• Thomas Rogoz
• Miguel Sambolin
• Angel Santiago
• Paul Sehlmeyer
• Rejnaldo Shehi
• Mitram Singh
• Rajendra Singh
• Christopher Soto
• Cedric Spencer
• Anthony Tartaglia
• Henry Taveras
• Lester Tom
• Kevin Torres
• Aaron Vanterpool
• David Warner
• Stanley Young

MCAA thanks the Donnelly team and all of our members who have worked tirelessly to protect their communities’ safety. We’re all in this together.

This updated program is now available virtually!

This interactive, three week virtual program will be held every Tuesday and Thursday at 2 PM EDT, starting November 3 – 19, 2020. Sales Basecamp is where it begins for entry-level service sales personnel in the HVACR and plumbing industry. This program will prepare this recent hire or employee new to a sales position with all the relevant skills necessary to confidently sell HVACR and plumbing services while creating added value for the customer. The skills and knowledge attained in this class will become the strong foundation on which you build a long and successful career in service sales.

Class size is limited, so make sure to sign-up today!

The UA is offering a free program open to all MSCA/MCAA contractors and UA members on the latest information on emerging low-GWP refrigerants for residential and commercial comfort cooling and commercial refrigeration. The course will be taught by Mike Schmidt, UA Local 597, Woody Woodall, MSCA, and Jason Obrzut, ESCO Group. Objectives include:

• Chronology of refrigerant development and application.
• Identify the make-up of non- flammable A1 refrigerants.
• Identify the make-up of mildly flammable A2L refrigerants.
• Compare and contrast non-flammable A1 to mildly flammable A2L refrigerants.
• Define the best practices for: transportation, tools and equipment, work environment, refrigerant recovery, leak checking and repair, and evacuation.
• Evaluate any concerns of servicing a piece of equipment based on best practices.
• Discuss the proper procedures for servicing an A2L refrigeration unit.

August 26, 2020 from 2 PM – 4 PM EST 

https://zoom.us/j/97736243044
Meeting ID: 977 3624 3044

There is no pre-registration for this course. Attendance is limited to 400 people
and will be  on a first come, first serve basis. 

VIEW PROGRAM BROCHURE

After a career spent overseeing the transformation of an industry, Jon Danuser retired from MCAA member Johnson Controls in June 2020. During his career, Jon was an active member of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Eastern Missouri (MCA-EMO), where he served in various leadership positions including board president. As Jon embarks on this new chapter in his life, he said, “What I am going to miss the most is all of the people I have had the privilege to work with and the customers we served over the years.”

When Jon joined Johnson Controls in 1978 as construction sales engineer, his job was estimating pneumatic thermostats, valves and copper tubing. At the time of his retirement as market director for the company in June 2020, he was overseeing the work of more than 250 people in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois designing, maintaining and installing highly sophisticated building controls, fire alarm/suppression and security systems.

Digital Age Changes Everything

“The digital age changed everything,” Jon said. “I remember when they first introduced computers to manage just the HVAC systems; they were 32K and the size of a refrigerator and cost $50,000. Today they can operate a total building out of one panel. Also, technology and remote monitoring have totally altered energy management and maintenance. Technology is increasingly rapidly and has transformed everything.”

Association Reaps Benefits

A mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science & Technology), Jon enjoyed his association with the MCA of Eastern Missouri (MCA-EMO). He served as a member of the board from 2006 through March of 2020. He held various leadership positions over the years, including a stint as MCA-EMO board president from 2009 to 2011, and as treasurer before that.

“MCA-EMO is a great organization of industry peers,” Jon said. “I learned a lot about all aspects of our industry by being on the board. It was a great advantage to be able to interact with our leaders and future leaders over the years.”

According to Jeff Rush, P.E., president of Icon Mechanical Construction & Engineering, LLC and current president of MCA-EMO, “It’s been a privilege to work with Jon, both in the construction marketplace and as a board member of the MCA. Few people in our industry have been as involved or given more freely of their time to support the construction industry as he has. Jon always brings a depth of knowledge, friendly personality and positive approach that will be missed by all. Congratulations Jon on behalf of the MCA and thank you for the support you’ve shown the organization over the years.”

Labor Relationship Evolves

Jon also truly enjoyed working with members of the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 and seeing the dynamic growth of their relationship with management over the years. “Everyone has worked hard to improve relations between Local 562 and management, and to improve our industry as a whole. Working together we’ve also improved overall perceptions with our owners/customers.”

Jon served on the Joint Apprenticeship Committee for 10 years. “It was a very valuable experience,” he said. “Developing the labor force has been a source of pride for the whole organization, as evidenced through Local 562’s new training center.”

“What Jon did best was to look out for the entire industry,” said John O’Mara, business manager, secretary-treasurer for Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562. “He approached our relationship like a true partnership and the communications he brought to it was phenomenal. We didn’t always agree on everything, but we could always find some common ground. Jon was always about fixing the situation and making it right for both sides. He treated our members with respect and always made sure the workforce had what they needed. When you walk into a room, he’s one of those people you want to see. He always brings a breath of fresh air to the conversation.”

Expertise Yields Top Installations

“The whole industry has upped its game,” Jon added. “Our region has some of the highest technical and management levels in the country. The St. Louis region has a very high level of technical expertise and skilled labor ability that’s simply not available in other regions. Combined with a strong Midwestern work ethic, our industry is producing some of the top mechanical installations in the country.”

Investing in the Future

MCA-EMO also has benefitted from investing in the future. “I think the organization has done a great job of managing its finances and its business to improve its financial standing which allows it to invest in the future. “A prime example is the success of our student chapter at the University of Missouri-Columbia,” Jon said. “They have placed first in the national competition and consistently rank within the top Final Four teams in the nation. Sometimes our members get to recruit among these top students. It’s a win/win for everyone.”

Additionally, the MCA-EMO has raised its level of training, offering advanced courses for project managers, estimators and other professionals. “It’s been a 15-year work in progress, but I feel we’ve really turned the corner,” Jon added. “I believe our chapter’s training is now among the best in the country. The MCA-EMO board, committee members, leadership and staff have done a superior job of continuous improvement to better its membership.”

Beginning a New Chapter

Now that he’s retired Jon is enjoying time with his family and the “no stress” era he recently entered, although his blood pressure hasn’t dropped! “As soon as we can lock down this COVID-19 virus, I want to do some traveling. It’s the beginning of a new chapter in my life. What I am going to miss the most is all of the people I have had the privilege to work with and the customers we served over the years.”

MCAA wishes Jon all the best. We’ll miss you, too.