Alston & Bird have released their April 22 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
These uncertain times have forced many companies to focus internally and hunker down. But this is the perfect time to go on the offense and embrace creativity and innovation. A panel of past MSCA board members and service contractors lead an informative session on refocusing your service sales priorities and implementing unique and proactive sales strategies. As your business continues to face tension between generating sales during a period of extreme economic hardship and respecting the threats to life and livelihood that have altered consumer priorities, you now have a unique opportunity to re-educate your customers and reinvent your offerings.
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Webinar Polling Results
Sample letter for contractors to provide to building owners as they prepare to re-open their buildings.
This webinar was recorded Tuesday, April 21, 2020.
Alston & Bird have released their April 20 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
Alston & Bird have released their April 17 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
Congratulations to Bryce Danielson, one of the two recipients of the Alan O’Shea Memorial Scholarship. The Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey established the scholarships to honor the memory of Alan O’Shea, its former Executive Director, and memorialize his many contributions to the mechanical contracting industry.
Bryce is a sophomore from the University of Nebraska studying Construction Management. He joined the student chapter in his freshman year and has attended both the MCAA Annual Convention and the GreatFutures Forum.
“The amount of support that the mechanical contracting industry has for students like me is what has drawn me towards a future career in this industry,” Bryce said. “Whether it is through the local contractors, my local student chapter, or the national association, I feel as if there is always someone to help and support my future career.”
His local contractor mentor showed him a job site and explained how the process works, answering his questions along the way. The student chapter has provided internship and networking opportunities, along with the chance to learn new things through its monthly meetings. MCAA events have also provided networking opportunities, along with real-world experience through the Student Chapter Competition, and a chance to learn from world-class speakers and industry professionals.
Bryce has been interning for Ray Martin Company, an MCAA member, since May 2019. “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.”
“I look forward to putting everything I have learned in college to work,” Bryce said, adding that “It’s one thing to learn about managing a large-scale project and another to actually do it. This is what I enjoy the most about mechanical contracting because almost every day is different. There is always a new problem that needs to be solved or a new project that is different than the last. I enjoy these because you always have to be quick on your feet and think of innovative ways to solve these problems to ensure the overall success of your project.
“Without my MCAA student chapter and the MCA of Omaha, I would have never been able to make the connection with Ray Martin Co. and obtain an internship that I am still doing today. Finally, MCA-Omaha has also supported me financially through different scholarships. This is a big deal to me because it allows me to stay focused on school and reassures me that the local mechanical contractors support me and all the members of our chapter.”
MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Bryce on this distinguished scholarship and thank the MCA of Omaha, Inc. for its commitment to supporting younger students keeping them invested in the mechanical contracting industry.
Panelists Paul Stynchcomb, CCM, PSP, CFCC, of The Ibbs Consulting Group, Professor William Ibbs, Ph.D. of The Ibbs Consulting Group and Douglas L. Patin, a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, a national construction law firm that serves mechanical trades, discuss ways to maneuver through contract clauses and analyses of various impacts that may arise due to COVID-19. The panel discusses pandemic-related subjects of contractual rights and remedies, force majeure clauses, proper and timely notice, applicable case law, impacts to the procurement chain, schedule impact analyses and potential adverse effects of the pandemic on labor productivity caused by crew disruption, absenteeism, materials and equipment unavailability and other potential effects of the pandemic.
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This webinar was recorded Wednesday, April 15, 2020.
Alston & Bird have released their April 15 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
A panel of leading contractors discuss important strategies to help companies deal with the current coronavirus situation. Panelists will discuss the role of HVACR/plumbing companies as essential services, crucial safety issues, impact on customers, the financial realities and a number of technical recommendations for mechanical/plumbing systems.
This webinar was recorded Friday, April 10, 2020.
Alston & Bird have released their April 13 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
In a video message, UA General President Mark McManus and MCAA President Brian Helm discuss how cooperation, communication and common sense are fueling joint efforts to adapt to new working conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two organizations are working together and innovating to address changing conditions while at the same time protecting our workforce and our industry’s future.
Alston & Bird have released their April 10 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
The Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, intends to provide timely additional guidance to address borrower and lender questions concerning the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), established by section 1102 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act or the Act). Borrowers and lenders may rely on the guidance provided in this document as SBA’s interpretation of the CARES Act and of the Paycheck Protection Program Interim Final Rule (“PPP Interim Final Rule”). Published on April 6, 2020.
The Colorado Association of Mechanical and Plumbing Contractors has shared their Paid Leave Eligibility chart with MCAA’s members to help determine an employee’s paid sick leave, paid family medical leave and unemployment insurance eligibility. This chart has been reviewed by CAMPC’s legal team.
On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued temporary regulations implementing the paid leave requirements under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The DOL has also been adding new guidance to its more informal Questions & Answers webpage. Alston & Bird has been monitoring the DOL webpage, and shared their Updated FAQs for Employers Regulated by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
Alston & Bird have released their April 8 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
Alston & Bird have released their April 6 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
The University of Nebraska Student Chapter has been awarded the 2019 MCAA Student Chapter of the Year.
The Student Chapter of the Year Award recognizes an MCAA student chapter for outstanding achievement as an organization of students who are planning careers in the mechanical construction industry. The award honors exceptional achievement in governance and leadership, membership recruiting, fundraising, community involvement, and career development.
The University of Nebraska Student Chapter is sponsored by the MCA of Omaha. Vishnu Reddi, Assistant Professor of Practice with the Durham School, College of Engineering, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.
The Student Chapter was one of MCAA’s first. Chartered in 1998, it has since remained one of the most active in the MCAA student chapter network.
The chapter takes a unique approach to fundraising, community service and networking opportunities with local MCA members.
In 2019, the chapter hosted four events to raise funds and provide opportunities for students to network with the MCA of Omaha’s 30 mechanical contractor members. The events included a beer tasting, a wine tasting and two golf tournaments. The most profitable of these was a beer tasting that raised a record-breaking amount.
In 2019, the student chapter participated in three community services events.
One of the highlights was the annual Heat’s On event, during which HVAC service technicians and students provide free inspections of senior citizens’ furnaces to ensure that they are working safely for the winter months. Students worked with their service member partners to run through a checklist that included inspecting the filter, flames, flame sensor, flue gas, changing fire alarm batteries, and more.
Each student is offered the opportunity to be mentored by a professional from an MCA of Omaha member company, an internship with a member company, and the chance to serve on a committee with several contractors. By the time a student graduates, the goal is for them to have personal relationships at almost every MCA of Omaha member company that they can carry into their future careers.
In April 2019, Student Chapter members visited MCA of Omaha members to hand out mugs with candy in them for Administrative Professionals Day. This introduced students to all of the member companies.
In the fall, students took a behind-the-scenes tour of the mechanical and plumbing systems at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. The students also travelled to a virtual design and construction conference hosted by Victaulic.
During the year, the MCA of Omaha matches every student with a mechanical contractor mentor from a local MCA of Omaha company. This match between student and mentor is based on the student’s specific interests. Mentors engage with the students a minimum of four times throughout the year. Mentors show students what they do on a daily basis at job sites and give a tour of their offices, walking students through the daily routine to help them get a feel for everyday life in the industry. Through this experience, students gain first-hand knowledge of the industry to help them make more educated career decisions.
Students had the opportunity to attend Internship Day in the fall, where they had a chance to interview with multiple MCAA companies that are looking for interns. Six of the nine students were offered and accepted internships with an MCAA member company.
You can read about chapter member Caleb Kowalski’s internship experiences with MCAA members here.
MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate the University of Nebraska students on their active involvement with MCAA and their commitment to the mechanical contracting industry.
The new Family First Coronavirus Response Act took effect April 1, 2020 and with it comes temporary requirements that will impact MCAA member companies who employ 500 or fewer employees. Katie Amin and Michael Kreps, both principals of Groom Law Group, along with John McNerney, MCAA general counsel, discuss which employers must adhere and who is eligible under the new act currently set to expire December 31, 2020.
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This webinar was recorded Thursday, April 2, 2020.
Ali Brown, a junior at the University of Nebraska, has been awarded one of the two Ferguson-Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarships.
Ferguson underwrites these scholarships, which recognize high-achieving female students working towards a degree relative to the mechanical industry.
Ali has been a member of the MCA of Omaha-sponsored Student Chapter since 2017. She attended the 2019 GreatFutures Forum and the 2019 WiMI Conference. She is earning her degree in Business Administration & Human Resources. 
In her scholarship application, Ali discusses why she shifted her focus from the engineering and construction management side of the industry to the business side. “Even though I am now a business major I still see the mechanical construction industry as an exciting industry to be in. I see the opportunities that there are for growth in all areas of the industry.”
Post-graduation, Ali sees herself working for a mechanical contractor in their human resources department. “I want to help with developing standards of practice as well as recruit new talent for my company. My goal in my career is to help people and I believe that I can achieve this goal through working in Human Resources.”
Ali is appreciative of her involvement with her student chapter and the connections she has made with contractors through the MCA of Omaha. “We work with our contractors to plan fundraising events, recruit new student chapter members, and much more. Through our chapter I feel like I have learned more about the industry than I ever thought I would know. I have been able to see how many different companies run jobs and other day-to-day activities between our different contractors.”
Ali has been interning for The Waldinger Corporation, a member of the MCA of Omaha, MCAA and NCPWB, throughout her academic career. She has been involved in the administration, Virtual Design and Construction, and the accounting department. “I enjoy the culture we have at Waldinger. I especially enjoy the internship program we have; it exposes me to all facets of the company.” She is excited to continue her Waldinger internship this summer.
Ali reflects on her internship experiences and seeing the unique challenges and opportunities as a women in the industry. Ali thinks there are many challenges that come with being a woman in the mechanical contracting field. “Since it is so male dominated,” she said, “I feel like gaining the respect of coworkers is the biggest challenge that comes with being a woman in this field. Though it is a challenge I believe that also makes it an opportunity. The best way to grow personally is by taking challenges and turning them into opportunities.”
Women in the Mechanical Industry and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Ali on this prestigious scholarship and thank Ferguson for their commitment to encouraging young women to be engaged in our industry.
