Organization: MCAA

HPS Shortens Welding Time With Orbitalum Systems From E.H. Wachs

High Purity Systems, Inc. (HPS) of Manassas, VA, relied on Orbitalum® high-purity tube cutting, facing, and orbital welding systems to meet the urgent infrastructure needs of a large biopharmaceutical company’s COVID-19 vaccine research and production effort. The project called for thousands of high-purity welds, so HPS partnered with Orbitalum, based outside Chicago and distributed with support from E.H. Wachs.

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Looking for More Smart Solutions?

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

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

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Celebrate Construction Safety Week With MCAA’s Ladder Safety Video & Materials

MCAA is celebrating Construction Safety Week May 3 – 7, 2021 by highlighting the resources you need to revisit best safe work practices on fall prevention and protection with your workers. Today we focus on MCAA’s Ladder Safety Worker Training Video and its accompanying materials.

MCAA’s Ladder Safety Training Video will show your fitters, plumbers, and service technicians how to properly inspect, transport, set up and use ladders safely.

The video emphasizes:

Common reasons for falls
The safe use of ladders, including stepladders and portable straight ladders
How new ladder technology has substantially improved ladder safety

Accompanying materials assist you in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts.

Download MCAA’s Ladder Safety Training Video & Materials

Video | Pocket Guide | Documentation Sheet | Test | Answer Key

Check Out All of MCAA’s Safety Resources

Learn more about safety and health in our industry and access safety-related resources in these locations:

If you have questions about any of these resources or MCAA’s Safety Excellence Initiative, contact Pete Chaney.

About Construction Safety Week

Construction Safety Week was started in 2014, when more than 40 national and global construction firms comprising the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI) group and the Incident and Injury Free (IIF) CEO Forum joined forces with a single aim: to inspire everyone in the industry to be leaders in safety.

Southwest Town Mechanical Earns Top MCAA/CNA Safety Award

Southwest Town Mechanical was recently recognized as the MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards winner for 2020 in Size Category 1, Zero – 100,000 Work Hours. Southwest Town Mechanical’s aggressive approach to solving COVID-19 related issues, such as lack of available PPE and sanitizing chemicals, set the company apart.

For example, Southwest Town Mechanical sought the services of a local distillery to solve the hand sanitizer shortage, hired a local seamstress to make cloth face coverings for every worker, and established a system of trade with other local contractors who had surplus items necessary for worker protection from the virus.

The MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards Program began in the 1990s when MCAA partnered with CNA Insurance. It is a fiercely competitive program in which only the best of the best compete for the awards.

Participants are required to describe their safety programs in detail, including how they achieved safety excellence and why they believe they deserve the award. The Safety Awards Selection Taskforce, which is led by CNA, carefully evaluates each submission looking for safety leadership, an advanced safety culture, effective leading indicators of safety performance, and innovative safety initiatives that helped the company achieve an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence.

MCAA and CNA congratulate Southwest Town Mechanical for achieving such a high degree of safety excellence in 2020.

MCAA’s Advocacy and Political Action Initiatives Are Worthy of Your Ongoing Consideration

To my fellow MCAA members and the leaders of MCAA’s local affiliates,

Effective public policy advocacy and non-partisan political activities go hand-in-hand with a broader suite of association member services at MCAA.

When MCAA’s Board of Directors re-instituted MCAA’s Political Action Committee over 20 years ago, they did so with a renewed commitment to building the profile of pipe trades union-signatory employers’ key role in the industry, and in policy deliberations in Washington, DC.

That foresight and initiative have paid off and will continue to do so into the future with our members’ and local affiliates’ ongoing commitment to that vision.

I and my fellow MCAA Government Affairs Committee members below are fully committed to that vision.

Kevin Armistead, Armistead Mechanical, Waldwick, New Jersey
Richard Bukovec, Diversified Piping & Mechanical, Inc., Mentor, Ohio
David Cannistraro, J.C. Cannistraro, Watertown, Massachusetts
Dennis Corrigan, Corrigan Company, St. Louis, Missouri
Chuck Daniel, MCA of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
John Ferrucci, F & F Mechanical Enterprises, North Haven, Connecticut
Don Giarratano, Muir-Chase Plumbing, Anaheim, California
Alex Hayes, Rock Mountain MCA, Denver, Colorado
Mike Miller, Kirlin Design Build, Rockville, Maryland
Marc Pittas, The Hill Group, Franklin Park, Illinois
Dick Reigles, Reigles Mechanical, Grand Junction, Colorado
Richard J. Sawhill, ARCA/MCA, Ontario, California

We ask you to join us in that commitment. Here are some key points to consider.

MCAA Is Playing A Critical Role in Multiemployer Pension Reform

Multiemployer pension reform is in the works – finally. It was a long and arduous road – and there’s more ground to cover. MCAA, together with our partners at the UA, were key and effective players in that process.

Your association has a seat at the table thanks to MCAA members’ commitment to participation in the policy development process and the political activity that goes hand-in-hand with that.

If multiemployer pension reform comes out in our favor, it will be guided in that direction by continuing MCAA participation. Your firm and our industry will be immeasurably improved as compared with what might have been with a failing multiemployer system adversely affecting all of our businesses. Together, MCAA and the UA helped avoid that catastrophe.

MCAA Member Involvement Was Responsible for Other Key Achievements

Looking back, our MCAA member involvement was directly responsible for some other key achievements and direct member benefits over recent years, including some few examples below.

Keeping ill-conceived accounting disclosure rules relative to pension liability off our books – and staying vigilant about a recurrence of those problems.
Eliminating flow-down withholding taxes on Federal projects and adding some small subcontracting bidding protections for Federal primes and subcontractors.
Attaining market tax incentives for green building retrofits.
Maintaining prevailing wage standards – key elements of industry reforms.
Representing you vigorously in the health policy debate.
Actively fighting to maintain high-quality industry apprenticeship training programs.
Ensuring prevailing wage and labor law reforms in the coming years strengthen MCAA members’ market share.
Advocating for a number of legislative and regulatory reforms to staunch the rampant abuse of worker misclassification in the construction industry.
Supporting government initiatives to improve government responsible contractor selection policies for prime contractors and subcontractors.
Gaining elimination of reverse auction procurement procedures in Federal construction contract selections.
Advocating for collective bargaining and ERISA preemption of state, local and Federal paid leave mandates.

MCAA Continues to Advocate for Our Industry’s Best Interests

Looking ahead, there are larger general trends and market factors that will influence the direction of public policy, including workforce demographic challenges, rapid technological developments, and environmental challenges to our society as a whole and our industry in particular. All of these trends will have some bearing on public policy choices in Washington, DC. Our MCAA member advocacy program and political action infrastructure must be maintained so that we – MCAA members – maintain our strong position to advocate for our industry’s best interests.

MCAA PAC Needs Your Commitment and Involvement to Keep the Momentum Going

Please consider your role in helping your fellow members shape our future with effective advocacy in Washington, DC. If you want to be part of your industry’s continued competitiveness:

Join our efforts by going to the MCAA PAC website and completing the prior authorization form to allow MCAA PAC to send you solicitation material.
Reach out to your local affiliate Boards and ask them to do the same on your behalf.
Get your local association directly involved with lawmakers and political decision makers in their home districts, where your voice is heard directly and most effectively.

Call me to discuss how you can get involved.

Best Regards,

Jim Gaffney, Goshen Mechanical, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Chairman MCAA Government Affairs and Political Action Committees

Adverse Reactions to Employer Mandated COVID-19 Vaccines Are OSHA Recordable Cases

If your company is requiring its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 it runs the risk of acquiring recordable illness cases. Recent revisions to OSHA’s frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic indicates that OSHA considers employees’ negative reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines to be “work-related” and therefore, subject to recordkeeping and reporting mandates when an employer “requires” the vaccination. The question and answer from the updated FAQs follows.

If I require my employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of their employment, are adverse reactions to the vaccine recordable? If you require your employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment (i.e., for work-related reasons), then any adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is work-related. The adverse reaction is recordable if it is a new case under 29 CFR 1904.6 and meets one or more of the general recording criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7.

Updated FAQs

Raken Outlines Three Ways to Maximize Efficiency During COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed the way we work—in construction and beyond. From implementing new safety protocols to navigating delays, contractors have more processes to learn and more variables to consider. Here are three ways you can use digital technology to maximize your efficiency during the pandemic.

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

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Mall City Mechanical Earns Top MCAA/CNA Safety Award

Mall City Mechanical was recently recognized as the MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Award winner for 2020 in Size Category 3, 250,001 – 450,000 Work Hours. Mall City Mechanical developed and implemented a successful Safety Competent Person Training Program, which set the company apart.

The training program qualified a person on every company jobsite to maintain appropriate safety awareness and hazard prevention practices. Among other subjects, the Safety Competent Person is trained on silica awareness, ladder safety, fire safety, lockout/tagout, fall protection, and aerial lift safety. In addition to ensuring jobsite safety, the program has allowed the company’s Safety Manager to spend more time on other pressing mechanical industry safety and health issues.

J.M. Brennan Saves Time, Materials With Zurn EZ Lavatory Carrier Upgrades

To upgrade four restrooms for PHC—Waterford Clinic, J.M. Brennan, Inc. installed Zurn’s new universal lavatory carriers, saving time and material “without sacrificing support,” said Justin Sherman, J.M. Brennan project manager. The Zurn Z1231EZ Universal Lavatory Carrier is designed to simplify installation. It includes arms that can be adjusted in the field, an independent bracket system that positions horizontally or vertically, and two foot-anchors per upright, instead of four—ultimately saving material, time, and tool wear. Zurn is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

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icon Mechanical Earns Top MCAA/CNA Safety Award

icon Mechanical was recently recognized as the MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards winner for 2020 in Size Category 4, 450,001 – 1 Million Work Hours. icon Mechanical’s successful COVID-19 safety initiative set the company apart.

icon Mechanical went well above and beyond CDC recommendations to contractors to keep their workers safe. The company installed Global Plasma Solutions (GPS) systems in all company buildings. These systems use needlepoint bipolar ionization technology to help purify and sanitize the air.

The company rewarded employees for identifying potential gaps in the company’s COVID-19 precautions and for helping to identify solutions to remedy these gaps. Each worker was provided with foam-lined safety glasses that do not fog up when worn with face coverings for protection from the virus.

CDC Alters Guidelines on Facility Cleaning & Disinfection for COVID-19

The CDC has revised its guidelines regarding cleaning and disinfecting surfaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The virus that causes COVID-19 can land on surfaces, and it’s possible for people to become infected if they touch those surfaces and then touch their nose, mouth, or eyes. However, it has been determined that the risk of infection from touching a surface is low. The CDC now believes that the most reliable way to prevent infection is to regularly wash hands and use hand sanitizers. When there have been no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in a given space, cleaning only once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove the virus from surfaces in the space.

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Alston & Bird Offers April 13 Webinar on the New and Improved Employee Retention Tax Credit and Expanded FFCRA Leave Opportunities

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

Originally enacted in March 2020 as part of the CARES Act, the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) was modified and extended through 2021. Join experts from Alston & Bird On Tuesday, April 13, 2021, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET as they explore the new opportunities for employers to claim ERTCs in 2021 and some of the challenges employers may face in determining eligibility for the credits. They will also discuss recent changes to the paid employee leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that provide additional opportunities for employer tax credits associated with FFCRA leave. Register now!

Alston & Bird experts will:

Provide an overview of the employee retention tax credit as originally enacted in the CARES Act
Discuss taxpayer-friendly changes to the ERTC provisions for 2020 and 2021
Explore some of the challenges employers are facing when determining eligibility for ERTCs
Discuss recent changes to FFCRA employee leave provisions and the additional tax credit opportunities they create

Meet the Panelists

Scott Harty | Partner | Alston & Bird
Companies rely on Scott to guide them through the tax implications of domestic and cross-border commercial transactions. An experienced negotiator and technician, Scott provides clients the counsel they need to navigate complex transactions.

Seth Buchwald | Associate | Alston & Bird
Drawing from his experience as a certified public accountant, Seth guides his clients through complex business transactions and controversy matters. Since enactment of the CARES Act, Seth has worked extensively with the ERTC provisions.

Brett Coburn | Partner | Alston & Bird
Brett regularly counsels employers of all sizes on compliance with federal and state employment laws. During the pandemic, he has worked extensively with employers regarding their compliance with the paid leave provisions of the FFCRA.

Renick Brothers Accelerates Project Delivery Using Trimble’s SysQue Software

Dominick Florentine, director of virtual design and construction at Renick Brothers, was skeptical that Trimble SysQue MEP software would improve productivity, but since trying it out, he admitted, “I’m working smarter because of the features and functionality of the software.” Trimble is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

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Looking for More Smart Solutions?

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

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Industry-Specific COVID-19 Safety Resources

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s industry-specific COVID-19 safety resources, because nothing is more important than the health and safety of your workforce.

MCAA’s Safety Excellence Initiative offers these COVID-19 resources:

You Might Also Like MCAA’s Other Safety Resources

Learn more about safety and health in our industry and access safety-related resources in these locations:

If you have questions about any of these resources or MCAA’s Safety Excellence Initiative, contact Pete Chaney.

Find the Latest from Omegaflex, Inc. and Manufacton 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:

Omegaflex, Inc.
TracPipe PSII double wall piping for Natural gas or LP powered backup generators for hospitals and communication centers.

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Manufacton
Manufacton is a SaaS (mobile/web) platform that helps construction firms plan, track and manage both prefabrication and regular material handling. The Manufacton platform helps optimize the end-to-end prefabrication process.

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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

Introducing ASC Engineered Solutions™: Anvil and Smith-Cooper Are Embarking on a New Chapter

Anvil International, an MCAA member since 1987, merged with Smith-Cooper International in 2019. On March 29, 2021, the unified company relaunched as ASC Engineered Solutions. Under a single name and logo, ASC Engineered Solutions continues its focus on improving the customer experience every day and striving to deliver service excellence.

The evolved ASC Engineered Solutions brand reinforces a focus on what matters most to customers: quality. As a solutions provider, this quality is reflected in the company’s precision-engineered products, support and knowledge. The new brand communicates that the organization is a dependable strategic partner focused on its customers’ success. “Unifying the corporate brand enhances our presence in the market and reinforces that we are one company, drawing on the best of both legacy companies to create something greater than the sum of its parts,” said Jason Hild, chief executive officer of ASC Engineered Solutions. “It signals that we are committed to a way of doing business that extends beyond precision-engineered, category-leading products by leveraging technology, service and support to help our customers meet the challenges they face every day.”

The new logo, name and tagline brings together this message.

Logo

The crisp geometric shapes in the new company logo communicate precision and quality, while the interlocking lines represent the connection to customers—much like a handshake. The typeface is strong and structural while also being clean, easy to read and modern. The foundational black and grey references the company’s strength and commitment, while the vibrant blue captures the passion of its people.

Name

The ASC portion of the new name communicates unity and reinforces that the company is a single organization that combines the best of both legacy companies.

Additionally, “Engineered Solutions” expresses that the company is a problem solver. For ASC Engineered Solutions, a solution answers challenges and is how the company delivers value. This value includes leveraging technology to make doing business easier, ensuring product availability, offering the broadest range of products and services in the industry and being a dependable partner.

Tagline

Lastly, the company’s tagline “Building connections that last™” comes from the legacy Anvil business. It is a nod to that heritage and a guarantee that the newly united company will bring forward the elements its customers appreciate. The tagline captures the essence of the brand, referring to both its products as well as the strong and lasting relationships vital to the organization.

Together, these brand elements assure customers that ASC is a solutions provider, focused on delivering a quality experience, every time.

About ASC Engineered Solutions

ASC Engineered Solutions is defined by quality—in its products, services and support. With more than 1,400 employees, the company’s portfolio of precision-engineered piping support, valves and connections provides products to more than 4,000 customers across industries, such as mechanical, industrial, fire protection, oil and gas, and commercial and residential construction. Its portfolio of leading brands includes ABZ Valve®, AFCON®, Anvil®, Anvil EPS, Anvil Services, Basic-PSA, Beck®, Catawissa, Cooplet®, FlexHead®, FPPI®, Gruvlok®, J.B. Smith, Merit®, North Alabama Pipe, Quadrant®, SCI®, Sharpe®, SlideLOK®, SPF/ Anvil® and SprinkFLEX®. With headquarters in Commerce, CA, and Exeter, NH, ASC also has ISO 9001:2015 certified production facilities in PA, TN, IL, TX, AL, LA, KS, and RI. For more information, visit www.asc-es.com.

Dr. Sherif Attallah Named MCAA’s 2020 Educator of the Year

The student chapter at Ball State University proudly nominated Dr. Sherif Attallah to be MCAA’s 2020 Educator of the Year because they believed he is more than qualified and deserving of this prestigious award, and MCAA’s Career Development Committee agreed. Here’s why.

Chapter Participation

Dr. Attallah played a crucial role in planning and participating in Ball State’s first annual Top Golf event. Dr. Attallah attends most of their chapter meetings, at which he always helps members with challenges they may be facing with their role in the competition. Dr. Attallah still holds several field trips for his various classes and the student chapter, often organizing and leading these numerous educational field trips himself.

Mentoring

Dr. Attallah’s connections within the industry help his students communicate with industry professionals who are willing to speak to their chapter. Whenever his students have a question about something that he does not know, Dr. Attallah puts them in contact with someone who does. When planning for their fundraiser, he was a significant contributor when trying to find participants; he used his network to reach out and get several participants involved. He did a phenomenal job with this being the chapter’s first annual Top Golf event, which they now plan to continue annually. In his teachings of the mechanical class at Ball State, Dr. Attallah has brought in several contractors that teach the class and sit with the team after talking to them about the mechanical industry.

Membership

Dr. Attallah is the professor for several introductory classes for the Ball State program. With this connection, he plays a crucial role in recruiting younger members for the chapter. Dr. Attallah also implements new and useful recruiting ideas, along with suggesting new members. Every year Dr. Attallah helps his student chapter come up with new activities for their chapter’s first call-out meeting for the school year. In the past, this event has been the deciding factor when recruiting new members to join their chapter and learn more about the mechanical contracting industry.

Student Internships

Dr. Attallah has helped several of the team members get in touch with industry professionals, which in turn leads to internships as well as full-time employment. The members have greatly benefited from his involvement with the mechanical internship program. With his teaching of the mechanical class, he gets to help students that are not in the chapter by letting them hear from the industry professionals that he brings in about internships and joining their chapter.

Employment

Last year two Ball State University student chapter members found full-time careers in the industry, one with North Mechanical and one with Bowen Engineering. He continues to lead his students towards the mechanical field every year.

Faculty Internships

Dr. Attallah has worked with HMH Contractors and, most recently, Kiewit during the summers. With HMH, he worked as an estimating engineer during the summer. In addition to helping HMH during a particularly busy time, he gained industry experience to bring back to the chapter and the mechanical class. During his time with Kiewit, he was a faculty scholar for their company and was a massive help over the summer.

Thank you for serving as an advisor, educator, and mentor to students, Dr. Attallah!

MMC Contractors Avoids Conflicts, Coordinates Processes With Ferguson VDC

As MMC Contractors embarked on building a large central utility plant for a globally recognized corporation in the lower Midwest, Ferguson’s new virtual design and construction (VDC) department became a pivotal partner, identifying potential pitfalls and offering cost-effective solutions for the job. Ferguson is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

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MCAA’s Virtual Education Conference Delivered Education & Awards, Welcomed New Leaders

MCAA’s first Virtual Education Conference from March 22-25, 2021 featured top quality education seminars and an interactive exhibit, honored award winners, thanked retiring Board members and welcomed new leaders.

Top Quality Education & An Interactive Exhibit

Education sessions showcased topics from emerging trends to driving business growth and identifying potentially critical issues. Participants heard from United Association General President Mark McManus and MCAA President Brian Helm about the importance of our labor and management relationship, and how we can work together toward a meaningful and lasting labor/management partnership.

The latest technology systems and trends were discussed, along with best practices for adapting to them. Attendees learned how to grow a strong and profitable service business, how to work better with a multi-generational workforce, and how to reduce healthcare costs, increase productivity and improve company culture and the bottom line.

An interactive exhibit featured presentations by the conference sponsors with plenty of time for questions and answers.

Congratulations, Award & Scholarship Winners!

The Closing General Session provided an opportunity to celebrate excellence and offer congratulations to award winners.

CNA/MCAA Safety Excellence Awards

MCAA President Brian Helm recognized the MCAA member firms that achieved the highest level of safety excellence last year saying, “There is nothing more important to us than the safety and health of the people on our job sites and in our companies, especially this past year.”

The winners were:

W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractor, Inc.
Icon Mechanical
Mall City Mechanical 
Matrix HG, Inc.
Southwest Town Mechanical

To be eligible to win a CNA/MCAA Safety Excellence Award, a company has to submit a written application describing its safety and health program in 2020 and why it believes it deserves the award, and an innovation that helped it achieve a high degree of safety excellence last year. Companies are divided into five categories by number of hours worked, and a winner is chosen in each category.

MILWAUKEE TOOL-MCAA Safety Professional of the Year Award

MILWAUKEE TOOL Senior Vice President Scott Teson presented the MILWAUKEE TOOL-MCAA Safety Professional of the Year Award to Cheryl Wiese, Safety Director of Modern Companies in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He noted that Cheryl was a key stakeholder in her company’s ability to overcome the many challenges COVID-19 presented, from understanding the science to implementing safe return-to-work protocols and ensuring her team had the proper PPE to return to work and do their jobs safely.

John R. Gentille Foundation Scholarships

Mark Rogers, President of the newly renamed John R. Gentille Foundation, announced the recipients of the John R. Gentille Foundation Scholarships. He noted that the students receiving scholarships were selected for their academic performance, leadership skills, interest in developing a career in the mechanical industry, work ethic, and technical abilities.

The Foster J. McCarl, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Ahmed Seck of the University of Maryland College Park received a $5,000 scholarship check in memory of Foster McCarl, Jr., without whose vision there would be no foundation. McCarl’s Inc. (Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania) is the scholarship sponsor.

The William A. Bianco, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Luke Bennett of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln received a $5,000 scholarship check in memory of the foundation’s former President and MCAA Distinguished Service Award (DSA) recipient William A. “Bill” Bianco, Jr. The scholarship is sponsored by Kinetics of Fremont, California.

The Reilly Family Memorial Scholarship

Masen Dinklage of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln received a scholarship check for $5,000 in honor of the Reilly family, honoring Wayne Reilly, Emmitt Reilly and Patrick Reilly. John W. Danforth Company in Tonawanda, New York, is the scholarship’s sponsor.

The Alan O’Shea Memorial Scholarship

Parker Scott Filius of Purdue University and Jakob Cimino of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln each received a $2,500 scholarship check in honor of Alan O’Shea. MCA of New Jersey is the scholarship’s sponsor.

FERGUSON – Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarship

Kimberly Sikkema of Ferris State University and Sarah Galan of Wentworth Institute of Technology each received a $5,000 scholarship, sponsored by Ferguson, for worthy female students invested in career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Josam Endowed Scholarship

Hailey Brennan of the University of Maryland, College Park received a $2,500 scholarship underwritten by the Josam Company. This scholarship category was added last year and offers established a $2,500 annual scholarship for students pursuing a degree in Construction Management, Mechanical Engineering or a similar field. Provided that all qualifications are met each year, the recipients will receive the scholarship in their sophomore, junior AND senior years.

New Student Chapter Chartered

MCAA welcomed its newest student chapter by granting a charter to Utica College in Utica, New York. The new chapter is sponsored by The Mechanical Contractors Association of the Capital District.

Educator of the Year

Dr. Sherif Attallah of Ball State University was recognized as the Educator of the Year based on his mentoring, industry knowledge, involvement, and active participation in MCAA’s Student Chapter program activities. In addition to a trophy, he received a check for $5,000.

Student Chapter of the Year

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln was selected as this year’s Student Chapter of the Year. The Career Development Committee chose the winner after evaluating how well the chapter promotes an understanding of the mechanical industry and the career opportunities we offer. They received a check for $3,000.

MCAA Student Chapter Competition

Fairleigh Dickinson University won the top prize of $10,000 and a trophy for their work on this year’s Student Chapter Competition project, which required student chapters to act as the prime contractor on the renovation project to the historic University of Pennsylvania Museum.

Virginia Tech Blacksburg Campus was the runner-up team, placing second and receiving a trophy and check for $5,000.

Kansas State University and Missouri State University rounded out the final four. Each of these finalists received $2,500.

Six additional teams that just missed the final four were recognized with checks for $1,000. They are, in alphabetical order:

Ball State University
Binghamton University
McMaster University
Purdue University
University of Maryland College Park
The University of Missouri Columbia

Thank You to Retiring Board of Directors Members

President Helm expressed MCAA’s thanks to retiring Board members, saying, “We appreciate all their time and talents, and they will certainly be missed on the Board. We thank you for your service as a member of the MCAA Board of Directors!”

Troy Aichele
Nashville, Tennessee

Gary Grandchamp
Kirlin Group
Rockville, Maryland

Ken Harbour
Cleveland Mechanical Services
Atlanta, Georgia

Bob Hightower
Apollo Mechanical Contractors
Kennewick, Washington

Bill Hughes
MILWAUKEE TOOL
Mickelton, New Jersey

Mike Brandt
Immediate Past President, MCAA
Smith and Oby Company
Walton Hills, Ohio

Welcome, New Leaders

President Helm shared some final words before passing the gavel to MCAA’s 2021 President, Armand Kilijian. President Kilijian introduced the Executive Committee and new Board members who will lead the association in the coming year.

Executive Committee

Immediate Past President
Brian Helm
The Helm Group

President-Elect
Bob Bolton
Arden Building Companies

Senior Vice President and Treasurer
Robert Beck
John W. Danforth Company

Vice President and Assistant Treasurer
Rick Gopffarth
Dynamic Systems

New Board Members

Each of the following has been elected to a three-year term on MCAA’s Board of Directors.

Shaabini Alford, Murray Company
John Dineen, Postler & Jaekle Corporation
Jim Gaffney, Goshen Mechanical
John Marlow, US Engineering Construction
Parthiv Amin, SLOAN

President Kilijian congratulated the new Board members before delivering his first address to the association as its president, saying:

“I look forward to continued collaboration and innovation as we see what the pandemic throws at us next and what our “next normal” will look like. There has never been a better time to be an MCAA member.”
Armand Kilijian, MCAA President

Resource Highlight: MCAA BIM & Prefabrication Resources

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on two SmartMarket reports developed in partnership Dodge Data & Analytics. The reports on BIM and prefabrication will help contractors understand the benefits, challenges and opportunities presented by these technologies.

In his remarks at MCAA’s Virtual Education Conference, MCAA President Armand Kilijian identified fabrication of duct, pipe, and building systems as one example of a technology that, once implemented in a company’s culture, can reap yearly benefits. These reports provide the legwork needed to get started with or expand use of both BIM and prefabrication.

You Might Also Like These Related Resources

If you have questions about MCAA’s Innovative Technologies Initiative, which developed these resources, please contact Sean McGuire.

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

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

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

Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
Trap primer adapters are connected to the floor drain outlet prior to the P-trap. They can be rotated in any direction prior to bonding providing a quick and cost-saving installation. Available in multiple connection types and sizes and made from either PVC or ABS.

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Wheatland Tube SureThread Continuous Weld Pipe

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

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