Organization: MSCA

Is Your Business Designed to Survive the 21st Century? Prepare Now at MSCA18

Most companies are simply not designed to survive. They become successful on the basis of one big idea or breakthrough product. The companies that will thrive in the near future are the ones not only embracing change but breaking the rules. Companies built to survive are a result of deliberate business design decisions smart leaders are making today.  At this year’s MSCA education conference, Mike Walsh, CEO of Tomorrow, will provide thought-provoking advice on business transformation and business survival.  Walsh will outline the mega-trends shaping the future of business and consumer behavior, and the lessons learned on leveraging disruptive innovation, adopting a data-driven mindset and leading change through digital transformation. Walsh will provide additional take home value by providing “Mind Grenades” – thought-provoking questions and “next action” ideas and concrete suggestions specific for the HVACR industry.

Register by July 21, 2018 and you will enjoy Early Bird member savings!

Find the Latest from Viega, Victaulic and More 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:
Viega MCAA Virtual Trade Show
Viega

Viega MegaPress XL® – Advanced Press for Larger Pipes – The only press fitting system for 2½” to 4″ dia. carbon steel pipe, makes connections, on average, in 25 seconds. Compared to welding, it saves up to 60% in installation costs and up to 90% in time.

Learn More


Victaulic Virtual Trade Show
Victaulic
QuickVic SD – It’s the most economical and efficient way to join small diameter plain end carbon steel pipe, and it’s now available from Victaulic!

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

Introducing the Women in the Mechanical Industry Initiative Page

MCAA/MSCA’s Women in the Mechanical Industry Initiative has a new home on the MCAA website! If you’re a woman executive or employee of an MCAA/MSCA member company, this page will keep you up to date on our efforts to enable women in the mechanical industry to further enrich their careers through networking, educational, mentoring and career development opportunities beyond those already offered through membership in MCAA and MSCA.

MCAA’s 18th Annual Safety Directors’ Conference

Explore our industry’s most important safety subjects and issues at MCAA’s 18th Annual Safety Directors’ Conference. The conference will be presented online on January 19, and 20, 2021.

The program features three keynote presentations from renown world-wide disaster response physician Dr. Dan Diamond, space shuttle astronaut Mike Mullane, and safety communications expert Dale Lesinski. The ten topic-specific breakout sessions include subjects such as  NFPA70E-2021, Opioids & Reasonable Suspicion, ANSI A92 (Aerial Platform) Standards, Legionella, Microlearning, Safety Culture Change, and much more.

MCAA thanks CNA and Milwaukee Tool for sponsoring the conference.

Registration Fees:
An individual registration costs $200, and a company registration includes up to 10 attendees for $350.

Rethink Leadership, People and Teams at MSCA18

Steve Thomas, one of MSCA’s most highly rated speakers, will explore that one common thing effective leaders and cultures have that enables them to accomplish great things, in and through people. You will be challenged to rethink the steps it takes to create a culture in which people can come to work and be the best version of themselves and experience full engagement. Warning: it’s not normal!

During The Scooch Project, Steve will navigate the riddle of disengagement and empty! Why is it that two leaders can do the exact same thing and get two completely different results? Why can two companies be the same in so many areas and yet one is fun to work for and the other drives people insane? According to researchers, 70% of our workforce is disengaged. Why? In this session, Steve will explore that one common thing effective leaders and cultures have that enables them to accomplish great things, in and through people. You will be challenged to rethink the steps it takes to create a culture in which people can come to work and be the best version of themselves and experience full engagement. Warning: it’s not normal!

If you have not previously participated in a program taught by Steve Thomas, you have certainly been missing out! Join us for MSCA18 to hear him speak.

Register by July 21, 2018 and you will enjoy Early Bird member savings!

Download Your New Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide Today!

The full-featured digital version of our Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide enhances the look and feel of our directory with digital-only benefits to help you:

  • Network on the go with linked email addresses.
  • Connect with the companies, products and services that interest you using linked web addresses.
  • Get where you’re going…fast…with bookmarks and a linked table of contents.
  • Find advertisers instantly with a linked advertiser index.

MCAA’s Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide is free as a member benefit. Printed directories are in the mail and will arrive to members within the next two weeks.

Download Your Copy

Have updates? Please share! Update your profile on our website, or contact Jan Grillo for assistance.

Targeted Programming for Women Professionals Continues at MSCA18

If you’re a woman executive or employee of an MCAA/MSCA member company and you’re headed to MSCA18, join us for a luncheon and discussion on Monday, October 22. This is a unique opportunity to develop some important connections!

The event continues MCAA/MSCA’s Women in the Mechanical Industry initiative, a forum to enable women in the mechanical industry to further enrich their careers through networking, educational, mentoring and career development opportunities beyond those already offered through membership in MCAA and MSCA.

Safe Work Practices are Key During Pressure Testing Operations – This Guide Has Them!

MCAA’s Guide to Pressure Testing Safety highlights the safe work practices that can help prevent worker injury during hydrostatic and pneumatic testing of steel and copper piping systems.

Your workers will learn about:

  • Hazards associated with pressure testing
  • Common injuries resulting from pressure testing
  • Seven causes of piping system failures during pressure test operations that can result in injury, and how to avoid them
  • Safe work practices for hydrostatic testing
  • Safe work practices for pneumatic testing

The guide also contains tools to help you with pre-test safety planning, including sample checklists for both hydrostatic and pneumatic testing. A sample pneumatic test permit is also included.

Download the guide

There’s More…

A safety training video on the topic of safe pressure testing is also available. Accompanying materials will assist you in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts.

Provide worker training

Download or play the video

Highlight key training points

Download the Pocket Guide

Document worker training

Download the Documentation Sheet

Confirm that workers understand the training concepts

Download the Test

Download the Test Answer Key

Want More Safety Resources?

MCAA has you covered, with a full range of resources to help you protect your workers from injury and comply with applicable safety regulations. Here’s where to find them:

On our Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page, where they’re listed by category with links.

Go there now

In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.

Visit the Resource Center

Have questions or need personal assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

Need to Keep Your Workers Safe from Asbestos Hazards? This Video Can Help!

MCAA’s Asbestos Awareness for the Mechanical Trades Safety Training Video teaches your workers to protect themselves from the hazards involved in working around microscopic asbestos fibers.

Your workers will learn:

  • What asbestos is
  • Where asbestos can be found on the jobsite
  • What the health hazards of asbestos exposure are
  • How to identify potential asbestos hazards
  • How to protect themselves from asbestos hazards

Download or play the video in English

Download or play the video in Spanish

There’s More…

Accompanying materials are also available to assist you in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts:

Highlight key training points

Download the Pocket Guide

Document worker training

Download the Documentation Sheet

Confirm that workers understand the training concepts

Download the Test

Download the Test Answer Key

Want More Safety Resources?

MCAA has you covered, with a full range of resources to help you protect your workers from injury and comply with applicable safety regulations. Here’s where to find them:

On our Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page, where they’re listed by category with links.

Go there now

In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.

Visit the Resource Center

Have questions or need personal assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

Want to Keep Your Fitters and Plumbers Safe from Electrical Hazards? Show Them this Video!

MCAA’s Electrical Hazard Safety Training Video teaches your workers to recognize electrical hazards and perform their jobs safely.

Your workers will learn about:

  • The electrical concepts of path to ground and path of least resistance
  • The importance of keeping power tools and equipment in good working order
  • Ground fault circuit interruptors (GFCIs) and when they should be used
  • Hazardous work situations and how to handle them safely

Download or play the video in English

Download or play the video in Spanish

There’s More…

Accompanying materials are also available to assist you in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts:

Highlight key training points

Download the Pocket Guide

Document worker training

Download the Documentation Sheet

Confirm that workers understand the training concepts

Download the Test

Download the Test Answer Key

Want More Safety Resources?

MCAA has you covered, with a full range of resources to help you protect your workers from injury and comply with applicable safety regulations. Here’s where to find them:

On our Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page, where they’re listed by category with links.

Go there now

In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.

Visit the Resource Center

Have questions or need personal assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

Find the Latest from Nu Flow Technologies, Rawal Devices, Inc. and More 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:
Nu Flow Technologies MCAA Virtual Trade Show
Nu Flow Technologies

The Nu Drain System is used to rehabilitate aged or failing sewer, drain, vent and waste piping without digging, trenching or destruction inside buildings. This CIPP system can clean, line and reinstate pipes with diameters as small as 2”.

Learn More

Rawal Devices, Inc. MCAA Virtual Trade Show
Rawal Devices, Inc.
Rawal Devices, Inc.’s APR Control is a continuous capacity modulation and dehumidification device, providing part load control to resolve oversized DX A/C challenges in new and retrofit applications.

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

TG Gallagher Improves Prefabrication Processes with ManufactOn

With the ManufactOn cloud and mobile solution, TG Gallagher has increased and improved its prefabrication capacity. The TG Gallagher leadership team can keep tabs on the status of prefab work and materials at all times. The field team can monitor the progress of prefabbed items, request them as they are completed, and tag products to keep track of them. By integrating prefabrication into TG Gallagher’s supply chain, ManufactOn has helped them take the next step in the prefab revolution.

LEARN MORE

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.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

How Are Field Leaders Reacting to Technology?

Whenever a new process, tool or technology is introduced to a company, there is always concern about how it will be used by the people in the field every day. At the Indianapolis Field Leaders Conference, UA Director of Training Chris Haslinger made a presentation about construction technology. His presentation included a survey which yielded some very interesting results from 175 end users.

A balance must always be made in technology training. You don’t want to spend so much time on the training process that it keeps people from doing their jobs. You also want to make sure that people understand how to use it and follow up with added training if required. The good news from these results is that it seems like most field users are getting the right amount of time, regardless of the duration, and very few respondents appear to be getting new technology handed to them with little time to practice with it.

The next question focused more on the tools needed to use new technology on the job site. As mobile devices are frequently seen as required tools by foreman and field supervisors, the need for internet connectivity has risen significantly.

Two thirds of field leaders answered that it is not only very important, but almost all of the time. This speaks to how essential communication and data flow is becoming between the field and the office. Today, field employees are using their mobile devices for more processes and a good internet connection is becoming a necessity. A poor internet connection slows down the processes and can waste field time. This makes usage of mobile devices counter-productive when the time it takes for files to load or transfer make it slower than other methods.

The usage of mobile devices is increasing. Much of this has to do with better software applications on the market and more companies making it part of the process. When asked which software applications they used most frequently, they responded:

  • 85% – Jobsite Documentation
  • 75% – Blueprint Rendering
  • 67% – Time Cards
  • 19% – Tool Management
  • 46% – Safety Related Purposes

This demonstrates heavy usage of applications across a diverse set of processes. With a higher rate of application usage, the industry is likely to modify its processes to compensate. The last survey focused on this issue.

The top two responses both involved improved communication. Coordination with other trades is a process that has a high need for improvement, but involves a process improvement for communication. The same could be said of delivery of blueprints, change orders and design documents – a process that can grind a project to a halt and add significant cost if not organized correctly.

Mobile devices and job site software have become normal for modern contractors. To keep up on technology impacting MCAA members, MCAA’s Technology Initiative will continue to provide research, articles and guidance.

Find your Next Great Idea – Check Out MSCA’s Discussion Forum

MSCA’s online Discussion Forum is the place to go to share ideas and gain insights into industry best practices. Join a conversation, or start one of your own.

MSCA’s Discussion Forum can provide you with answers to some of your current concerns and give you new ideas on a range of business and industry topics. Exclusively for MSCA/MCAA member companies, the Forum is your online tool that enables you to reach out to other companies nationwide to share ideas or seek suggestions and input.

Current discussion topics include:

  • wearable technologies
  • peer groups
  • markup or margin
  • auto renewals
  • and more!

Be sure to check out the Discussion Forum site today!

MSCA18 – Registration Now Open!

Come SOAR with us at MSCA18! At the conference you will have a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of our ever-changing world and its impact on you and your business.  The education session lineup, keynote speakers and peer group forums have all been designed to accelerate your growth, transcend your climb and open your mind to rise above and scale new heights.

Join us in beautiful Huntington Beach, CA to truly experience the limitless opportunities that are available to you – game-changing technology, astounding business innovations, important peer connections, and valuable supplier partnerships – all designed to help you SOAR above the competition.

Watch the MCAA18 Student Chapter Competition

The 2018 MCAA Student Competition brought together future leaders of our industry on the main stage of the convention.

Congratulations to our four finalists:

  • Colorado State University
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University
  • University of Washington
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology

The “Final Four” project involved the renovation of the heating and cooling systems for the Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse in New York City where chapters were tasked with coordinating the removal of the existing equipment and installing the new equipment.

The four finalists presented their plans to the on-stage judges and fielded a series of demanding questions. Missed the competition or want a second view? Watch the competition video from start to finish here.

Congratulations again to all the participants and this year’s winner…Colorado State University!

Discover the Latest from Sloan Valve Company, ServiceTrade and More 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:
Sloan Valve Company MCAA Virtual Trade Show
Sloan Valve Company

Ideal for applications that require a reliable sensor activated faucet and efficient water savings.

Learn More

ServiceTrade MCAA Virtual Trade Show
ServiceTrade
ServiceTrade is customer service, sales, and service management software for mechanical service companies.

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

Technology Conference

MCAA’s Annual Technology Conference is the one place where MCAA members in construction, plumbing and service can get tech info you can actually use. Designed by contractors in your business, our goal is to provide takeaways for everyone attending.

So if you’re a Construction Technologist, a CEO, an IT Specialist, Operations Manager, a BIM expert, or just about anyone else wanting to know where the mechanical industry is heading and how you can use that knowledge in your company NOW, this conference is for you.

So take a minute to check out our program, our speakers, and our roundtable plans.

Our goal is to share both the big picture and some details that will help you optimize what you’re doing at your company every day of the week.

 

New Report Looks at How MCAA Members Use Technology

The MCAA-sponsored 2017 Construction Technology Report by JBKnowledge took an in-depth look at how the construction industry utilizes technology, software and IT. This week, MCAA released an “MCAA Focused” Report that analyzed the responses of MCAA and MSCA members. It looked at how MCAA members use and estimate BIM costs, track productivity, and emerging tech tools.

Part of the report focused on how MCAA members compare to the rest of the construction industry.  It showed that MCAA members have a greater adoption of BIM and have higher use rates for BIM with especially with coordination and fabrication.

The MCAA focused report also explored how MCAA members are tracking BIM hours and estimating their costs.  It found that far too many contractors do not track their BIM hours per project and as a result cannot use those hours to estimate the amount of time needed to perform BIM on a project.

The report also looked at emerging trends that contractors are currently testing. While the industry at large favors drones by a wide margin, MCAA members are far ahead of the industry on fabrication and modularization.

Hackers Cripple Boeing with Ransomware

Nick Espinosa, Chief Security Fanatic and featured speaker at the upcoming MSCA18 Conference, gives a quick update about what happened and how MCAA and MSCA contractors are often targeted as access points for larger corporations. Update and patch your software so that you are not the easy prey for criminal hackers.