From the President
Messages from MCA-KC President Bill Adams.
Tracking the Pulse of Our Contractors’ Educational Needs
Participating in MCA-KC’s recent Educational Strategy Planning session are (clockwise from right): Bill Alexander (Alexander Mechanical), Greg Stanger (Stanger Industries), Joe Bret (Metro Air), Mike Enright (Enright Plumbing), David DeBiasse (Environmental Mechanical), Bob Looman (MCA-KC), and Tom Moser (Johnson Controls). Also participating but not pictured: Ron Topping (Waldinger) and Steve Janasz (MCA-KC).
One of the top priorities of the MCA-KC – and one of the greatest value propositions it delivers to its members – is contractor education. Like the national MCAA, our Kansas City Association works to provide local educational offerings that are designed to advance the knowledge, skills, and practices of our contractors and their employees so that they can continue to effectively compete in the marketplace.
This week, using the results of a recent MCA-KC membership survey to guide the discussion, members of both the MCA-KC Board and its Education Committee joined together for a strategic planning session to help set the Association’s future Educational programming agenda.
One result of the planning session is that we will research and develop new educational offerings in the areas of management, leadership, and communications, while continuing to provide training related to the operational and technical sides of the business.
Another key outcome of the session includes using multiple methods of delivering the educational programs to overcome the schedule challenges of our busy contractors, including greater utilization of the MCA-KC website for posting webcasts, webinars, and other online training opportunities, in addition to the traditional classroom-style environment.
The website will also be used to alert contractors to other upcoming training from other organizations in the area which may benefit them, including Med Gas Pipeline’s Educational Forum on May 9.
I would particularly like to thank all of you who took the time to complete the survey. This is your Association, and your input and opinions drive the many educational offerings and activities that the MCA-KC puts forth. We will keep you updated on all of the training opportunities as we continue moving forward with our educational initiatives.
Finally, you don’t have to wait until you receive a survey or an evaluation form following a training session to give us your feedback. The MCA-KC staff, Board, and Education Committee members welcome your input at any time.
As always, thank you for your ongoing participation in your Association.
Bill Adams
President, MCA-KC
Kansas City Night Remarks
Good evening, I would like to start with a few well deserved “Thank you’s” First, to our National MCAA president, Mark Rogers, for being here to spend the evening with us.
I would also like to thank our Board members for their tireless efforts.
I believe we do not acknowledge the contributions of our staff nearly enough. Thanks to Bob Looman, Steve Janasz and Cathy Paulsen for your hard work and commitment in 2011. When you see Cathy tonight, please thank her for putting this evening together.
The bulk of the work of MCAKC is done by committee. I would like to acknowledge and thank all of our committee chairs. They are:
Education: Bill Alexander and Greg Stanger, Vice Chair
Service: David Debiasse
Safety: Greg Sweeney
PF Conference Board: Tim Moormeier
Plbr Conference Board: Mike Kotubey
Associate Member: Greg Vielhauer
And our other Fund Trustees: Mike Gossman, Mike Palmer, Rob Marriott, Kollin Know, Mike Chick, Steve Hancock, Chris Rimel, and Mike Enright
(just step back and applaud – no statement necessary)
Last but not least, I would like to thank my wife Barbara for supporting me and listening to more MCA stories over the past year than anyone should have to endure.
With those well-deserved thank you’s taken care of, I’d like to highlight some of the past year’s successes – made possible in part by those individuals efforts.
As you may know, one of the objectives of MCAKC is to work with and promote union labor for the benefit of our members. To that end, we finalized a new contract to addresses our mutual concerns and provide new tools to make union contractors more competitive with non-union shops. I’m proud of the work done by everyone involved and the resulting agreement.
We continue to meet with Pipefitter Local 533 to refine a new national residential and light commercial agreement that we hope to offer to our members in the near future. We will continue our efforts to take on the non-union contractors and provide the means to create more hours of work.
Nationally, we completed a residential and light commercial contract with Plumbers Local 8 available to any contractor who wishes to sign up. Please contact the MCAKC office or a board member to learn more about this opportunity.
Another of our association objectives is to provide educational opportunities to our members to make us better managers and contractors. This year, the education committee presented 9 MCAA/MSCA education sessions. They also convened contractor meetings to facilitate operations for Service Managers, Service Dispatchers and Safety Professionals.
The MCAKC stipend program (awarded for member participation) resulted in 26 $2500 awards to reimburse member costs associated with MCAA/MSCA education.
We are proud to have two Student Chapters, PSU and KSU. These chapters represent the future of our industry. At our last national convention, PSU made it to the “final four” of the student chapter competition. They represented us very well. Congratulations.
We were able to lower the cost to be an associate member, in order to attract more associate members and grow their participation. Currently, our associate members do most of the heavy lifting to make the charitable golf outing a success. Thank you for your efforts and we will work to continue to find ways to involve you in our educational and social activities.
The MCA-KC will step up its efforts this year to communicate with our members. That includes a new website at mcakc.org and email newsletters with important information and tools that help your business.
All of our work at MCA-KC is toward one goal – to compete for every single mechanical contracting job in the Kansas City region – Every single one. This goal will continue to drive our activities in 2012 and into the future.
I don’t need to tell you that in this economic environment, we can’t afford business as usual. The MCA-KC will continue to work aggressively with our union teammates to provide the competitive edge we need to win more projects, create more jobs and generate more union hours.
Finally, the MCAKC exists for you and because of you – we are essentially a volunteer organization. So please continue to volunteer, and encourage others to volunteer so we can maintain the strength of this association and continue to serve our industry well.
Thank you.
Billy Adams – Lenexa, KS
LAKEMARY PRESENTATION
Prior to our presentation to Lakemary Center, I want to share some of the history between the KC contracting community and Lakemary Center.
Lakemary was founded by the Ursuline Sisters of Paola, caring parents, and community business leaders who recognized the need for a place where Kansas City area families with children with mental challenges could receive the support they needed to live lives of quality and accomplishment.
To accomplish this goal, the Ursuline Sisters donated 35 acres of land, $50,000 and agreed to staff Lakemary voluntarily. Federal funds were secured, Industrial Revenue Bonds (underwritten by the City of Paola) were issued, and a ground breaking was held on October 9, 1967 to begin work on the $1.3 million project.
The Ursuline Sisters had a strong connection to the Catholic community in Kansas City, and to prominent Kansas City area construction families, (including Bill & Helen Fagan and Bill and Jean Dunn) who were instrumental in providing support for the newly created Center and helping to build a strong foundation for future growth.
The early years at Lakemary were difficult ones financially – and the Fagans and the Dunns (among others) worked tirelessly to insure that the center would be funded without having to cut services to the children. Both of these families were key leaders in the creation of The Lakemary Endowment Association in 1975 – and both served on its initial Board of Directors. Bob Fagan serves on the endowment board today.
Today, Lakemary provides over 500 individuals and families each year with residential and day programs, case management and community outreach programs. With a number of service locations throughout Johnson and Miami Counties, they remain close to the Kansas City area families who rely on them for the critical services they provide. Lakemary, in turn, continues to rely on the kindness of Kansas City businesses and individuals to adequately provide for these important programs.
Much has changed over the last 43 years, but their mission remains the same… helping individuals reach beyond their disabilities.
I would ask the following representatives of Lakemary to come forward:
Mike Everett (President of LM Endowment and Board Member),
Mary Wheeler (Director of Marketing and Development)
Karen Kilbourn (Executive Administration Assistant)
and Pat Adams, our golf committee Chairman, to present the MCA contribution to Lakemary’s worthy efforts.
Thank you to the representatives from Lakemary Center for the important work you do.
Our next speaker is Mark Rogers. Mark is COO of West Chester Mechanical, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a company he started in 1996. Nationally, Mark serves on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the MCA. He is chairman emeritus of the Education Committee, and represents that committee to the MCAA Manufacturer and Supplier Council Governing Board. He is also a graduate of the MCAA’s Advanced Leadership Institute. On the local level, he is past-president of the MCA of Eastern Pennsylvania, and currently serves as a fund trustee and is active on many committees.
On a personal note, Mark is married to the lovely Colleen (who – like Barb – has probably heard more MCA stories than she would care to admit) and he has three active sons.
It is my pleasure to present the leader of over 2500 member firms, the National President of the MCAA, Mr. Mark Rogers.
Resolving to Grow Our Industry
From Bill Adams, MCA-KC President:
I hope you enjoyed your holiday and New Year celebrations.
I enjoy New Year’s Eve not only because I get to spend time with family and friends, but also because it gives me a chance to think about the year that’s passed and the year that’s coming up.
Now, don’t worry, I’m not going to make a speech right now. I’ll save that for our Kansas City Night Dinner on January 20. Reminder – be sure to RSVP this week. (link). However, I did want to share a few New Year thoughts.
Last year around this time we were all thinking about a new contract. We had three key goals: 1) create competitive crew rates, 2) improve the health of our pensions in the long term and 3) protect wages by better managing benefit costs.
We made a lot of strides toward these goals and I know you’ll tap into MCA-KC’s staff to learn about our new tools. We continue to work toward these goals.
What excites me about 2012 in these early days is that we don’t have to think about negotiations, but rather how we grow our industry. We’ll soon have an update on the residential and light commercial contract talks.
We also have to be vigilant in tracking our non-union competition. MCA-KC will be developing some easy reporting tools for you this year so we can get a better sense of our true market share. We’ll also need you to keep us posted on any developments you hear about non-union shops using new technologies or enhancing services.
I don’t need to tell you it’s a competitive world. But, I’m full of optimism for 2012. Let’s make one MCA-KC resolution: We will work together with our union teammates to get to more union mechanical contracting projects that translate into more union jobs and hours. That strengthens our entire industry, our contractors, our unions and our workforce. That’s a resolution worth keeping.
Wishing you the best in 2012.
Bill Adams
President, MCA-KC
President’s Message Delivered at MCA-KC’s 2011 Annual Membership Meeting
We faced a tough negotiation this year. Contractors and our union teammates both made concessions and, let’s face it, it was difficult at times.
But, we arrived at a fair contract with new tools that increase our competitiveness. Now, it’s time to start using those tools. That’s easier said than done in this economy. But, I can tell you that it won’t happen unless we build a strong relationship with union leadership.
To that end, I’m committed, as MCA-KC president, to meeting regularly with union leadership and finding the common ground we need to get more union projects, get more union jobs, and get more union members working.
I encourage you to support Pat Julo’s letter that emphsizes the importance to our industry to send in our prevailing wage forms and encourages our support of Journeyman Continuing Education and the proper forms to request and evaluate an apprentice. Click here if you have not seen the letter. I highly recommend you take his suggestions seriously. These forms are consistent with the needs of Plumbers Local 8 as well. They are absolutely essential to support our industry.
A true team means that each player and each position does his job. That’s what we need to do. Contractors and union leaders and members all have a position to play so that we can take back work that’s been lost.
I have recently met with Local 533, where we continue to negotiate a new agreement to get back residential and light commercial work. I’m hopeful that we can all work together to create an agreement that will allow us to win against the other team – the non-union guys.
Finally, I strongly encourage you to contact the MCA-KC office for assistance in any matter related to our new contract or any other industry issue. Our capable staff is in place to help you, our contractors.
Sincerely,
Bill Adams
President, MCA-KC
Working Together!
An Important Message Regarding the Future of Union Plumbing & Pipefitting
Delivered by Bill Adams, President of The Fagan Company and MCA-KC Board President
The MCA-KC Installation of Officers Banquet, January 21, 2011
Everyone knows we’re in a difficult market, and it’s important to recognize where we are succeeding. Through our improved apprentice training, MCA-KC educational programs, the UnionFITS program, process changes, etc., we are continuing to build on the foundation of what has made Union Contractors and the quality of the work we do the standard by which others are measured. But it’s important that we all build on our successes, not rest on them.
Our industry has changed tremendously in the 38 years that I have been in the mechanical contracting business. Anyone remember lead and oakum joints? Now we just glue the PVC pipe.
For those younger members of the audience, a lead and oakum joint was made with an oakum rope and molten lead to join cast iron pipe. I’m sure there were a few health and safety issues with the molten lead!
Who would have ever anticipated flexible natural gas piping or press fit copper systems?
And when I started in this business working with a typewriter, a pencil and paper drawings, I could only imagine a tool as powerful and as workable as 3D CAD drawings of an entire building’s mechanical systems. (more…)
