• SMACNA Show Provides Specialty Forums for Entering New Markets

    Dec. 1, 2010
    World-class education, business, and networking opportunities were on tap at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association's (SMACNA) 67th Annual Convention, held Phoenix, AZ in October.

    World-class education, business, and networking opportunities were on tap at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association's (SMACNA) 67th Annual Convention, held Phoenix, AZ in October.

    This year's convention offered SMACNA members specialty forums, including: Architectural Forum: Metal Roofing Underlayment–Tips on Choosing the Best System, and Metal Roofing and Solar Applications.

    A special HVAC forum —Opportunities in the HVAC Energy Audit, Assessment and Retrofit Markets — reviewed legislative and regulatory energy efficiency initiates and mandates, and ways to develop a collective green consciousness focused on efficient technologies and applications are creating business for the HVAC contractor.

    Terence Parker, of United Solar Ovonic, a world leader in flexible photovoltaic products, reviewed solar laminate products and their building and performing characteristics. He examined complete systems that convert architectural metal roofs into viable energy sources. Legislative and regulatory energy efficiency initiates and mandates, as well as a collective green consciousness focused on efficient technologies and applications are creating business for the HVAC contractor.

    In "Over 12 Dozen Ways to Get and Keep Customers," contractors learned from sales and marketing expert Matt Michel, CEO and president of the Service Roundtable, the nation's largest contractor alliance. Michel's presentation provided contractors of every size and level of development with new ideas that can be quickly applied to their businesses. (Matt Michel is a regular contributor to ContractingBusiness.com; find his latest column at http://bit.ly/michelonprosperity.)

    Steve Lindauer, CEO of the Association of Union Constructors, reviewed the opportunities that the National Maintenance Agreement presents for industrial contractors. The National Maintenance Agreement’s Policy Committee's priority is to provide skilled craft personnel and competent contractors to safely perform industrial maintenance work.

    The SMACNA board of directors installed its Executive Committee to serve from Oct. 14, 2010 to Sept. 28, 2011. Their terms began Oct. 14 at the close of SMACNA's 67th annual convention.

    The new officers are:

    President: James Boone, president, New England Sheet Metal Works, Fresno, CA. Boone helped to develop, and serves as president of, the Fresno Area Construction Team (FACT), a joint Labor Management Cooperation Committee comprised of the three mechanical trades.

    President-elect: Richard Rivera, president/CEO, Key Air Conditioning Contractors, Santa Fe Springs, CA. Rivera has chaired the budget and finance committee, and was an officer liaison with the products and programs coordinating committee. He has served on numerous task forces including the strategic planning, high performing contractor, business and financial management, business management, and financial management.

    Secretary/treasurer: Howard Stine, Charles E. Jarrell Contracting, Earth City, MO. Stine is currently co-chair of the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) and National Energy Management Institute Committee (NEMIC) International Certification Board. He also serves on the SMACNA budget and finance committee, investment committee, employees’ pension plan trust and others.

    Vice president: Randy Novak, Novak Heating and Air Conditioning Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA. Novak's service to SMACNA includes chair of the National Residential Contractors Council Steering Committee and membership on the National Energy Management Institute Trustees (NEMI).

    Immediate past president: John Lindemulder Sr., chairman, Amber Mechanical Contractors, Alsip, IL, has served two terms on the Board of Directors and is a member of SMACNA's prestigious College of Fellows. smacna.org