In the competitive world of residential HVAC services, exceptional customer service can be the key differentiator that sets a business apart.  John Tschohl, a Service Strategist from the Service Quality Institute, provides invaluable advice on creating a service-oriented culture that…

Ductwork made in C&S Cos.' Syracuse, New York, sheet metal shop. The industrial HVAC contractor added duct fabrication services in June 2023.  From car washes and factories to playgrounds and airports, SMACNA member C&S Cos. has long been involved in…

The 400-room, 14-story CitizenM hotel in Boston's Back Bay section. SMACNA member United HVAC won a $3.7 million contract to install all the ductwork for the hotel's ventilation, smoke removal and fire life safety systems.  In a high-traffic section of…

The home uses 5,500 square feet of 24-gauge exterior panels from Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp. Carlson Sheet Metal Works also created a fireplace surround from 14-gauge hot-rolled bare steel.  Most of the work done by Carlson Sheet Metal Works is…

H.T. Lyons is a $160-million mechanical design, construction, maintenance and energy services firm with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and South Carolina. For more than a century and up until the late 1990s, the Lehigh Valley region of…

Grant Collins Over the summer, federal regulators set their sights on employment agreements that contain promises by employees to refrain from competing with their employer after they leave (i.e., “non-competition” or “non-compete” provisions) or promises by employees to refrain from…

Ronald J. Eagar In this challenging landscape, the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) has become essential for companies aiming to excel. These measurable metrics provide critical insights into a firm's operations, empowering decision-makers to guide their organizations effectively. KPIs…

Dushaw Hockett The discussion came up again during an Aug. 28 webinar — Beyond the Blueprint: Advancing in the Industry — sponsored by the SMACNA and SMART RISE committees (Representation, Integrity, Support and Empowerment).  This article seeks to make a…

SMACNA applauds President Biden’s recent signing of the Advance Act, which is legislation to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy capacity, including by speeding up permitting and creating new incentives for advanced nuclear reactor technologies.  The general purpose of the…

Change orders are an inevitable aspect of contracting, particularly in the sheet metal and HVAC industries. For contractors, effectively managing change orders can make the difference between a profitable project and one that spirals into unexpected costs.  Guy Gast, Past…

   Aaron Hilger Construction has existed since before historical records existed. Back then, improving the built environment started simply by creating a shelter from wind or rain. From these basic structures, humanity learned how to construct the ancient megaprojects like…

  Carol Duncan This summer, I had the pleasure of joining Portland SMACNA for a Heavy Metal Summer Experience camp. The success of this program over the past couple of years has been nothing short of remarkable. This program is…

The Samuel-Novarro house was built by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son in 1928 for the manager of a movie star in Hollywood’s silent era. It has many copper panels on its exterior. But after almost 100 years, many of the architectural…

Work at Penn Highlands State College Hospital and Medical Office Building included installation of nine air handlers — five of which were intricate to a specific space, such as a pharmacy or an operating room that required precise humidity levels…

SMACNA member Poynter Sheet Metal was awarded a $2.3 million, three-year contract to install ductwork and rooftop HVAC units for the 240-foot tunnel. Above, Poynter employees work from a lift to position duct. When severe rainstorms came through Fort Wayne,…

A “heat pump craze,” tax incentives for installing energy-efficient HVAC solutions and upselling indoor air quality features to combat allergies are just a few of the residential market demands David Giacalone is fielding from customers of Veterans HVAC / Potter…

Carol Duncan One of the core parts of SMACNA's mandate is to educate our member contractors on the evolving landscape of our industry. Our space has changed at such a rapid pace since I’ve become involved. It’s not hard to…

Aaron Hilger Believe it or not, we are already preparing for the SMACNA Annual Convention in Palm Desert, California. The calendar may still read summer, but before you know it, October will be here, and our membership will descend on…

SMACNA applauds the final rule issued by the Biden Administration that is designed to address the skilled workforce crisis shortage by requiring private developers to comply with Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship requirements on federal projects.…

SMACNA offers some guide and manual updates to benefit members. Check out the latest offerings. TAB Procedural Guide, 2nd Edition The newly revised second edition of the SMACNA TAB Procedural Guide is specifically tailored for trained skilled TAB technicians for performing…

In July, SMACNA joined the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), and the Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) in signing a historic strategic alliance agreement. For the first time, all four associations are coming…

Dushaw Hockett Culture of Respect (formerly BE4ALL, Belonging and Excellence for All) launched in December 2021. It is a joint endeavor of SMACNA, SMART and ITI. The initiative envisions a diverse, inclusive and unionized sheet metal industry that is welcoming…

Ronald J. Eagar More than halfway through 2024, change remains a constant for the construction and architecture & engineering (A&E) industries amid a year marked by growth and ongoing challenges. Despite facing a range of operational hurdles, industry leaders maintain…

Grant Collins On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that will have far-reaching consequences for federal agencies. Specifically, in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Supreme Court ended four decades of deference to federal agencies’ leeway to…

   Aaron Hilger Spring brings the construction season to the forefront, while a flurry of activity is emerging rapidly in Washington, D.C. In her column, Carol Duncan discusses our recent CEA meeting at length. It was a smashing success with…

Carol Duncan Every year, I eagerly anticipate the CEA National Issues Conference, and this year was no exception. This year's lineup of speakers was impressive. We heard from Jessica Looman, Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division; Kathryn Thomson, the…

Clockwise From Top: Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su; Aaron Hilger and Stan Kolbe; The Hon. Earl Pomeroy; Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ); CEA attendees listen to presentations; Joe Boddicker, Counsel, Alston & Bird. Infrastructure and megaprojects have dominated the…

Perennial Corktown Apartments is a seven-story facility that includes 188 apartments and seven townhomes. Landmark historic redevelopment and new construction in Detroit’s emerging Corktown district near Michigan Central Station is reshaping a 1934 southside neighborhood, and Custom Architectural Sheetmetal Specialists…

  Adam Lannan enjoys the challenges that come with pharmaceutical work. The Vice President of Operations at United HVAC says such projects offer the opportunity to work on something meaningful.  “I like that work,” Lannan says. “We’re constantly looking for…

Nick Seraphinoff Jr. knows about the damage humidity can cause. He’s seen it firsthand. Many times.  In the early 1990s, he was performing HVAC work at a major automotive supplier in Detroit. This company made parts that went into many…

HAVE Mechanical Contractors provides heating and cooling solutions for Spire Academy, including the new 4,000-square-foot prefabricated houses designed as dorms for incoming students. Spire Academy is familiar stomping grounds for HAVE Mechanical Contractors in Ashtabula, Ohio. The rapidly growing international…

Matt Cramer, Owner of Dee Cramer Inc., Holly, Michigan, recalls a time when he had an employee who was having a hard time. Cramer could tell he was fatigued, distracted and just not himself. Not only did the employee have…

Thomas S. Gunning has been more than just a figure in the construction industry; he has been a beacon of hope for many. As the Executive Director of the Boston-based Building Trades Employers Association (BTEA) Northeast, he has a vision…

   Dushaw Hockett BE4ALL (Belonging and Excellence for All) launched in December 2021. The initiative, known as Culture of Respect today, envisions a diverse, inclusive and unionized sheet metal industry that is welcoming and fosters belonging for all. This work…

Ronald J. Eagar When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was enacted in 2017, it introduced several temporary provisions that brought significant tax advantages to the construction industry. With many of these provisions expiring at the end of 2025…

Grant Collins While SMACNA contractors are familiar with the concept of “overtime” — that is, paying employees time and one-half for certain hours worked — few contractors understand how overtime paid pursuant to their collective bargaining agreement (or “CBA”) intersects…

   Carol Duncan I had the first-hand opportunity to witness the SMACNA/SMART labor management partnership at work. I was honored to join General President Mike Coleman on the stage at the 2024 Partners in Progress conference, where we highlighted our…

Aaron Hilger SMACNA always has a busy first quarter. We hold many committee meetings, labor relations meetings and educational programs. This year, I attended a few programs I did not participate in when I was a Chapter Executive. Mutual Gains…

From right to left: Dushaw Hockett, Carol Duncan, Mike Coleman, Aaron Hilger and Joseph Powell. At Partners in Progress, Moderator Dushaw Hockett, Founder and Executive Director of SPACEs, got to sit down with a panel of industry leaders to ask…

The 2024 Partners in Progress Conference brought local union leaders, SMACNA member contractors, chapter executives, training coordinators and future leaders together Feb. 26 to 28 in Orlando, Florida, to provide opportunities to strengthen existing relationships and discover innovative strategies to…

Carol Duncan and Mike Coleman welcoming the Partners in Progress attendees.  How do you move forward in times when your goals aren’t clear, your plan is still unfolding or you can’t quite see the path ahead?  It can become a…

Trying to attract the younger generation into your sheet metal or HVAC business?  Understanding what motivates them can help, shares Clark Ellis, Principal and Cofounder, Continuum Advisory Group, during his Partners in Progress session, “Values Alignment — The New Paradigm for Recruitment…

“What does a hero look like?” This is a question Partners in Progress Keynote Speaker Kevin Brown asked the audience during his session, “The Hero Effect: Transforming Ordinary People into Extraordinary Heroes.”  “Many define heroes as ordinary people doing extraordinary…

John Murdough Murdough, CPA, MBA, is Partner Emeritus at Baker Tilly U.S., where he is a member of the firm’s construction practice, specializing in audit and accounting, tax issues, business and management consulting, business problem solving, and transition and strategic…

The 118th Congress is now over half over and just seven months of activity remains before the election. Although seemingly endless political debate and issue activity has produced few new bills or laws passed to show for all the tension,…

Dushaw Hockett Culture of Respect — formerly BE4ALL (Belonging and Excellence for All) — launched in December 2021. The initiative envisions a diverse, inclusive and unionized sheet metal industry that is welcoming and fosters belonging for all. This work includes…

  Ronald J. Eagar It has been more than two years since Congress passed the bipartisan infrastructure deal (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). As predicted, the $1.2 trillion dollar investment into U.S. infrastructure has been slow to reach actual job…

  Grant Collins While SMACNA contractors are familiar with the concept of “overtime” — that is, paying employees time and one-half for certain hours worked — few contractors understand how overtime paid pursuant to their collective bargaining agreement (or “CBA”)…

Airtech Mechanical Services., Overland Park, Kansas Air Systems Balancing & Testing Service Inc., Rochester, New York Bledsoe Environmental LLC,  Indianapolis, Indiana Breffni Air  Ireland Unlimited, Ireland Crosby-Brownlie, Liverpool, New York Downing Heating Inc., Hope, Michigan Integra Testing Solutions of New England, Norwell, Massachusetts…

Aaron Hilger Convention is one of the highpoints of SMACNA’s annual calendar. Our event in Phoenix was outstanding with great content and networking. A special thanks goes out to everyone who worked behind the scenes to make our gathering in…

   Carol Cuncan, SMACNA President I wanted to start my first SMACNews column with a question: What was your biggest takeaway from October's Annual Convention? SMACNA broke attendance records for a non-Hawaii convention, and it was wonderful to engage with so…

Both chambers finished up legislative business and left town for a much-needed break to focus on constituent outreach over the Thanksgiving Holiday. December marks the first time in approximately a decade without government funding deadlines. Before leaving, both chambers were…

Dushaw Hockett BE4ALL (Belonging and Excellence for All) launched in December 2021. It is a joint endeavor supported by SMACNA, SMART and ITI. The initiative envisions a diverse, inclusive and unionized sheet metal industry that is welcoming and fosters belonging…

Grant Collins In a major win for SMACNA members, the Department of Labor’s Final Rule — “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations” —  went into effect (“DBA Rule”). This is the DOL’s first update to the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA)…

The 2024 AHR Expo on January 22–24, brings together manufacturers & suppliers to share ideas and showcase the future of HVACR technology. Experience everything new in HVACR and build the vital relationships to grow your business. Make sure to visit…

The Godfrey Hotel Detroit is a 227-room boutique hotel in the city’s historic Corktown neighborhood. The $2.4 million worth of sheet metal work the hotel required was done by SMACNA Detroit member CASS Sheet Metal.  The oldest neighborhood in the…

Cadet Field House at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is undergoing a seven-year, $133-million renovation that includes new mechanical systems. SMACNA member Colorado Sheet Metal won a $5 million contract to replace the 1960s rectangular duct…

The energy sector is ever evolving. And the industrial market is quickly increasing project opportunities for industrial contractors. In fact, industrial contractors will surely play a pivotal role in carbon capture and utilization. Carbon capture technology and the megaprojects are…

Social media continues to evolve as a marketing tool for sheet metal and HVAC industry businesses.  In the last issue, SMACNews highlighted the multiple purposes and benefits SMACNA contractors can get from the different social media platforms and how to…