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Summer 2014 Issue

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Graco Mechanical Expedites Office and Field Operations Using Davisware Solutions

When Graves Mechanical, Inc. formed Graco Mechanical, Inc.—a 24/7 service arm concentrating on preventive maintenance—the company needed a business solution that would support its essential and continuous office-to-field communication and its promise to stay constantly connected and available to customers. In addition, Graco Mechanical needed to expedite many of its processes, especially its 10–14-day billing turnaround time. With Davisware technology, the company reduced its billing turnaround time to 3–5 days and decreased its invoice processing time. In addition, Davisware’s Remote Field Service solution allowed Graco Mechanical to reduce its gas costs by 10–20 percent.

Davisware Solutions

C.J. Erickson Anticipates Needs of Future Scientists with Jay R. Smith Specialty Products

C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. took on the complex task of installing plumbing systems not only to meet the individual needs of an exacting group of tenants already scheduled to move in, but also to anticipate the needs of unknown future tenants. The new William Eckhardt Research Center at the University of Chicago will offer world-class scientific research facilities, and thanks to C.J. Erickson and Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co., those facilities are prepared for just about anything.

Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.

Legacy Mechanical Gets New Transit Hub on Track with Efficient Victaulic Grooved Products and Prefabrication Services

To meet the complex requirements of a massive public transit expansion, Legacy Mechanical, Inc. called on Victaulic. “We’ve worked with Victaulic grooved mechanical systems for nearly a decade so we know we can trust them to help us maximize productivity and address compressed work schedules, while increasing worker safety,” said Scott Krum, president at Legacy Mechanical. “We also know we can count on them for expert prefabrication and minimizing time in the field.”

Victaulic

Hill York Meets Growing Campus’ Energy Demands with BAC’s Innovative, Efficient Ice Thermal Storage

With 26,000 students and a growing campus, Florida’s Nova Southeastern University (NSU) was challenged with finding a reliable cooling system that kept both expenses and the environment in mind. Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) and Hill York mechanical contractors worked together to find a solution for NSU, finally settling on BAC’s innovative ice thermal storage. Now, NSU is reducing their peak electrical demand and saving electricity costs while remaining environmentally sensitive.

Baltimore Aircoil Company

Alliantgroup Offers Insight on R&D Tax Credits for Mechanical Contractors

For those MCAA members looking for a practical way to grow their business, the answer may lie in an often overlooked section of the tax code. The research and development (R&D) tax credit—an incentive that rewards internal improvements made to a company’s products, processes, and techniques—has been around since 1981. Producing tax relief at a rate of nearly $10 billion a year for U.S. businesses, it is one of the most generous and lucrative tax incentives offered by the federal government.

W.J. Maloney Relies on Durable Sloan Systems at Chicago Cubs’ New Spring Training Facility

Dedicated Chicago Cubs fans who attended the Major League Baseball team’s spring training in Arizona this year were rewarded with modern restrooms (among other amenities), thanks to W.J. Maloney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling and Sloan Valve Company. W.J. Maloney chose Sloan plumbing because its products have such a good batting record at the Cubs’ main stadium and on other W.J. Maloney projects.

SLOAN

CNA Offers Strategies for Mitigating Workers’ Compensation Costs

Take a look around your company. Chances are, your workplace has changed in the past 10 years. Your workforce has changed as well. Regardless of industry, the U.S. workforce is aging. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated that 25 percent of the workforce will be age 55 or older by 2020. This aging workforce brings with it the potential for escalating workers’ compensation costs, particularly since older employees typically experience more severe workplace injuries and illnesses than younger ones.

CNA

Murphy Company Slashes Billing Time, Saves Costs with PENTA

Even though Murphy Company has over a century of experience in delivering mechanical solutions and a long record of excellent performance (it is consistently recognized by Engineering News Record as a top-20 contractor), it was saddled with a 25-year-old software system. Since adopting the PENTA construction Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform, Murphy Company took five days off its service billing process and cut more than $100,000 per year in costs related to lost/missing tools, among other benefits.

PENTA Technologies

J.C. Cannistraro Meets Tight Installation Deadline—With Time to Spare—Thanks to Autodesk BIM and Prefabrication

To upgrade the water systems at the University of Massachusetts Boston’s central utility plant—in a single weekend and without disrupting any other system functions—J.C. Cannistraro put to work the Autodesk® Fabrication CADmep™ system it has used since 2003. Thanks to building information modeling (BIM) and prefabrication technologies, Cannistraro installed in one day the temporary systems it needed to ensure a smooth transition for the rest of the project.

Autodesk

Vanguard HVAC Technologies Lays Foundation for New Tavern on the Green with Easy-to-Install Viega ProRadiant Heating

Installing Viega ProRadiant™ systems as part of the renovation of New York City’s famous Tavern on the Green restaurant was a simple process—so simple, in fact, that Robert Stewart, steamfitter foreman for Vanguard HVAC Technologies, joked, “I was disappointed there wasn’t more to do.” Completing the radiant floor heating installation quickly allowed the rest of the project to move forward.

Viega