Smart Solutions – Summer 2023 Issue

A&R Boosts Morale, Productivity, and Profits With Procore Workforce Management Solutions

Since A&R Mechanical Contractors adopted Procore’s workforce management software, project planning has become much less of a struggle, timelines have decreased, and profits have increased. For example, getting paid for out-of-scope work has dramatically improved with the T&M [time and materials] Ticket Tool.

Procore

Grodsky Tackles Tight Timelines and Tight Spaces With Easy-to-Use Press Fittings From Mueller Industries

To expedite construction of a new university housing project designed as a hybrid of wood and steel, Harry Grodsky & Co., Inc. turned to Mueller Industries and its Mueller Streamline Co. products and piping systems specialists “We were able to save an incredible amount of time on the project thanks to Mueller” and its Streamline® ACR Press Fittings in particular, said Ross Halket, superintendent at Grodsky. Mueller’s products gave Grodsky “the ability to get stuff into tight spaces, [and with] no fear of burning the building down, the ability to run piping in areas where brazing would have been hazardous,” Halket noted.

Mueller Industries

Northwest Mechanical Group Ramps Up Business With BuildOps

When their out-of-date software started slowing them down in the office and the field, Northwest Mechanical Group switched to the BuildOps platform, simplifying and streamlining data management so they could grow their business. “Before we knew it, we were seeing quicker turnaround times on job closeout and a huge improvement in the time it took for quotes to be accepted by our customers,” said Chris Howard, owner and CEO.

BuildOps

Jomar Explains How Adjustable Thermostatic Balancing Saves Time and Money

If your team is tired of callbacks because of a lack of hot water at the point of use and the labor required for manual balancing, thermostatic balancing, a more efficient domestic hot water balancing method, is now an option. Thermostatic balancing recirculates the hot water loop based on temperature, as opposed to pressure or flow.

Jomar Valve

Western Allied Mechanical Saves Time, Expands Reach With Novarc’s Spool Welding Robot

Like every contractor, Western Allied Mechanical is always looking for innovative ways to get ahead in their market and deliver projects better, faster, and cheaper for their clients. Also like every contractor, Western Allied is facing the nationwide shortage of qualified welders. By adopting Novarc’s spool welding robot (SWR), they have not only increased productivity dramatically, they also increased capacity and are taking on bigger jobs.

Novarc Technologies Inc.

Reliance Worldwide Corporation Offers Three Reasons to Use Outlet Boxes in New Plumbing Systems

As the trades continue to navigate an ongoing labor shortage, innovative products and methods of installation become increasingly important. Over the past decade or so, one such product that industry professionals have gravitated toward is outlet boxes for new construction. The options run the gamut, from fixtures to washing machines to ice makers, and they offer a more efficient alternative to traditional rough-in plumbing methods for these kinds of installations. Here are the key reasons why outlet boxes are becoming the industry standard and how they can support your workflow, bottom line, and craftsmanship.

Reliance Worldwide Corporation

Heat Stress: ClickSafety Explains Your Responsibility as an Employer

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers have a responsibility to protect their workers from extreme heat. Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill while working in hot or humid conditions. Heat is the number-one cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 815 heat-related worker deaths and 70,000 heat-related serious injuries between 1992 and 2017. To protect workers, employers should establish a complete heat illness prevention program in addition to observing the heat index.

ClickSafety

Holaday-Parks Achieves Award-Winning Sustainable Plumbing Design With Morris Group’s AcornVac System

To renovate an historic building while simultaneously seeking to reach new heights in sustainability, Holaday-Parks installed a water-saving vacuum plumbing system from AcornVac, a division of Morris Group International. The AcornVac system was among the solutions that earned the building recognition as one of the most environmentally friendly office spaces of its size worldwide. It also eliminates the need for costly trenching or core drilling.

Morris Group International

Althoff Industries’ Revenue Surges With ServiceTitan for Customer Service

Althoff Industries credits their switch to ServiceTitan software with an improvement in customer service that contributed to an increase from $8.5 million in revenue in 2021 to $11.4 million in 2022. Althoff went live with the software in July 2021 after spending decades on a server-based customer relationship management system. It was such a momentous occasion for Blake Wiltshire, director of residential services at Althoff, that an empty bottle of champagne sits on his shelf to commemorate the moment.

ServiceTitan

Fostering a Learning Organization to Avoid Human Error and Accidents

Human error is often misinterpreted as solely a human issue. However, it predominantly arises from system flaws within organizations. We inadvertently create systems that tolerate poor processes for the sake of rewarding outcomes, leading to constraints and errors. To effectively prevent and mitigate human error, it is crucial to shift our focus towards understanding the systemic factors at play.

Tyfoom

Cannistraro, Atomatic Keep Costs in Check With Wheatland Tube’s SureThread

Atomatic Mechanical Services, Inc. and J.C. Cannistraro both rely on SureThread™ pipe from Wheatland Tube to keep their costs down. Cannistraro Fabrication Manager Billy Gardner said, “SureThread is the only brand we use for fabrication. It creates less wear on our tools, which saves us money.” Nick LaMonto, piping superintendent at Atomatic, added, “We’re threading every day. We can’t afford inferior pipe.”

Automatic Mechanical Services

Harris Realizes Immediate ROI With Watts Specialties Pipe Cutter

Harris saw an immediate return on investment (ROI) from their Watts Specialties automated pipe cutter, with improved efficiency in cutting and handling and no need for hand-cutting for olets or saddles. Based in St. Paul, MN, Harris has 15 regional offices with more than 300,000 square feet of fabrication shops.

Watts Specialties

Message from Parthiv Amin, M/SC Chair: Keeping a Competitive Edge

MCAA’s manufacturer and supplier partners share their expertise on staying competitive in this issue of Smart Solutions.

Starco Overcomes Confines of Jail Project Using NIBCO’s Innovative PressACR System

To update the HVAC system at the Montgomery County Jail in Dayton, OH, Starco, Inc. relied on NIBCO’s new PressACR™ system to save at least 100 hours in installation time. Initially, press systems were not approved on the specs for the project, but Starco convinced the building owner and the project’s engineering firm, HEAPY, that PressACR would save time and money.

NIBCO INC.

SLOAN Demonstrates How Handwashing Is Moving Beyond the Restroom

Up until now, handwashing has always taken place within the confines of the restroom. But what if hand sanitation and where it takes place were reimagined?

SLOAN

Strategic Mechanical Expands Prefab Capacity Using PypeServer Technology

With PypeServer technology, Strategic Mechanical, Inc., has sped up its fabrication processes and opened up new avenues for prefabrication. Strategic Mechanical serves clients throughout California; its 70,000-square-foot shop in Fresno, CA, includes an HVAC sheet metal shop, pipe fabrication shop, industrial metals fabrication shop, and electrical prefabrication. In this Q&A, Miro Telesmanic, vice president of operations, describes how Strategic Mechanical put PypeServer to work.

PypeServer

Fresh Meadow Slashes Days Off Residential Riser Replacement Using Victaulic Couplings

With only three weeks to fully replace the riser system at a high-profile residential building, New York-based Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp. selected Victaulic to win the race against time. Ultimately, they remained ahead of schedule, completing the entire project in only 15 days. Despite spatial constraints at various stages of the project, Fresh Meadow navigated each challenge with reliable engineered solutions that will benefit the building’s tenants and management for years to come.

Victaulic

FARO Looks at the Future of AI and 3D Laser Scanning for MEP Applications

It is clear that artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing fast and coming into everyday use. In the near-future, AI systems will be paired with established technology, such as 3D laser scanning for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) applications. What many do not appreciate is that AI is still largely only as good as the quality of data fed into the system, either by human operators or through technology that gathers and organizes information, such as 3D laser scanners and cloud-based data platforms.

FARO Technologies, Inc.

Summer 2023 Issue

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