Smart Solutions – Summer 2025 Issue

Transforming Operations with Real-Time Visibility with Access Coins & P1 Construction, LLC

P1 Construction, LLC replaced its outdated legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with Access Coins ERP and quickly started saving money, increasing productivity, and improving service delivery. Morgan Lassise, P1 Construction accounting manager, explained, “Access Coins has been perfect for us because it meets all the needs that we have as a contractor. We’re seeing increased job productivity across the board.”

Access Coins

Matching Material to Application for Better Results: Advice from NIBCO INC.

In commercial plumbing and mechanical systems, material selection is far more than a matter of preference or budget—it directly impacts system performance, longevity, and reliability. Standards offer a framework, but truly effective practice requires that you match the materials to the specific demands of the application.

NIBCO INC.

Streamlining Invoicing Skyrockets Revenue with ServiceTitan & L.J. Kruse Company

Until two years ago, L.J. Kruse Company, a fourth-generation plumbing and HVAC shop in Berkeley, CA, was still using paper for invoicing. With ServiceTitan, the company’s service side boosted revenue by $1 million. “I don’t know how many companies are left on paperwork orders, but if there are any, you have to make the switch, and you’ve got to make it yesterday,” said Will Kruse, vice president and service manager at L.J. Kruse Co. Switching to ServiceTitan “was night and day.”

ServiceTitan

Jobsite Safety Spotlight with MCAA’s Safety & Health Committee & BuildOps

Falls. Tools. Mental health. The jobsite dangers haven’t changed much, but some contractors are changing how they respond—and who they involve in the process. MCAA Safety and Health Committee members Ricky Reams (Murphy Company) and Rebecca Medaris (Pan-Pacific Mechanical), joined BuildOps to discuss the challenges contractors are facing today and what’s working in the field—from simplifying fall protection to reshaping the tools that get people hurt.

BuildOps

Maximizing Welder Workforce with Automation featuring Novarc Technologies, Inc.

To combat the shortage of skilled labor in the welding industry, Novarc Technologies, Inc. recently launched a real-time vision processing system: NovEye™ Autonomy (Gen 2), the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning program for welding. The system constantly improves weld quality based on data collection and model enhancement to maximize productivity and deliver the highest quality welds.

Novarc Technologies Inc.

Designing for Efficiency with Belimo Aircontrols & Arden Building Companies

Arden Building Companies knew that a pressure independent (PI) HVAC system would help a new Massachusetts high school meet its long-term sustainability goals, but there were concerns about the cost. Belimo Aircontrols’ PI control valve offered the perfect balance of performance and affordability, and Belimo went a step further, providing piping packages that cut up to 80 percent of labor costs.

Belimo Aircontrols

Saving Time & Increasing Safety with MILWAUKEE TOOL & 1901 Inc.

After using MILWAUKEE TOOL’s cordless M18 FUEL™RINGER™ Roll Groover from start to finish on a recent project, 1901 Inc. of Madison, WI, estimated saving 40–50 hours of labor, thanks to faster setup time and easier mobility compared with traditional electric grooving machines. Jeremy Baillies, a steamfitter foreman at 1901 Inc., said, “It’s way more efficient, much faster, much safer; it saves all kinds of time.”

MILWAUKEE TOOL

2 New Management Methods Bulletins Now Available

MCAA recently released two new Management Methods Bulletins designed to support its members with free, in‑depth guidance on critical aspects of mechanical contracting.

Tool-Integrated Software’s Business Benefits featuring Ridge Tool Company

Would you like to make the back-office side of your plumbing business more efficient? Tool technology has changed the way we work on jobsites, but it can also simplify business management. From staying ahead of needed tool maintenance to streamlining recordkeeping, integrated tool technology in drain cleaning, pressing, and diagnostic tools can make your business run more efficiently. Here are a few examples of how tool-integrated software from Ridge Tool Company and others can boost your business operations.

Ridge Tool Company

Avoiding Missed Connections Through Innovation with Merit Brass Company & Dynamic Systems, Inc.

Dynamic Systems, Inc. (DSI) chose Merit Brass Company copper press fittings on the chilled water system for a multi-billion-dollar facility because of the ease of installation, cost savings, and cleanliness of the installation. Moreover, Merit’s fittings are equipped with distinctive Visual Indicator Press Ring® (VIPR) technology—which provides an external visual confirmation of a pressed fitting and enabled DSI to avoid the common problem of missed pressed fittings that can derail projects.

Merit Brass Company

Transforming Coordination Through Automation featuring MSUITE

Speed and accuracy are critical in the design phase of construction, and building information modeling (BIM) has improved teamwork and visibility throughout projects. However, support system layout remains a challenge. Despite significant advances in BIM workflows, contractors lose time and productivity because of inefficient manual processes in placing and coordinating hangers and supports. Software solutions like MSUITE Hangers can accelerate BIM modeling efficiency and transform MEP coordination through automation.

MSUITE

Streamlining Weld Tracking Processes with UMC & Stratus

Faced with the challenge of implementing a weld tracking program on short notice, UMC needed a solution that would allow for both shop and field weld inspections without reverting to cumbersome, outdated paper methods. Stratus, a software platform designed to streamline fabrication processes, was the answer.

Stratus

Automating Processes to Deliver Tangible Benefits with PypeServer, Inc. & DILFO

DILFO had already worked to modernize its fabrication process, but adopting PypeServer Inc.’s cloud-based workflow allowed them to do even more, demonstrably saving on labor and materials. As Brendan Myers, DILFO’s director of operations, put it, “By automating processes, reducing waste, and enhancing productivity, the software has delivered tangible financial and operational benefits.”

PypeServer, Inc.

Message from Mark Becker, M/SC Chair: Insights and Innovations

Case studies in this issue of Smart Solutions include two stadiums, two jails, and a distillery—highlighting that many projects come with unique needs that require innovation and insight. We hope you will take advantage of the insights and innovations our manufacturer/supplier partners have to offer.

Profiling Software Optimizes Efficiency featuring HGG Profiling Equipment, Inc.

Designed in-house, ProCAM software leverages HGG Profiling Equipment Inc.’s 40 years of 3D profiling knowledge and synthesizes it into a software system designed to maximize throughput and material usage, saving users time and money. ProCAM and ProCAM Lite are the only software specifically designed for HGG profiling machines.

HGG Profiling Equipment, Inc.

Creating Attractive Cost Estimates in Eight Ways featuring McCormick Systems, Inc.

Creating clear, competitive, and professional plumbing estimates is key to securing projects. Whether it’s small installations or large commercial projects, the accuracy and presentation of your estimates can set you apart in the highly competitive plumbing industry, which has more than 70,000 contractors in the United States alone.

McCormick Systems, Inc.

Exceeding Stringent Standards with SLOAN & Murray Company

To meet green building standards for a new basketball stadium, Murray Company Mechanical Contractors counted on SLOAN’s sustainable products but also ensured close collaboration and coordination among all the “players” in the building process to secure the win. Murray Company made sure it could accommodate others working simultaneously; meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), state, and LEED requirements; and ensure that the plumbing worked under peak demand.

SLOAN

Optimizing Operations & Fan Experience Simultaneously featuring Johnson Controls

When the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club™ committed to making improvements to its ballpark, now known as American Family Field™, the organization looked to its long-term partner Johnson Controls to help provide fans with an outstanding experience while ensuring the ballpark operates at peak performance and efficiency. As a result, the team increased attendance significantly.

Johnson Controls, Inc.

Summer 2025 Issue

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