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Grinnell Mechanical Products collabo-rated with contractor Thomas J. Dyer Company (T.J. Dyer) to build a truly cost-effective mechanical systems solu-

tion for Cincinnati’s largest skyscraper to date. Together, the companies have been able to execute ahead of plan and on budget. The Great American Tower at Queen City Square will add 41 stories and more than one million square feet of office and retail space to the city’s already impressive downtown area.

Finding the Optimal Mechanical SolutionWhen purchasing materials for the project, T.J. Dyer enlisted the help of Grinnell’s Mechanical Services group to estimate the most cost- and time-efficient mechanical solution. The team opted for a hybrid weld and grooved system, which enabled it to take advan-tage of two key areas of expertise: T.J. Dyer’s knowledge of fabricating large-bore piping and Grinnell’s complete line of high-quality grooved mechanical products for all of the equipment con-nections. This hybrid system allowed T.J. Dyer to stay within their tight bud-get for materials and labor.

“Grinnell’s grooved product helped us stay on budget,” said Kevin Mirlisena, project manager at T.J. Dyer. For exam-ple, the height of the Great American Tower requires the mechanical piping system to function at 300 pounds per

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T.J. Dyer Co., Grinnell, Team Up toTackle Installation Challenges forGreat American Tower

SMART SOLUTIONSH e l p i n g c o n t r a c t o r s s a v e m o n e y a n d e n h a n c e p r o d u c t i v i t y W

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Sloan Valve Plumbing Products Help Connecticut Office Park Meet LEED Specs, Slash Water Use, Save ThousandsBy installing Sloan Valve Company plumbing systems, the Merritt 7 Corporate Park in Norwalk, CT, expects to save thousands of dollars and as much as two million gallons of water annually in just one building retrofitted with water-efficient plumbing systems.

The Merritt 7 Corporate Park in Norwalk, CT, expects to save significant amounts of money and water by retrofitting its buildings with water-efficient plumbing systems, such as Sloan Valve Company’s Waterfree Urinals—moving the office park closer to achieving LEED® compliance for Existing Buildings.

Using a hybrid weld and grooved mechanicalsystem on Cincinnati’s Great American Tower enabled T.J. Dyer to combine its knowledge of fabricating large-bore piping with Grinnell’s high-quality grooved mechanical products for all of the equipment connections. This hybrid systemallowed T.J. Dyer to stay within budget. continued on page 9

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CNA Offers Keys to Maximizing Your Surety Program ................ 3JH Kelly, Mueller Showcase Time-Saving Plumbing Advancements ... 4Fluidics, Carrier Meet Hotel’s Energy and Sound Requirements ..... 5F.E. Moran, Victaulic Use Technology to Beat Schedule .............. 6DAiKiN’s Products Contribute to LEED Silver Certification .......... 8Evans Mechanical Relies on Jay R. Smith to Speed installation ... 10

continued on page 14

Efficiency Is Everything

In these tough economic times, we are all striving to make sure that business gets done as efficiently as possibly. In this issue of Smart Solutions, we give you some real-world exam-ples that demonstrate how our supplier partners can help you become more efficient and productive.

Working SmarterFor example, F.E. Moran, Inc. used Victaulic mechanical systems for the new central power plant of a community hos-pital and beat the scheduled completion time by two weeks.

On that project, F.E. Moran and Victaulic worked together using building information modeling (BIM), so potential problems were identified and resolved early on—in the virtual building, not onsite. By using Grinnell Mechanical Products for a Cincinnati skyscraper, Thomas J. Dyer Company created a truly cost-effective mechanical sys-tems solution and stayed within their tight budget for materials and labor.

JH Kelly relied on Mueller Industries’ StreamTECH Adhesive Joining System for the water system at a local plumbing products supplier’s new facility, where it will serve as a working model. The adhesive joining approach makes installation faster and easier and eliminates all the constraints that come with soldering. Evans Mechanical turned to Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. for labor-saving products that speed up installation and so reduce costs.

Energy EfficiencyThese days, meeting customers’ demands often means providing products and services that meet high energy-efficiency standards. MCAA’s supplier partners continue to lead the way toward LEED® compliance:

• By installing Sloan Valve Company plumbing systems, a Connecticut office park expects to save thousands of dollars and as much as two million gallons of water annually in just one building retrofitted with water-efficient plumbing systems.

• Fluidics, Inc. replaced a hotel’s existing cooling system with two Carrier chillers that not only meet the hotel’s needs but also qualified for a state-sponsored rebate program and are already reducing monthly energy bills.

• With DAIKIN energy-efficient heat pumps and controls, the new dormitory at the University of Hawaii at Manoa received LEED Silver certification.

Clear CommunicationCNA’s Bill Waters reminds us that as contractors take on work outside their usual areas of focus, it’s more important than ever to keep the lines of communication open with your surety provider. “Good communication with your surety is the key to getting the support you need to survive and prosper,” says Bill. He’s just one of the many speakers who will be on hand at MCAA 2010 to offer his advice and expertise.

I encourage you to join us at MCAA 2010 to take advantage of all the ideas and informa-tion offered on increasing efficiency at your company. Visit our supplier partners and learn how they can help you. I look forward to seeing you there.

Gary MooreChairman

SMART SOLUTIONSHelping contractors save money and enhance productivity

Smart Solutions showcases new tech-nologies and promotes cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications available from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council. Smart

Solutions is published biannually for contractor members of MCAA and its subsidiaries.

All information in this newsletter was supplied by members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council. MCAA is not responsible for any claims made regarding products or services mentioned.

Cynthia Buffington

Senior Executive Director

Jan Letow

Director, Membership

Adrienne Breedlove

Director, Communications & Public Relations

Dana Trevas

Consultant

1385 Piccard DriveRockville, MD 20850-4340301-869-5800Fax 301-869-3520e-mail cbuffington@mcaa.orgwww.mcaa.org

S M A R T S O L U T I O N S W I N T E R 2 0 1 03

During these difficult economic times, it is more important than ever to have a strong relationship with your surety company. Work is scarce, and you need to ensure that your surety is on board with your plans for building and maintaining backlog.

Most contractors are struggling to maintain an adequate backlog and have had to drastically cut overhead and staffing to meet the challenges this recession has created. In an effort to secure new projects, we are seeing contractors looking at larger projects, a wider geographic area, and types of work outside of their normal focus. Successfully coping with those chal-lenges will be even more difficult if your surety is not supportive of your strategy.

Good communication with your surety is the key to getting the support you need to survive and prosper. In my experience, most disconnects between the contractor and the surety could have been avoided if the lines of com-munication were open and properly maintained.

While proper communication with the surety is vital, it is equally important to be supported by business partners that can strengthen and support your rela-tionship with the surety company.

The first step is to align yourself with a professional surety agent. Most insurance agents are not specialists in surety, and you need to make sure you are represented by an agent that has experience in surety. Having the proper insurance program in place is critical to your survival, but not every agent is capable of providing both the insurance and surety support you need. If you have any doubts about your agent’s surety experience, start by asking what

other contractors and surety markets they represent. Now is not the time to be complacent about the qualifications of your agent.

Another key area to consider is your accounting firm. Do they represent other contractors? Do they provide timely and thorough financial report-ing? A well-documented and accurate financial presentation is vital to giving the surety the confidence they need to support your bonding needs, but if that information is not provided on a timely basis, it will be a hindrance rather than a help.

The current economic environment has given project owners and general contractors the leverage to push more and more risk down the line to their subcontractors. Contract terms are becoming more onerous, and you need a high-quality attorney to help you identify those risks. The same consid-erations for selecting the right agent apply to your attorney as well. Do they have the construction expertise neces-sary to provide you with the contract review assistance that you need?

The current crisis in the credit markets has made the relationship you have with your banker more important than ever. Do they have experience in the construction industry? Is the bank com-mitted to supporting contractors? Do they have the financial strength to meet your needs?

The last piece of the puzzle is the surety itself. Don’t be shy about chal-lenging them on their qualifications and financial strength. How much surety credit are they capable of providing? What are their financial ratings? Are they licensed in all the states where you intend to pursue work?

Your relationship with the surety starts with the local representative, but it shouldn’t end there. Have you met the underwriters in the regional and home offices that support your local representative? Do you have relationships established with their claim department? You should endeavor to cultivate a relationship as deeply into the surety organization as possible.

Having all the key elements to an effective surety partnership in place is vital, but poor communication can undermine the effectiveness of that foundation in a heartbeat. Annual meetings with the surety are crucial, and meeting more often might be required during these uncertain eco-nomic times. If your business plan changes, communicate that to the surety immediately. No one likes surprises, and if you want to ensure that the surety is there when you need them, let them know well in advance of any changes to the type of work you are pursuing, your financial condition, or the management/ownership structure of your company.

Surrounding yourself with solid busi-ness partners and effectively communi-cating internally and externally forms the foundation that a strong surety rela-tionship is built upon.

Bill Waters will speak on this topic at MCAA 2010 at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 31.

For more information, visit www.cna-surety.com.

MCAA thanks CNA for being a bene-factor of MCAA 2010, providing the final program and co-sponsoring the dessert party at the convention.

Key Success Factors for Maximizing Your Surety ProgramBy William P. Waters, Senior Vice President, Contract Surety, CNA Surety Corporation

S M A R T S O L U T I O N S W I N T E R 2 0 1 04

Braley-Gray & Associates, a local plumbing products supplier, wanted to showcase innovative plumbing products in their new Portland, OR, facility, so they asked JH Kelly of Longview, WA, to use Mueller Industries’ StreamTECH Adhesive Joining System for the water system. The new facility includes a technical training center, and the StreamTECH system will serve as a working model. Mueller’s adhesive joining approach makes installation faster and easier and eliminates all the constraints that come with soldering.

Innovation at WorkThe 24,000-square-foot office and distribution facility will incorporate high-efficiency fixtures, an operational vacuum condensate waste system, and, eventually, solar power with water heat-ing capability. For the potable water system, Tom Files, president of Braley-Gray & Associates, chose copper tubing with Mueller’s StreamTECH Adhesive Joining System. According to Files, “StreamTECH provides an opportu-nity to show architects and engineers something more intriguing on the rough plumbing side.”

StreamTECH is a flameless copper join-ing system that uses an engineered seal for the primary sealing mechanism and a structural adhesive for the mechanical bond. The adhesive itself is a two-part epoxy developed by 3M Corporation specifically for the system. David Gagnon of 3M’s Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division said, “3M welcomed the opportunity to work with Mueller Industries to combine our structural adhesives expertise with their knowledge of pipe bonding to create an alternative to mechanical joining systems.”

Pioneering New ProductsOver 75 years ago, Mueller invented the solder fitting, which will always be an important part of the company’s legacy. “In the 1930s, many tradesmen didn’t immediately believe in the methods of soldering or understand how capil-lary action worked,” explained Chris Mueller, product development manager for Mueller Industries. “As they learned more about the solder joining method, the concept became widely accepted. Solder fittings have been the industry standard since. We see a similar path in educating and training the industry on

adhesive joining.”

Mueller con-tinued, “Now, when contractors need a flameless solution or are under particular time constraints, StreamTECH offers them unequaled price and performance characteristics. Once you get beyond the per-ception of gen-eral adhesives as a household

repair product—and consider that struc-tural adhesives are already used in con-struction and other highly demanding and dynamic applications like automotive, aerospace, and racing boats—it becomes more obvious that bonding copper tube with a structural adhesive is a good fit.”

While most of the StreamTECH system in this facility is being insulated and cov-ered, some of the fittings will be visible in a working plumbing chase adjacent to the modern training and product dem-onstration room. The chase is intended to convey the proper space required for products in the “installed” environment and affords access to the swappable fix-tures that will be displayed in the training area. Customarily cramped chase spaces are one place where the low-cost, highly maneuverable tools of the StreamTECH system shine. The handheld applicator weighs less than half a pound but can create connections that will support thou-sands of pounds in service.

For more information visit www.stream-techsystem.com.

MCAA thanks Mueller Industries, Inc., for being a major sponsor of MCAA 2010 and providing the closing break-fast for the convention.

JH Kelly Installs Mueller’s StreamTECH Adhesive Joining System to Showcase Time-Saving Advancements in Rough Plumbing

JH Kelly used the Mueller industries’ StreamTECH Adhesive Joining System for the copper tubing of Braley-Gray & Associates’ new facility in Portland, OR. The handheld applicator weighs less than half a pound and makes instal-lation easier and faster than soldering.

Braley-Gray & Associates chose copper tubing joined with Mueller industries’ StreamTECH Adhesive Joining System, installed by JH Kelly, to showcaseinnovative plumbing products in its new facility and training center.

S M A R T S O L U T I O N S W I N T E R 2 0 1 05

Challenged to help the Crowne Plaza Hotel Philadelphia–Cherry Hill keep its guests comfortable while lowering operating costs, Fluidics, Inc. replaced the hotel’s existing cooling system with two Carrier 23XRV Evergreen® variable-speed water-cooled screw chillers. The new chillers not only meet the hotel’s needs but also qualified for a state-spon-sored rebate program and are already saving the hotel money on its monthly energy bills.

The 17-story Crowne Plaza hotel is the largest hotel in southern New Jersey outside of Atlantic City. Like many hos-pitality facilities built in the 1970s and 1980s, the building faced rising energy costs exacerbated by the use of aging, inefficient chillers. The hotel’s confer-ence rooms are used during all seasons, so cooling is required even in the cold-est months. Because the chiller plant had to handle peak cooling loads during the summer and substantial loads in the winter, the chillers needed to be efficient under a broad range of operating condi-tions. The existing chillers were simply not up to the task. In addition, the hotel’s mechanical equipment room was located directly above guest rooms on the 17th floor, so low sound levels were a require-ment for any replacement system.

To satisfy fluctuating internal load and noise restrictions and improve energy efficiency, Fluidics recommended the 23XRV. Its unique design is especially well-suited to maintaining comfort levels in applications that have large variances between minimum and maximum load conditions. In addition, the design of the 23XRV allows the chiller to operate at sound levels that are comparable to or lower than many centrifugal chillers.

Sharon Hyland, account manager at Fluidics, researched several alternatives and selected the 23XRV. “Not only

is it the most efficient machine avail-able but also one of the quietest,” said Hyland. “Our positive relationship with Carrier in the past gave us confidence we would achieve our objectives and serve our client well.”

The 23XRV Evergreen Chiller uses vari-able-speed screw compressor technology, making it ideal for the Crowne Plaza installation. Using this technology, the unit exceeds other chillers’ ability to run efficiently under the low load conditions found at Crowne Plaza during winter months. The variable speed drive used by the 23XRV is IEEE-519 compliant, eliminating the need for field-installed harmonic filters or a harmonic study of the building’s electrical system.

The 23XRV’s energy efficiency qualified Crowne Plaza for a $100/ton rebate from the New Jersey SmartStart program. The SmartStart program is designed to pro-vide incentives for purchasing equipment that offers significant long-term energy savings. Joseph Griffin, senior sales engineer with Carrier Building Systems and Services, said, “We were pleased to

assist Crowne Plaza with the SmartStart application process. The 23XRV Evergreen Chillers saved the client $90,000 in initial costs and will continue to deliver energy savings for decades.”

Salvatore Tamberella, director of Engineering at Crowne Plaza Philadelphia–Cherry Hill, added, “We’ve been tracking data since the chillers were installed, and already we have seen significant savings. Due to hotel-wide renovations, our occu-pancy was down slightly from the same month last year, but we have already seen a $7,000 savings in electrical costs.”

Finally, the 23XRV uses chlorine-free R-134a, a refrigerant that is unaffected by refrigerant phase-out, providing a safe and environmentally sound choice with-out compromising efficiency.

For more information, visit www.carrier.com.

MCAA thanks Carrier for being a major sponsor of MCAA 2010 and for co-sponsoring the convention’s annual golf tournament.

Fluidics Installs Carrier Evergreen Chillers To Meet Hotel’s Energy, Sound Requirements

Fluidics installed Carrier’s Evergreen Chillers in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Philadelphia–Cherry Hill because the variable speed drive delivered efficient cooling and qualified for a state energy incentive program.

S M A R T S O L U T I O N S W I N T E R 2 0 1 06

By using Victaulic mechanical sys-tems for the new central power plant of the Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights, IL, mechanical contrac-tor F.E. Moran, Inc. reduced its costs and increased productivity, beating the scheduled completion time for the plant by two weeks. F.E. Moran chose Victaulic grooved mechanical piping systems for the $470-million renovation and expansion of the hospital because Victaulic products can be fabricated offsite and installed quickly and easily onsite. In addition to the installation benefits, F.E. Moran also recognized the seismic benefits of Victaulic products and Victaulic’s ability to collaborate on building information modeling (BIM) file delivery.

Hospital Grows with the CommunityThe hospital renovation and expansion is scheduled for completion in February

2014. It includes a 600-car parking structure, a relocated central power plant, a relocated emergency depart-ment, expanded surgical facilities, a new critical care area, and additional outpatient and private rooms. Palos Community Hospital has been serving the community since its initial construc-tion in 1972 and has kept pace with population growth in the region ever since. With the addition of more than one million square feet and 537 beds, the hospital will be well-equipped to respond to recent growth and increased demand in the region for years to come.

Logistics and New Building Codes Pose Construction ChallengesThe first phase of construction began in January 2008 and involved relocat-ing the hospital’s central power plant to a new building, which will supply hot water and chilled water to the entire campus. The plans require a plant with

twice the capacity of the former chiller and boiler room, and construction of the tower that will house the new surgery unit and beds cannot begin until the new plant is complete.

The initial phase of construction set the pace for the project and was critical to meeting the overall schedule. In addi-tion, new city building codes included new seismic regulations for the hospital, which require special considerations in all aspects of the design and construc-tion process. Every contractor became a part of the design process and had to be prepared to coordinate and provide plans and drawings using the general contractor’s preferred BIM software.

Prefabrication Cuts Two Weeks Off Installation ScheduleF.E. Moran used Victaulic products on the chiller and condenser and heat-ing hot water systems for pipe sizes two to 24 inches, plus the Advanced Grooved System on sizes 14–24 inches. Victaulic products installed include the company’s patented installation-ready couplings, Tee Type Strainers, Suction Diffusers, Victaulic Tri-Service Valve Assembly, and Tour and Anderson Circuit Balancing Valves. F.E. Moran will also use Victaulic on the hot water system in the north mechanical room when that phase of construction begins.

F.E. Moran President Mike McCombie said, “Because of our prefabrication strategies and use of Victaulic, we were able to complete the internal power plant two weeks ahead of schedule.” The company is one of a handful of contractors with a large prefabrication shop in the Chicago area. McCombie said he staffs six to eight people in his shop consistently. He noted that Victaulic was easy, safe, and quick to assemble in the shop and provided design flexibility once onsite. “We

F.E. Moran, Inc. Relies on Victaulic to Complete HospitalProject Ahead of Schedule

By using prefabrication strategies and Victaulic grooved systems, F.E. Moran completed the internal power plant on the first phase of the Palos Community Hospital renovation two weeks ahead of schedule.

S M A R T S O L U T I O N S W I N T E R 2 0 1 0�

could take it to where it needed to be onsite, and we knew that the final connections would be assembled quickly and reliably with less material handling,” said McCombie.

BIM Enables Smooth CollaborationsJason Smith, F.E. Moran’s chief engineer, has used BIM software in his projects for almost two years. “We saved time by constructing the drawings in BIM,” said Smith.

“The software essentially provided clash detection among all the different systems—plumbing, electrical, fire protection, sheet metal, piping—and showed them all in a dif-ferent color so that we could detect and fix any problems in the drawing before the model was created.” Smith said all partners, includ-ing Victaulic, would come to meetings with USB drives in hand, ready to plug in their part of the BIM drawing. “I can’t say enough about BIM, and the fact that Victaulic could work with us on that was a huge benefit,” said Smith.

McCombie relied on Victaulic’s esti-mating and drawing services division, or Construction Piping Services (CPS), to work with the preferred BIM software and provide all the required BIM files.

“Although we have our own internal drafting department, we chose to use Victaulic CPS because I knew we could rely on them to provide drawings that utilize their equipment in the most effi-cient way,” said McCombie. “They are the most knowledgeable on their prod-ucts, so we wanted to count on them for the drawings.”

Victaulic is not a new name to Palos Community Hospital. Victaulic grooved mechanical piping systems were used in the initial construction of the campus and on subsequent expan-sions in 1975, 1985, 1989, and 1999 on HVAC and plumbing systems as well as the fire protection systems.

Victaulic Meets New Seismic RegulationsThe new, more rigorous seismic regulations required the application of seismic restraints to the piping and sheet metal, as well as seismic review and inspection of all equipment. “It required a lot of information-gathering on our part,” said F.E. Moran Project Executive Gene Haig.

Victaulic grooved joints are engineered to accommodate vibrations and stresses caused by seismic movements. They were tested at the real-time multi-

directional testing laboratory at the George E. Brown, Jr., Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation of the Center for Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. The testing proved the performance of Victaulic grooved mechanical cou-plings in maintaining operational integ-rity of piping systems during seismic events. Thus, the systems are an opti-mal choice when contractors are faced with stringent seismic regulations on new construction.

For more information, visit www.victaulic.com.

MCAA thanks Victaulic for being a major sponsor of MCAA 2010 and for co-sponsoring the convention’s annual golf tournament.

The first phase of renovation of the Palos Community Hospital involved building a new central power plant. F.E. Moran used Victaulic products for the new chiller and boiler room, which had to double in capacity to support the new construction.

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When officials at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH-M) undertook a massive upgrade in student housing, they turned to DAIKIN for energy-efficient heat pumps and controls. As a result, the new dormitory building, which opened in August 2008 to full occupancy, received LEED® Silver certification.

New Student Housing Offers Efficient ACFor years, students complained about the housing conditions at UH-M, and one of the worst offenders was Frear Hall. A new 12-story facility, includ-ing 810 beds, was planned as part of a $132-million dormitory renova-

tion and construction project. Not only would the new Frear Hall be the first new dormitory built at UH-M in more than 30 years, it would also be one of the only ones with air conditioning. The university sought an environmentally friendly system to provide climate comfort at an eco-nomical cost.

With its new dorm, UH-M aimed to increase operating efficiencies and lower energy consumption. To achieve those goals, the university wanted the ability to sub meter (thus monitor) each fan-coil unit to track air conditioning usage, which would allow the university to charge the stu-dents appropriately if it chose to do so. The project also required a cen-tral point of control and a remotely accessible control system to facilitate future system troubleshooting and diagnostics, as well as for overall HVAC control.

DAIKIN’s two-pipe VRV® heat pump systems were selected for their high level of efficiency and control and also their small footprint. A conven-tional system would have required a lot of ductwork running both hori-zontally and vertically throughout the building. In a structure where every square inch was optimized, routing small-diameter refrigerant lines within walls greatly simplified construction. The low-profile, wall-mounted fan-coil unit in each room and compact air-cooled condensing units on the roof were also easy to transport and install.

Intelligent Energy ManagementAnother integral part of the project’s energy efficiency equation was DAIKIN’s Intelligent Manager III, which offers independent operation. Temperatures are managed at the

local level between the student’s air conditioning unit and the outdoor condensing unit supplying it with refrigerant. The Intelligent Manager control system tracks these systems and makes adjustments when specific parameters are exceeded.

The UH-M staff also has access to the Intelligent Manager III system through both intranet and Internet connections as well as via a detailed e-mail report-ing function. The Intelligent Manager III was an essential part of the Frear Hall project’s energy efficiency. In conjunction with the control system, the power proportional distribution (PPD) option apportions total outdoor unit power consumption back into the respective indoor units served by those outdoor units. PPD mathemati-cally calculates each indoor unit’s portion of the outdoor unit’s total power consumption based on its return air temperature, electronic expansion valve position, and baseline values determined by the factory.

Dormitory Receives LEED Silver Certification Ultimately, UH-M will use this calculated power consumption data to help students understand their individual consumption. But the main Intelligent Manager III energy management function employed on this project is the temperature set-point limitation feature. It pre-vents the individual wall-mounted air conditioners from accepting any cooling temperature set-point value below 73° F. This feature alone pro-vides enormous energy savings and reduced equipment wear.

Additional energy management func-tions include the ability for admin-istration staff to turn off or set back individual dorm room air conditioners

DAIKIN’s Energy-Efficient AC Products Meet University’sHigh-Rise Challenges, Contribute to LEED Silver Certification

Using DAiKiN’s intelligent Manager iii, staff at the University of Hawaii at Manoa can restrict, turn off, or set back individual dorm room air conditioners from their offices before leasing and occupancy.

S M A R T S O L U T I O N S W I N T E R 2 0 1 0�

from their offices before leasing and occupancy. Further, if desired, they can completely restrict operation of those systems until the space becomes leased and occupied. The integrated DAIKIN system, an energy-efficient product conducive to natural ventila-tion, as well as other energy- and water-saving strategies, boosted the overall energy efficiency of the build-ing, earning Frear Hall a LEED Silver certification.

For more information, call 866-4DAIKIN (866-432-4546) or visit www.daikinac.com.

MCAA thanks DAIKIN for being a major sponsor of MCAA 2010 and providing beverages for the conven-tion reception on Wednesday.

square inch. Using a completely welded system to meet that rating would mean that all shut-off valves would have to qualify as high-performance products—and those materials traditionally cost substantially more. Grinnell’s grooved products are rated to meet or exceed that specification, so there is no need for the more expensive, high-performance valves and specialties.

“From the very beginning of our relationship, Grinnell supported our decision to use a combination system. Combining their grooved product with our fabrication shop capabilities on larger-bore pipe really maximized our user labor efficiency,” said Mirlisena.

A grooved piping system brought many other benefits to the project as well. First, the installation of grooved systems requires no open flame to weld, reducing safety hazards on site and eliminating the need for fire per-mits. Second, grooved product trans-

lates into easier future maintenance work, as parts can be replaced as needed and pipes do not have to be cut and welded back together.

“A significant factor in our decision to go with Grinnell was their 10-year war-ranty,” noted Mirlisena. “No one else in the industry offers more than one year. The 10-year warranty really demon-strates to contractors and owners alike that Grinnell is willing to be a partner in the project for the long haul.”

No Laydown Area, No ProblemConstructing the Great American Tower presents a host of unique chal-lenges for all involved. Because the building is shoehorned between exist-ing buildings on three sides and a high-way on the fourth, there is no room for a laydown area for construction materi-als on the site.

To overcome this challenge, Grinnell and T.J. Dyer enlisted the help of a local plumbing supply company to provide distribution services. The three compa-nies worked closely together to establish

a shipping schedule that maximized effi-ciency in delivering product to the job-site on time. Grinnell tagged and crated material for the project and shipped it to the plumbing supply company, which then staged the product, creating built-in lag time to deliver it to the construction site when it was needed.

“Receiving the material when and where it was needed improved the productivity of the workers and helped cut labor costs,” said Mirlisena. “Grinnell truly went above and beyond for our team to organize the shipping of pipe and equipment. Their product expertise, coordination efforts, and on-time delivery meant that there were no problems. It was truly an accom-plishment for a project of this size.”

For more information, visit www.grin-nell.com.

MCAA thanks Grinnell Mechanical Products for being a benefactor of MCAA 2010, providing beverage con-tainers for convention attendees, and sponsoring the convention presentation by Tom Flick, “Ready for What’s Next.”

DAiKiN’s efficient, compact air-cooled condensing units, seen here on the roof of the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s new Frear Hall, were easy to transport and install—and contributed to the building’s LEED Silver certification.

GRINNELLcontinued from page 1

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Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.’s® Labor Saver® Fixture Support has become an essen-tial product for Evans Mechanical of Endicott, NY, for projects such as the Lourdes Hospital renovation in Binghamton, NY. Ray Millard of Evans Mechanical credits the Labor Saver with doing just what its name suggests—saving labor, which helps the company save time and money.

The first phase of the hospital project was a 13,000-square-foot emergency department addition. It required multi-ple single and battery-type fixture sup-ports. The support installations went smoothly from start to finish, thanks to the Labor Saver Fixture Support (figures #0609 through #0925). Its one-piece, preassembled rigid steel frame construction sped up the installation process.

“I have no doubts that the use of the Labor Saver will be a big reason why we will finish the hospital ahead of schedule,” said Evans. “It saves us lots of time, and we don’t have to keep up with any extra parts.”

The support allows for installation in narrow-wall, metal-stud configura-tions. The fixture support features both horizontal and vertical adjustability to fit varying installation conditions. The Labor Saver requires only front acces-sibility for final adjustment, and the new oxbow design allows even more room for the waste piping.

Traditional supports usually require additional adjustment and alignment, adding time on the job. The need for extra components often leads to prob-lems, such as missing parts or inac-curate measurements. In narrow-wall, metal-stud configurations, traditional supports do not always allow for proper installation without additional

work, e.g., cutting the metal stud base to accommodate the supports. Final adjustments on the jobsite require both front and back access to the support to ensure installation rigidity.

The rigid, compact, one-piece design of the Labor Saver Fixture Support also provides versatility for prefabrica-tion in a battery. Preassembling the unit ensures that parts are not mis-placed. The one-piece design keeps measurements and dimensions precise. With a few simple steps, the Labor Saver Fixture Supports can be set for a reliable finish every time.

Evans Mechanical uses prefabricated Labor Saver batteries on all projects that have tight deadlines. For example, the contractor has taken on construc-tion projects in various Binghamton, NY, school districts (Maine-Endwell, Vestal, and Union-Endicott), which

must be completed during the summer. Most of the bathrooms in such build-ings require lavatory, urinal, and water closet supports. Because the Labor Saver can be assembled in prefabri-cated batteries, the installation process is easier and faster.

“Evans Mechanical has been using Smith products for a long time,” said Millard. “It’s a quality product that we can depend on and Kolstad Associates [the local representative] gives us the service we need.”

For more information on the Labor Saver Fixture Support or to contact your local representative, visit www.jrsmith.com.

MCAA thanks Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co. for being a supporter of MCAA 2010 and for providing convention badges and lanyards.

Evans Mechanical Relies on Jay R. Smith’s Labor Saver Fixture Support to Speed Up Installation

Evans Mechanical uses Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.’s Labor Saver Fixture and water closet supports for all projects with tight deadlines because they speed up the installation process.

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Soon after joining AC&R Specialists, a mechanical contractor based in Sioux City, IA, in 1995, AC&R President Ron Bond adopted the WennSoft Job Cost and Service Management Series (along with Microsoft Dynamics GP) to replace the company’s outdated Microsoft DOS-based Open Systems.

AC&R’s transition to WennSoft paid off. WennSoft enabled them to achieve accelerated growth without a signifi-cant increase in administrative staffing. Between 1995 and 2005, sales grew 10-fold, and the service division expanded five times over. During the same 10-year period, AC&R only hired two additional backroom staff members.

Out With the OldThe company’s old software didn’t allow for an interface among the general ledger, purchasing, and other essential areas in the organization, so information had to be entered in two or three different places. The lack of integration also prevented the company from running “percent of com-pletion” reports on jobs more than once each quarter. “We never knew where a project stood, unless every purchase order was added separately,” Bond said.

The results of switching to WennSoft were dramatic. AC&R became more efficient because WennSoft was tied into the general ledger, allowing staff to enter information into the system once. With the new system, AC&R could get accurate figures on job costs five to seven days after a project was completed rather than waiting until the end of the month. “WennSoft opened our eyes, because we could see all the committed costs on a project,” said Bond.

WennSoft also helped AC&R transition from paper to electronic information. The old system required the company to keep multiple copies of every document, in case one got lost. Now, operations are

primarily electronic, which reduces the number of stored documents. “The only person who has lost money since AC&R switched to WennSoft is the guy who used to shred our paper,” said Bond.

Software Solution Improves Productivity, Efficiency“The availability of information that WennSoft provides has allowed my people to be more productive and more efficient,” said Bond. Twelve years ago, managers had so much legwork, they could only handle one or two projects. There was no single source point of entry to get the information, so a manager had to go to multiple sources to obtain information, or he needed an accountant to produce a summary report. Bond said the tools WennSoft provides have alleviated much of the excess work. “Our companies run extremely lean,” said Bond. “The workload my people are now able to carry is much greater than when I first came into the business.”

Providing Construction Management with Effective ToolsWennSoft has been particularly beneficial for AC&R’s general construction divi-

sion. Because this division isn’t as mature as AC&R’s other divisions, its manager had to overcome a pretty steep learning curve. WennSoft helped by providing project-management tools that can track the division’s profitability. “Because of WennSoft, I didn’t miss a beat with this new company,” said Bond. “I didn’t lose any opportunities and made better money.”

Ability to Anticipate TrendsWennSoft provided AC&R with data that enabled them to recognize the nation’s eco-nomic downturn well before economists were predicting a recession. This gave them a jump on the competition as they were able to reassess important elements of their business, such as profit margins.

“WennSoft helps me maintain profitabil-ity in these tough economic times,” said Bond. “WennSoft allows me to be smarter about how I run my business because I have the history and tools to monitor in real time the impact of trends on my base assumptions, such as my billing rate.”

For more information, visit www.wennsoft.com.

WennSoft Software Solutions Fuel Growth at AC&R Specialists with Minimal Staff Additions

By switching to WennSoft solutions, staff at AC&R Specialists enter information into the system only once and get accurate figures on job costs just days after project completion. “The availability of information that WennSoft provides has allowed my people to be more productive and more efficient,” said AC&R President Ron Bond.

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In need of a poured concrete trench drain system for the alternate parking garage of the Performing Arts Center in down-town Dallas, TX, MIINC Mechanical Contractor turned to Josam Company’s innovative Pro-Plus Trench Drain Solutions. Having worked and struggled with various trench drain systems, Bob Dixon, MIINC project manager, praised the ease of installation of the lightweight Pro-Plus products from Josam Company.

Traditional trench drain materials are manufactured using polymer concrete, high-density polyethylene, fiberglass, poured concrete, and various types of polypropylene. Josam’s Pro-Plus range of trench drains is the only system manu-factured using glass-fiber reinforced polyester (GRP) pressed from sheet molding compound (SMC), which is a composite of polyester resin, mineral fillers, and glass-fiber mats. The result-

ing trench drain system is one-and-a-half times stronger than polymer concrete, yet 70 percent lighter. Additionally, the SMC/GRP material characteristics, in contrast to thermoplastic polymers, result in extreme rigidity and only minimal longitudinal expansion, even in extreme temperature fluctuations.

The Performing Arts Center parking garage required 336 feet of 4-inch-wide

Josam’s Lightweight, Strong Trench Drain Speeds Installationfor Dallas’ MIINC Mechanical Contractor

Josam’s engineered installation print with a bill of material “made it very easy for the man in the field to know what he was doing,” said Bob Dixon, project manager for MiiNC Mechanical Contractor, which installed the Josam trench drain system in the alternate parking garage of the Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas, TX.

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With more competition in the ser-vice business because of the down-turn in new construction and large project work, contractors like H.T. Lyons have found a way to compete on value rather than price by using BuildingAdvice software to conduct energy assessments that can directly benefit the customer’s bottom line.

Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Allentown, PA, H.T. Lyons is a 300-person mechanical contracting, engi-neering, preventive maintenance, and energy services firm with annual rev-enue of $70 million. Through a range of energy services that include energy benchmarks, assessments, audits, and projects, H.T. Lyons focuses on low-ering energy costs for its customers. Because H.T. Lyons can both identify energy conservation opportunities and also implement the needed changes, the company has an important edge in the market.

Pat Cuchran, an H.T. Lyons service sales representative, says the pro-cess typically begins with an Energy Benchmark. “We open the customers’ eyes and show them where their build-ing ranks. And we are educating them on energy consumption in their build-ings and how it can be improved,” said Cuchran.

With cost-cutting a top priority, prop-erty owners and managers value the services and guidance on managing energy costs provided by H.T. Lyons. “We use energy benchmarks as well as energy assessments as differentia-tors for our service agreements,” said Cuchran. “We bring financial value to customers. Once we show them where they’re at with a benchmark, we make

suggestions of where to go next. Some might go on to do an energy assess-ment. And for others, we collaborate with our projects team to bring energy savings to them through retrofits.”

For H.T. Lyons, one of the many benefits of the BuildingAdvice pro-gram is its integration with ENERGY STAR® for providing industry stan-dard scores for energy performance. With BuildingAdvice, the Benchmark is simple to do and the resulting report is designed to motivate action.

Recently, the BuildingAdvice Energy Benchmark showed a company’s ENERGY STAR score to be a 12, meaning that 88 percent of compa-rable buildings perform better in terms of energy efficiency. While that result might be shocking to some building owners, the shock is quickly over-come by a realization of the oppor-tunity for cost savings. Cuchran and the H.T. Lyons service team are now working with this customer on an energy assessment to identify what’s weighing down energy costs.

Initially, H.T. Lyons is targeting its current service customers with energy services. They are also promoting energy services as part of new service agreements as a strategy to compete on value instead of price.

For more information about H.T. Lyons, visit www.htlyons.com. For more information about BuildingAdvice, visit www.airadvice.com/msca.

H. T. Lyons Uses BuildingAdvice Energy Benchmarking Software as Competitive EdgeContractor Identifies Opportunities and Implements Energy-Saving Projects

trench drain with a Class E Ductile Iron grate and rail. After completing installation in December 2009, Dixon said, “Due to the lighter weight and the attachment design, this system is an eas-ier system than any that I have worked with to put together.”

Dixon added, “In addition to provid-ing exact and specific cuts to meet the installation requirements, Josam pro-vided an engineered installation print with a bill of material. These services were at no additional charge and made it very easy for the man in the field to know what he was doing.”

The Pro-Plus system is available either with or without slope and in four-inch, eight-inch, and 12-inch nominal interior widths. The pat-ent-pending STARFIX grating sys-tem allows grates to be secured and removed quickly and easily with a single hand movement, without the use of bolts or special tools. A variety of accessories and grate offerings are available. “The features that the Pro-Plus system have to offer make this system a prod-uct that is extremely easy to handle, yet durable for the most stringent applica-tions,” said Dixon. “I have every inten-tion of using the Pro-Plus system on future trench drain projects.”

For more information on Josam and affiliate products, visit www.JOSAM.com.

Josam Company’s Pro-Plus trench drain system is 1.5 times stronger than polymer concrete, yet 70 percent lighter. MiiNC Mechanical Contractor of Dallas found it easier to install than othersystems, saving them time and money.

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The move is a big step toward achiev-ing LEED® compliance for Existing Buildings.

Merritt 7 sought to become LEED-compliant, but five of the office park’s six buildings were constructed before 1993, so they were not built in accordance with the Energy Act. For example, the buildings had 3.5-gallons-per-flush toilets. As part of a comprehensive plan to become more water- and energy-efficient, Sloan’s low-consumption flushometers, low-flow faucets, and other plumbing systems were installed in the rest-rooms. By using the Sloan Waterfree Urinals, for example, the buildings met the minimum efficiency LEED requirement, and Merritt 7 earned

additional credit for water efficiency on top of the credit for the automatic low-flow toilets.

In November 2008, Building 401 became the first Merritt 7 building to be retrofitted with the water-efficient plumbing. The water bills already demonstrate substantial water and financial savings. For example, the 23 Waterfree Urinals have cut the build-ing’s water usage by 858,000 gallons, which equates to an annual savings of $7,800 with a 21/2-year investment payback. In all, Merritt 7 anticipates saving as much as two million gal-lons of water per year in Building 401 from all of its water-efficient plumb-ing systems.

Similar savings are expected in the remaining Merritt 7 buildings, which may undergo retrofits soon. To inform

tenants about the rationale for the changes, the maintenance team installed plaques showing how much water was being saved. Building tenants have been very receptive to the efficiency upgrades, although the Waterfree Urinals did prompt one change to the facility’s maintenance plan. The clean-ing work was performed at night, and the building’s maintenance team received some complaints about odor late the next morning. Cleanings were rescheduled to include spraying first thing in the morning, and the complaints have gone away.

For more information, visit www.sloan-valve.com.

MCAA thanks Sloan Valve Company for being a benefactor of MCAA 2010 and sponsoring a series of introductory wine classes at the convention.

SLOANcontinued from page 1

Water Bill Analysis for Merritt 7 Building 401 Shows Water, Money Saved

Gallons Gallons of of Assumed Water Water Water Water Dollars Gallons Tax Total2007/08 Used Bills 2008/09 Used Bills Saved Saved Savings* Savings

November 197,000 $717.65 November* 136,000 $568.20 $149.45 61,000 $353.80 $503.25

December 202,000 $729.90 December 98,000 $475.10 $254.80 104,000 $603.20 $858.00

January 256,000 $862.20 January 85,000 $443.25 $418.95 171,000 $991.80 $1,410.75

February 228,000 $793.60 February 87,000 $448.15 $345.45 141,000 $817.80 $1,163.25

3-MonthTotals 883,000 $3,103.35 406,000 $1,934.70 $1,168.65 477,000 $2,766.60 $3,432.00

1-YearProjection $4,674.60 1,908,000 $11,066.40 $15,741.00

Cost $67,889.17

*Work only partially completed Payback 4.3 years

Support the Suppliers Who SupportYour AssociationWhen choosing a product or service for that next bid, give an extra edge to the companiesthat support your association.

Where to Find Them Meet your supplier partners at the Annual Manufacturer/Supplier Exhibit, which will take place at MCAA 2010. You will have an opportunity to learn about new products, see new technologies demonstrated, find new services, get solutions to your challenges, or stop by just to say hello and renew acquaintances. This year’s exhibit will be Tuesday, March 30, from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, Golden Gate Ballroom. In addition, you will find the latest listing of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council members in the excellent MCAA 2010 Exhibit Guide, which is being distributed this month. Supplier Partners can also be found in MCAA’s annual Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide and online at www.mcaa.org/directory.

How They Support Your AssociationMembers of the Manufacturer/Supplier Council play an increasing role in MCAA’s commitment to lifelong learning by participating in a number of educational ventures. Over the past several years, the Manufacturer/Supplier Council has had the opportunity to cooperate with MCAA initiatives that produced or are in the process of producing some of the association’s most valuable educational products. In addition, MCAA’s Supplier Partners support our annual convention through their sponsorships, and their participation at the exhibit. They also publish this semiannual newsletter to showcase new technologies and promote cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications. When contacting MCAA’s Supplier Partners, remember to thank them for all they do for your association.

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MCAA wishes to thank the generous sponsors who helped make this year’s convention so memorable.When choosing a product or service for that next bid, give an extra edge to the companies that support your association.

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