SMACNA-BC: ending the year on a high note

Jeremy Hallman • Executive Director, SMACNA-BC

The first few months as Executive Director for SMACNA-BC have been exciting. I find myself easily inspired by the history available around me and the opportunity to place my personal stamp on it going forward. Even though the job is very different from my previous position, there is certainly a connection that I feel is working in my favour. I have really enjoyed meeting our members and touring their facilities, and I have felt welcome everywhere I’ve been. Everyone is proud to show off what they are doing, and so they should be.

There is a lot of uncertainty in the industry right now. Contractors have plenty of work on hand, or in progress, but there is concern about a possible recession (or accepting the fact that we may already be in one). The cost of everything from raw materials to finished products has gone up, if those items are available at all. It seems like the flow of goods is starting to improve, but there is certainly sticker shock in many cases.

Finding and retaining skilled people is also front and centre with many contractors. The pandemic seemed to make everyone reassess their priorities and may have been the tipping point for some to retire a little earlier than planned. There is a very strong group of young people that now have the opportunities created from this void. It will be a quick learning curve, but I’m confident they will be up for the task. Local 280 and the contractors are also working together to find creative methods to attract new talent. The apprentice and diversity grants recently announced are a strong step in the right direction to add new talent and diversity in the workplace.

I recently attended a presentation at the Burnaby Villa hotel that was put on by CIRP (Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan). Vicky and her staff provided informative and disturbing statistics regarding overdose deaths in the construction industry. We learned about the link between construction and the opioid epidemic. They discussed some of the vital skills to help keep members resilient and safe from the harms of this epidemic. The round table discussions we had in our groups of 8-10 people showed how common the issue is. Half the people at the average table seemed to have some experience dealing with a worker that they were concerned about, which matched the stats provided. SMACNA-BC is in the process of scheduling Vicky Waldron for a dinner meeting in the New Year. Details are on page 10, and registration to follow.

We are populating our 2023 calendar in the SMACNA-BC office and have started booking presenters for dinner meetings, supervisory training, and business management programs. If you have any suggestions for topics or programs you would like to see covered, please pass them along.

Welcome new SMACNA-BC Associate members – Olympic International & Gripple Canada

Olympic International

We bring the world’s leading technologies to the local market.Olympic International provides heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, parts, and service for commercial and institutional projects in Western Canada. Our extensive team of highly specialized mechanical sales engineers brings a depth of HVAC engineering and application experience to our projects..

Gripple Canada

The Gripple® range of hangers for HVAC applications has been developed to provide a fast and versatile solution for suspending ductwork, heaters, air conditioning, radiant panels, and plenum boxes.

Our products such as UniGrip, Duct Trapeze and Express are designed to save you time and labour costs, thus improving the efficiency of your installation. Unlike traditional suspension methods, Gripple kits do not require cutting or filing. Gripple suspension solutions offer aesthetic design without compromising on strength, and they are supplied in ready-to-use kits with a choice of cable length and end fixing.

Why use Gripple?

Significant time and cost savings on your project
Complete, off-site solutions, which minimize health and safety concerns
Innovative, patented solutions designed by an in-house team of engineers
Considerable reductions in packaging, vehicle movements & embodied CO2
A range of support services at every stage of your project, provided by a dedicated technical team
Aesthetically pleasing solutions; lightweight and virtually invisible

Need Help With College Tuition?

The SMACNA College of Fellows is now accepting applications for the 2023 scholarship program. Applications will be for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The scholarship application and details on eligibility requirements along with instructions for submitting the application are available on the SMACNA website smacna.org/stay-informed/news-and-publications/member-update/college-of-fellows-now-accepting-scholarship-applications

Recent Events

37th Annual SMACNA-BC Golf Classic

SMACNA-BC recently held its annual golf tournament, September 16, 2022, at Northview Golf & Country Club. The tournament sold out in 41 minutes this year. Thank you to all the generous donors, sponsors, and volunteers that helped make the event such a success.

Skill & Raffle Prize Winners

Texas Scramble

Rob Nofield, Crossroads C&I
Brock Cornish, guest of Crossroads C&I
Gord Gohringer, guest of Crossroads C&I
Brian Creed, guest of Crossroads C&I

Men’s Low Gross

Alan Rhodes, Ridge Sheet Metal Co.

Men’s Low Net

Marcello Simoncioni, Ridge Sheet Metal Co.

KP / Honey Pot Winners

Ron De Santis, Viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd.
Collin De Fehr, EH Price–Vancouver
John Kalinich, guest of Aarc-West HVAC Solutions, Inc.
Chris Fenske, SMART Local 280

50/50

Chet McIntosh, Northwest Sheet Metal Ltd.

Beat the Pro Raffle (sponsored by Crossroads C&I/Johns Manville)

Paul Finch, guest of EH Price–Vancouver

Through many efforts, over $3,800 was raised on the course; Apollo Sheet Metal Ltd, Summit Sheet Metal Ltd, and SMACNA-BC matched the money raised and together we donated over $14,000 for Canuck Place & Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society. Thank you to all who generously supported these worthy causes. ■

SMACNA-BC Christmas Party

SMACNA-BC welcomed members and guests to the Pan Pacific Hotel–Vancouver for its much anticipated Christmas party. Members and guests attended to spread holiday cheer and celerate the event’s return after two years’ hiatus. Executive director Jeremy Hallman, SMACNA-BC president Phil McDonald, and SMACNA-BC administraotr Michelle Rodford hosted the event with Santa photos, generous door prizes, and an incredible dinner.

Many, many thanks to all who brought gifts and/or donations to support Helping Families in Need Society, to Progressive Air Products for sponsoring the Photos with Santa, to Crossroads C&I for sponsoring the chocolates, and to the companies that generously donated the extravagant door prizes. We hope you had a good time and will join us again next year, December 1, 2023, at the Pan Pacific Hotel–Vancouver.

Cheers to a Merry Christmas and happy and prosperous 2023! ■

SMACNA-BC/ASHRAE-BC Technical Standards Program

SMACNA-BC and AHSRAE-BC held a jointly-organized technical standards program in September at the Surrey Civic Hotel. Eli P. Howard, III, Executive Director, Technical Resources, SMACNA, Inc., and William Farrell, Senior Project Manager, Technical Resources, SMACNA, Inc., provided an in-depth, all-day program that was attended by approximately 70 people with an even split of contractors and engineers.

The topics covered included the following:

HVAC Duct Construction Standards
HVAC Air Duct Leakage
HVAC Systems Duct Design
Fire, Smoke and Radiation Damper Installation Guide for HVAC

October Membership Meeting –Central City Brewers

SMACNA-BC and ASHRAE BC also joined forces on the October membership meeting, which took place at Central City Brewers and Distillers. More than 100 ASHRAE and SMACNA-BC members attended this social event/tour of the production facility. This is the second time SMACNA-BC and ASHRAE-BC have held a meeting together at Central City Brewing, and the reviews have been great. Attendees learned the beer making process from grain to glass and each went home with a generous gift pack from the brewery.

Be sure to visit smacna.bc.org for a calendar of events and to plan your attendance at the next SMACNA-BC membership meeting.

Upcoming Events

SMACNA-BC Project Management Course: Driving Predictable Cost Projections

Presented by Maxim Consulting at the Surrey Civic Hotel, March 9, 2023. Registration to follow.

Many project managers lack a clear handle on how their projects are performing financially. Most commonly, that is because they have not been trained on how to forecast properly. Many contractors struggle with how to build a robust cost projection process that provides for consistency and predictability. Profit fade at 90% complete is no longer an option in today’s market. This training course will teach project managers how to properly set up job budgets, track progress, and forecast accurately. Moreover, attendees will learn critical financial indicators that point to problems on projects early so they can be rectified.

Learning Objectives:

Identify how to manage work-in-process for better profitability
Understand the relationship between project profitability and processes (budgeting, forecasting, change control, job status reporting, and WIP)
Apply earned value reporting to projects ■

SMACNA-BC 54^th Annual General Meeting & Convention

Save the date: May 4-7, 2023 at the Delta Hotel by Marriott Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort in Victoria, BC.

Announcements

The Annual Business Meeting of SMACNA members took place September 14, 2022, at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The purpose was to elect four United States board of directors members and one Canadian director, all of whom will serve four-year terms that began September 15 and will expire at the conclusion of the 2026 SMACNA Annual Convention.

Congratulations to Bernie Antchak, Northwest Sheet Metal Ltd. for being accepted to the SMACNA Inc. Board of Directors. Antchak’s chapter liaison assignments include Sheet Metal Contractors’ Association of Alberta, Canada; Alaska Mechanical Contractors Association, Alaska; S/M Contractors of Iowa, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Inland Northwest Sheet Metal Contractors Association, Washington. ■

Industry News

BC Construction Employers Offered $40,000 to Support Apprenticeship & Diversity

The BC Construction Association (BCCA) and the Construction Building trades Union (CBTU) have both recently announced that funding will be available for onboarding new apprentices into 39 Red Seal trades, even if you already hired a first-year apprentice. Funding is available for up to four first-year apprentices: two first-year apprentices in the first year of the program, which runs from July 1, 2022 until March 31, 2023, and two additional first-year apprentices hires between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.

Employers can receive payments for up to two first-year apprenticeship positions per year during the two years of the drive, for a maximum of $40,000 per employer. There is no requirement as to how the employer must spend the dollars they receive.

Both programs offer $5,000 for hiring or registering any new first-year apprentice, plus an additional $5,000 if the worker self-reports as a woman, new Canadian, LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous, a person with a disability, or a visible minority. ■

For more information, visit | bccassn.com/bc-construction-employers-offered-40000-to-support-apprenticeship-diversity/ | buildingtrades.ca/INTHETRADES/ ■

Welcome new SMACNA-BC Associate members – Olympic International & Gripple Canada

Recent Events

37th Annual SMACNA-BC Golf Classic

37th Annual SMACNA-BC Golf Classic Sponsors

SMACNA-BC Christmas Party

SMACNA-BC/ASHRAE-BC Technical Standards Program

October Membership Meeting –Central City Brewers

Upcoming Events

SMACNA-BC Project Management Course: Driving Predictable Cost Projections

SMACNA-BC 54th Annual General Meeting & Convention

Announcements

Industry News

BC Construction Employers Offered $40,000 to Support Apprenticeship & Diversity

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