NECA, MCAA, and SMACNA have partnered together to host the 2023 MEP Innovation Conference in Austin, TX on January 11-13, 2023. This three-day event will include innovative presentations, collaborative roundtable discussions, and hands-on exhibitor demonstrations highlighting the recent technologies that can improve MEP contractors' productivity and profitability. With over 30 breakout sessions, 5 demos, 4 general sessions, 3 facility tours, and plenty of networking opportunities, this is a pivotal event to learn from the industry's best & brightest!

Sessions Include:

• Bringing Lean Concepts to Fabrication Workstations

• How Taking Your Jobsite Virtual Can Help You Improve Process, Culture, and Strategy

• Running a Business that Intersects Service and Construction Work

• Process Driven Profitability

• Mapping Your Tech Stack: A Practical Guide

CISCO’S Project of the Year Award kicked off its 18th year of accepting applications for some of the best construction projects of the past 18 months, through May 2021 – December 2022. The award gives general contractors, owners, engineers and architects a chance to submit projects in six (6) different categories, which include the areas of new construction, renovation/rehabilitation, residential construction and infrastructure. Deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Friday, December 2, 2022. For more information, contact CISCO’S Director of Communications and Public Affairs Director Jennifer Rice, at 630-472-9411 or via email at: jennifer@cisco.org.

The Chicago Building Congress Merit Awards Committee invites CBC members and non-members to submit entries for CBC's 2023 Merit Awards competition. This program recognizes the most outstanding construction projects from the past three years in the Chicagoland area and surrounding counties.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:

• Projects must be completed by December 31, 2022.



• If you have entered a project in the past, you are welcome to enter it again (As long as it is within 3 years of 2022).

Please do not enter the same project in more than one category.

The Federal Aviation Administration will host a virtual outreach and matchmaking event on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 from 11:00 AM through 3:00 PM EST.

This event is targeted to small businesses interested in FAA contracting and subcontracting opportunities supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) with a focus on, but not limited to, the following NAICS: 23-Construction; 54-Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services.  All firms should be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database.

Suppliers will be matched with Buyer participants (i.e. Prime Contractors, Contracting Officials and Program Office staff) based upon their current or future needs, identified by NAICS. Registering firms may not receive a matched one-on-one meeting. Registration is required to request and be eligible to schedule a meeting, as well as to participate in the opening remarks and networking room. Matchmaking sessions will utilize the My Business Matches (MBM) platform, the third party vendor that will facilitate the event on behalf of the FAA. Registration opens Nov 3, 2022 and closes December 9, 2022.

Please click on the link for the IMSCA November 17^th Legislative Update. This report includes a review of Week 1 of the 2022 Fall Veto Session. Both chambers are scheduled to return to Springfield on November 29^th for the second and final week of the Fall Veto Session. 

If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Newbold Hoselton, Executive Director, Illinois Mechanical & Specialty Contractors Association (IMSCA) at: (217) 523-4361.

WHAT DO YOU PREFER? – Many of our contractors work closely with our ELECTRI partners - Border States, Graybar, Mayer, Sonepar and Wesco. Now, we can help them. Distributors want to be sure they have the right options in place to meet your business needs. They want to know how you reach out to your distributors to order a part, get a spec sheet, or check ship dates. ELECTRI and NECA are working closely with the National Association of Electrical Distributors on a special project: Contractors: Purchasing and Inquiry Preferences. Working together, we can make progress on the critical matter of supply challenges impacting all electrical contractors and your industry partners.

Let us know your preferences by completing this five-minute survey. Click here for the link. Feel free to forward the survey link to others in your company who should take part as well. For any questions, please contact Erika TenEyck at NAED. Thank you for your participation!

10 IS THE NUMBER – Our thanks to ELECTRI’s Program Review Committee, guided by Kellie Holland, for its outstanding work to select the research proposals to present to Council for your discussion and vote at our January meeting. Written proposals and videos will be sent out in advance for your review. Please make sure to register now for our Scottsdale meeting. Here’s the link. Your recommendations and your perspective will be essential to a good research portfolio for 2023. 

PLAY IT AGAIN – Many people have commented on the good take-away advice from our November programs. We hope you will share these sessions with your own teams.

Materials Management Best Practices Outside of the Gate – November Council Room

Here’s the link. 

Best Practices for Internships Here’s the link.

Con Tech & Coffee Here’s the link.

FIGURE OUT THE PROJECT LIFECYCLE - ELECTRI’s next Council Room (December 6 at 3PM Eastern) will provide an overview of NECA Innovation’s Project Lifecycle. Jonathan Marsh of Steel Toe Consulting is guiding the NECA Innovation Task force on Project Lifecycle. For the benefit of our Council members plus your company leaders and project managers, Jonathan will:

Ø discuss the value of process mapping for the industry and for your individual business

Ø review the rules that make process mapping valuable

Ø identify the pitfalls that can cause process mapping efforts to fail

Click here to review Project Lifecycle before the session. A Zoom invite is listed below:

Topic: ELECTRI December Council Room Session - Project Lifecycle

Time: Dec 6, 2022 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84773672333?pwd=djBRbnozMW1KSXYvNnVjVDJnM24vQT09

Meeting ID: 847 7367 2333

Passcode: 290153

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WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITION – Our NECA colleague, Tauhira Ali, Executive Director of Industry Innovation, has been selected as one of 2023’s Top 20 under 40 by Engineering News-Record. Each year, ENR recognizes the best of construction’s next generation. Congratulations Tauhira!

IT’S TIME – ELECTRI is excited to let you know that registration is now open for their January 17 – 19, 2023 Council Meeting at the world-famous Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Please click here to register for the meeting. Be sure to make your hotel reservation by December 16^th in order to get the group rate. A reminder for the industry partner Council members – Please limit company attendance to three staff members. 

ELECTRI MONITORS IT ALL – In addition to delivering all of ELECTRI’s outstanding initiatives, the Foundation also takes close care with its finances. Each fiscal year, ELECTRI goes through a comprehensive audit of its assets and expenditures. Click here to review this year’s Report to Stakeholders.

WELCOME CHAMPION – The ELECTRI Council extends its thanks and a Champion-level welcome to Border States Electric for increasing its commitment to ELECTRI by $100,000.

TWO DOWN AND ONE TO GO –Click here for Monday’s (11/14/22) outstanding Council Room on Materials Management Best Practices Outside of the Gate. 

ALWAYS THINKING - Karen Bazela, Siemens Regional Sales Director, is enthusiastic about the opportunities and challenges of being a company leader. Her favorite advice? “A leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”  Click here for our Think Like A Leader conversation with Karen Bazela.

ELECTRI International Quick Links

ELECTRI Meetings    ELECTRI Research    Council Room Sessions 

Think Like A Leader

The Wage Payment & Collection Act was amended this past Spring with the passage of HB 5412 (P.A. 102-1076).  This new law adds Section 13.5 to the Wage Payment & Collection Act.  This will directly impact the Illinois construction industry. 

IMSCA’s General Counsel, Jim Rohlfing, drafted a document titled, “Impacts and Considerations for Dealing with Section 13.5 to the Wage Payment & Collection Act."   You can click on a link to the document, as it is intended to serve as an informational resource to help IMSCA members further their knowledge of the new law. 

If you have questions or need additional information, please feel contact: Jessica Newbold Hoselton, Executive Director, Illinois Mechanical & Specialty Contractors Association (IMSCA) at:

(217) 891-3675.

Please click the link for a recent update from NECA Government Affairs. If you have any questions regarding the update, please reach out to NECA Government Affairs to: Hadlea Bender, Specialist at:  (713) 870-8619 / Jared Karbowsky, Director, Government Affairs, National Electrical Contractors Association at: 443-975-2932