President's Column: Technology Is Driving Change, We Must Embrace It

Technology is driving change in our industry faster than ever before, and quite frankly, faster than many of us are prepared for.

Angie Simon

Technology is driving change in our industry faster than ever before, and quite frankly, faster than many of us are prepared for. Regardless of your comfort level, innovation and technical advancements are sweeping our industry.

In this issue, SMACNA covers the purchasing decisions and experiences five contractors have recently gone through on their path to owning new laser cutters. The cover story really resonated with me as my shop just made several major purchases as well, including a laser cutter and coil line for sheet metal, a robotic welder and tiger stop for piping, and a water jet for cutting duct lining. These major upgrades and new additions will bring our shop in line with other fabricators in the area and will enable Western Allied Mechanical to be more efficient and more competitive, and most
importantly, expand capacity to grow and take on more work that already awaits us.

Once installed, these pieces of equipment will change everything about our shop from cost of operations to estimating, to production time and capacity.

With cutting speed improvements going from 275 inches on our plasma to 1,200 inches per minute on our new laser, and a water jet capable of cutting 3,000 inches per minute, our ability to pre-fabricate quickly increases, expanding our opportunities at the same time.

While each piece of technology substantially increases efficiencies, it will also allow us to add more field installers to handle the additional capacity.

I encourage all SMACNA contractors to take a close look at the latest innovations in equipment and build a financial model to examine the impact new equipment can have on your costs and the possibilities of new revenue as result. Change is upon us and if we don’t embrace technology and innovation, our competitors will, and they surely will pass us by.

Sincerely,

Angie Simon
SMACNA President

Published: February 28, 2020

SMACNews Jan/Feb 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

General Sheet Metal Collaborates on Oregon Health & Science University Project

Oregon’s General Sheet Metal (GSM) was the design build contractor of choice when Oregon Health & Science University built the Gary and Christine Rood Family Pavilion.

Merging Traditional Branding with Digital Marketing

Yellow is much more than a color for Gabrilson Indoor Climate Solutions, a SMACNA firm based in Iowa. It is the foundation of the company’s brand.

Mobilizing for the Future: Shop Technology

Many contractors are turning to offsite construction to improve productivity and ensure that workers can build in the best possible environments while maximizing safety and project efficacy.

On the Cutting Edge

Laser cutting equipment is steadily making its way into the sheet metal shops of SMACNA members—especially those whose businesses extend beyond HVAC ductwork into other types of specialty fabrication.

Partlan-Labadie Continues to Provide Critical Solutions

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is building two new paint shops in Michigan, and SMACNA contractor Partlan-Labadie Sheet Metal Company of Oak Park, Mich., is a crucial part of that growth.

Preparation Is Half the Work

Brandt promotes early coordination efforts during the preconstruction phase to lead to successful projects. With early involvement, this is where Brandt’s BIM (Building Information Modeling) team shines.

President's Column: Technology Is Driving Change, We Must Embrace It

Technology is driving change in our industry faster than ever before, and quite frankly, faster than many of us are prepared for.

SMACNA Kicks Off “Ignite Your Career” Workforce Development Campaign

If you were to ask a contractor in most any segment of the construction industry what their greatest business challenge is, you’d be hard pressed to find one who doesn’t mention attracting and retaining good employees near the top of their list.

SMACNA National and SMACNA Brazil Meet

SMACNA National met with representatives of SMACNA Brazil during the 2020 AHR Expo.

The 2020 Focus on Pensions

While the 2018 Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans could not overcome political divisions to solve the pension crisis, it did launch the 2019 effort for a bipartisan solution and comprehensive reform.

The Importance of Identifying Risks and Developing a Strategy

We recently looked at the tendency for senior leaders to stay involved in the details of their organization long after they’ve grown to the point of hiring others. In this issue, we’ll share an analogy and a few takeaways.

Welcome New SMACNA Members