Two Cities. One Mission.

SMACNA’s spring events made the case that the contractors winning tomorrow are the ones learning, lobbying and connecting today.

There’s a reason the most effective professional development doesn’t happen on a webinar. Surveys consistently show that in-person events drive deeper learning, stronger peer relationships and greater long-term engagement than their virtual counterparts. The construction industry is no exception. According to a Bizzabo survey, 76.6% of organizers consider in-person conferences critical to their organization’s overall success, and research from Oxford Economics has found that every dollar invested in face-to-face business meetings returns $12.50 in value.

SMACNA is putting those numbers to work.

In the spring of 2026, the association brought its members together in two very different rooms for two very different reasons, and both mattered. In Chicago, the 2026 SMACNA Fabrication Forum drew a sold-out crowd of contractors, technologists and industry leaders to the shop floor of one of the Midwest’s most innovative mechanical firms for two-and-a-half days of hard-nosed sessions on prefab, automation, materials management and the systems that separate efficient shops from struggling ones.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., SMACNA convened its first-ever Leadership

Conference, a two-day immersion in the legislative realities facing the sheet metal and HVAC industries, including tariffs, pensions, tax incentives and the art of making lawmakers listen.

Different cities and different agendas, but with the same underlying conviction: when contractors show up, share what they know and engage with the world beyond their own shop or chapter, the entire industry moves forward.

What follows is a look inside both events and the work being done to sharpen the people who keep the sheet metal industry running.

Published: July 14, 2026

SMACNews May/June 2026

IN THIS ISSUE

3 Benchmarking Metrics Every Contractor Should Track Throughout the Year

Sometimes, success is best measured in relative terms.

ARCHITECTURAL: 173 Feet Up, 130 Years In

Heather & Little brings Cornell University’s McGraw Tower back from the brink.

Caged on Clark Street

When FX’s “The Bear” needed a bear cage for its now-iconic opening scene, they called a sheet metal shop in the Chicago suburbs. It became the biggest show in the city.

Chapter Spotlight: From Tennis Courts to the Corner Office

CHAPTER Spotlight: Tri-County SMACNA: How friendship, tragedy and a family affair reshaped one SMACNA chapter

How Contractors Are Rethinking Fabrication

At SMACNA’s Fab Forum, contractors discussed the future of shop productivity — from prefab and inventory control to automation.

HVAC: Mapping the Work

How shops can use AI to turn messy, real-world operations into clear processes, usable SOPs and repeatable training tools.

INDUSTRIAL: Lee Mechanical’s 250,000-Pound Sheet Metal Answer to the Data Center Boom

When a long-term client needed a massive mechanical infrastructure overhaul at a data center supply chain facility in southeastern Wisconsin, Lee Mechanical brought the solution.

Inside SMACNA’s First Washington, D.C. Leadership Conference

Contractors, policymakers and industry experts convened on Capitol Hill for two days of policy briefings, lobbying and hard conversations about tariffs, pensions and the future of the construction industry.

Learning, Lobbying & Lasting Connections

When I travel, people often ask me why SMACNA membership is important. Networking with peers is a big reason, since it lets us learn from the best in the industry and discover new ideas.

Opportunities for AI in the Sheet Metal and HVAC Industries

At its heart, artificial intelligence differs from traditional software because it uses probability, not instructions, to get work done.

RESIDENTIAL: The 12-month Build

Inside Design Aire’s race to install 259 HVAC systems before Washington University’s fall semester.

Supreme Court Confirms Broad Actuarial Discretion in Withdrawal Liability Calculations

On May 21, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in M & K Employee Solutions v. Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund that should be of interest to unionized construction contractors participating in multi-employer pension plans.

TESTING, ADJUSTING AND BALANCING: No More Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Fire and life safety systems hidden inside ductwork have gone unchecked for too long. Industry experts say their moment of focus has arrived.

Two Cities. One Mission.

SMACNA’s spring events made the case that the contractors winning tomorrow are the ones learning, lobbying and connecting today.

Welcome New SMACNA Members