CHANTILLY, Va. - The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association's (SMACNA's) 61st annual convention, Oct. 24-28 in Maui, Hawaii, will include several specialty market forums to address the different capabilities and expertise of SMACNA members.

The Forum programs include:

  • "HVAC/Service Contractors Forum: The HVAC Contractor of Choice" - According to SMACNA, becoming the HVAC contractor of choice requires contractors to stay informed on a wide variety of industry-related issues. The first portion of the program, "Mixed Use Buildings and HVAC Challenges," will feature a panel discussion on the HVAC challenges of mixed-use buildings, including residential versus commercial code issues, different crews and classifications of workers, insurance concerns, and SMACNA's role in providing assistance and/or possible solutions. Other forum topics include revisions to the CSI MasterFormat and equipment procurement.

  • "Industrial Forum: Increasing Profits by Improving Preplanning and Project Organization" - This session will focus on the challenges industrial contractors face related to project organization, material handling, and jobsite layout. A roundtable discussion, led by the Industrial Contractors Council Steering Committee, will address modular building of industrial systems, large manufacturers loosening standards to save on project costs, and training.

  • "Residential Forum: Realizing Profits in the Residential Retrofit and Service Market" - A recent market research study conducted by the FMI Corporation concluded that current residential HVAC service and retrofit expenditures in the U.S. are $12 billion, with strong growth expected to continue over the next three to five years. With capital entry requirements basically a non-issue, the market potential for SMACNA contractors interested in entering this market is enormous, says the association. This forum will provide an overview of issues related to entering this market.

    Additional business and education sessions will spotlight such topics as "Financial Tools for the SMACNA Contractor," "Avoid Playing the Risk Transfer Game," "How to Increase the Value of Your Business," and "The Effects of Schedule Compression on Labor Productivity."

    For more information, visit www.smacna.org.

    Publication date: 07/19/2004