Sheet metal industry introduces online course, software

Free Fitting Input Tool allows designers to create fittings efficiently the first time

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On today’s jobsites, time is money. Every second lost can mean money lost, and in the current economic environment, it can easily make or break a company. To help contractors make the best of their time, the International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry, developed the Fitting Input Tool (FIT) online software and training course.

On a typical jobsite, field personnel often sketch the fitting they need and either hand deliver it back to the office or fax it back to the company’s shop foreperson, who creates the part digitally and sends it to the cutting table for fabrication. With this method, problems often occur– from translation to missed measurements – and it has to be redone a few times before what the project needs is achieved.

The FIT software allows a designer to input the appropriate numbers, check all angles of the design in a three-dimensional view, make changes and either print out a shop ticket or, if their shop uses the Benchmark building information modeling software, send it directly to the shop foreperson who can immediately send the parts to the plasma table for fabrication.

“With the way things are done now, even after a designer finds a fax machine and sends it to the shop, there’s a chance he or she may not get back what they needed and have to repeat the process. FIT will eliminate a lot of re-dos and whatever the designer orders is what he gets,” said Mike Harris, program administrator for the ITI. “They’re correct, crisp and clean drawings or an electronic file. If there’s a job close, it’s instantaneous. It can be downloading or burning on the table within minutes.”

Unionized sheet metal workers in good standing can sign up and complete the online course for free. Once the course is passed, and the designer becomes certified, he or she can download the software to use. Currently, the software is only available for computers. The online course and software launched Dec. 7. A version for mobile devices will be available in the future.

“When designers order parts in the field, they usually need it right then, and with the current process, it takes time. Work has to be pushed back. Deadlines aren’t met. That can cost a company a lot of money,” Harris said. “FIT is the most cost effective avenue, because the designer knows exactly what he’s getting the first time.”

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in the United States and Canada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout the United States and Canada. Located in Alexandria, Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about ITI, or the FIT online course and software, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) awards $200,000 grant to Virginia Tech to research fume hood efficiency in labs

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Energy Management Institute has awarded Virginia Tech a $200,000 grant to document the efficiency of fume hood retrofits in the context of lab spaces.

A fume hood is a type of ventilation device designed to limit exposure to hazardous or noxious fumes, vapors or dust. It is typically a large piece of equipment enclosing five sides of a work area, the bottom of which is most commonly located at a standing work height.

In layman’s terms, the goal of the grant is to document the impact of fume hoods on overall lab space performance, said Dr. Georg Reichard who, along with Dr. Shashank Priya, will serve as principal investigators on the project. Reichard and Priya both serve as associate professors at Virginia Tech.

“Fume hoods are notorious energy hogs. However, simply replacing fume hoods with more efficient systems may not show the anticipated savings unless they are integrated into an overall lab design,” Reichard said.

The research plan submitted by Virginia Tech aims to “gain a better understanding of the direct impact of different retrofit scenarios of individual fume hoods on the overall energy consumption of laboratories.”

NEMI selected Virginia Tech as the recipient of the grant because of the high caliber of the lead researchers, particularly in the areas of energy management and conservation. The researchers intend to attain new data and knowledge of selected retrofit scenarios of fume hoods and their impact on the overall energy consumptions of HVAC systems in laboratory spaces; demonstrate retrofit scenarios of fume hoods that include an integrated retrofit solution of the HVAC system of laboratory spaces; and develop a modeling approach for prediction of energy savings through different retrofit scenarios of fume hoods and impacted systems in a given categorized setting.

Reichard began his academic career at the Graz University of Technology in Austria where he taught and researched building physics, and conducted structural and physical experiments for the building industry. He was a visiting scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab where he participated in a collaborative international project studying building science.

Priya is a pioneer in the area of energy harvesting and laminate composites. He has authored more than 165 publications in international journals and holds four patents. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his research, including the “Outstanding Technology of the Year—2007” award sponsored by the International Academy of Science.

The researchers will work with NEMI to develop industry partnerships as the research progresses to secure additional resources, materials and equipment. NEMI expects to have results and analysis for practical applications early next year.

NEMI is a not-for-profit organization created in 1981 by the SMWIA and SMACNA to identify emerging markets and employment opportunities as well as develop programs to capitalize on them. Through its affiliation with the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB) and the International Certification Board (ICB), NEMI sets the standards for the sheet metal and air conditioning industry, creating ANSI-accredited (American National Standards Institute) certification programs for HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning) technicians, supervisors and contractors.

In addition, NEMI identifies opportunities and stays on the leading edge of emerging markets for the sheet metal and air conditioning industry, including testing, adjusting & balancing (TAB); energy auditing; sound and vibration; HVAC commissioning; indoor air quality; life safety systems; and service and retrofit. The advancement of skills in these areas opens new employment opportunities for the sheet metal worker and increases market share for the SMACNA contractor.

For more information on emerging markets in the sheet metal and air conditioning industry, contact the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) at www.nemionline.org or call 703-739-7100.

Skilled labor apprenticeships also a form of ‘higher education’

Five-year programs can be just as challenging as any college, university program

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The term “higher education” can take on many connotations. Where some believe it means attending a two- or four-year college or university, there is another side to higher education – the skilled labor trades.

Apprentices at more than 160 unionized sheet metal training centers across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico go to classes, attend labs, earn grades and receive on-the-job training in five-year programs. Apprentices are paid while they work to become journeymen, and, usually, they graduate debt free. While they don’t march down the aisle in caps and gowns for graduation, they are rewarded with hourly wages above and beyond those many university graduates can hope to make until they have “paid their dues” – if they ever receive comparable earnings.

Curricula for the country’s sheet metal workers are developed by the International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry. The five-year apprenticeship program isn’t for people who failed at college or wanted to choose another route to a stable income. The program is for serious individuals who want to pursue an education, skill level and career in a trade such as the unionized sheet metal industry.

Just as the world needs doctors, lawyers and tax accountants to survive, it also needs heating, ventilation and air conditioning designers and technicians; welders to build schools and plants; certified fire life safety professionals to ensure a building on fire doesn’t place lives in jeopardy; designers to create building systems to keep occupants safe, comfortable and breathing clean air; industrial workers who build plants for power and sustainable energy,  installing conduits the size of football fields; and technicians to conduct energy audits to keep buildings operating efficiently.

These skills take education, dedication and talent. The labor trades aren’t reserved for the less-intelligent. They are necessary career paths important to the proper functioning of the country and are there for those who take interest in a different kind of work.

In May 2011, Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, calling for more attention to be paid to the jobs that need to be done by the skilled labor force. He told listeners these jobs should not be looked upon as “vocational consolation prizes” for those “not suited for a four-year degree.”

“We talk about creating millions of shovel-ready jobs for a society that doesn’t really encourage people to pick up a shovel,” Rowe added. “People are surprised that high unemployment can exist at the same time as a skilled labor shortage, but they shouldn’t be. We’ve all but guaranteed it.”

Once the education is earned, jobs are available as well. At Boston’s Local #17, where there are currently 1,200 members in the Boston area alone, the testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) specialty currently has zero unemployment.

It varies by state, but jobs are available, and more are on the horizon.

In Pres. Barrack Obama’s State of the Union Address, he mentioned a worker in North Carolina who repurposed her skills with the help of a local community college partnership. Education as a means to a different career path happens in the labor trades all the time.

Currently, more than 100 welding jobs are available in the Southeast United States due to large federally funded projects. Some positions are tied to the ITI’s Comprehensive Welding Program, which takes non-union workers from other professions and turns them into journeymen welders.

Keith Patterson was installing cable when he was introduced to the sheet metal industry. He joined a concentrated welding class that operated for 10 hours a day, six days a week for three weeks last April. It’s not a five-year apprenticeship program, but Patterson found a job two months later.

“It was a gamble worth taking,” Patterson said. “I felt like if all else failed, I could go back to cable.”

Former mason Aaron Wilson relocated from Michigan to South Carolina to become a sheet metal welder. After the same three-week course Patterson completed, Wilson jumped at the opportunity.

“They’re good at helping you get the skills you need. I still go to the school and practice,” Wilson added. “I’ve told people if you can’t find work, it’s a great setup. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a career change. I’d recommend it to anyone.”

Irais Gandarilla in Portland, Ore. joined the sheet metal apprenticeship program because she liked the artistic side of welding and found a career she enjoys. While she’s finishing up the tail end of her education, she works in her field.

“Every time I go to the training center, I know I’m going to get to fabricate and build,” she said. “I love it. It’s dirty work, but I love it.”

These are only a few examples of the people who have found the higher education provided by the ITI essential to their career goals.

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in theUnited StatesandCanada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout theUnited StatesandCanada. Located inAlexandria,Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

40th Annual International Sheet Metal Competition comes to Las Vegas

March contest to include participants from U.S., Canada

LAS VEGAS – More than 275 sheet metal contestants and their families will come to Las Vegas March 5-9 to take part in the 40th Annual International Sheet Metal Competition, which allows apprentices and journeymen from throughout the United States and Canada to demonstrate their skills.

The competition will take place at Caesars Palace – located at 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South – as well as at the Sheet Metal Local #88’s Joint Apprenticeship Training Center – located in Las Vegas at 2540 Marco Street, just off North Nellis Boulevard and East Carey Avenue. The competition is held in conjunction with the 2012 Partners in Progress Conference, which is hosted by a partnership between the Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA).

For the second year, the detailing competition allows journeymen, as well as apprentices, to show their experience and skill as they compete for a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo motorcycle provided by Henderson Harley-Davidson.

This year, Sean Edwards, an apprentice from Rock City, Ill., tested and qualified as one of the top 12 finalists. The detailing category is the only category that permits journeymen to enter. Apprentice contestants will compete in five sheet metal disciplines including HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning), industrial/welding, service, architectural, and Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB) in heating and air conditioning. Each competition, no matter the discipline, may consist of a written test, sketching projects, shop project and blueprint reading test.

“It’s exciting to have the detailing category included for the second year and with such diversity. Not only do we have an apprentice competing alongside journeymen, but Amelia Kelsay is the only female to test and become a finalist,” said James Shoulders, executive administrator for ITI. “The competition is a fun way to bring all these different talents from different backgrounds together in one place. It really showcases the talent and skill level of members in our industry.”

Hosted by the ITI, apprentices will compete Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6 and 7, with the detailers contest on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 6, 7 and 8. Apprentice Partnership Sessions, hosted by Partners in Progress, are scheduled for Thursday, March 8 with regional and industrial breakout sessions on Friday, March 9. The reception and awards banquet will take place the evening of Friday, March 9.

The Partners in Progress Conference, held every other year, will feature a new program format and emphasize creative collaboration for labor and management through breakout sessions and educational opportunities. This year’s theme is “We Mean Business.”

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in theUnited StatesandCanada. The International Training Institute (best known as ITI) is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI offers apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout theUnited StatesandCanada. Located inAlexandria,Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about the contest or ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

Fire life safety inspections, services means success for contractor

Indiana’s Mechanical Test and Balance has earned $200k since start of 2010

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The economy in recent years has been less than desirable, to say the least, and sheet metal contractors are still seeking ways to supplement their profit to create a more stable environment for their businesses.

Fire life safety is an emerging market with a growing demand. Dampers confine fire and smoke to one floor or section of a commercial building, keeping the rest of the building free of smoke, contaminants and particulate matter. The proper maintenance and inspection of these dampers could mean the difference between life and death. After an introduction to fire life safety at the 2008 Annual TABB Conference in Southern California, Jim Larsen, president and owner of Mechanical Test and Balance in Crown Point, Ind., was motivated to bring the service to his company.

After laying the groundwork, and earning his ICB/TABB Fire Life Safety Level I and Level II Technicians certifications, Larsen brought the service on at Mechanical Test and Balance. To start, project managers visited hospitals and schools, and fire life safety information was placed in the company’s newsletter to educate clients old and new on the value of fire life safety.

Every new client – from architects and engineers to building owners – was introduced to the information via a short presentation and packet containing available services.

“That was the key,” Larsen said. “It’s in the best interest of their employees and anyone who comes into the building. It’s fire life safety. It’s a no brainer. It’s always good to make money, but the bottom line is that the fire life and safety service is to save and protect lives. I wouldn’t want to send one of my family members into a hospital that didn’t have these necessary safety precautions in place.”

Mechanical Test and Balance’s first fire life safety client was a hospital in northwest Indiana. Once the company was off and running with the project, they could use the project as a model to show other clients what was possible. A hospital can lead to steady work for multiple employees at a time, because inspection and maintenance takes place in one section of a building at a time. Every damper is inspected and documented with any problems reported back to the client, and instead of hiring out, the company can perform any repairs, as well.

Offering inspection and repair services together is a large benefit and makes the company a one-stop shop for clients. If a hospital can count on a company for detailed documentation that helps them easily pass their safety inspections, the company has a client for life, Larsen said.

“Because of the size of a hospital, by the time you get through the building, it’s almost time to start over,” he added. “Ninety percent of the time the client asks us to come back and make modifications. We do all the repair work.”

In nearly two years, Mechanical Test and Balance is at a comfortable place, largely due to the introduction of fire life safety and Larsen’s forward thinking.

“We don’t have to look for work,” Larsen said. “Our reputation is set on honesty. We give them complete documentation. That’s very important. It’s been very good to us. It keeps us busy during the winter months. For the most part, one good job leads to another, but all my project managers know, if there is an engineer or building owner who doesn’t know what testing and balancing is … we go in and explain.”

Mechanical Test and Balance currently has one branch with 15 employees in Bolingbrook, Ill., in addition to the headquarters in Indiana. But companies don’t have to be of comparable size to make fire life safety work for them, Larsen said.

Since the beginning of 2010, Mechanical Test and Balance has earned $200,000 in business due to fire life safety inspections, maintenance and repairs.

“If smaller companies don’t have a fire life safety component, they’re missing a huge opportunity. For some of these smaller guys with one- to two-man shops, $100,000 a year is a big deal. That’s 1,000 man hours. That keeps a guy busy for half a year,” Larsen said.

Mechanical Test and Balance, Inc., headquartered in Crown Point, Ind., provides services including HVAC system commissioning, total system analysis, air and hydronic testing and balancing, pressure testing of ductwork, sound measurement and analysis, and fire and life safety inspections to clients, from hospitals and schools to high-rise, commercial and industrial buildings.

Since 1995, the company has been committed to providing excellent customer service along with a wide range of services to meet the public’s needs today and in the future.  Mechanical Test and Balance remains at the forefront of its industry through continued education and the employment of trained, certified sheet metal workers and pipe fitters.  The company is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited and is a member of the United States Green Building Council, Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau; Indiana Society for Healthcare Engineering, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, and the National Fire Protection Association. For more information please call (219) 746-1126 or visit www.mechanicaltestandbalance.com.

For more information on emerging market opportunities in the sheet metal and air conditioning industry, contact the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) at www.nemionline.org or call 703-739-7100.

Top 12 detailers from around the country compete for grand prize

Sheet metal detailers vie for new motorcycle during international competition

LAS VEGAS – The International Training Institute (ITI) recently announced 12 of the nation’s top detailers have tested and qualified as finalists to participate in the detailing category at the Annual International Sheet Metal Competition March 5-9 in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace and the Sheet Metal Workers Local #88 in northeast Las Vegas.

The competition is held in conjunction with the 2012 Partners in Progress Conference, which is hosted by a partnership between the Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA).

The detailing category, which allows certified apprentices and journeymen to compete for a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle, is only in its second year with the annual competition. Prior to 2011, only apprentices were permitted to compete. The detailer category brought journeymen to the competition, and it is the only category in which they are allowed to take part.

Sean Edwards, of Rock City, Ill., is the only apprentice who qualified to be a finalist in the category. Although his sheet metal education has focused on computer-assisted drawing, he says he’s honored to be in the company of such experienced journeymen.

“I definitely feel like I’m in the spotlight even more knowing that I’m the only apprentice,” he added. “I look forward to seeing what the rest of the competitors bring to the table as well as the experience I will gain from the event.”

The winner of the detailing category will drive away from Las Vegas on a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo provided by Henderson Harley-Davidson.

The top 12 finalists represent different parts of the United States, including Hawaii. The finalists are Dan Beyersdorf, Saginaw, Mich.; James Brierley, Spanish Fork, Utah; David Dias, San Ramon, Calif.; Sean Edwards, Rock City, Ill.; Jaymes Fleming, Woodinville, Wash.; Clyde Fujimoto, Honolulu; Douglas Haase, Washougal, Wash.; Anthony Belluardo, Aurora, Ohio.; Joey Hovarter, Moore, Okla.; Ryan Israel, Olathe, Mo.; Amelia Kelsay, Portland, Ore.; and Josh Menz, Rochester, N.Y.

Unlike Edwards, Fujimoto is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He sees the competition as another chance to shine. He also competed in 2011, the first year the detailing category was admitted to the contest.

“I enjoy competing now just as much as in my apprenticeship days,” Fujimoto said. “I have learned that competition helps in many ways in your career and provides opportunities for advancement. It’s a great honor, yet humbling.”

Kelsay, the only female to test for the detailing category and a finalist, is looking forward to the learning opportunity. Although she has yet to find full-time work, she is a part-time instructor at the training center in Portland.

“The Benchmark certification has provided me the education and knowledge to take the next step in my career goal of becoming a union detailer,” she said. “I am going into this competition without any expectations. Any success or jobs that may come from this would be icing on the cake.”

In addition to the detailing category open to apprentices and journeymen, apprentices will compete in five sheet metal disciplines including HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning), industrial/welding, service, architectural and TAB (Test Adjust Balance in heating and air conditioning).

Hosted by the ITI, apprentices will compete Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6 and 7, with the detailers contest on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 6, 7 and 8. Apprentice Partnership Sessions, hosted by Partners in Progress, are scheduled for Thursday, March 8 with regional and industrial breakout sessions on Friday, March 9. The reception and awards banquet will take place the evening of Friday, March 9.

The Partners in Progress Conference, held every other year, will feature a new program format and emphasize creative collaboration for labor and management through breakout sessions and educational opportunities. This year’s theme is “We Mean Business.”

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in the United States and Canada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI offers apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout theUnited StatesandCanada. Located in Alexandria,Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about the contest or ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

Sheet metal training centers embrace technology with TotalTrack

Database system creates efficiency, puts information into staff, student hands

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry, is currently mid-way through a system-wide launch of TotalTrack, a comprehensive database system that puts all apprentice and training journeymen information in one place in an easy-to-use interface. The system puts ITI on the forefront of technology in the unionized building trades and allows instructors, coordinators and students the ability to not only access their information, but communicate on a different level. By the end of 2011, approximately 70 of the 160 training centers will be transitioned to TotalTrack – 30 centers beyond the original goal. All 160 centers will be on board by 2013.

Data Research Group out of Culpeper, Va. picked up the project in March 2010. With a contact management system already in place, tailoring it to ITI’s needs didn’t take much time, and beta testing began four months later. In February, training centers were migrating to the new system as part of a nationwide schedule.

Some centers’ previous systems were more antiquated than others, using all sorts of ways to track their apprentices. TotalTrack is Internet based, allowing easier integration due to lack of installations and/or system upgrades. The same system allows for efficiency nationwide and better communication between centers and with the ITI.

Most centers use similar forms, and with TotalTrack, the forms will be the same from center to center. If a center requires a different form, the coordinator works with Data Research Group to create the customization.

“Every time we came into a training center, we looked at where the legacy information was coming from and we’d institute a plan for migration strategy,” said Ed Burg, CEO of Data Research Group. “A lot of business practices, where they are different and unique, have similar needs.”

One need all the centers have is for updated curricula, which is used in each class throughout the year. Each series of courses contains related lesson plans, documents and assignments. From TotalTrack, each training center can copy a specific curriculum and modify it to suit the specific needs of its teachers and students.

“The long-term plan for the curricula is to develop as much as possible at an international level, so that it can be easily appropriated or used at the training center level,” Burg said.

For less-than-tech-savvy centers, the TotalTrack was a challenge to integrate but not a difficult one. In San Diego at Local #206, the transition went well and was relatively easy, according to Ken Lavigne, training center coordinator.

“This is like going to QuickBooks from having a hand-written ledger,” Lavigne added. “It gives us what we had before and a lot more, and we’re still learning. It’s tailored directly to us, which is great.”

The learning curve is increased in baby steps as tweaks come online. In the near future, instructors and coordinators will be able to text message students directly from the system to notify them of schedule changes or homework updates. The average age of a sheet metal apprentice in the United States is 27, which means they likely grew up using technology such as computers, email and text messaging.

“Things around here change a lot,” said Jeff Proffitt, full-time instructor at Local #88 in Las Vegas. “It’s easier to get ahold of the students, to manage their grades and coincide with the community college. It matches up with the college and what they’re doing really well.”

On the flip side, it allows instructors to plan ahead, avoiding changes, by allowing them to plan out their class schedules at the beginning of every semester. This way, instructors and students have access to all the information ahead of time. The system also allows for instructors to input grades, where office staff had to assist with it in the past.

“We had adequate software before, but it was dated. It was time to go to the more technical side,” Proffitt said. “For the most part, it’s made us more efficient as an office, that’s for sure. We’re slowing but surely getting rid of filing cabinets.”

In San Diego, putting more responsibility on the students frees time for instructors and coordinators.

“Having 22 apprentices enter their information instead of one person entering information 22 times is much easier,” Lavigne said. Part-time instructors who are only at the center for evening classes can now enter their information instead of having office staff input it. With TotalTrack, they’re all on the same page. “It really brings everyone together. With a click of a button, it’s done.”

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in the United States and Canada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout the United States and Canada. Located in Alexandria,Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

New training center, operations building pursues LEED Platinum

Sheet Metal Workers Local #36 in St. Louis makes good on ‘green’ initiative; 95,000-square-foot building to be fully operational by Dec. 1

ST. LOUIS – “Green” has been the new buzz word for a few years now, and while, for some, the buzz has worn off, for others inspiration turned into motivation. In St. Louis, the new business offices and training center for Sheet Metal Workers Local #36 brings a new distinction to a sheet metal workers union building – LEED Platinum.

The highest ranking given by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum states a new building has met at least 52 points – with 69 being the highest – required for platinum status. The new building met 64 points. The 95,000-square-foot building includes 56,000 square feet of workshops, offices and classrooms in the training school as well as union and benefits offices and administrative space for Local #36 and an 800-seat meeting hall.

The building will serve as the administrative offices for Local #36 as well as house its training center, which uses curriculum by the International Training Institute (ITI).

Points were gathered from areas such as sustainable site features, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design. From bike racks, designated parking for fuel efficient vehicles and furniture made from recycled materials to green power, wind turbines and photovoltaic cells, the new building goes beyond “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

Many of the highlights that make the building LEED Platinum will go largely unnoticed by members walking through the doors. A collection of rain water will be used to flush the toilets and supplement water for the cooling tower. Also, the roof of the training center offices is covered in sedum vegetation, which filters airborne particulates, reduces heating and cooling costs and acts as a natural filter for rainwater runoff, among others.

Most of the building will be powered by 357 photovoltaic panels on the roof and four wind turbines, creating 75 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity and 2.5 kwh of wind energy each, respectively. Potable water and water for HVAC is heated by solar power and three geothermal heat pump systems provide heat and air conditioning for the training center offices. A fourth geothermal heat pump system will be used in the classroom to teach future technicians how to maintain and install the emerging technology.

“It’s a living lab,” said Dan Andrews, training coordinator for Local #36. “The building itself is a training entity. I walk people through the building to show them how a LEED building is built.”

The building is expected to be fully operational by Dec. 1 with a ribbon cutting and official opening ceremony tentatively scheduled after the first of the year.

“ITI is excited about this new building and the possibilities that go along with it for the future of our industry,” said James Shoulders, executive administrator of ITI. “Emerging markets are a large part of getting workers back on the job, and this building will not only be used to house innovative programs but as a teaching tool to further opportunities for workers.”

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in theUnited States and Canada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout the United States and Canada. Located in Alexandria, Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

Sheet metal contractor finds it’s easy to be green

St. Louis’ Murphy Company completes LEED projects, opens door to business

ST. LOUIS – For more than a century, Murphy Company in St. Louis has experienced success in mechanical and plumbing design/build projects. In 104 years of history, however, the last 10 years has made the difference. Years before “An Inconvenient Truth” sent the word “green” buzzing into the stratosphere, Murphy Company adopted an environmentally friendly approach, giving clients the opportunity to design their projects to a green standard.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s internationally recognized green building certification system, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), provides a guideline for levels of energy efficiency in design, construction, operations and maintenance. Levels for all buildings include certified, silver, gold and platinum. Murphy Company has completed two LEED Gold projects for Washington University – Brauer Hall, the company’s first major LEED project, was finished in 2010 and Green Hall this July.

“We’ve been seeing more and more LEED buildings pop up here in St. Louis the last six or seven years,” said Don Lynott, project manager for Murphy Company. “The city itself is progressing more and more toward greener building. I think you see in St. Louis what you see around the country and not only in construction but recycling and being as paperless as possible.”

In Green and Brauer halls, where labs and mixed-use teaching facilities and administration offices are located, workers had to be familiar with tools such as lab exhaust, heat recovery coils and high efficiency hot water heater systems. This sort of specialization takes skilled current and incoming workers. Journeymen and apprentices alike require training and continuing education through the training center at Sheet Metal Workers Local #36.

The St. Louis Sheet Metal Industry Training School is operated by a joint trust made up of three members of St. Louis Sheet Metal Air Conditioning and Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) and three members of Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) and uses curriculum developed by the International Training Institute (ITI).

“Our local is pretty progressive when it comes to things like this,” Lynott said. “Our guys are coming out of there with a base level of working on a green project, and our field guys are very well educated.”

The apprenticeship program is a college curriculum rooted in basic skills and knowledge. Having a solid foundation is the basis for a worker who can adapt and learn throughout his or her life, said Dan Andrews, Local #36 training center coordinator.

“They are exposed to everything,” said Steve Sneed, assistant coordinator for the Local #36 training center. “We’re teaching at night as much as during the day so the apprentices can add to their skills. The journeymen, too. As the markets open up, the training center is ready.”

In addition to hiring skilled workers, Murphy Company rode the surge in energy efficiency and introduced the Energy Solutions Division four years ago. The division meets with clients about saving energy in their projects, whether they’re aiming for certification or LEED Platinum.

“We can offer to our clients energy savings so they can get rebates. It’s on the proactive side and a service to provide to our owners aside from building a building,” Lynott said. Aligning with local utility companies, and old fashioned word of mouth, has helped the division prosper. “It offers clients more value out of our organization. It’s starting to take traction now and we’re starting to get more business on that side of the company.”

Because building green is still relatively new, educating the clients about their long-term savings is a challenge, but because of increased demand, customers are eager to learn.

“The points in LEED are very clear, very straight forward,” said Matt Gildehaus, design and building engineer for Murphy Company. “It’s managing the process and educating the owner. We’re in front of them earlier than most. Those decisions have to be made early.”

Murphy Company is building their “green” presence in the community, exponentially in the last three years with the completion of the two halls onWashingtonUniversity’s campus. The initial investment was worth it, Lynott said, and the return is even better.

“Every job is different. We certainly refer back to Brauer or Green halls. We lean on those experiences,” Lynott added. “They’re successful for us, not just because of the awards, but because the client got a quality product.”

From a local level, sheet metal workers at Local #36 are anticipating the future of the industry inSt. Louis. The center was the recipient of a grant due to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 

“There are more green construction projects coming up. I really think St. Louis is going to be a hub for sustainable construction in the country along with Portland (Oregon) and Denver,” Andrews said.

Sneed, who worked for Murphy Company for 31 years before coming to the training center, added, “Murphy Company is on the cutting edge when it comes to green building.”

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in the United States and Canada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout the United States and Canada. Located in Alexandria,Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

Northern California company forges path with emerging market

Airco Automation writes own future with success of fire life safety inspections

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It’s not often that an irritation on a job turns into a new branch of business for a company, but it happened for Airco Automation, Inc. in Sacramento, Calif. While testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) technicians were on the job, they noticed the smoke and fire dampers in many buildings were faulty, broken or used incorrectly. Seeing a piece of wood holding a damper into place was a common occurrence.

“The process of getting someone outside the company to take care of it was a nuisance,” said Brian Lehmkuhl, Airco Automation’s TAB supervisor. “We got educated, so we would better know what we were dealing with and found there was a lot more to it. Fire life safety is an emerging market, and we saw an opportunity to train more workers and put more people to work.”

Fire life safety is identified as an emerging market by the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI), with training courses conducted by the International Training Institute (ITI), the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry. The program trains technicians and supervisors to inspect, test and maintain fire and smoke dampers, which limit the travel of smoke and fire throughout a building. The successful operation of these dampers may mean the difference between a minor fire and an uncontrollable catastrophe.

Because smoke and fire dampers are a safety feature, and not used on a daily basis, many building owners don’t recognize their importance until it’s too late. Maintenance and inspection helps safeguard the lives of the building’s occupants and protects investments of owners and tenants in case of fire.

In 2010, Lehmkuhl and colleague Michael Weaver earned their ICB/TABB HVAC Fire Life Safety Level I and Level II Technician certifications as well as their Level I supervisor certifications. Lehmkuhl will take the Fire Life Safety Level II Supervisor certification exam later this month.

Airco Automation had a service to offer clients they couldn’t have provided in the 36 previous years. In a short time, the company has made a name for itself in HVAC fire life safety. Today, the company has sent 16 employees to earn their Fire Life Safety Level I Technician certification and six for their Level II Technician and Level I Supervisor certifications.

“If we had half our crew certified, I think that would be a success,” Lehmkuhl said. “It’s one more tool in that tool box.”

Airco Automation supports employees and encourages them to earn their certifications. It only helps the company to fill an in-demand niche in the community.

“There was a need, and there weren’t enough trained technicians to take care of it. Many didn’t understand and recognize the importance of fire life safety,” Lehmkuhl said. “Our training has led to more work. We’ve been able to say, ‘not only can we provide the materials for the repair, we have the certified technicians to fix it.’ It’s giving workers a different skill set. It’s become a deciding factor on who gets the call.”

In 15 months’ time, Airco Automation has installed dampers in a dozen projects – anywhere between 20 and 90 per project, depending on the size. A few laid off sheet metal workers have even been put back to work due to their certifications.

“It’s diversification,” Lehmkuhl said. “If you can help a handful of guys, that’s something.”

Airco Automation isn’t hogging all the work for itself. In fact, the company’s goal is to have fire life safety expand within the local union, on both the employee and employer sides, putting even more people back to work. The company has aligned with the Northern California Fire Prevention Officers Association and has provided seminars on fire life safety at meetings with fire chiefs and other fire prevention officers.

“There is work out there for all of us,” Lehmkuhl said. “The goal is to enforce it and have so much work out there we can’t take it all.”

The National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) works hand in hand with the International Training Institute (ITI), a joint educational initiative of the Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). Through materials and programs, ITI supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout theUnited StatesandCanada. Located inAlexandria,Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to unionized sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For additional information on courses offered by ITI in fire life safety, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

For more information on emerging market opportunities in the sheet metal and air conditioning industry, contact the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) at www.nemionline.org or call 703-739-7100.