Oct. 18, 2015 — This evening's kickoff to the 2015 Mechanical Service Contractors of America (MSCA) Conference began with sky-high images of the earth and a booming voice-over that described the benefits of soaring to greater heights, for clearer views and greater understanding. That's the theme of this year's MSCA annual meeting, "The View from Above" — the "big picture," and specific ways the mechanical HVACR and plumbing industries are changing every day.
"Our emphasis this week is to take a view from above, to give us perspective on our industry and our place in it," said 2015 Chairman of the MSCA Board of Managers, Scott Berger. "With that knowledge, we can then zoom in on the finer points of what’s important to each of us. Then we can roll up our sleeves and work on what really matters," said Berger, who is also president of Arista Air Conditioning Corporation, Long Island City, N.Y.
This year marks 30 years of MSCA conferences. And, Berger said, over the course of those years, the HVACR and plumbing industries have themselves been transformed, in many ways.
"The work of the service contractor has changed even more, with the growth and advent of technologies none of us could ever have imagined," Berger said. "Back then, Arista had two dozen trucks on the road. Today we have 100. Many of us have similar stories. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the value of MSCA to its members."
"This is the largest crowd we’ve ever welcomed to an MSCA event, by a long shot. I can only believe that, like me and my team, you’re here to gain valuable insights and perspectives on overcoming some of the challenges mechanical service contractors face each day, as well as new and exciting opportunities on the horizon."
Roundtable discussions throughout the week will cover a wide variety of topics, including:
- Growing Maintenance
- Differentiation
- Recruiting Service Technicians
- Leadership
- Mobile Field Technologies
- Optimizing Internal Communications
Guest speakers at this year's conference will be:
John O'Leary: Rising Above to Ignite Your Life
Seth Mattison: Building the Next Generation Workforce
Chris Haslinger: Interactive Learning in HVACR Training
Jennifer Davis: Business Software Selections
Steve Thomas: Culture is as Culture Does.
The MSCA Conference continues through Wednesday evening, when the guest speaker will be Brian Billick, former head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.