Message from the President - May '21
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Hats off to everyone involved with our National Conference. We had great content, fantastic participation, and tremendous support. It was a great event. A special Thank You to the Exhibitors and Sponsors. Registered attendees will have access to most of the content for the next three months. Some content, like the awards ceremony is available now on YouTube. One of the common themes amongst the speakers and roundtable was the current supply chain issues. Greg Pasley, chair of MBMA spoke to this during the Opening Session. It seems as one crisis (the pandemic) winds down, another is looming, ready to hit you upside your head. Yes we are all frustrated with delays, price increases and back logs but know also that the boom is coming. I know of one Manufacturer who received 8 months of orders in the last two months. As with all crises – only the strong will survive. My advice to MBCEA members is PREPARE. Prepare for the unexpected. Prepare for growth. Prepare your team, your equipment, your supplies, etc. Sure no one likes delays, but rather than consider the delay a waste of time, change your mindset to consider the new found time an opportunity. Use this time to button-up your training, check your equipment, inventory your supplies. Consider your cash flow. Reevaluate your relationships – is your banker, your insurance agent, your equipment rental supplier committed to your business? There will be plenty of work for those who are ready. I urge you to get ready. In other news, we need your help. We are pursuing an opportunity with NCCER to develop specific training for our industry. But they need your input before they will take the next steps. Please complete this survey – it will take you a few minutes but it is for a good cause. Training is so vital not only to our ability to put up buildings properly but also to our ability to recruit and retain workers. A dedicated Metal Building Assembler training program at NCCER could be huge for our industry. I urge you to click the link and answer the questions right now. I want to give a shout out to Behlen and Bay. We sent out a request to our industry members for help with promoting the MBCEA. Both now have a link and testimonial right on their home page of their website. Lastly, I want to share how my company is using our quality accreditation (AC478) to our advantage. My intent is not to brag but to demonstrate all the ways this program enhances your reputation which is ultimately good for your bottom-line. I list my AC478 credentials on my website and in my signature line on all emails. My listing in the MBCEA directory clearly indicates I am accredited. I attach information about the IAS program to all bids I submit. I am currently working a complex building for a major manufacturer that I know for a fact, my AC478 status was the deciding factor between me and the competition. Maybe as you consider your preparations this year you will consider AC478. Stay Safe! Regards, Art Hance |