|
The Artful Dodger Economy: How Much Longer
On Tuesday, November 28th, at 1:00p ET, Electrical Contractor magazine is hosting a webinar on the outlook for electrical construction work in 2024. The webinar will be led by economist Chris Kuehl, a frequent speaker at NECA Now. Please share this with your members as this is open to all Chapter Staff and NECA members.
You can register with the link here:
https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4387059/4E1C3F565A2F3E9EFC5413AC5C629A35
The Artful Dodger Economy: How Much Longer?
We were expecting the recession in late 2022, and here we are in 2023, and it still has not arrived. Why not? Is there still a threat? What are the factors to worry about, and which are still cause for optimism?
Will the issues of 2024 be the same as 2023 (workforce, inflation, interest rates, supply chain, etc.), or will we see new ones like oil price shocks, geopolitical escalation, government gridlock or others?
| |
|
NECA National Virtual Classroom
Basic Estimating of Electrical Construction Virtual Classroom:
Monday, December 4 - Friday, December 15, 2023 | 10:00 AM -12:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $675.00
This program focuses on understanding the cost components of electrical estimating, and instilling industry best practices, all while developing a sound estimating process. Topics are presented in a lecture format, followed by hands-on estimating exercises to reinforce the principles learned.
Class Schedule
-
Monday, December 4, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM ET – Session 1: Orientation & Introduction
-
Tuesday, December 5, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET – Session 2: Introduction to Estimating
-
Wednesday, December 6, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET – Session 3: Understanding Costs, Setting Up Your Estimate, Estimating Exercise #1
-
Thursday, December 7, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET – Session 4: Estimating Exercises #2 & #4
-
Friday, December 8, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET – Session 5: Labor Units & the MLU, Estimating Exercise #5
-
Monday, December 11, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET – Session 6: Summarizing the Estimate, Estimating Exercise #7
- Homework: Estimating Exercise #8
-
Tuesday, December 12, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET – Session 7: Introduction to the Bid Simulation
- Homework: Bid Simulation
- Instructor Office Hours (by Appointment)
-
Friday, December 15, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET – Session 8: Summarizing the Estimate, Bid Opening
Register Now
Advanced Estimating Strategies Virtual Classroom:
Monday, December 18 - Friday, December 21, 2023 | 10:00 AM -1:00 PM ET
Registration Fee: $550.00
In this program, participants will discuss all the phases of the estimating process. This course covers the various aspects of preparing and submitting a competitive bid. Key topics include identifying desirable bid opportunities, analyzing the company's capabilities to ensure profitable results, the estimator’s role at various stages of the project, writing an effective scope letter, and identifying often hidden costs in the bid documents.
Class Schedule
-
Monday, December 18, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET - Session 1: Introductions, Course Overview, and Identifying desirable opportunities.
-
Tuesday, December 19, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET - Session 2: Considerations when bidding on projects, cost components of the estimate, and labor productivity
-
Wednesday, December 20, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET- Session 3: Pre-bid meetings, scope letters, and costs summary
-
Thursday, December 21, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET Session 4: Overhead vs. profit, markup vs. margin, and post-bid responsibilities
Register Now
| |
|
NII 2024 Recruiting
The NECA Innovation Institute is actively building its 2024 – 2025 cohorts. Please refer to the attached information, program highlights, and interest form. We’re launching two cohorts in 2024 and would love to include your rising leaders in the mix.
Each cohort includes 10 innovative pioneers and is populated through a rolling admissions process. Our focus remains firmly on constructing diverse cohorts encompassing many backgrounds, leadership levels, industry experience, regions, company size, and services provided. All participants proudly represent NECA contractors and are devoted champions of our community.
The program's annual cost is $6,000, with every dollar channeled directly into delivering top-notch resources and experiences for each Institute candidate. This encompasses course materials, access to expert instructors, and full registration for two NECA Conventions.
Please reach out to innovation@necanet.org with any questions. The 2024 cohorts are filling up swiftly, and we’d love to have your organization represented in the Innovation Institute family.
NII Nomination Form and Brochure
| |
Midwest Regional Conference
March 11 - 14, 2024
Mark your calendars for next year’s Regional Conference in the Bahamas! Midwest Region NECA is planning an exciting event and hope to see everyone there for great education, networking, and fun activities.
Passports are required, so make sure yours is up to date!
Please Note:
Midwest Region NECA invites Council Members and their spouses to attend the Vice President's reception on March 10, a day before the conference begins. Council members, please take this into consideration when making travel plans.
At the end of the registration process, you can link directly to the hotel’s website to reserve your hotel room at the Atlantis Resort.
Room rates are as follows:
- The Royal Tower Run of House - $399 (Single & Double Rate)
- The Royal Tower Run of House - $449 (Triple Rate)
- The Royal Tower Run of House - $499 (Quad Rate)
The last day to book housing is February 9, 2024.
Register Now
| |
|
CEAEF Scholarship Applications Will be Accepted Through January 8, 2024.
The Chicagoland Electric Association Education Foundation is pleased to share the application period for the following seven academic scholarships:
-
· Electric Association Scholarship ($2500)
-
· The Kinander Family Scholarship ($2500)
-
· The Steiner Kerman Education Foundation Scholarship ($2500)
-
· The Joseph J. Archibald Jr. Memorial Scholarship ($2500)
-
· The Rosenstein Family Scholarship ($2500)
-
· The Anixter Family Scholarships (2 @ $2500)
Download the criteria and application to submit by January 8, 2024.
Electric Association members and their lineal descendants are eligible to apply. Please carefully review the scholarship criteria for complete details, deadlines, and a checklist of items to be included in each application.
If you have any questions regarding the scholarship program, please email: anovinger@eachicago.org.
| |
|
NECA Emerge 2024: April 15-17, 2024
Las Vegas, NV
This groundbreaking conference consolidates specialized contractor areas and key business trends, streamlining efficiency and travel for NECA contractors and stakeholders. NECA EMERGE 2024 unites several industry-favorite meetings -- including Service & Maintenance and, Business Development, and low voltage and systems integration disciplines from the NECA-BICSI Summit -- merging them into one power-packed three-day conference.
Attendees can customize their experience, choosing from diverse tracks that include Service & Maintenance, Green Energy Initiatives, Low Voltage & Systems Integration, Business Development, Emerging Opportunities, and more! Get ready for a NECA event like no other and emerge prepared to take on new opportunities!
Click on the video below to learn more!
| |
|
The highly anticipated 2023 Financial Benchmarker Report is now available! This is a detailed publication providing a comprehensible analysis of key financial data within the electrical construction industry. The Report allows contractors and financial professionals to evaluate their company’s performance and report on how it compares with the industry in regard to key ratios and interpretive commentary on liquidity, profitability, leverage, and efficiency.
Additional benefits include:
- Ability to see if your company outperforms, performs in line with, or falls short of industry financial averages
- Aid you in taking a deeper look into your operations to identify under-performing segments
- Guide you through audits, claims, change order negotiations and more
- Help you determine cause of changes in ratios overtime
- Ability to compare benchmarks as an indication of industry competition
Purchase Now
Please contact education@necanet.org with any questions!
| |
|
2024 MEP Innovation Conference (Jan. 29 - 31, 2024)
Registration is Open!
Once again, NECA, MCAA, and SMACNA have partnered together to host the 2024 MEP Innovation Conference. Immerse yourself in educational sessions, collaborative roundtable discussions, and hands-on exhibitor demonstrations that spotlight cutting-edge technologies that can improve NECA contractor productivity and profitability. Register now to network with peers from multiple trades across the country and to learn about industry advancements and the future of the MEP trades, January 29-31 in Orlando, Florida.
CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION
| | |
|
|
Stay up to date on Powering Chicago's initiatives and content by subscribing to the newsletter.
You can find and subscribe to The Power of Better
newsletter through the link below.
Powering Chicago's Newsletter
| | |
|
|
NECA Government Affairs Update (11/03/23) --
Please click the link for a recent update from NECA Government Affairs.
If you have any questions regarding the update, please reach out to NECA Government Affairs to: Hadlea Bender, Specialist at: (713) 870-8619 / Jared Karbowsky, Director, Government Affairs, National Electrical Contractors Association at: 443-975-2932
| | |
|
|
Body Invite for NECA 700-202x
The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is seeking to revise this National Electrical Installation Standard (NEIS™) as an American National Standard under the accredited Consensus Body method of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Please complete the Online Consensus Body invitation form, no later than Wednesday, 11/29/23, 2023.
| | |
|
|
Federal Government Funding Announcements / Regulations
Compiled by NECA Government Affairs:
Please click the link for the latest funding announcements and regulations the Federal Government has posted.
Click Here for Update - 9/27/23
| |
 | |
ELECTRI Updates
120 AND COUNTING – Council members are signing up quickly for our January 2024 meeting on Amelia Island, FL. Take a moment today to register and reserve your room. Register to attend the Winter ELECTRI Council Meeting here.
CHECK THESE OUT – If you want to learn more from our recent programs, check these out:
RESEARCH YOU MAY HAVE MISSED: Production Improvement Methods for Trade Contractors - This handbook (originally published in October 2022) is a user guide with practical resources, lessons learned by others, examples, and guidance to allow trade contractors and specialty construction firms to adopt lean principles and reap the workforce and business benefits that follow more readily. The handbook emphasizes identifying and using methods to enable your craft workforce and colleagues across the firm to support the key tasks with which your firm adds value to your projects. The focus is on identifying and linking methods and techniques from the lean community with the common tasks and waste that trade contractors regularly encounter on projects. Click here for the full report.
ELECTRI’s latest research report on Future Infrastructure Growth is available now! ELECTRI International has released its Future Infrastructure Growth assessment of the state-of-the-practice on emerging opportunities for the electric industry related to the ten-year $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). For ECs, the strongest opportunities within the IIJA are broadband, electric vehicles (EVs), and clean energy and power sectors. This ELECTRI report provides the EC community with an overview of the IIJA Act and areas closely related to their businesses, a survey, and structured interviews of electrical contractors. Researchers Anthony E. Sparkling, Ph.D., LEED AP BD+C and Kyubyung (Kyu) Kang, Ph.D. focused on understanding ECs’ perceptions of the IIJA, as well as identifying emerging business opportunities and threats to the industry. Download the full report (at no charge) by making a free account at www.electri.org.
This month’s ConTech & Coffee session focused on Change Management Techniques. Participants on the call discussed how to ensure a smoother transition into digitized workflows. Click here to stay ahead of the curve by listening to real-world examples and success stories of contractors who have successfully managed change in their businesses.
ELECTRI’s Think Like a Leader conversation with Redtop Electric’s Mike Curran is available. Mike pays a lot of attention to “powering what’s next”. To make sure the company has the best possible workforce in place both in the field and in the office, Mike and his co-leaders focus on attitude and trust. Learn more about Redtop’s approach to finding a better way every day. Click here for Mike’s Think Like a Leader conversation.
Registration for ELECTRI’s January Meeting will open on November 1! The meeting will take place January 16-18 in Amelia Island, Florida and will feature a tour of Miller Electric in Jacksonville, along with lots of education sessions and networking. Mark your calendar for the other 2024 ELECTRI meetings:
· Summer Council Meeting: July 15 – 17, 2024 – Boston, MA
- NECA Convention- September 28 – October 1, 2024 – San Diego, CA (ELECTRI Council meeting details TBD)
THEY CAME. THEY LEARNED. THEY JOINED. Leaders of Huston Electric recently spent time with ELECTRI to learn about the Foundation’s programs and services for the EC industry. CEO Jon Huston then notified ELECTRI of Huston’s decision to join the ELECTRI Council at the $100,000 Founder level. Huston Electric, founded in 1939, is headquartered in Indiana and has more than 300 in its workforce. It is a full service electrical contracting company that delivers home and business technology and offers a wide array of business support tools including phone systems, signage and business branding. ELECTRI extends its thanks and looks forward to welcoming Matt Huston as the company’s rep to the Council.
PHISHING – ARE YOU THE BAIT? – This month, ELECTRI’s IT & Coffee (November 15 @ 11:00 AM Eastern) will zone in on Cyber Security Revisited. Participants, led by Matt Lamb, will take a close look at Simulated Phishing Campaigns and software on the market to facilitate cyber security. Watch for a calendar hold for this event.
ELECTRI knows we all get a lot of meeting reminders and calendar holds. To make it easier for you to join each month’s IT & Coffee or ConTech & Coffee, we are asking you to complete a one-time sign-up here. You will automatically be on the list of interested participants for each month’s event and will not need to re-register. If you do not sign up, you will no longer receive the calendar hold, but will see the announcement in Quick Notes each week.
WHAT WE ALL LEARNED – Last week’s Council Room highlighted driving productivity and motivating the workforce. There were many excellent ideas and comments and you can watch it here and share it with your team.
THINKING AHEAD – ELECTRI has several key meetings each year. Here’s an advance notice for the places and dates for our 2024 Council meetings.
- January 16 – 18, 2024 – Amelia Island, Florida
- July 15 – 17, 2024 – Boston
- September 28 – October 1, 2024 – NECA Convention, San Diego (ELECTRI Council meeting details TBD)
GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES - ELECTRI International has released its Future Infrastructure Growth assessment of the state-of-the-practice on emerging opportunities for the electric industry related to the ten-year $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). For ECs, the strongest opportunities within the IIJA are broadband, electric vehicles (EVs), and clean energy and power sectors. This ELECTRI report provides the EC community with an overview of the IIJA Act and areas closely related to their businesses, a survey, and structured interviews of electrical contractors. Researchers Anthony E. Sparkling, Ph.D., LEED AP BD+C and Kyubyung (Kyu) Kang, Ph.D. focused on understanding ECs’ perceptions of the IIJA, as well as identifying emerging business opportunities and threats to the industry. Download the full report (at no charge) at www.electri.org
NEVER TOO EARLY – Mark your calendar for the next ELECTRI Council meeting – January 16 – 18, 2024 on Amelia Island, Florida. The closest major airport is JAX – Jacksonville, FL, approximately 30 miles from Amelia Island. Registration for the Council meeting, activities, and hotel accommodations will open November 1st. Watch for the link next week. For more information about Amelia Island, check out this official website.
OUR SINCERE THANKS – Research projects often require a significant number of survey responses in order to reach meaningful findings and conclusions. The response to ELECTRI’s requests for EC industry participation in the research survey process has been outstanding this year. We appreciate your interest in helping the industry by sharing your experiences and data.
All ELECTRI Council members: Help steer the future of Electrical Contracting (EC) research by joining one of our task forces. Each of our research projects is assigned a task force of industry experts to work with the researcher. Your expertise will shape valuable outcomes for the industry. Let's advance the EC landscape together!
-
Fair Outcomes for Electrical Contractors for Schedule Compression and Out of Sequence Work- Timothy Becker, ASU
-
Managing Rework with an Early Warning System, Proactive Remedies, and Proper Documentation - Hala Nassereddine, NCM Consulting
-
MEP Contractors and GCs: What is the Cost of Inexperience? - Amelia Celoza, University of Colorado Boulder
If you want to participate in one of these new projects, please contact Amanda Harbison at Amanda@electri.org .
The Council Room panel reviewed the updated Change Order Guidelines and their importance. Attendees shared their process for pricing change orders more effectively and ways to communicate the update to many more contractors across the country. Click here to watch the Council Room session. Click here to download the full Updated Change Order Guidelines report.
ELECTRI International Quick Links
ELECTRI Meetings ELECTRI Research Council Room Sessions Prefab 101 Videos ConTech & Coffee/ITea & Coffee Think Like A Leader
| | | | |
