PROGRAM
- Sponsored by:
- MILWAUKEE TOOL
Recommended attendees: Career Development Committee members, MCAA Board Members, Local Association Executives, GFF23 Sponsors and Speakers.
Student chapter alumni from the past 30 years (1993-2023) are encouraged to gather for breakfast prior to the official kick-off of GFF23.
The Registration Desk will be available for Alumni from 7:00 – 8:00 am in the Foyer, prior to breakfast.
- Sponsored by:
- NIBCO
Check-in, gather your swag and grab a bite at the snack station. Don’t forget to place your chapter logo on the “We’re Here” sign!
Learn how MCAA, faculty advisors, industry advisors and local affiliated executives work together with our network of 2,600 contractor members and 125 Manufacturer/Supplier Council members to deliver resources and career opportunities to our MCAA student chapters. Conference ground rules and expectations will also be discussed, plus a special video message from MCAA President, Robert Beck, will be released!
Speakers
Moderated by Anne Finerfrock
Ever wonder how someone lands with a career in mechanical contracting? Did they come from the trades? Go to college specifically with a specialized construction degree in mind? Twist and turn down 3 or 4 different paths before finally stumbling upon mechanical? This panel will follow three very different paths that all led to successful careers in mechanical contracting.
Spoiler Alert – no matter your path to get here, you can find your great future and explore your passions with mechanical contracting!
Speakers
Work together with your school over the course of GFF23 to answer trivia-style questions related to mechanical contracting. Topics will range from resources to help your team with the MCAA Student Chapter Competition (WebLEM, Porcore, Trimble) to historical construction facts, and even a few hidden easter eggs that will be mentioned throughout the conference.
Speakers
Learn how business etiquette and manners are fundamental to building better relationships in the workplace with your co-workers and how they relate to your long-term career success. Discover business etiquette through real-life examples and the most common business manner mistakes, plus how to avoid them in order to be remembered for all the right reasons.
Speakers
- Sponsored by:
- Harris Company
What if the real secret to unlimited creativity and innovation had everything to do with how you use your imagination? It’s a common myth that imagination is something children readily use, but then we don’t need it as we grow up. What if that wasn’t the case? Harris III will make you aware of the dark side of your imagination, how it’s being misused and wasted, and how to tap into an unlimited potential to create and innovate by reawakening that child-like wonder.
Speakers
- Sponsored by:
- J. F. Ahern Co.
Late-Night Snacks Sponsored by J.F. Ahern Co.
Get ready to go hands-on with mechanical contracting! Touch, feel and learn about the tools, processes and equipment used in our industry that mechanical contractors encounter every day on the jobsite or stumble upon back in the far corners of their shop. Spin the wheel to see how fast you are at identifying various fittings, search through a typical plumber tool bag for the proper tool for a particular project, or feel the difference between various types of valves, couplings and pipe materials.
Don’t forget to swing by the late-night snack station for a throw-back to playground munchies, including a favorite frozen treat – snow cones!
All employers should gather briefly to review the unique procedures for the Job Fair, as well as to explore helpful MCAA resources such as the GreatFutures Job Board, how to submit an Internship Grant, and to walk through the Internship Guide. This new guide is packed full of how to’s and information on where to start if your company hasn’t previously employed an intern. Be sure to check out the Hot Sauce List for a task-based chart of intern projects that meets the student where they are vs. typical listings that base projects on their academic year.
Speakers
All students should gather briefly before the Job Fair doors open for a quick-hit session of tips and tricks on networking, specifically geared towards the job fair environment.
Speakers
- Sponsored by:
- Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association of Milwaukee
This is not your traditional job fair! Color-coded identifiers will be distributed to signify if you’re looking for (or offering) an internship, full-time job, or if you’re just there for the bacon. Mingle and move your way through delicious breakfast stations, share contact info via your name badge QR code and find your employment match in this fun and relaxed environment. A breakout room will also be available for employers who are looking to have a full on-site interview.
Students – Please wear your GreatFutures shirt that will be provided at registration.
Employers – Please wear a shirt with your company logo on it.
- We will not be utilizing stationary booths. Please do not bring trinkets or handouts.
Thank you to MCAA WiMI for sponsoring this session.
Introduction with Stacy Johnson
What if there was a specific (and tested) formula for facilitating breakthrough changes? Would you have the relentless consistency to build the habits to make those changes? By embracing the things that no one else wants to do and pushing through previously envisioned limitations, this session will deliver real-world skills for gaining the confidence to achieve the things you didn’t know where possible.
Speakers
Select 4 out of the 6 stations to dive deeper into competition topics that were hand selected by our first-round judges.
Introduction with Krista Ebbens, General Counsel and EVP-HR & Marketing, J.F Ahern Co.
Estimating
What it should look like, quantity, price, direct vs indirect, and labor listing
Sarabeth Gandara
Preconstruction Manager, U.S. Engineering Construction
Justin Blackledge
Project Manager, The Waldinger Corporation
Surety/Bonds
Surety letter, bonds, plus places to double check your math and consistency
Douglas Bolton
Sr. Project Manager, Arden Engineering
Shannon Nicklaus
Professor, Pittsburg State University
Backlog/Financial Statements
What is backlog and how to show it with logical financial statements.
Kurt Voss
Vice President Engineering, Integrated Facility Services
Ryan Manuel
Assistant Professor of Practice, Purdue University
Permits & Subs
What are the basics to include / not include and how do you find this info?
Anne Finerfrock
Vice President, W.E. Bowers
Sabrina Pavlova
Project Manager/Estimator, Springfield Engineering Company
Roles & Responsibilities
How to list project roles and responsibilities, a staffing matrix, an organization chart and team resumes
John Ziemann
Executive Vice President, Mollenberg-Betz, Inc.
Vincent Eckerson
Vice President of Operations, ARISTA Air Conditioning Corporation
Judge Pet Peeves
Follow instructions (easy items), how to be innovative beyond standard practices in 2023 and the difference between how things are used vs explaining what something is.
Michael Russo
Chief Operations Officer, Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp.
Matt Miller
Purchasing Buyer, Binsky & Snyder
Speakers
Student chapter competition details will be reviewed, plus time will be available for Q&A.
Speakers
Speakers
Review of safety guidelines and tour logistics. Please be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.
Speakers
MILWAUKEE TOOL was founded in 1924 by A.H. Peterson, who created the first one-handed portable drill for the Ford Motor Company. Now
MILWAUKEE has grown to 28 locations and 21,000 teammates globally (including 270 US-based interns annually). Specifically, the Brookfield location is 800K sq feet and houses everything from Engineering to Marketing to Talent Learning.
Our Tour will highlight how manufacturers develop their people and cultures to best serve the mechanical trades. We will take a behind-the-scenes tour of how Milwaukee brings innovative product solutions to life through engineering and product development.
- Sponsored by:
- Victaulic
Dinner Sponsored by Victaulic
Dine on a buffet of local Milwaukee favorites along the Milwaukee Riverfront and enjoy a stroll through the one and only Harley-Davidson Museum!
- Sponsored by:
- DeWALT
Breakfast Sponsored by DEWALT
Make sure your team submits your trivia answers by 7:45 AM.
Speakers
Moderated by John Koontz
Listen in for a panel discussion on a topic specifically requested by your Student Chapter Presidents! Learn how sustainability applies to mechanical contracting and about the potential areas for the greatest impact now and in the future.
Speakers
Get ready to move around the room, connect with fellow students and discuss best practices for building your student chapter.
Speakers
Trivia questions that stumped the crowd will be reviewed and explained by three of our Career Development Committee Members who also happen to be professors. The winning team will receive $1,000!