TUCSON SITE OF “TERRIFIC” CONVENTION
Participants attending the OSM Annual Convention (April 22-26) at the Omni Tucson National Golf Resort were unanimous is their praise. Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, the resort has been home to countless PGA Golf Tournaments and boasts, among others, a fully-equipped sports complex and luxury spa. As one convention-goer summing up the experience said, “You can only describe the beauty of this area of Arizona in glowing terms. Our location was one of the best conference sites we’ve ever had.” Read more...
FEMALE APPRENTICES CARRY ON A FINE TRADITION
Traditionally, the world of the trades has been a decidedly masculine world, although women have not been entirely absent. By the end of World War II, a remarkable cohort of women in North America had proved beyond any doubt that a feminine presence in the trades could “get the job done”. During the war unprecedented numbers of women had entered the trades, encouraged by their governments to take up factory work left behind by men who were now fighting as soldiers. Connie Field’s 1980 documentary film The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter highlights several of these women who flocked to war production work, learning such skills as welding and sheet metal work to take their place in munitions factories. Read more...
QUALITY AT AGGRESSIVE METALS INC. STANDS OUT
Aggressive Metals Inc. President Larry Demchuk is rightfully proud of his company’s stellar track record. Incorporated in 1989, Aggressive Metals has never lost a customer. As president and CEO from ‘day one’ Demchuk has built his company on an ethic of service and excellence, “Since our beginning we have always stressed the need to satisfy each customer’s requirements fully. Our chief goal is to keep our customers happy. As a result we keep all of our old customers and keep adding new ones.” In fact, the company name, inspired by a friend, reveals the company attitude - absolute insistence on the best possible job for its customers. Read more...
What Are You Selling?
There is an old saying that goes “Customers buy benefits not features.” This is true for tangible products and especially true for those selling services. The first test is deciding what your service has that is of interest to your customers. If you said, “access to a great network of competent journeymen, 30 years experience, 24-hour accessibility, customized solutions or government or industry compliance,” you are left with the questions: “How can I bring these features to life?” However, when you approach your product and ask what you really sell from your customers’ point of view you have important clues to creating a powerful selling presentation. Read more...
NEW REVISION TO THE MASTERFORMAT
Since its inception in 1963, MasterFormat has been widely accepted as the standard format for organizing specifications in North America. Thanks to a series of revisions, it does, indeed, create a uniform system, organizing information contained in project manuals as well as providing a basis for date filing and project cost classification. Overall, MasterFormat incorporates a complete organizational format for project manuals by including bidding requirements, contract forms and conditions of the contract within a systematic framework comprised of Divisions and five-digit Section numbers and titles used primarily for specifications. Read more...
REGAINING MARKET SHARE CONFERENCE FOCUS
Partners in Progress was the central theme of the SMACNA Annual Convention organized under the overall title “Seeing the Future, Leading the Way” held March 30-April 1, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Partners in Progress represents a singular collaboration between the forces of union and management, a joining of forces to support a common goal. The program is a comprehensive initiative aimed at regaining market share through education and training from a fresh perspective. Concentrating on a vision of the future, Partners In Progress scrutinized contractors’ ability to increase market share by seeing through their customers’ eyes. Read more...
