Membership Meetings Bring National and Local Leaders
SMACNA Greater Chicago is proud to help members prepare for success by offering a variety of meetings and educational programming through the year. Every other month, we gather at Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse for our regular membership meetings, where we invite industry leaders to speak on trends and topics affecting our businesses.
NOVEMBER 8th MEETING
SMACNA’s new CEO, Aaron Hilger, was the featured speaker during November’s meeting. He joined our group to give an update on the national association and an overview of the association’s goals for the coming year:
1. Workforce development:
Hilger cited the need for 15,000-20,000 extra workers to service all the HVAC systems coming online due to updates in efficiency regulations and standards. “It’s a great opportunity to grow, and a great problem to have,” he said.
2. Member engagement:
Hilger noted that overall SMACNA membership has steadily declined since 2010, so leaders and committees at the national level are working to develop a communications infrastructure to help improve the awareness of SMACNA offerings and relevance to members.
3. Education:
According to Hilger, members are happy with SMACNA’s overall programming, but it’s time for a refresh. He says they’re looking to expand many of their offerings over time. Better education is also the path to building stronger chapters and chapter executives. “Our chapters are the focal point of providing education and news, and we’re currently not investing our resources there.”
JANUARY 10th MEETING
Raymond Suggs, Business Manager and President of SMART Local 73, joined SMACNA Greater Chicago contractors to discuss recent updates to the union’s training center, as well as several issues impacting the sheet metal industry:
1. Local 73 training facility:
“It’s the backbone of our industry,” Suggs said, noting that the union has updated the service department, installed rooftop units for commercial service training and invested in a laser welder. The JATC also has a dedicated area to fabricate and install architectural panels to keep up with the demand of that aspect of the industry.
2. Chicago market is going strong:
Suggs reported that as of January, there were 19 tower cranes up with permits for 14 more in the future. In addition, 26 labor agreements were signed with the Chicago Building Trades for work to get started.
3. Labor:
With 2,000 active members (including apprentices), Suggs wasn’t worried about a labor shortage. However, the topic of June’s upcoming negotiations was a bit of a sticking point between Suggs and participating contractors. Suggs noted inflation will likely play a part, but hopes negotiations go smoothly.