Description

Cost: $495
For NECA Members Only – Register for Pre-Convention Workshops through the registration link for the convention. NECA Convention registration is NOT required to attend Pre-Convention Workshops.

There are several key business and field operations elements that every electrical contractor needs to know. Designed to help contractors professionalize their business operations, this program will cover essential elements of finance, legal issues, insurance, bonding, risk management, material management, productivity, and construction technology.

Finance
This session will discuss the key financial processes, facts, and figures that you need to be constantly aware of to keep the company running smoothly. Following the class, you’ll have an understanding of the components of financial statements, cash flow, profit fade, work in process schedules, cycle time, and the concept of margin versus markup.

This session will be led by David O’Brien, CPA, Director of Construction Services at Mosley, Pfundt, Glick & O’Brien.

Legal
The legal issues that electrical contractors can face are diverse and this session will focus on three key areas. First, every company routinely signs contracts for products and services, but those contracts may not be in the best interest of your company. Recommended clauses and provisions, what they mean, which ones to avoid, and how to include the correct ones will be discussed. Next, important wage and hour changes will be reviewed to assist you with staying in compliance to avoid an audit or lawsuit. Finally, every business may face an incident or allegation that must be internally investigated. It is critical to conduct such an investigation or self-critical analysis in an effective manner, and this presentation will center on best practices in this area.

This session will be led by James Fagan, NECA’s General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Labor Relations and Risk Management

Insurance, Bonding & Risk Management
While you may have insurance policies in place, you may not be adequately covered. This session will discuss common coverage concerns and factors that affect business insurance premiums. Risk management culture, best practices for fleet/driving, as well as bonding, will also be discussed.

This session will be led by Ryan Wetzel, Mike Russell, and Lou La Brie from Federated Insurance.

Material Management
Planning and managing materials on a project can take up a significant amount of time before you even get to the jobsite and then also have a significant impact on the labor effectiveness on the jobsite. While the contractor is responsible for the results, the supply chain is a large and complex ecosystem and often difficult to navigate. The current state of the supply chain, the “digital thread concept,” industry-proven best practices, and useful tools to see more predictable, efficient, and profitable projects will be discussed.

This session will be led by Mike Carroll of Graybar.

Productivity
Measuring and tracking productivity is key to being able to improve it. This session will discuss how to benchmark and identify field productivity and identify areas of waste. Methods to improve productivity among your staff, as well as subcontractors, will also be discussed.

This session will be led by Mark Federle of Marquette University

Construction Technology
Project delivery methods and building systems are growing increasingly complex. Owners and GCs continue to push tighter schedules and control cost, all while we are expected to adapt to their ever-changing expectations. How do electrical contractors meet these growing demands and position themselves to be successful in our fast-changing industry? This session will discuss what is driving these changes and what tools are available to help ECs shift from a low bid mindset to being seen as a trusted project consultant. We will explore how these new technologies expose strengths and weaknesses and help us identify opportunities to increase margins while reducing risk.

This session will be led by Tauhira Ali.

Speakers

• R. David O’Brien

  Mosley Glick O'Brien, Inc.

  Dave O’Brien is a CPA with over 40 years of experience and is widely respected and considered an expert in the area of accounting practices of the Construction Industry.

  Mr. O’Brien has an extensive background in assurance and accounting with an emphasis in real estate, construction, manufacturing and distribution. His primary focus is in the construction industry. His clientele in the construction industry includes general contractors, mechanical contractors, and electrical contractors, flooring contractors, sheet metal contractors, fire protection contractors, landscape contractors, homebuilders, commercial developers, land development and numerous other contractors.

  Mr. O’Brien is a national speaker for various organizations in the Construction Industry, which include the Home Builders Association (HBA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Epcon Franchising, and Great Service Forums. Mr. O’Brien also provides professional consulting on a monthly and quarterly basis to more than 30 contractor’s in the Construction Industry. His professional education includes a BSA in Business Administration from the California State University at Chico, California, and he is a Licensed CPA in the States of Nevada and Ohio. Prior to becoming a partner at Mosley Glick O’Brien, Inc., he worked for large firms in Reno, Nevada and Toledo, Ohio.

  Mr. O’Brien is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Society of Certified Public Accountants in Ohio, Nevada and Michigan. He is also affiliated with the Construction Industry CPA’s/Consultants Association (CICPAC), the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), and is a current member of the Board of Directors for the Home Builders Association of Greater Toledo, Inc.

  

• James Fagan

  NECA

  James (“Jef”) Edward Fagan, III is NECA’s Senior Vice President, Labor Relations and Risk Management. Fagan was originally hired as NECA’s first General Counsel in 2019, and in addition to shaping the internal legal functions at NECA, he built out its Risk Management Team in 2020. As a 30-year labor, employment, and litigation attorney, Fagan has extensive experience in traditional labor matters and risk management, and his mature and measured leadership style sets NECA up for success as he leads his departments and guides national policies for the electrical contracting industry.

  

• Mike Carroll

  Graybar

  Mike is a 28-year veteran of the electrical industry working from the Electrical Distributor side of the business. In leading various management roles and running small, medium and large P&L’s, Mike has managed teams of 15-150 employees across the U.S. Most of these roles were existing teams that were underperforming and needed help. During his career, Mike has worked very closely with NECA and EC’s across the country and has a solid base for understanding the challenges faced.

  

• Mark Federle

  Marquette University

  Mark Federle is currently the McShane Chair in Construction Engineering and Management at Marquette University. He has responsibility of starting what will hopefully become the 13th ABET – Accredited Construction Engineering program in the country. Previously he was Chief Information Officer for The Weitz Company in Des Moines for 9 years. Prior to joining The Weitz Company, Federle was the Professor-in-Charge of Construction Engineering program at Iowa State University, where he taught for nine years. In 1998, Mark was recognized by the ISU engineering student council as the outstanding Construction Engineering Faculty Member. Mark’s career began in the construction industry working as a foreman, superintendent, and project manager for general contractors in Indiana and Michigan. Mark earned his PhD and Masters in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Michigan. Mark is a licensed Professional Engineer and a Certified Professional Constructor. Mark was awarded The Career Achievement Award by Rose-Hulman in 2005. He was recognized by AGC of America as Instructor of the Year in 2011. He is a Fellow of ASCE. He has completed numerous studies for the Electri Foundation and written a variety of articles for Electrical Contractor Magazine. He has been a presenter at the NECA, AGC, World of Concrete and SMACNA Annual conventions for almost 20 years.

  

• Ryan Wetzel

  Federated Insurance

  Ryan is a District Marketing Manager for Federated Insurance. Ryan is responsible for managing Federated’s marketing force in New Jersey.

  Ryan began his career at Federated as a Marketing Trainee in 2019. In February 2020, he became a Marketing Representative in Mercer and Burlington Counties where he took care of Federated’s clients until November 2022. Ryan was then promoted to District Marketing Manager where he manages the marketing force in New Jersey.

  Ryan is a graduate of Monmouth University and currently resides in Freehold, NJ.
  

• Mike Russell

  Federated Insurance

  Mike Russell is the Vice President – Surety Marketing Manager for Federated Insurance and Granite Re; an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Federated Insurance, focused on providing contract bonds to the construction industry. Mike manages Federated’s team of surety specialists across the country and serves on the board of directors for Granite Re.

  Mike and his team of Surety Marketing Specialists help clients address both contract and commercial services surety needs. Clients deal directly with the surety, which is unique in the industry. Mike also oversaw the development of the team of surety marketing specialists and the establishment of the surety support center, which delivers client services for established surety accounts.

  Mike has been with Federated for 39 years, working with our many association and buying group partners as well as holding various positions in marketing and management.

  Mike is an accomplished endurance athlete and has competed in some of the world’s most challenging races. He enjoys traveling, has visited six of the world’s seven continents, is a Minnesota native, and a proud graduate of Winona State University where he currently serves on the WSU Foundation Board of Trustees.
  

• Lou La Brie

  Federated Insurance

  Lou is a Senior Risk Consultant for Federated Insurance.

  Lou joined Federated in 2017 as a Risk Consultant, following twenty years of employment in the construction materials industry. In 2021, Lou was promoted to the position of Senior Risk Consultant supporting the safety and risk management efforts of Federated Insurance’s Eastern Pennsylvania clients.

  Lou earned his master’s in Business Administration from The Pennsylvania State University and has obtained the Associate in Risk Management (ARM).
  

• Moderated by Tauhira Ali

  NECA

  Tauhira Ali is a highly skilled technology strategist with more than 19 years of R&D and product design experience. As NECA’s Executive Director of Industry Innovation, she gathers insights from end users, industry experts, and tech providers to deliver awareness, education, and implementation strategies. Her work empowers the construction community to strategically leverage technical innovations and industry trends to overdrive process, productivity, and market share.

  Tauhira has held R&D positions in the computing, automotive, aerospace, robotics, construction, and public relations industries. Her product development work has influenced thousands of physical and digital solutions found on the jobsite. In addition to her passion for driving new solutions, Tauhira is deeply committed to expanding and empowering all voices within technical industries and has been honored to work closely with many affinity and mentorship groups to advocate and elevate all members of the workforce.