Nehlsen Notebook

Where are we going? How do we get there?

By Nancy Nehlsen, Owner  11.20.09

Where are we going? How do we get there? That was the theme we gave this year’s MCA Business Conference in Cancun. Through the knowledge of expert speakers, and limitless networking opportunities, those questions for the mechanical construction industry were answered in a beautiful, tropical setting.

MCA Conference in CancunThe conference, held at the Ritz-Carlton, and attended by a group of the top mechanical contractors in the Midwest, was not only a fantastic get-away for contractor attendees; it was educational, informative and motivational.

One of my favorite speakers, John Koontz, told us that great contractors are using the downtime caused by the recession to educate themselves about new technologies, strategically hire the best people (many of who are now available because of the economy), and purchase equipment (now discounted because of the economy). “You have down time, so spend more time cultivating your existing customers,” John said. “Find your competitive edge. Try new things. And learn about technology. It’s changing the way we do business.”

John’s advice – that we get our businesses positioned today to take off when the recession is over – works for all of us. John closed with a quote I love from the book, Built to Last, discussing great companies, “No matter how much they achieve – no matter how far in front of their competitors they pull – they never think they’ve done “good enough.”

Other speakers talked about BIM (Building Information Modeling) that is already beginning to change the way construction is done. It reminded me of the ‘80s, when computer graphics invaded our industry, putting innumerable typesetting firms out of business, and making keylines and photo retouching archaic. It happened quickly, and it’s happening just as quickly in the construction industry. Interesting to see another industry in the process of being revolutionized by technology.

The message from BIM presenters was also relevant to every business - the gap is getting larger between those who adopt technology and those who don’t. Stephen Jones, whose presentation was on Economic Outlook, quoted General Eric Shinseki, “If you don’t like change…you will like irrelevance even less.”

Write a comment

  • Required fields are marked with *.

   
   

Tags



Most Recent

05.05.11
QC Biz Journal column: Planning and Executing Effective Public Relations
by Ann McGlynn - Public relations director

03.22.11
Make the Most of Your 2011 Marketing Budget
by Nancy Nehlsen - Owner

03.11.11
More is (measurably) better with web updates
by Brian Oster - Business Development

01.27.11
Safety with a Laugh and a Smile
by Brian Oster - Business Development

1.19.11
The Case for Google Places
by Brian Oster - Business Development