FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Members of the testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) industry came together at the International Certification Board/Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (ICB/TABB) Conference, held April 29 through May 2 at the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) workers Local 36 in St. Louis. The conference hosted education and business tracks, allowing members, contractors and other industry professionals to level up their business and renew or add industry certifications, including supervisor classes in TABB, indoor air quality, fire smoke damper, sound and vibration, commissioning and smoke control systems.
The conference began on a high note with the induction of Matt Sano, owner of Fisher Balancing in Williamstown, New Jersey, to the TABB Hall of Fame. The 21st inductee, Sano was presented at the event with the honor by Jennifer Lohr, vice president of the company, who has been with the company since she was an apprentice.
Sano is the third member of SMART Local 19 in Philadelphia, after Mary Coffey in 2010 and Vince Del Vacchio in 2009, to be inducted to the TABB Hall of Fame.
“I was very surprised. I can tell you I don’t seek recognition. When my peers talked about this award, I wasn’t concerned about it. My first response was I guess they ran out of people,” he joked.
The first full day of speakers, classes and experiences began April 30, and to kick things off, Sean McGovern, from The Joint Commission, spoke about TAB requirements in hospitals and how contractors can meet them. Also included in day one were Alice Yates, director of government affairs for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); Peter Kelly, field manager for the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO); Robert Sullivan, Southwest regional director for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Randy Young, SMART codes and standards representative, who introduced attendees to ASHRAE, the NFPA and the Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC).
Yates summed up the general mission of the industry when she said, “We exist to serve humanity.”
Others noted that getting involved makes the industry better, and it was in everyone’s best interests to stay engaged.
“You have to be at the table, or you’ll be on the menu,” Young added.
Dr. Mark Modera presented updates in HVAC research and technology, and Kathleen Owen, air cleaning consultant for Owen Air Filtration Consulting, dove deep into the world of air filtration standards and practices, changes and advancements.
Gina Medel and Alex Miranda, CFO and vice president of sales, respectively, for Penn Air Group, introduced the attendees to another somewhat hidden aspect of the HVAC world — duct cleaning. Contractors may be overlooking business opportunities within their skill wheelhouse, Medel and Miranda said. These include everything from market analysis and business strategies to efficient cleaning techniques and best practices to grow a duct-cleaning venture.
“The idea is to consistently provide ideas to help contractors be successful, whether it’s fire life safety, ventilation verification and indoor air quality or duct cleaning,” said Lisa Davis, NEMI administrator. “You never know when a contractor is going to hear something that boosts their business.”
This year hosted one of the largest vendor fairs in recent memory, with Ameritech Data Solutions, Belimo, Building Start, DeWalt, Dwyer, Evergreen Telemetry, Milwaukee Tool, Price Industries, Retrotec and Testo North America all in attendance. During the conference, Toni Angres, director of sales and marketing for Evergreen Telemetry, and Steve Conrad, business development manager for Testo, spoke to attendees about up-and-coming technology.
For the Weickert Industries crew in attendance — Meghan Frederickson, balancer; Clement Bailey, TAB senior technician; and Stephen Weickert — learning about tools with the most current technology and getting to see them in person was one of the most exciting parts of the conference.
“On a personal level, seeing some of the new technology and tools was the best part,” Frederickson said.
Weickert noted, “This year was great, and they put together a bunch of good presenters. It was cool to see how [ventilation verification] works, and it was inspirational to get that energy to move forward.”
“It’s amazing how innovative the industry is,” Bailey added. “[This conference] has the forward thinking I’m talking about.”
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) CEO Aaron Hilger discussed the more than 200 megaprojects in the United States and more than 100 in Canada in different stages of development. “They will all need to be balanced,” Davis noted.
“Thinking outside of the box will be of worth as we see some of those challenges ahead of us as we grow,” she added. “I’m really stoked about the next five, 10 years. I think we will continue to raise the bar and set the standard.”
Attendees expressed enthusiasm about the networking opportunities as well as what they learned.
“I just knew there would be some pretty key players in TAB here, and it would be a good opportunity to connect with those people,” said Sheena Jones, a fourth-year apprentice for Local 36 who took the Fire Smoke Damper Supervisor course. “And who can say no to another certification?”
Closing the conference, Davis said, “I’m filled with deep gratitude and inspiration for this conference, for all of you, for this industry. I hope you are able to take some kernel of it home with you.”
