CUTTING EDGE BAY AREA
MEMBER FEATURE: CRITCHFIELD MECHANICAL Pages 4-5
RECAP: DAY AT THE CAPITOL Pages 6-7
ASSOCIATE MEMBER FEATURE: INSPERITY Pages 8-9
MEMBER HIGHLIGHT: CRITCHFIELD MECHANICAL ASSOCIATE MEMBER HIGHLIGHT: INSPERITY
WELCOME NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBER: GRACE VENTURES
RECAP: DAY AT THE CAPITOL
RECAP: LEGISLATIVE ACTION, OPEN BOARD SEATS HIGHLIGHTED
SAVE THE DATE: TEE UP AND SWING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS THIS SUMMER
SAVE THE DATE: 13TH ANNUAL SPORTING CLAYS CHAPTER EVENT
SAVE THE DATE: 2025 NATIONAL SMACNA ANNUAL CONVENTION
GRANT FUNDS USED AT THE SAN JOSE AND CASTROVILLE TRAINING CENTERS
ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE AVAILABLE TO APPRENTICES
BAY AREA SMACNA OFFERS PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
FORKLIFT TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS
TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY: HVAC AIR DUCT LEAKAGE
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR BAY AREA SCHOLARSHIP TRUST PROGRAM
ATTENTION MEMBERS!
Do you have exciting company news you’d like to share with fellow Bay Area SMACNA members?
• High-profile projects
• New product launches
• New service offerings
• Company anniversaries
• New hires
• Celebrating retirees
Your good work and amazing teams deserve to be celebrated, and we want to help spread the news. So submit your news and/or photos to Liz Heaney (lheaney@bayareasmacna.org) and see your company represented in our next association newsletter!
SCAN TO EMAIL LIZ HEANEY
Scan to provide news for upcoming newsletters!
ASSOCIATION
NEWS | Update from Bobby Bramlett
PRESIDENT’S REMARKS
With the first quarter nearly behind us, I want to highlight the importance of unity in a world that often emphasizes division, differences and disagreements. I believe that respecting our dissimilarities, now more than ever, will aid our collective success and well-being. Strength is built by working together.
For that reason, I would like to focus on what makes us a stronger association and industry. We are the collective voice of our association and together we can make a significant impact on the industry, both on a local and state level. Each of you plays a role in shaping our future, and your contributions truly matter. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished, but even more excited about what’s possible when we embrace our power of unity and action.
Bobby Bramlett PRESIDENT bob@airesm.com
Tel: 650-451-8141
This year, I encourage you to take action. Stop by the BAS office and take advantage of the training room, which was created by our association as an investment for the future. Enroll your employees in training courses and participate in conventions or networking events. Most importantly, join us for the General Advisory Meeting from June 8-10, or send a representative from your company. Get to know each other, share ideas and discover new perspectives.
We all have insights and ideas to share, and we want to hear them and develop alongside you. Our growth depends on your involvement. Contributions from contractors, large and small, will benefit us all. We’re here to learn and grow, paving the way for the next group to follow. Let’s work together to identify ways to better provide services or refine what we currently offer.
Let’s make this year a powerful reminder of the strength that comes from unity. You can’t make a shot you don’t take. So, take that shot and make a commitment to participate for the betterment of our industry.
MEMBER FEATURE | Critchfield Mechanical
47 YEARS OF CUTTING EDGE SERVICE
Critchfield Mechanical, Inc. was founded in 1977 by Joe Critchfield. Over the past 48 years the San Jose-based company established itself as one of the most trusted mechanical contractors in the nation, focusing on the design, fabrication and installation of HVAC and plumbing systems.
Today, Critchfield employs more than 250 people and remains a family-owned and operated business. Joe’s sons, Mike and Vic Critchfield act as CMI’s president and chairman of the board, respectively.
“Over 40 years of experience has resulted in CMI’s reputation for quality workmanship, timely project completion and budget consciousness,” CMI Marketing Manager Hahn Nguyen said.
“including the owner/developer, builder, architect, engineers and other subcontractor trades involved in the design and construction process,” Nguyen said. “This team philosophy results in increased productivity and quality while ensuring that the owner’s objectives and budget for the mechanical systems are consistently met.”
Over 40 years of experience has resulted in CMI’s reputation for quality workmanship, timely project completion and budget consciousness.
HAHN NGUYEN CMI Marketing Manager
Critchfield Mechanical is unique in the industry, Nguyen noted, because everything from mechanical systems design to sheet metal and piping production to project management, install and integration is all contracted through one entity.
“CMI takes a proactive approach to every project, providing early, at-risk pricing and collaboration with the team,
“This business approach in action, along with Critchfield’s remarkable craftsmanship recently earned the company some big accolades. Three projects CMI worked on received awards in the
Northern California division of the Engineering NewsRecord (ENR) 2024 Regional Best Projects competition. The Google Moffett Park Thermal Plant in Sunnyvale received the Award of Merit - Energy/Industrial, the County of San Mateo Office Building 3 in Redwood City received Best Government/Public Building and 200 Park in San Jose received Best Office/Retail/Mixed Use.
ENR also named 200 Park its Northern California Project of the Year. The 19-story, 1.4 million-square-foot commercial high-rise is the tallest building in downtown San Jose and one of the most innovative in the country. It’s the second structure in the nation built with the modular “SpeedCore” concrete-filled composite steel plate shear wall core system.
According to ENR, utilizing SpeedCore cut three months off the construction schedule and $10 million off the structural cost compared to a more traditional steel frame with a concrete core.
This award-winning San Jose high-rise is also 100 percent electric, thanks in large part to the cutting-edge work of MEP contractor Critchfield Mechanical. CMI designed and installed natural gas-free mechanical systems, including a rooftop-mounted all-electric central plant comprised of 18 combination air-to-water heat pump modules and two 600-ton water-cooled chillers that supply chilled, condensed and heated water to all floors, while four 112,000 CFM air handling systems provide filtered, conditioned air to all office levels. The structure meets LEED Gold BD+C New Construction requirements and it’s Fitwell certified.
“Being a part of the ENR Regional Best Projects competition event allowed us to showcase our commitment to
excellence, safety and sustainability in our projects,” Nguyen said. “The recognition of outstanding projects and initiatives serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of collaboration and innovation in our industry.”
Another thing that sets CMI apart from other sheet metal contractors in the Bay Area is the cutting edge, efficient Trumpf True Laser 1040 laser cutting machine they’ve used on every sheet metal project since 2019. CMI are the only contractor in the Bay Area with such a laser cutting machine in their production arsenal. Nguyen said the companies CMI works with count on them to install intricate work of the highest quality in the most costeffective manner. The incredible capabilities of the True Laser 1040 help CMI deliver on all those fronts.
As it is with many Bay Area SMACNA members, giving back to the local community is important to Critchfield Mechanical. Every year the company sponsors Women in Aviation’s “Girls in Aviation Day,” which introduces girls aged 7-18 to aviation and the career paths it offers.
Whether you’re looking to fly literally or figuratively, Critchfield Mechanical has got you covered.
RECAP | Day At The Capitol
INDUSTRY LEADERS EDUCATE LEGISLATORS ON CRUCIAL ISSUES
CAL SMACNA hosted its 2025 Day at the Capitol on February 11, where attendees engaged with new leaders in meaningful discussions about the sheet metal and HVAC sectors.
Following the elections last November, 30 new members were sworn into the Senate and Assembly. Together with the 37 new members from the 2022 elections, more than half of the legislative body has two years or less of experience. This year was crucial for educating these newcomers on the issues affecting our industry.
The event kicked off Monday night with a legislative reception featuring guest speaker Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez from District 36 in Southern California. A combat veteran, small business owner, pastor, community leader and father, his unique perspective is that we need improvements to existing laws to better serve Californians, rather than new legislation.
Senator Brian Jones opened Tuesday morning’s legislative forum, discussing the challenges facing California. Senator Jones is the Senate Minority Leader for the California Senate Republican Caucus and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He also sits on the Senate Insurance Committee and the Senate Governmental Organization Committee. His platform focuses on “fixing California” by reducing the cost of living, acting on homelessness, tackling rising crime and restoring educational excellence.
Chris Walker highlighted our key issues for the day: SB61, the prompt payment reform, capping retention at 5% for private construction contracts. This would help address cashflow for contractors and mirror public works policies. He also discussed the Pause Pledge campaign, which seeks to remind legislators to slow down the unprecedented number of bills introduced. The campaign highlights the cumulative effect of the sheer number of mandates impacting employers, including the new labor code requirements affecting mandatory paid and unpaid leave, employer reporting, complex record keeping and increased threat of litigation, fines and civil penalties for any potential incident of non-compliance.
Bay Area attendees included Phil Phillips (CAL SMACNA President), Duane Davies, Brian Pyle (Cal SMACNA Treasurer), Mark Napier (Executive Board members), Vijay Singh, Michelle Acosta, Paul Irwin, Jon Mohs (Board Members) Jon Aude, Carna Phillips, Greg Rothe, Sean O’Donoghue and Liz Heaney. Thank you to those who attended in support of CAL SMACNA and the HVAC industry!
ASSOCIATE MEMBER | Insperity
POWERFUL HR SOLUTIONS THAT DELIVER
Although businesses of all sizes struggle with talent acquisition, employee training, safety and compliance issues, data shows a significant portion of smaller companies are operating without a dedicated HR department.
That’s where Insperity comes in. The values-based, culture-driven, people-centric organization has a long history of improving the success (and bottom line) of small, emerging and middlemarket companies. Since 1986, Insperity has provided a full suite of scalable HR solutions to help Bay Area SMACNA members and clients across all markets maximize productivity, manage risks and drive growth.
engaged in the different communities around the country where we operate,” said Chris Gubera, business performance advisor. “If you’re in the Bay Area, you’re going to be working with a person from the Bay Area.”
‘Helping businesses succeed so communities prosper’ is our mission statement, and we’re actively engaged in the different communities around the country where we operate.
CHRIS GUBERA Business Performance Advisor
“‘Helping businesses succeed so communities prosper’ is our mission statement, and we’re actively
Insperity’s origin story began with two phones in a small office. Today, the company has grown to 90+ offices coast to coast and employs an unbeatable support team of more than 5,000 people at the ready to help deliver HR that gets results.
“We’re a big business with big company resources that acts like a small business,” Gubera said. “It’s not lost on us that it’s the people who make the company, and our clients are at the center of everything we do.”
The HR professionals at Insperity work hard to provide an unrivaled depth of service and level of care. They specialize in everything from employee benefits and payroll to risk management, compliance and HR technology, and their team is well-versed in handling common HR challenges as well as unique, companyspecific challenges.
“I take a customized approach because every business is different, and every owner likes to run their business differently,” Gubera said. “I really seek to understand their business goals and ask ‘do you have the people in place to get you where you want to go?’ That’s a really good question to help connect them with the resources we have. Think about it a little like a buffet — you can consume what you want, when you want to consume it.”
The process with each new client starts with a one-hour discovery call to review financials and overall goals. From there, it takes about a week to collect all the necessary information and turn it into a free analysis for the client.
“They’ll get a clear financial picture to see where they are now and what it would look like with Insperity,” Gubera said.
“You might have somebody really smart in charge of your HR, but with Insperity, you get a bigger toolbox.”
Part of that toolbox includes the Insperity Workforce Optimization Learning Portal, a full learning management system with more than 6,500 self-paced courses, 150plus content publishers and 100-plus learning pathways (including a construction services opt-in).
The learning portal gives companies direct access to instructor-led, virtual training and certification sessions across a variety of business skills, cyber/data security, compliance, leader development, technology upskilling and more. The goal is to help improve productivity and employee retention, support learning initiatives enables leadership development and ultimately boost company profitability.
“Making sure the customer has a great experience is how we differentiate ourselves from the competition,” Gubera said. “We’ll meet your business where you are.”
EDUCATION | September 9-October 16
BAY AREA SMACNA OFFERS PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
The Sheet Metal & HVAC Project Management Certificate Program was developed specifically for Bay Area SMACNA contractors, addressing their unique industry challenges.
Throughout the six-week course, participants learn how to successfully coordinate the people, resources and tasks it takes to execute projects on time and within budget, while developing better relationships with internal and external customers.
Each week, registered attendees will explore what it takes to be a successful, efficient and productive leader within their company from some of the most respected industry professionals.
SESSION TOPICS INCLUDE:
• Time Management for Project Managers
• Pre-Construction Cost Management
• Change Order Management and Delay Damages
• Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills
• Sheet Metal Estimating
• Contract Administration and more
APPRENTICES
GRANT FUNDS USED AT THE SAN JOSE AND CASTROVILLE TRAINING CENTERS
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
• Project Managers seeking to hone their skills, or who are new to the sheet metal industry
• Project Engineers with at least 1-2 years of experience
• Service Managers or Foremen with business development responsibilities
Watch your inbox — registration details will be emailed soon!
The Bay Area SMACNA and Local 104 training program is utilizing funds from the High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) grant, a California initiative aimed at fostering highquality job training and workforce development. For the San Jose Training Center, $750,000 has been designated for the TAB Lab. At the Castroville Training Center, $500,000 was allocated to the Service/TAB Lab. The program also received $1.5 million from a DOE grant that will be used to upgrade the Service Lab at the San Jose Training Center.
EDUCATION | Discounted Training
FORKLIFT TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS
Comprehensive, effective and affordable safety training for Bay Area SMACNA members is now available through Forklift Academy.
The course has a $500 reimbursement from SMACNA! This OSHA compliant program is tailored to provide education and materials required for individuals with experience on the shop floor or at a warehouse location and who are familiar with the forklift equipment necessary to become a trainer for the company.
For course information or to register, contact David Cornetet at 510-458-4649 or JC LaRossa at 510-4275863. You must mention you’re a Bay Area SMACNA member to receive the discounted price.
EDUCATION | May 14, 2025
Duct leakage testing and sealing remains a contentious issue between design and contracting communities. Information applicatoin should facilitate design, improve system performance and reduce the difficulty of testing and balancing new systems. Contractors often bear the brunt of inadequate or confusing specifications, misunderstanding of code requirements and lack of adequate plan review prior to construction.
Join Eli Howard, National SMACNA’s executive director of technical resources, for a day-long Technical University course on HVAC air duct leakage. He’ll offer descriptions, illustrations, definitions, recommendations on industry practices, designations of responsibility and guidance on plan and specification requirements that will clear the confusion often encountered by contractors.
MAY 14
MAY 14, 2025
Bay Area SMACNA Training Center 7677 Oakport St., Suite 805 Oakland, CA 94621
SCAN TO REGISTER
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RECAP | March 6
LEGISLATIVE ACTION, OPEN BOARD SEATS HIGHLIGHTED
The March 6 Bay Area SMACNA General Membership Meeting in the Bay Area SMACNA Training Room saw strong attendance from our membership.
After self-introductions and industry forecasts, Chris Walker provided updates on legislative and regulatory affairs, including the status of new IAPMO proposals and assembly and senate bills that impact our industry. He also discussed the upcoming CAL SMACNA convention in April.
Treasurer Mark Napier presented the financial report and reviewed the hour reports. JATC Chairman Paul Irwin and Sean O’Donoghue shared updates on the training trust, including current apprenticeship indentures and apprentice availability. Sean also discussed the 2025 Board of Directors’ nominations, highlighting those whose terms are ending and the eight open seats. BAS members will receive future communications on how to nominate individuals, along with eligibility requirements to serve as a board member.
The discussion amongst the group was engaging and thoughtful, with everyone actively contributing diverse perspectives and building on each other’s ideas. The meeting ended with save the dates for upcoming education classes and events.
EDUCATION | Scholarships
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR BAY AREA SCHOLARSHIP TRUST PROGRAM
The Bay Area SMACNA Scholarship Trust Fund was established to help students unlock their potential through access to education and financial assistance.
Every year, we’re proud to provide 40-plus tuition and book scholarships in amounts up to $6,000 for students pursuing their bachelor’s degrees, plus an additional 50% (up to $3,000) for those participating in the Bay Area SMACNA Summer Intern Program.
Our trustees have also established one Hardship Scholarship up to $15,000 for a deserving applicant interested in the sheet metal/HVAC field who demonstrates a financial hardship.
*All applications are due no later than May 31, 2025, with awards announced in July.
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EVENT | July 21, 2025
TEE UP AND SWING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS THIS SUMMER!
We’re excited to announce the upcoming Scholarship Trust Golf Tournament on July 21! This special event will raise funds to support scholarships for students pursuing their bachelor’s degrees, while also recognizing Chris Walker for his incredible contributions and dedication to the sheet metal industry.
Join us for a day of friendly competition, camaraderie and community, all in support of the Bay Area SMACNA Scholarship Trust.
Stay tuned for more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities. Don’t miss the chance to celebrate Chris Walker while helping shape the future of the industry!
The Bay Area SMACNA Scholarship is designed to help students meet the financial demands of higher education. All proceeds from the golf tournament benefit the Bay Area Scholarship Trust, which awards tuition and book scholarships each year in amounts of up to $6,000 each. A portion of all sponsorships are tax deductible. Tax ID# 68-0455765.
JUL 21
JULY 21, 2025
Castlewood Country Club 707 Country Club Circle Pleasanton, CA 94566
APPRENTICES | JATC Update
ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE AVAILABLE TO APPRENTICES
We are thrilled to announce apprentices can now earn an Associate in Science degree through Foothill College upon completing their apprenticeship program!
As of July 1, 2024, all building trades sheet metal apprentices were eligible for this degree. In 2025, all BT service and TAB apprentices are also eligible to qualify. To obtain this college degree, apprentices must take two additional evening classes along with their apprenticeship curriculum, one in-person class at a Local 104 training facility and one online class. These classes are provided at no cost to the members.
Any apprentice interested in pursuing this degree should reach out to their training coordinator. This is an excellent opportunity for both current and future apprentices to achieve a college degree through their apprenticeship journey.
Mitch Hoppe and his wife
EVENT | October 3, 2025
13TH ANNUAL SPORTING CLAYS CHAPTER EVENT
You’re invited to participate in one of Bay Area SMACNA’s most popular events of the year, our 13th annual Sporting Clays Chapter Event! On Friday, October 3, members can practice “golf with a shotgun” and spend the day engaging in friendly competition with industry friends and peers. BAS contractor member firms are entitled to two complimentary shooters, with additional shooters added for a fee. Registration includes breakfast, lunch, 100 targets, ammo, safety instruction, ear and eye protection and a chance to win prizes.
Registration information will be shared closer to the event.
OCT 3
OCTOBER 3, 2025
Birds Landing Hunting Preserve 2099 Collinsville Road
Birds Landing, CA 94512
EVENT | October 26-29, 2025
Say “aloha” to the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii, the site of the 2025 SMACNA Annual Convention! This year’s event will be held October 26-29 at the Grand Wailea, and will be a great opportunity for members, associate members and industry leaders to network with peers, learn about trends and discuss business topics with leading service providers and manufacturers.
Watch for details and registration coming soon on SMACNA.org.
Grand Wailea 3850 Wailea Alanui Drive Wailea, HI 96753 OCT 26 OCT 29
OCTOBER 26-29, 2025
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