"Safety comes first. Production is secondary." The speaker responsible for this beautiful sentence, Eddie Evans, is featured in our cover story, which is a nod to the mechanical contractors and risks involved in their line of work. These are risks that people, like myself, often take for granted while pattering away on a keyboard in an office all day. Evans is the safety officer for M&D Mechanical Contractors Inc., which recently received the highly-regarded OSHA SHARP certification for its safety programs and equipment put into place. M&D is the only mechanical contractor in the state of Alabama to have this certification. 

How refreshing is it to hear (and more importantly see) that tradespeople’s lives are valuable? Or that fatality in the workplace shouldn’t even be up for debate? Though we’ve come a long way over the years, as Evans shows, there are always more opportunities for companies to get better and improve the lives of its employees.

Please also take a look at MCAA’s contribution and what’s happening at the MCAA Annual Convention. You won’t want to miss it because this year they’re “all in.” At the convention, you can hear economist Brian Beaulieu present on how the dynamics of world market trends and the Trump Administration’s emerging policies will affect companies’ financial wellbeing. Or listen to tax expert and Forbes columnist Tony Nitti discuss the “Nitti-Gritty” on the new tax reform act. Or attend the Student Chapter Exhibit to help contractors and students connect. Or take advantage of the Annual Manufacturer/Supplier Council Exhibit, where attendees can learn about innovations that could give them a competitive advantage. As you read on in our preview, you’ll see MCAA will give you a lot to choose from.

Go all in and follow up with your favorite columnist. This month we have columns on Bitcoin, important design-build legalities to be aware of, the chemical breakdown of water in pipes, and how to dominate search engine rankings.

Suggestions, comments, story ideas? We want to hear from you! Reach me at sarah@tmbpublishing.com.