About SMACNA History
The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association of Southern Nevada (SMACNA) was officially incorporated on September 20, 1965, under its original name, Southern Nevada Air Conditioning and Sheet Metal Contractors’ Association. Since the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA) Local 88 Union was formed in 1942, it is presumed that SMACNA emerged to collectively bargain the Standard Form of Union Agreement (SFUA) on behalf of the contractors.
Our birthright is owed to the mighty seven sheet metal and HVAC industry leaders with a forte in problem-solving and trailblazing. These contractors and suppliers collectively valued the betterment of the HVAC industry as priority number one.
The association’s legacy is owed to the following individuals and their companies: Emil Pahor, Pahor Air Conditioning and Sheet Metal; Cleo Cripps, Associated Air Conditioning; Leroy (Roy) Payne, Special Service Supply; Richard Patton, Oasis Air Conditioning; Al Lawhon, Clark County Air Conditioning; Robert “Smiley” Ruppert, Ruppert Plumbing & Heating; and Paul A. Gardner, F.B. Gardner Company.
Our association was organized not for profit with the purpose to promote air conditioning, heating and ventilating, the use of locally fabricated sheet metal products and the adoption of uniform code requirements beneficial to the industry. Also, the advancement of the industry through educational training, research and promotion, the improvement of technical and business skills of the employers besides promote, support and improve the training and employment opportunities for the employees.
In 1965, a journeyman wage package was approximately $6.26 an hour and the population of Clark County was 221,228.
Our association became an affiliated chapter to the National Association, Sheet Metal Contractors National Association (SMCNA) on April 26, 1966. Today the SMCNA is known as the Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA National). SMACNA National was founded in 1943.
The National Association also functions as a standards-setting organization and literally writes the books that comprise a library of technical standards and manuals which have found world-wide acceptance by the construction community, as well as foreign government agencies. The American Standards Institute (ANSI) has accredited SMACNA as a standards-setting organization. SMACNA National standards and manuals address all facets of the sheet metal industry, from duct construction and air pollution control to energy recovery and roofing.
In 1967, the association’s Executive Director Max G. Christiansen was hired to lead the association where he continued to serve for the next 33 years.
In 1969 SMACNA started looking into a bid depository to bring order and fairness to the construction industry within southern Nevada.
On January 15, 1970, a Bid Depository Committee was formed with Max Christiansen, Cleo Cripps, Luther Kutcher and Don Grearing.
In March of 1970, after visiting areas where bid depositories were being utilized and established, a plan including the Rules and Regulations was presented to the Board. Later, a report on the proposed Bid Depository (BD) was presented at the Industry Fund Meeting and it was approved by a vote of 100 percent.
In May of 1970, the rules and regulations governing the BD were re-written to allow other trades and crafts to participate. We became the administration and shared half the incurred costs with the Electrical Contractors’ Association until such time that the BD was self-sustaining and eventually reimbursed both Associations.
The BD was officially incorporated on June 1, 1970, accepting sealed bids from subcontractors thereby protecting the sanctity of the bid and allowing adequate time for the General Contractor to compile the bids completely and accurately. This improved the bidding process and helped to maintain a high standard of bidding practices.
In the same year, a Management Labor Committee (MLC) was formed consisting of four management representatives and four labor representatives. The goal was to monitor jurisdictional issues, reduce non-union men working in tracts for signatory contractors, as well as, come together collectively to bring about meaningful, long-term structural change and improvements.
The Journeyman wage package in 1975 was $13.71 an hour and the population of Clark County was 374,015.
In the 1980s, Christiansen championed for SMACNA a wide range of issues such as interest in retention legislation, prompt pay legislation, public utility deregulation, and state Davis Bacon reform. He maintained a respected political position with all county and city agencies as well as became a lobbyist for the State of Nevada. Christiansen sat on the Board for the State Apprenticeship Council, the local Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) and the Southern Nevada Signatory Employers Council. He worked tirelessly representing SMACNA at getting legislation passed that benefited both the contractor and the workingman, to keep a harmonious relationship between SMACNA and the SMWIA Local 88.
In 1985, the Journeyman wage package was $28.11 an hour and the population of Clark County was 562,280.
At the end of the 1990s, several small trade-specific subcontracting associations found it more and more difficult to reap legislative and regulatory satisfaction in a state experiencing growing pains directly correlated to a burgeoning population. A handful of associations, including SMACNA, banded together informally to benefit the entire subcontracting industry. This group later became known as the Subcontractors’ Legislative Coalition (SLC).
The journeyman wage package in 1995 was $26.62 an hour and the population of Clark County was 1,036,180.
The SLC was officially incorporated on February 28, 2008, as the government affairs arm of SMACNA and four other construction-related associations and a handful of individual members; however, dissolved in 2015.
The journeyman wage package in 2005 was $34.92 an hour and the population of Clark County was 1,815,700.
In 2011, the association continued to work closely with the SMWIA Local 88, now known as the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Local Union 88 (SMART Local 88) with the goal and objective to provide stability and progress within the southern Nevada sheet metal and HVAC industry.
That year, the Joint Industry Council (JIC) was established as a research and public relations agency on behalf of the sheet metal industry. It was comprised equally of both SMACNA and SMART Local 88 representatives. The JIC was forged to help increase the use of sheet metal products by the public; improve the business of the sheet metal contractors; enhance the image of the union sheet metal industry; seek means to more fully involve rank-and-file members of Local 88 regarding industry operations and issues; support initiatives to ensure stability in the prevailing wage structure of Nevada; and work with all joint committees, boards, etc., when requested, to resolve and/or avoid issues that may be detrimental to the union sheet metal industry.
Then in 2012, former Executive Vice President, Max Christiansen, was honored and his name was placed on the Sheet Metal Local 88 JATC Apprenticeship Building in recognition of his great contributions to SMACNA.
And, on February 27, 2013, endeavoring to better encompass the southern Nevada mechanical industry, SMACNA joined the Mechanical Contractors Association of Las Vegas (MCA) combining their luncheons and ultimately all their networking and celebration events.
Subsequently, in August of 2014, MCA Executive Vice President Mandi (Lindsay) Wilkins took the helm as the executive vice president of SMACNA as well and continues to advance forward today.
SMACNA and the MCA were the construction-trade associations that sponsored and successfully passed Senate Bill 254 along with Senator Patricia Farley in the 2015 session of the Nevada State Legislature. This bill permanently reduced a contractor’s retainage on a public works to five percent and reduced a contractor’s retainage withholding on private works from a maximum of 10 percent to a maximum of five percent despite tremendous inertia from owners and developers. This law took effect on January 1, 2016.
The journeyman wage package in 2015 was $66.93 an hour and the population of Clark County was 2,147,641.
In 2019, the Las Vegas labor/management team from SMART Local 88 and SMACNA of Southern Nevada assembled to be with Governor Steve Sisolak as he signed Assembly Bill 297 (AB297) into law. AB297 was sponsored by Nevada State Assemblywoman Susie Martinez and is affectionately known as the fire life safety bill which requires inspections, every four years (six years for hospitals), on fire damper and fire life safety systems. At present, Nevada is only one of three states (including New Mexico and Washington) to have such legislation.
SMACNA’s history is rich and colorful. By Nevada standards, the association can easily be classified as one of the state’s treasured pioneers. Learn from yesterday. Build for today. Prepare for tomorrow.