A Mighty Voice
NUCA of Arizona Speaks Up and Gets Noticed in the Industry
By Pam Stask
National organizations are essential, but it’s the quality of the professional practitioners on a local level that truly makes a national organization great. The best of those regionalized chapters have constructed a forum for their professionals to network and learn, discussing local legislation, providing safety and training, rubbing elbows with the best in their respective specialties and giving cohesiveness to an industry as a whole.
When it comes to the Grand Canyon State, NUCA of Arizona provides a chapter that’s as broad and encompassing as its state motto. Its mission: “To have one strong voice in the utility contracting industry in Arizona,” says Patrick Holmes, Executive Director of NUCA of Arizona. “The founders sought consistency and credibility for the construction of underground utilities such as water, sewer, treatment plants and expanding into dry utilities.”
With those purposes in mind, NUCA of Arizona was founded in 1975, originally called the Underground Contractors Association (UCA). The organization was formed by several utility and pipe contractors as a means of establishing a strong united presence for the state in the national organization. David Curt Guthrie was instrumental in developing the UCA and became the first president of the chapter. Other early important founders of the chapter include: Bill Tyers, Tyers Contracting; Bob Bentley, Triangle Construction; and Kenny Swengle, Swengle-Robbins.
As the chapter began to grow in the late 1970s, the Phoenix metro area was at the early stages of its expansion boom. Phoenix is not only the capital and biggest city in Arizona, but it’s the fifth largest city in the United States, and its construction boom continues today. This increase in construction and development led to entire networks of utilities being installed — a vital new infrastructure of circulate services for business and homeowners. However, as Phoenix continued to grow, several cities formed within its metro area, all with their own sets of specifications and construction practices.
“Early on, the chapter was focused on implementing consistent construction practices across municipal boundaries and establishing training programs for its members,” says Holmes.
Part of these specifications and programs included implementing safety training for the chapter members on topics such as trench and construction safety. The chapter also developed a forum in order to take political issues to the legislature — demonstrating the importance of “one strong voice.” UCA aided in facilitating jobsite inspections and provided an avenue for negotiating and establishing policies and protocols, notes Holmes.
Like its parent organization NUCA, it’s the members that make NUCA of Arizona successful. The chapter works to provide plenty of opportunities, incentives and advantages for joining. Perhaps one of the biggest perks of becoming a member is the ability to have access to both public and private movers and shakers, in order to discuss issues and concerns affecting the localized utility construction industry.
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| Each year, the chapter recognizes one its members with the
Mark Dryer Safety award. Here, NUCA of Arizona President
Slade Ottney receives the prestigious honor. |
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“Gaining access to decision makers is one of the most important things we do as an organization,” says Holmes. “If one of our members is having trouble with a city they are working in, we’ll research the complaint and go forward. Whether it’s writing a letter or hiring a lobbyist, we’ll do it and act as a united organization.”
Networking is an important part of running a successful business and NUCA of Arizona recognizes the need to meet and work with peers. Holmes mentions that involvement in the chapter provides members multiple opportunities to attend chapter meetings, visit trade shows and exchange connections in social settings.
“By having organized and informational events, members, prospective members, associates and affiliates are able to interact. Plus, they make public and private decision makers more aware of our industry,” says Holmes. “There’s also the member’s ability to say they are involved in the organization, as well as associated with the national organization. They have the opportunity to attend meetings, the annual Utility Construction NUCA EXPO and smaller events to further their networking.”
In conjunction with networking opportunities and key face-to-face contacts, the chapter and its members meet for general membership meetings on a bi-monthly basis. “Many of our general membership meetings are hosted by our associate members and have great attendance,” says Holmes. During these meetings, members have the chance to voice their concerns, seek help in solving problems, learn about training and legislative affairs and gather information about chapter and national events.
As a foil for its sometimes all-business attitude, the chapter also organizes fun events that are ideal for that chance conversation with a co-contractor, quick card exchange or just an entertainment-filled evening. A good example: Holmes notes that the chapter held its recent meeting at a dog track park, and those are pretty good odds for both work and fun.
Aside from the meet and greets, the organization also has enhanced its communication skills electronically. Through its Web site and e-mails, NUCA of Arizona is able to keep members in the loop of what’s going on in the industry and across the state with the simple click of a keyboard or mouse. Its weekly newsletter, The Scoop, is used to highlight the activities and draw attention to upcoming events.
“Since the Internet, we have greatly increased communication between members. Our Web site allows members to maintain schedules, seek information and register for meetings and special events,” says Holmes. “The Scoop is quick reading and offers a snapshot of what’s happening on jobsites across the state. Every Friday members receive the newsletter, which features two short articles to keep them updated and informed.”
The chapter also publishes a monthly newsletter that is directly mailed to its members called The Pipeline. This publication provides information about current events and stories of interests geared toward the chapter’s membership.
Like every state, Arizona is unique in its economy, climate, demographics, government and history. For new and old utility contractors, understanding those regional influences and factors is important to maintaining their work loads, training programs and business models. NUCA of Arizona has taken up the job of creating a curriculum to continue and reinforce its members’ education about the industry and construction practices.
Aside from access to educational materials, members can also partake in the various training courses the organization offers, which happen each month covering an important topic in the utility construction field such as jobsite safety or competent person training.
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| To keep things casual, the chapter
hosts an annual Spring golf tournament
(above) and a less formal membership
meeting where they convene
at a fun location like a race track (below). |
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Also, the chapter offers select training courses in both English and Spanish in order to accommodate to its broad range of members. Arizona is a multicultural corner state (boarding New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado and Mexico), so providing bilingual educational opportunities is essential of local contractors. The Spanish course was introduced in 1999 and Holmes mentions that NUCA of Arizona was one of the first chapters to offer confined space safety and competent person training programs in both languages.
To further emphasize the importance of education, one main future goal of the chapter is to hire a full-time safety trainer as a means of providing in-house safety training to its members — increasing the benefits of joining the organization.
“Our organization is driven on safety and training,” explains Holmes. “So, by adding a safety trainer, we can further emphasize the importance of being safe out on the job-site. Plus, it’s another benefit to tell potential members about when they inquire what they would gain through joining NUCA of Arizona.”
Along with a professional forum, safety and training comes community support as well. The chapter offers two scholarships, the William Brad Burgett Scholarship and David Curt Guthrie Scholarship, which are available to any employee or family member of a NUCA of Arizona member. In order to raise money for these two awards, the chapter holds an annual Spring Classic golf outing to benefit its scholarship foundation. There’s also a second outing called the Fall Fling that’s geared toward members and team building. Both are fun-filled networking opportunities for a good cause (the industry’s next generation).
Speaking of recognizing good causes, each year the chapter takes time to acknowledge the exceptional qualities of its members. NUCA of Arizona presents a Ditch Digger of the Year award and an Associate of the Year award, similar to the national organization. Aside from those two honors, the chapter also rewards a member with a unique and prestigious safety award — the Mark Dryer Safety award. Sadly, Mark Dryer was killed on July 3, 1993, while volunteering for the Arizona State Highway Patrol. He was instrumental in establishing the safety program for the chapter as was his General Manager for Sandvick Equipment & Supply Co. Therefore in his honor, NUCA of Arizona established the annual Mark Dryer Safety award in 1994 to recognize a contractor or associate member for displaying an exceptional attention to safety, with minimal to no accidents and lost time.
To continue expanding its chapter presence in the community and on a national level, NUCA of Arizona wants to have a stronger voice in the industry. By adding a full-time safety trainer and additional benefits, the chapter hopes to encourage members and spur growth — even with the economic hurdles of today.
“We are always trying to expand, but we just need to work through the way things are with the economy right now,” Holmes says. “Everyone is a bit frozen up right now. Of course, the larger we are, the bigger the voice we will have. It’s reciprocal. We would like to double our contractor and associate memberships in the next couple of years.”
It’s that over-achieving attitude that makes NUCA of Arizona one of the top teams in the utility construction industry. It’s the reason the state chapter has a new location in the works, relocating its offices to Tempe. It’s obvious that NUCA of Arizona is an organization on the move. With it’s commitment to safety, consistency and progress, the chapter provides one strong voice for its members and their goals.
Pam Stask is a Contributing Editor to Utility Contractor. |
