Masonry Magazine July 1981 Page. 21
Oklahoma MCA Holds Management Seminar; MCAA Schedules Others
Popular MCAA instructor Jerry G. Pope appears to be delivering a courtroom summation in his informal style of lecturing during the "Masonry Management For a Profit" seminar sponsored recently by the Mason Contractors Association of Oklahoma at the Lincoln Plaza Forum in Oklahoma City.
The management seminars, which are conducted under the auspices of the MCAA Management Institute, are a sequel to Pope's first course and manual, "Masonry Estimating For a Profit." While the estimating seminar was developed to help the contractor prepare a proper bid, the management course outlines how to manage that job once you have secured the contract.
The next seminar on estimating will be held at Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Nev., September 9-10. The management course will be offered November 20-21 in Detroit, Mich. Secure full details by contacting the MCAA Executive Office.
The Estimator-Unsung Hero
"It's the damned estimator's fault!" How many times have we used or heard that excuse? We would all like to find someone to blame for our shortcomings. All too often, however, it's the estimator who gets a lot of underserving abuse. After all, if the estimator had not gotten the job we would all be out of work!
The estimator tends to become the forgotten link in the long chain of completing a project. The glory begins as the building comes out of the ground, pictures are taken of its progress, and praise is heaped on the operations personnel who have accomplished the successful venture. Who was the unsung hero in this song of praise? Quite possibly the estimator.
Estimating is certainly more than taking off concrete and counting doors. It begins with a determination if this is the type of project that suits our goals and the ability of our people. It proceeds with a conceptualization of what the project is all about-a concept that project personnel will live with through completion of the job. An analysis of the unique characteristics of the work will follow. Time constraints, weather conditions, labor market, regulatory constraints, owner requirements, other contractor and subcontractor interface, and equipment availability all must be explored.
Then come the grueling hours of surveying every inch of the work. Accumulating total quantities of dirt, concrete, steel, lumber, glass, and paint. Understanding the mechanical and electrical needs of the structure is a mind-consuming task. Finally, applying a dollar value to the task at hand is accomplished by a group of individuals thoroughly familiar with the job.
It's not just quantities and dollars that are passed from estimator to builder. The relationships established between the general contractor and subcontractors and suppliers during the estimating process can determine success or failure for the entire operation. These kinds of relationships don't happen overnight they're built on commitment and trust developed over periods of time.
Maintaining Composure a Challenge
The estimator's ability to maintain composure and make decisions with a deadline at hand is truly tested on bid day. It is at this point the results of the estimator's efforts become reality. Hours of intense involvement end with an emotional impact-win or lose.
It's not unusual to see the light in the estimator's office shining late at night or early in the morning before others arrive. They board a plane at the oddest hours to make final preparations for a major decision. They hole up in a motel room away from home and family with a telephone and pad of paper to talley the fruits of their labor.
Eighteen months later it's easy to make the estimator the scapegoat. Sure, they make mistakes periodically, but don't we all! The estimator takes pride in his work and functions as an important part of the construction team.
-Adapted from "Building Briefs" published by Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Greeley, Colo.
FIREBACKS continued from page 5
1979. Mary Lou Raines, who earned a master's degree in counseling and human relations from Villanova University, was eventually brought into the corporation as business manager. Together the three entrepreneurs have been steadily guiding their fledgling venture through its formative stages.
The original patterns for all the firebacks in the Pennsylvania Firebacks collection are designed by J. Del Conner, and he hopes eventually to bring the total number of designs to seven. He has selected popular images for their relevance and familiarity and proportioned them to complement most masonry fireplaces.
Firebacks were cast in England as early as 1496, and by 1547 they were well known throughout Europe simply as "plates for the chymney." Domestic firebacks were first cast in Pennsylvania in the early 1720s and continued to be produced successfully until the end of the 18th century.
Production techniques have changed considerably since then, but the basic process remains the same: liquid iron is poured by hand at 2.600°F. into fine sand molds on the foundry floor, allowed to cool, and becomes a fireback. The metal is then hand finished, completing a process that remains more an art than a science, and is transformed into a fine casting of heirloom quality.
More information on prices and designs can be obtained by writing Pennsylvania Firebacks, Inc., 1011 E. Washington Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19138.