{"id":6923,"date":"2012-12-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-12-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/the-world-of-givers-and-takers\/"},"modified":"2012-12-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-12-01T00:00:00","slug":"the-world-of-givers-and-takers","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/the-world-of-givers-and-takers\/","title":{"rendered":"The World of Givers and Takers"},"content":{"rendered":"

After
\nattending another informative and educational Committee Days meeting, it
\noccurred to me that the mechanical insulation industry\u0097like the rest of the
\nworld\u0097can be divided generally into “givers” and “takers.” Givers are the
\npeople and companies who seek to better our industry through active
\nparticipation in their professional community, business associations, and other
\nefforts in which they give their time and energy for a greater good. We all
\nbenefit from the work of givers, both directly and indirectly. How much we
\nbenefit depends on how much we involve and support them in our business\u0097and how
\nmuch we give in return.<\/span><\/p>\n

Givers Are Good
\nfor Business<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Identifying
\nthe best-qualified mechanical insulation professional is easier when you start
\nfrom a pool of qualified candidates. Companies and individuals who have been
\ninvolved with the National Insulation Association (NIA) and other industry
\norganizations have advantages and resources that cannot be matched by those
\noutside of these associations. Members of NIA, for example, have access to the
\nmost up-to-date information on issues such as safety awareness, human resources
\nrequirements, developments in their sector of the industry (e.g., merit or
\nunion contractor, distributor\/fabricator, manufacturer), and training to
\nimprove their knowledge and skills. NIA and other associations provide
\nopportunities for members to learn from each other and from experts on topics
\nof interest to the industry through participation at annual meetings,
\nconventions, and other networking opportunities. The knowledge, skills, and
\nresources they develop through their involvement in NIA and regional
\nassociations offer you and your business direct benefits ranging from quality
\nand cost-effective services and products to enhanced worker safety and
\nproductivity. <\/span><\/p>\n

You probably don’t have to look far to identify one of these
\ngivers. A colleague involved in a professional association is a giver; the
\nplant manager from across town who spends his free time going to monthly
\nmeetings is a giver; the insulation contractor, manufacturer, or distributor
\nwho belongs to one of NIA’s committees is a giver; as is the insulation service
\nprovider who belongs to a regional association. Perhaps your insulation service
\nprovider belongs to the local city association and serves on the Board of
\nDirectors. Hiring these people\/companies for your next job not only benefits
\nyour business, it allows you to give back to those whose efforts benefit so
\nmany.<\/span><\/p>\n

Givers Improve
\nOur Industry<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The
\ninsulation industry owes a debt to givers who continuously strive to improve
\nworker safety, promote the value of mechanical insulation, raise the industry’s
\nprofile on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, and develop training materials for use
\nby individuals in all sectors and at all levels of experience in the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Givers have been involved in NIA from
\nthe very beginning, donating time, talent, and money to promote safety in the
\nmechanical insulation industry. They created the Theodore H. Brodie
\nDistinguished Safety Award program, which offers NIA members the opportunity to
\napply for safety awards and receive a critique of their safety program. These
\ngivers have contributed toward making NIA contractor, manufacturer, and
\ndistributor members the safest companies in the mechanical insulation industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Industry givers also created the unprecedented alliance
\nbetween NIA and the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and
\nAllied Workers to promote the effective use of mechanical insulation on Capitol
\nHill and to the many government stakeholders that control the nation’s energy
\nconsumption. These givers take time from their schedules to visit senators and
\nmembers of Congress to promote mechanical insulation. Thanks to them, while
\nmany legislative priorities are currently sidelined, energy efficiency has won
\nthe attention of Congress, which passed the Enabling Energy Saving Innovation
\nAct of 2012, H.R. 4850, with amendments focused on energy efficiency in federal
\nagencies and the industrial sector. Givers also work with the Department of
\nEnergy to promote mechanical insulation, and with the National Institute of
\nBuilding Sciences to make all disciplines in the construction industry aware of
\nthe importance of mechanical insulation. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is the givers of the North American Insulation
\nManufacturers Association who created the 3E Plus\u00ae<\/sup> Insulation
\nThickness Computer Program\u0097embraced and promoted by givers at NIA\u0097that
\nidentifies heat loss, greenhouse gas emissions, return on investment, and
\nenergy savings potential of mechanical insulation. NIA givers also helped
\ncreate and support the 3E Plus training class and the Certified Insulation
\nEnergy Appraisal Program. NIA givers meet regularly to create interesting and
\ninformative programs for Convention and Committee Days so all members can
\nincrease their knowledge of mechanical insulation and safe working practices,
\nand hone their business acumen.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

To promote continuing education and training, givers were
\nresponsible for creating the Mechanical Insulation Education and Awareness
\nE-Learning Series to educate users about the benefits, proper design,
\ninstallation, and maintenance of mechanical insulation (available at www.nterlearning.org<\/i>).
\nGivers also helped create the Mechanical Insulation Design Guide (MIDG), a
\ncomprehensive source of information on the performance, use, testing, and
\nstandardization of mechanical insulation in building and industrial facilities
\n(www.wbdg.org\/design\/midg.php<\/i>); and it was givers who created the
\nFoundation for Education, Training, and Industry Advancement (the Foundation).\u00a0
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Givers of the Midwest Insulation Contractors Association, one
\nof the regional associations in the United States, created the National
\nCommercial and Industrial Standards Manual, and regularly meet to ensure the
\ndata in the manual is current. Givers in the Western Insulation Contractors
\nAssociation promoted and created the Foreman Training Program. The givers of
\nthe various regional associations (CSIA, ESICA, MICA, SEICA, SWICA, and WICA)
\nserve on the Boards of Directors of NIA and promote mechanical insulation at
\nthe local and national levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Givers Deserve
\nOur Support<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

It
\nis the givers who are prepared to risk making wrong decisions rather than
\nstanding on the sidelines in the relative safety of making no decisions at all.
\nIn the end, the givers are pulling the wagon, and takers are riding for free.
\nAre you buying your mechanical insulation services from a giver or a taker?
\nDoes your mechanical insulation service supplier genuinely want to help you?
\nAsk your provider: Are you a giver or a taker? If the service provider is not a
\nmember of a local, regional, or national insulation association, the chances
\nare good you’re dealing with a taker, not a giver. After reading about all the
\nconcrete ways the givers help our industry and businesses, I hope you agree
\nthat they are the people and companies you should use to get the mechanical
\ninsulation services you need. They are involved, they are making a difference,
\nand they are promoting our industry today and for future generations. We need
\nmore givers! We need to reward the givers we know, and we need to promote an
\natmosphere of giving for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next time you buy mechanical insulation services, buy
\nfrom givers and let them know you appreciate their efforts.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Notes:<\/span><\/p>\n

1 For more information on the benefits
\nof NIA membership, see www.programs.insulation.org\/images\/nia\/2012_NIA_Membership_Brochure.pdf.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

2 For a full recap of this bill,
\ngo to http:\/\/ase.org\/resources\/enabling-energy-saving-innovations-act-2012-section-<\/a>section-summary.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After attending another informative and educational Committee Days meeting, it occurred to me that the mechanical insulation industry\u0097like the rest of the world\u0097can be divided generally into “givers” and “takers.” Givers are the people and companies who seek to better our industry through active participation in their professional community, business associations, and other efforts in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":[229],"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[24,21,291],"class_list":["post-6923","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","category-contracting","category-business-managment","category-association-news","author-alec-j-rexroat"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe World of Givers and Takers - Insulation Outlook Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/the-world-of-givers-and-takers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The World of Givers and Takers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After attending another informative and educational Committee Days meeting, it occurred to me that the mechanical insulation industry\u0097like the rest of the world\u0097can be divided generally into “givers” and “takers.” Givers are the people and companies who seek to better our industry through active participation in their professional community, business associations, and other efforts in\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/the-world-of-givers-and-takers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Insulation Outlook Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/the-world-of-givers-and-takers\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/the-world-of-givers-and-takers\/\",\"name\":\"The World of Givers and Takers - 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