At its annual legislative awards dinner on April 3, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) presented the Legislative Contractor of the Year Award to Immediate Past President Wayne W. Mertz, of Buffalo, NY.

“While serving as SMACNA president, Wayne spearheaded the association’s charge on behalf of legislation,” said SMACNA’s Legislative Committee Chairman John Ilten. “At almost every meeting, Wayne encouraged SMACNA chapters and contractors to rally and tell their legislators the story of the union sheet metal contractor.”

“He constantly reminded SMACNA members that our legislators need to know that union contractors pay their own way,” Ilten explained. “The main emphasis of Wayne’s message as SMACNA president last year was that not only do union contractors invest in their work force, they also invest in the industry by developing technical manuals and standards that will ensure that America’s and the world’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning, and architectural needs are met in the most cost-effective and innovative manner.”

“Some members make important contacts in politics, but Wayne took the important additional step of making sure SMACNA Capitol Hill staff was involved making the association more effective on the Hill for its members.”

Mertz is president of Goergen-Mackwirth Co., in Buffalo, NY. A member of SMACNA’s board of directors since 1994, he currently serves on the strategic planning committee, credentials committee, group insurance plan and trust and the electronic task force.

Locally, Mertz is a former vice president of the SMACNA-Buffalo Chapter. He serves as chairman of the legislative committee as well as chairman of the pension, welfare and security fringe funds. In addition, he is a member of the labor committee and the joint adjustment board.

To qualify for SMACNA’s Legislative Contractor of the Year Award, an individual must be an exceptional legislative and political activist on behalf of his company, his association and his industry.

SMACNA’s annual legislative awards dinner is held in conjunction with the Construction Alliance National Issues Conference which represents more than 12,000 contractor member firms of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, the National Electrical Contractors Association and SMACNA.

For more information, call SMACNA at 703/803-2980.

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