News From PCCA...
In Memoriam: Julian Perez Ortega
Julian Perez Ortega, born on March 5, 1974, in the province of Chiriqui in Panama, passed away on Thursday, August 2 at age 44. Julian moved to Wenatchee, Wash., at the age of ten, where he would 
ultimately graduate from high school and meet the love of his life, whom he would later marry and have three sons with.
Julian was the type of guy who made instant, personal connections with everyone he met. Not only did this mean that he made a lot of close friends, but he was also able to use this trait to move through the ranks of his employer, DCI, where making connections turned out to be a valuable asset. An immigrant who spoke very little English upon moving to the United States, Julian worked hard to excel in everything he did and ended up obtaining a nice piece of the American dream for himself and his family.
Storm Recovery Updates from Vermeer
From Tony Briggs, Vice President, Sales & Distribution and PCCA Board Member
PCCA Friends,
An EF3 tornado hit the Vermeer campus on July 19, which caused significant damage to several of our manufacturing and support facilities. I was personally with ~100 international customers in our Global Pavilion. Thank God that no one was seriously injured during the storm. The Vermeer team is quickly working to rebuild and return to full production in order to take care of your equipment and support needs. On behalf of my family I want to personally thank you for the phone calls, emails and text messages I received. The outpouring of support and genuine concern has been humbling. Kristin and I feel blessed to be a part of PCCA and the great people that make up the association.
God bless and see you in Bermuda,
Tony Briggs
PCCA Supports FCC Draft Order to Facilitate Broadband Deployment
NEWS RELEASE
Commission recognizes necessary role of broadband contractors
July 24, 2018
Alexandria, VA – On July 12, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took significant steps toward facilitating broadband deployment by releasing a draft report and order that would enact, among other things, a “one-touch make-ready” (OTMR) process for most third-party communications attachments to utility poles. The Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) supports the updated OTMR process, which would give new attachers seeking to access utility poles the choice to either use an approved contractor to perform all work necessary to prepare the pole for its facilities, known as “make-ready” work, or follow the current practice where each attacher performs the necessary make-ready work on its own facilities in a sequential process.
PCCA Prayers for Pella
The entire PCCA community is praying for our friends and fellow members affected by the devastating tornado that tore through Pella, Iowa, on Thursday July 19, directly hitting the manufacturing facilities of PCCA-member Vermeer Manufacturing. Several other PCCA members were onsite for a customer-appreciation event.
Vermeer's Jerry Beyer told PCCA that "the visiting customers and the Vermeer team are all OK."
Vermeer CEO Jason Andringa told a local television station that the company had drills in place for such an event and was glad that they were fully prepared. He said the company will certainly rebuild and "come back stronger than ever."
PCCA will provide more information, including where to send relief donations, as soon as it becomes available.
PCCA Announces 2018-2019 Scholarship Winners
During the 2018 PCCA Convention, the PCCA Education & Research Foundation announced the recipients of its 2018-2019 scholarships: Oscar Zapien Maynez of Norman, Okla., Garrett Vincent of Paoli, Ind., and Emma Syverson of Menomonee Falls, Wis. PCCA received 43 applications representing 15 member companies this year, and the winners were selected by a committee of PCCA past presidents.
2018 PCCA Contractor Survey Results
2018 PCCA Contractor Survey Results
PCCA emailed its 2018 PCCA Contractor Survey on February 9 and emailed a reminder on February 20. Fifty-six contractor members responded. Following are the survey results.
(Click on chart thumbnails to open a new window with full-size images.)
1. What trend in workload does your company see for the next 3, 5, and 7 years?
a. Up more than 10 percent
b. Up 5 percent
c. Neutral
d. Down 5 percent
e. Down more than 10 percent
PCCA contractors are very optimistic about their workload, especially in the near term. Nearly 93 percent see their workload increasing by 5 percent over the next three years, with two-thirds of those expecting increases of more than 10 percent. Over the next 5 years, 77 percent expect workload increases of more than 5 percent, with a third of those expecting increases of more than 10 percent. Nearly half (46.4 percent) of respondents replied "neutral" for their expected workload in 7 years, though an almost equal number (48.2 percent) expect gains of more than 5 percent.
PCCA 2018 Convention Review
73rd Convention Photos & Review
2018 Convention photos are now available in the Photo Gallery. (You don't need to login - they are available to all.)
Presentations - If you missed one of the education sessions, convention presentations are available in the Members Only area of this site. Look for the Education link after you've logged in.
