“Do it for Canada!”  

The cheer stuck with students from McMaster Engineering as they took the stage at the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) Student Competition in Austin, Texas this month. 

The pressure was on for the only Canadian team to make it to the MCAA finals — only one other team from Canada made it to the competition against 25 U.S. teams.  

But they not only rose to the occasion, they outperformed all the others, winning first place and a $10,000 (US) cash prize. 

The journey to MCAA was challenging at times for the six McMaster Mechanical Engineering students — Nour Abdallah, Erin Chillingworth, Michael Holden, Puisand Lai, Jared Montgomery and Ryan Neudorf — who formed their team in the fall.  

“None of us had any prior knowledge of mechanical contracting when we started the competition,” said Chillingworth, a final-year student and captain of the McMaster team.  

“But by the end of the experience, we were able to confidently present an 80-page bid for a mechanical contracting project on stage in front of hundreds of people, which made the intense periods of work and late nights worth it.” 

The bid for a real-world mechanical contracting project required a proposal for an HVAC system at a medical research facility tightly wedged into a research park in Manhattan.  

Each team created a mock company with values and safety protocols, detailing how they would implement and cost the system. 

MCAA judges noted they were very impressed with the McMaster students’ report and polished presentation, and their ability to respond confidently during the Q&A period.   

Team mentor Stephen Veldhuis, a mechanical engineering professor and director of the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute, agrees.  

“I was truly impressed watching them excel throughout the months-long process, culminating in a stellar showing on stage in Austin,” he said. “They should be tremendously proud of themselves.” 

In addition to the final presentation in Austin, the team’s experience included travel to Seattle and Niagara Falls to attend student conferences, where participants met fellow competitors and had ample networking opportunities with mechanical contracting companies eager to recruit new talent.  

They also toured industry sites, visiting the Rogers Centre to learn what kind of HVAC equipment is needed to keep 40,000 people comfortable during a game or concert. 

The Mechanical Contractors Association of Hamilton Niagara’s education committee also mentored the group, sharing industry-relevant advice and feedback as the students shaped their bid. 

The MCAA experience even led to a job opportunity for Chillingworth, who is preparing to wrap up her degree and begin a mechanical contracting job.  

“I hope other Mechanical Engineering students pursue this competition,” she says.  

“It’s full of opportunity.” 

The Mac Eng team will be gathering one last time to showcase their bid at the April 8 Capstone Expo on campus.