Final Day of BEC Wraps; Four-time Super Bowl Winner Delivers Keynote

The Super Bowl may have come and gone this year, but those attending the third and final day of GANA's BEC Conference yesterday got a few personal play-by-plays from keynote speaker Rocky Bleier. Bleier played for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they won four Super Bowls, but was also crippled after combat duty in Vietnam. Doctors told him he would never play for the NFL again, but not to worry, he would still have a "normal" life. Bleirer beat the odds and now travels the country with his motivational address, encouraging everyone to be the best that they can be.

Bleier, who stands only 5'9 ½" tall, tells the tale of how he had only been with the Steelers a season when he received his letter from Uncle Sam. In Vietnam, Bleier's legs were wounded twice on the same day. He overcame obstacles, though, fighting back, proving himself and playing with Steelers, going on to win four Super Bowl titles.
"Life's battles won't always go to the stronger or faster man," he tells his audience, "but sooner or later, the one who wins is the one who thinks he can."

Two other speakers took the stage yesterday as well. A.A. "Sak" Sakhnovsky with Construction Research Laboratory in Miami gave a presentation on curtainwall testing. He showed examples of many different job types and mock-testing images. He explained that testing is essential to ensure the building will meet the requirements of different specifications and codes. He also talked about the development of different testing standards and specifications.

Richard D. Kalson, Esq. Of Thorp Reed & Armstrong also spoke and focused on claims preservation and mitigation. He stressed the importance of contracts for glazing contractors and how it's critical that they understand and are aware of all of the clauses that are in them. Two of the most crucial are pay-if-paid and pay-when-paid clauses. When at all possible, he advised, see that the contract has pay-when-paid over pay-if-paid; this way payment to the glazing contractor becomes an element of timing.

"Negotiate out any provision that creates a pay-if-paid clause," Kalson said.

Next year, the BEC Conference will take place February 18-20 at the Rio All-Suite Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.