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April 2, 2009

INDUSTRY ACCESS*

ACTIVAR Construction Products Group Announces Opening of New Chicago Warehouse

The Activar Construction Product Group has opened a new, centrally-located warehouse, in the Chicago suburb of Wood Dale, IL – their 7th stocking location in the US. This facility will stock the most commonly-purchased sizes and models of Air Louvers and JL Industries products including: vision kits with glass, door louvers, fire extinguishers (inspected, tagged if required), fire extinguisher cabinets, access panels & roof hatches.

Any item in inventory will be shipped the next day, providing customers in UPS Ground Zone 2, including Milwaukee, Des Moines, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Louisville and Cincinnati - 2 day delivery. Stocking customers and distributors looking to streamline their inventory process or implement JIT, can take advantage of this new location by keeping minimum levels in their inventory.

Call 800-554-6077 or visit www.activarcpg.com for more information.

Click here for more Industry Access news including recent new hires, merger & acquisition activity and who's offering new products.

* DHI Members may submit news releases to be considered for inclusion in DHI's IndustryWatch. Send to: jmadden@dhi.org.

BUSINESS UPDATE

The U.S. Wood Window and Door Manufacturing Industry's revenue for the year 2008 was approximately $13.5 billion, reported Research and Markets. The industry also exported $266.5 million worth of merchandise to 109 countries. Full Story

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) announces the creation of a new classroom educational course addressing side-hinged doors and related performance standards. The course provides the history of AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440–05, Standard/Specification for windows, doors and unit skylights, including the document's key features, and how it should be applied. The course additionally details performance standards and specific product tests. Full Story

The construction materials price index for nonresidential buildings fell 0.7% in February, extending the decline since the September peak to 12.3%, according to Jim Haughey, PhD, BD+C Economist and Chief Economist of Reed Construction Data. Materials prices are back to the February 2008 level before the 14% jump in prices from March through September. The price index is expected to decline slowly for a few more months but be rising modestly again by the end of the year and rising more quickly next year, perhaps up 4-5% from the 2009 average. Full Story

CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) has released the new Texas CHPS (TX-CHPS) Criteria and the 2009 Edition of the California CHPS (CA-CHPS) Criteria for use. The two assessment tools create state-specific benchmark systems for the design and construction of high performance school buildings that are efficient, comfortable, environmentally responsible and healthy spaces for learning, reported Building Design & Construction. Full Story

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have signed a memorandum of understanding, pledging to work together to promote the design and construction of energy efficient and environmentally responsible buildings. Full Story

A new naval hospital for Camp Pendleton is among the largest construction projects being funded with the Pentagon's $7.4 billion share of the economic stimulus package. Congress has allotted $563 million to build the hospital and construction will begin next year, reported SignOnSanDiego.com. Full Story

SECURITY & SAFETY

The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities has published a number of new School Safety and Security publications, including Door Locking Options in Schools. View the full list of NCEF publications by clicking here.

While school safety awareness and preparedness has noticeably improved since the April 1999 attack at Columbine High School, that progress has stalled and slipped backwards in many school communities in recent years, says Kenneth S. Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based national firm specializing in school security and emergency preparedness training and consulting. Full Story

CR80News provides a case study on how Mount Holyoke College turned to wireless doors both to provide more security for its 2,100 female students, and to give some administrative relief to campus personnel. Full Story

Recently Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center's security department purchased and now operates IRIS scan technology to control access into some of the hospital's security sensitive areas, reported The Signal. Full Story

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

The members of the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) are addressing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation into whether regulatory or other action might be appropriate to protect against potential risks posed by formaldehyde emitted from certain pressed wood products. WDMA is concerned with the difficulty of meeting and managing a national program on formaldehyde, in a cost-effective manner, especially for products with limited risk. Full Story

Hidden in the details of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is a large fund of available grant money to help building safety departments increase training and staffing as long as there is some relationship to energy code enforcement, reported ICC eNews. Full Story

State-by-State Listing For State Stabilization Funds State Stabilization Projects Under Consideration

Reference this "shovel-ready" resource that lists projects identified in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors report.

The Mayors Report lists ten "sectors" in need of federal funds. Sectors are federal funding streams-government programs designed to award money to the states for a variety of infrastructure-related uses. Of particular importance to the openings industry is the "School" sector of this report that proposes to provide federal funds to modernize school buildings.

To access the listing, click here and click on specific project(s) identified in your state to read its description. You can also add feedback and discuss the project as to whether you believe it is critical or not. For more local perspective, drill down to projects by a particular city.

SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

Employee Free Choice Act

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) has publicly stated he will not vote in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act, otherwise known as the "union card-check" bill. In the previous Congress, he was a co-sponsor and the only Republican to support cloture on EFCA in 2007. Were he to support cloture again this year, he would be the 59th vote, leaving Democrats only one vote short of the 60 needed for success. But in announcing that he would vote against cloture, Senator Specter made it very clear that he would support amendments to the National Labor Relations Act, that compromise was still possible and that he might well reconsider his opposition to EFCA when the economy improves.

His willingness to reverse himself or support a compromise was made clear in his statement to Politico:"...America may be looking at a Senate which has 60 or more Democrats, and I think that behooves Republicans and the business community to try to resolve this."

COBRA

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) released four model notices employers need to inform former employees of the availability of a premium subsidy for COBRA health continuation coverage. The premium subsidy for certain former employees was enacted as part of the Stimulus Bill signed into law by the President on February 17, 2009. Each of the model notices is tailored to a specific set of circumstances.

To access DoL's press release on this topic, click here.

To access the model notices, go to the Employee Benefit Security Administration's (EBSA) dedicated web page. Under the "For Employers" heading, click on the "COBRA ARRA Model Notices" link.
Please note the availability of additional helpful information on this page as well.

Additionally, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has produced some guidance to employers on how to manage the subsidy offsets on their quarterly tax forms. For IRS' Q's and A's on the preparation of the form, click here.

DHI's Jerry Heppes sits on the board of the Small Business Legislative Council. If you'd like more information on these or other issues affecting small businesses, feel free to contact him at jheppes@dhi.org.

This material is protected under copyright law and contains confidential information. It is for the sole personal, informational use of The Door and Hardware Institute members. It cannot be distributed, reprinted, quoted, or otherwise made public.

DHI NEWS

Have You Made Your Plans For DHI's May MEGA School?
May 10th – 17th, 2009 in Lansdowne, VA

HOUSING DEADLINE: Friday, April 3, 2009

Housing reservations for the upcoming National Education session MUST be made before April 3, 2009 to receive the reduced housing rate at the National Conference Center. Click here for a complete list of courses, to register and reserve your room online.

Space is limited to make sure you secure your spot BEFORE CLASSES SELL OUT!

DHI FREE ONLINE Program - Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 2:00 PM EST
"LEED and Its Impact on Our Industry"
Presented by Stephen Farley, CSI, CDT
Marshfield DoorSystems, Inc.

LEED has come to the forefront as the primary green building rating system for commercial construction projects. Though there are many benefits to LEED, there is also much confusion about the rating system. This seminar will cover market trends for green building construction and the various LEED rating systems. It will also review estimating LEED specifications, choosing products, and required certifications for bidding LEED projects.

Join us for this informative session and see how LEED will impact you and your business.

Please note that you must load the VCE program onto your computer prior to the event. Click here and follow the prompts. If you have any questions please contact DHI directly at 703-222-2010.