Government Affairs

U.S. agencies may require contractors on public construction projects to negotiate with labor unions under a rule issued by the Obama administration. The rule that takes effect next month lets the government make so-called project labor agreements a requirement for contractors on U.S.-financed construction jobs that exceed $25 million, reported The San Francisco Chronicle. Full Story

For months, few concrete details have emerged about the Obama administration's controversial, but as yet unannounced High Road contracting policy, which would allow agencies to favor labor-friendly firms when evaluating bid proposals. But documents obtained by Government Executive could shed some light on the proposed initiative. One document, dated June 25, 2009, states positive weight in the source selection process would be given to bidders based on the labor standards for their workforce. The criteria would include whether the bidder pays a livable wage, provides "quality, affordable health insurance," an employer-funded retirement plan and paid sick leave. Other factors would include the company's record in complying with tax and labor laws, reported GovernmentExecutive.com. Full Story

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is on target to implement the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule on April 22 and announced it expects more than 125,000 renovation and remodeling contractors to be trained in lead-safe work practices by the effective date for the rule requiring such training, reported Window & Door. Full Story The calls to delay implementation of the new rules have not ended, however. Citing a need for more trainers and a faster certification process, inaccurate test kits and a lack of preparedness on the part of the EPA, the National Association of Home Builders has petitioned EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson to delay the new lead rule. Full Story

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) renewed their call on Congress to support increasing the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction from $1.80 per square foot to $3 per square foot in order to help stimulate immediate job creation. More than 80 organizations in the manufacturing, construction and environmental arenas have now co-signed a letter to Congressional members asking for an increase in this particular tax deduction. Full Story

Initial enforcement of the amended Lacey Act took affect Apr. 1 for basic information transparency requirements including guitars, revolvers, hand tools, pool cues and certain types of furniture. The U.S. Lacey Act, amended in May 2008, makes it a federal crime to trade in illegal wood products. Under a phased-in process, many sectors also have to declare the scientific name and the country of harvest for any plant constituents of their imported products. Other wood product sectors, including those importing sawn timber, flooring, and joinery have been declaring this information to the U.S. government for nearly a year, reported Woodworking Network. Full Story

On March 30 both chambers of the Kansas legislature passed S.B. 377, which would cap retainage at 5% for properly performing contractors and subcontractors, and allow contractors and subcontractors to provide a retainage bond, an irrevocable bank letter of credit, certificate of deposit, cash bond or other type of asset or security in lieu of retainage. The bill also includes provisions that would reconcile the laws for private and public retainage, including requiring retainage to be released within 30 days of substantial completion as part of the regular payment cycle, and allow for the early release of retainage to early-finishing subcontractors, reported the American Subcontractors Association. For more information click here.

In Florida, local governments would have to pay construction contractors within about three weeks of getting an invoice, according to a bill working its way through the state Legislature. State law currently calls for governments to pay for construction and other services "in a timely manner." The proposal from state Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando, calls for taxing authorities to pay within 20 to 25 days of receiving an invoice, reported The Orlando Sentinel. Full Story

Montana adopted an updated statewide energy code that requires all new houses meet requirements that lead to better energy efficiency. The state will now abide by the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code, reported KPAX.com. Full Story

Gorell Windows & Doors, the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer, is expanding its sales territory to include Colorado. The area, with its extreme climate conditions, will be an ideal market for the company's energy-efficient products because of their exceptional thermal performance and longevity, reported Window & Door. Full Story

Stock Building Supply, Raleigh, NC, has completed the acquisition of assets from National Home Centers Inc., a supplier of building materials in Arkansas, reported Modern Distribution Management. Full Story

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

This year, real-estate investment trusts, or REITs, are expected to start close to $1 billion in new multifamily projects, according to real-estate research firm Green Street Advisors. While that still is less than average, it is a significant increase over the $100 million of development starts in 2009, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story

February 2010 sales of wholesaler-distributors were $338.7 million, up 0.8% from January and up 9.8% from February 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Full Story (PDF file)

How quickly an improving economy generates demand for construction in different regions of the country depends on how much slack, unused capital and labor, each region has. Reed Construction Data published a table which measures the slack in each state by the change in nominal personal income from summer 2008 to the end of 2009. Summer 2008 was just prior to the financial crisis that set off a long deep recession. By the end of last year, 15 states and the District of Columbia had recovered their recession losses in personal income. Full Story

Gov. David Paterson was suspending hundreds of current and new construction projects paid for with state funds because of New York's fiscal crisis and the lack of a 2010-11 budget. Paterson administration officials told The Associated Press that all projects not paid for by federal economic stimulus funds will be delayed until the Legislature and the governor agree on a budget or emergency funding. The extraordinary order also told contractors on existing projects that the state won't fund any work after the start of the new fiscal year until there's a budget or emergency funds, reported CBSTV.com. Full Story

As commercial real estate development nearly comes to a halt in the economic downturn, some well-capitalized investors are focusing instead on sprucing up existing properties. The process has various names: retrofitting, renovating, repurposing, even repositioning. But the underlying idea is to wring out more value at a time when rents will not support new construction, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full Story

New Jersey's $12.5 billion school- construction program will continue under Governor Chris Christie's administration, the chief executive officer of the authority that oversees the projects said, according to Business Week. Full Story

Marriott International plans to grow its portfolio of eco-friendly properties to a total of 300 LEED-certified hotels in the next five years, reported GreenerBuildings.com. Full Story

Jail construction in Oklahoma is booming. There are 11 county jails in some stage of construction or planning across the state, reported The Oklahoman. Full Story

The next fate of the rules to be included in the 2012 edition of the IBC/IFC codes is being decided now. Proposals have all been submitted, the public was provided time to comment on the proposals and the ICC placed these public proposals and comments on their Web site (www.iccsafe.org) for all to download and read, reported SecurityInfoWatch.com. Full Story

Experimenting on a university dormitory that was scheduled to be torn down, fire researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated that the correct combination of automatic fire sprinkler systems, smoke alarms and closed doors provided enough time and safe conditions for residents to escape safely and for firefighters to perform their job without undue hazard, according to NIST, reported Facilitiesnet. Full Story

Patent Reform

There has been an effort under way to overhaul the patent system for at least two Congresses. There appears to be momentum in the Senate on a compromise so the issue could see some floor time soon. Two decades ago there was a clear small business position on patent policy. While some say it remains true today, I am less certain that it is true. The current reform effort pits certain types of big businesses against other big businesses and has a lot to do with how damages are calculated and the ability of businesses to challenge patents after they have been granted. The bill would also change the U.S. system from "first to invent" to "first to file." Most of the world uses the "first to file" rule. The advantage of "first to file" is that it adds certainty.  There is no protracted dispute about who thought of it first, if the "first to file" system is used.  Nevertheless, if there is one aspect of the legislation that probably puts small business at a disadvantage, it is that change.  If you have a stable of patent lawyers in-house, getting to the patent office is a matter of routine.  However, looking at other aspects of the bill, the legislation might eliminate some of the "gotcha" type patent infringement letters that many small businesses receive, and so it is not an easy call as to whether passage would be a plus or minus for small business.

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 DHI members. It cannot be distributed, reprinted, referenced as a source for attribution, or otherwise made public.

Foundation Announces New Delivery Method for Fire Door Training Program
Individuals, approved by the Foundation, will now be able to lead the efforts to bring fire door training to local fire, building code and healthcare officials, facility engineers and other interested parties.

What the Foundation has been doing on a national level can now be done in greater numbers by qualified individuals - at the local level. The Foundation Board of Trustees approved this new delivery method this past weekend and final details are being worked out. Please look for further information over the next several weeks or email/call Bill Johnson (Phone: 703.766.7039 or bjohnson@dhi.org) for more information about qualifications for instructors and pricing of the course material.

New York Healthcare Officials Request Follow-up Training
Last October, the Foundation held a fire door training session for healthcare facility engineers in Cobleskill, NY (about an hour west of Albany). Because of the Foundation class, additional items were added to the inspections already being performed by facility engineers at hospitals in the Albany area. Tens of thousands of dollars were recently spent on upgrades to fire doors in these hospitals.

A hospital decision-maker in the October class also recently requested another training session for another twenty of his healthcare facility engineers. This class is scheduled to take place before the end of June.

Foundation to Work with Joint Commission (JCAHO)
The Foundation has been invited to provide fire door training at the Joint Commission's, once a year educational sessions, for all of their field engineers. Life Safety Surveyors – those tasked with the inspections of hospitals across the country, will be the primary attendees for this training session. This Foundation led course will provide additional training for the Joint Commission’s life safety team as to what to focus on while inspecting fire rated openings in health care facilities across the country. A better understanding of what to look for as it pertains to the rated opening will only increase the awareness and enforcement of properly maintained fire rated doors in hospitals and health care facilities across the country.

The Joint Commission has been accrediting hospitals for more than 50 years and this presents a wonderful opportunity for both the Joint Commission and the Foundation to work together on the important aspects of fire door safety.   

Fire Door Training Program Continues to Influence Decision Makers
Over the last couple of months, fire door awareness training programs have taken place in the St. Louis area, Orlando and Somerset County, NJ. We know these programs are having a positive effect on decision makers because of our recent follow-up on the effectiveness of this program.

In both the St. Louis and Orlando area, where NFPA 80 2007 has not yet been adopted, inspections – based on information presented in the Foundation's training class – are being implemented at some level. St. Louis area distributors have received numerous calls from building code and fire officials looking for guidance – a direct result of the Foundation's efforts. Quotes from the Florida training class which was attended by long-term health care officials:

• "We are already out implementing what we were taught in your class"
• "This was a highly successful class. Instructors kept students active and engaged"
• "Best class we have had in 12 years"

Fire Door Classes Held in Las Vegas
Over 150 individuals representing hotels and casinos, the insurance and risk management industry, and building and fire officials from Clark County attended two sessions over two days to hear about fire door inspections and what steps they can take now to begin to implement an inspection program. (The event was taking place as this newsletter was being finalized. Follow-up information will be provided in the next IW or visit www.doorsecuritysafety.org for recent news items.)

Please Consider 48 Cents a Week to Help the Foundation's Work to Continue
In these challenging economic times for the door and hardware industry, please consider contributing 48 cents a week to help the Foundation continue its work. A contribution of $25 a year averages out to about 48 cents a week.

The majority of what the Foundation does is funded by the generous support of DHI member companies and individuals like you – apart from the yearly fees and dues that are paid to DHI. The Foundation operates under its own budget without any type of membership dues since we are considered a charitable organization.

If every DHI member were able to pledge $25 above and beyond their normal DHI dues, the Foundation will be able to continue the good work it has started.

Having just concluded our Foundation Board meeting this past weekend and reviewing the things that the Foundation has accomplished and the things that we hope to continue to accomplish - with the momentum that has been built – the board hopes that you will give strong consideration by joining each of them in providing some level of financial support to the Foundation.

You can visit the Foundation’s website to:
Donate online by clicking here.
Donate using email (or snail mail) by clicking here.
or call Bill Johnson directly at 703.766.7039 to have him answer any questions or to make a verbal pledge commitment.

Thank you for your consideration of support and for your commitment to the Foundation.

REGISTRATION CLOSES FRIDAY, APRIL 16th for the DHI Spring 2010 National School
April 25 -May 2, 2010
National Conference Center * Landsdowne, VA (short drive from Washington, DC. Close to IAD and DCA airports)

Open More Doors in 2010...Advance Your Career Through Industry Education!
NOTE: *EHC classes will ONLY be offered at the Spring School this year*

Click here to download Schedule & Registration Information OR Register Online

Housing Reservations: please call the National Conference Center directly at 703-729-8000

DHI Webinar Series - Keeping You Current: "Become a Certified Fire Door Assembly Inspector"
Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 2:00PM EST
Presented by:  Keith E. Pardoe  DAHC/CDC, CDT
 
Inspections of fire door assemblies are beginning to occur more frequently across the country as new editions of building, fire, and life safety codes are being adopted.  Other organizations are recognizing the opportunities these safety inspections create and they are in the process of developing their own programs for inspections of fire door assemblies.  Our industry is the most knowledgeable and is naturally positioned to be the leader in the inspections of fire door assemblies.  Do not let this opportunity become the mainstay of another industry! Become a part of this growing future and stay up-to-date with the evolving changes in the fire door assembly inspection program!
 
The lean economic times we are experiencing force companies and individuals to look for opportunities to grow new revenue streams. The business of maintaining compliance with building, fire, and life safety codes is nearly recession-proof. Sooner or later, these lean economic times will lead to the return of more robust and prosperous times.  This is the time to prepare for the future!  Become an Intertek Certified Fire Door Inspector and take your place as an industry leader NOW! For more information click here.

DHI Now Offers Computer-based AHC and CDC Exams

The Board of Certification (BOC) has decided to allow the use of a computer for portions of the AHC and CDC certification exams.  Their decision is in response to requests to use software for typing the hardware schedules and hardware specifications for the AHC exam, and door and frame specifications for the CDC exam.  Requests for exams will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Computer-based exams are available by appointment at the DHI office in Chantilly, VA.  For more information, contact Greg Drake, AHC or Keith Pardoe, DAHC/CDC.

DHI Membership Affords You a Number of Networking Opportunities

LINKEDIN
Engage in pertinent discussions on timely subjects. Connect with other Openings Professionals. Become actively involved in advancing your Industry. Click here to join DHI's Group on LinkedIn.

FACEBOOK
Reconnect with old friends, colleagues, and co-workers. Click here to join us at DHI Member.

See who's attending DHI's Spring 2010 National School - Click here