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On June 18, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the delay of enforcement of the new Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) regulations that had been put into effect on April 22, 2010. The delays, as stated in a June 18 EPA memo are: • Until October 1, 2010, EPA will not take enforcement action for violations of the RRP Rule's firm certification requirement. (It should be noted, however, that only the certification requirement is delayed and that failing to follow safe work processes will trigger a violation). • For violations of the RRP Rule's renovation worker certification requirement, EPA will not enforce against individual renovation workers if the person has applied to enroll in, or has enrolled in, by not later than September 30, 2010, a certified renovator class to train contractors in practices necessary for compliance with the final rules. Renovators must complete the training by December 31, 2010. Full Story To read the EPA memo click here. In a related story, a Window & Door Dealer Alliance survey indicates that new Environmental Protection Agency rules covering renovations in homes with lead paint are having a significant negative impact. More than 70% of the 100-plus respondents to date say their company has lost business since the Renovation, Repair and Painting rule went into effect in April, reported Window & Door. Full Story The Senate approved the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act (S. 1660). The bill directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products under the Toxic Substances Control Act, imposes key provisions of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) rule at the federal level, and gives the federal government authority to regulate formaldehyde in both domestic and imported wood products, reported Door & Window Manufacturer. Full Story An effort to crack down on illegal immigrant workers who are getting jobs in the construction industry in Pennsylvania, often at low wages and without benefits, picked up key support from two Republican senators. Sens. Chuck McIlhinney, of Bucks, and Kim Ward, of Westmoreland, are supporting two bills introduced by another Bucks legislator, Democratic Rep. John Galloway, and overwhelmingly approved by the House. House Bills 1502 and 1503 would require building contractors and subcontractors to verify their workers' identities using an online database called E-Verify run by the Department of Homeland Security. Failure to make sure that the immigrants haven't come here illegally would mean a contractor couldn't bid on state contracts and could lose their state-issued construction license and thus the ability to bid on private contracts, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Full Story Industry Access Interlock USA, a window and door hardware supplier based in Reno, NV, has expanded its product line by forming a strategic partnership with Dr. Hahn, a German manufacturer of hinges for metal and vinyl doors. The Dr. Hahn product line is best known for its modern design, reported Window & Door. Full Story Stanley Security Solutions Inc. announced the commercial release of UltraShield antimicrobial protected door hardware. The Stanley Security Solutions UltraShield finish inhibits the growth of bacteria and other microbes on the surface of the hardware, reported Professional Door Dealer. 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 Business Update
The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has formed an alliance with 10 other organizations to strengthen industry opposition to the use of illegally harvested wood. The Forest Legality Alliance (FLA) is designed to help retailers, importers, distributors, and other supply chain participants comply with trade policies that prohibit the use of unlawfully harvested wood, RILA said. Alliance members include industry associations, financial institutions, and other organizations with a stake in forest product supply chains, reported DC Velocity . Full Story The U.S. Conference of Mayors is backing a mandatory "green" construction code that would slash the negative effects of commercial buildings on the natural environment, reported the New York Times on the Web. The International Green Construction Code includes energy, water, air-quality and safety benchmarks that states and cities may adopt as mandatory provisions for commercial buildings. The green code, which is amid a public-comment period and slated for release in November, would join the Washington, DC-based ICC's family of plumbing, mechanical and residential building codes. Full Story The prolonged economic downturn in the housing market, coupled with growing concerns about rising utility costs has resulted in greater interest in smaller homes and lot sizes. Accessibility within the home continues to be a concern, especially for an aging population, and there is an increasing demand for more flexible design and informal space within homes. Business conditions for residential architects are beginning to indicate improving conditions with the first quarterly increase in billings since mid-2007, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey that focused specifically on overall home layout and use in the first quarter of 2010. Full Story The Second Quarter 2010 Turner Building Cost Index continues to show declining costs in the non-residential building construction market in the U.S. The Index is forecasting a decrease in construction costs of 0.13% from the First Quarter 2010 and a decrease of 4.66% from the Second Quarter 2009. Since its peak at the end of 2008, construction costs have fallen by 13.16%. The Turner Building Cost Index value for Second Quarter of 2010 is 798, the index's lowest level since the Third Quarter of 2006. Full Story Canadian contractors need to be aware of the risk factors associated with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, reported Daily Commercial News. "The primary risk factor arises out of the fact that LEED certification is issued by a third party and a contractor may have little or no ability to manage that risk," said Geza Banfai, a partner in Heenan Blaikie's Infrastructure and Construction Litigation practice group. Full Story April 2010 sales of merchant wholesalers, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $351.1 billion, up 0.7% from the revised March level and were up 16.3% from the April 2009 level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Full Story (PDF file) After three straight months of improving conditions, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) fell nearly three points. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the May ABI rating was 45.8, down substantially from a reading of 48.4 the previous month. This score reflects a continued decline in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings), and comes on the heels of the highest score since January 2008 when revenue at architecture firms headed into recession. The new projects inquiry index was 55.5. Full Story The May Producer Price Index for Wood Doors (flush & panel, interior & exterior) was down 1.0% from 2009 and the Other Wood Doors (Incl. garage, screen, storm, etc.) PPI was down 2.7% compared to a year earlier. Compared to April, the unadjusted May PPI was unchanged for Wood Doors, but down 0.9% for Other Doors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The PPI for Metal Doors, Sash & Trim was up 0.3% from April, but was down 1.0% from 2009. The PPI for Builders Hardware was up 3.6% from 2009 and up 1.2% from a month earlier. Click here to view the full May Producer Price Index report. (PDF file - Wood Door information is on page 16, Builders Hardware and Metal Door data are on page 22) Construction & Design The Environmental Protection Agency has a useful section on their website, Energy Smart Schools that covers nearly every aspect of high performance schools, from financing options to design guides produced in collaboration with ASHRAE, IESNA, and the U.S. Green Building Council. Click here to visit the site. Reed Construction Data lists 20 of the largest upcoming construction projects in the South and Northeast. They are all in the planning stage and are mainly new projects, but may also involve additions and/or alterations. Full Story Fairfax County, VA officials approved a landmark proposal to allow the transformation of Tysons Corner from a sprawling, auto-dependent office park into vibrant, walkable city. The proposal permits Tysons to become a city of office and residential towers with sidewalk cafes, boutiques and manicured courtyards. It also calls for energy-efficient buildings, affordable housing, park space and a new street grid to filter local traffic, reported The Washington Post. Full Story In Canada, the 5.4% increase in total building permits in April was well above the market expectation (-2.0%), due in part to a surge in institutional construction spending intentions. But a closer look at the type of permits issued over the past few months indicates that the composition of construction investment appears to be changing. Consistent with what has happened in previous recoveries, residential construction, although still strong, is losing some of its momentum. At the same time, non-residential building appears to be gaining strength, reported Reed Construction Data. Full Story The American Institute of Architects has unveiled a new tool that generates a report on predicted energy use and project modeling. "This tool is a valuable resource for architecture firms and will be used on their entire portfolio, not just for projects seeking green building certification," said AIA President, George H. Miller, FAIA. "The tool was specifically developed to be simple to use and to be used by firms of all sizes on a variety of building types, large and small." Full Story A new study shows how hospitals, which account for 4% of all energy consumed in the U.S., can achieve a 60% reduction in energy utility use by redesigning the way they use energy. A newly constructed, code-compliant hospital can expect to save around $730,000 a year, according to the study, titled, Targeting 100! Envisioning the high performance hospital: implications for a new, low energy, high performance prototype. Full Story To view a fact sheet from the study, click here. Security & Safety In the aftermath of the 2007 shooting deaths at Virginia Tech the university has made numerous improvements to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. Among them, entrance and exit hardware have been changed so that doors to classrooms and teaching labs cannot be chained or barricaded. All classrooms and teaching labs now can be secured from the inside. At Virginia Tech's 44 student housing facilities, all exterior doors are locked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and residents and authorized personnel must use swipe cards to gain access, reported American School & University. Full Story Small Business Lending Fund The House passed H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) Act of 2010, on June17, 2010 by a 241-182 margin. The bill has been combined with a small business tax relief bill, H.R. 5486, which the House has also passed. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has said he hopes to bring the combined bill to the floor as soon as possible. The new bill will travel to the Senate as H.R. 5297 but with a new title, the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010. H.R. 5297 would establish a $30 billion fund to boost lending to small businesses. Under the proposal, the SBLF would support lending among community and smaller banks with assets under $10 billion. The bill would allow eligible institutions with assets of $1 billion or less to apply for a capital investment from the Fund of up to 5% of risk-weighted assets. It would allow eligible institutions with assets of between $1 billion and $10 billion to apply for a capital investment from the Fund of up to 3% of risk-weighted assets. The new program would provide an incentive for smaller banks to increase small business lending – as their lending increases, the dividend rate or interest rate payable to Treasury gets reduced, to as low as 1% for banks that increase lending by 10% from a baseline set in 2009. Small Business Borrower Assistance Program The House approved an amendment to H.R. 5297, offered by Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR), creating a Small Business Borrower Assistance Program (SBBAP). Under the SBBAP, small businesses that obtain a SBA 7(a) loan (except revolving credit line loans) in the amount of $300,000 or less will receive a reserve equal to 6% of their small business loan principal "to help them make payments through the ups and downs of a cash flow cycle." according to Representative Schrader. Small businesses will automatically be enrolled in the SBBAP if eligible, unless the business specifically requests otherwise. In order to qualify, borrowers must obtain a qualifying loan within one year after the SBA issues final regulations for the program. The borrower would request payments to be made as needed and the payments made by the SBA under the program shall only be made to the lender or servicer of a qualifying small business loan to be applied against outstanding principal or interest, and may not be made to the borrower. As noted above, H.R. 5486, as passed by the House, would mitigate the tax consequences of receiving such assistance. And, as also noted, H.R. 5486 has now been rolled into H.R. 5297. 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. It’s back!! After a two year hiatus, we hope that you are ready to join us once again for the Annual Foundation Golf Tournament. Dust off your golf clubs and join us on Tuesday, September 21st for the 14th Annual Foundation Golf Tournament. Click here for details. Fire Door Task Forces Created The Foundation announces the creation of industry task forces, by region, to coincide with the adoption of the fire door inspection program in states such as California, New York and Pennsylvania. These task forces are responsible for helping to advance awareness and enforcement of the mandates at the local level (fire service and code officials, building and facilities management) by providing training solutions to coincide with the adoption of NFPA 80. Adoption means very little if not enforced. Learn more about Foundation events and activities to advance life safety...
FREE Webinar: The Door Security & Safety Foundation's Local Champion Campaign Tuesday, June 29th at 1:00 pm (EST) REMINDER to join us for this free, 60-minute overview of the Foundation's new Local Champion Campaign. Click here for more information and webinar log-in details... DHI News DHI Announces Slate for 2010-2011 Board of Governor Elections: ► Mark J. Berger Election of Governors: A nominating committee, created in accordance with policies and procedures established and approved by the Board (the "Nominating Committee"), shall nominate persons who meet the qualifications, established from time to time by the Board, for election as a Governor, and shall notify the Chief Executive Officer of the slate of nominees by June 1 in each year. The Chief Executive Officer shall immediately notify the voting members of the Association of the slate of candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee. By July 1 in each year, five percent (5%) of the voting members may file, in writing, with the Chief Executive Officer the names of additional nominees for the positions of Governor. Contact Mr. Heppes at: JHeppes@dhi.org DHI SUSTAINABILITY…DHI's 35th Annual Conference & Exposition Doors and Hardware Impact Sustainability REGISTER NOW FOR THE BIGGEST SAVINGS! ● FULL CONFERENCE PACKAGES AS LOW AS $150*!!! Download a registration form and fax to 703/222-2410. * Members only rate. Price for non-members is $250. Offer non-refundable and valid only through July 30th, 2010. Are you a Distributor? Do you have a talent for writing? Share Your Point of View, Your Experience, Your Two Cents—Write for Doors & Hardware! As experts in the openings industry and its operations, DHI relies on people like you to suggest and write articles on the day-to-day situations and external influences impacting our members. From insight on the impact of code changes, to consolidation, to sustainability and the current state of the openings industry, we need your perspective! If you are interested in becoming a paid writer (honorariums awarded for each submission published) for Doors & Hardware, please contact editor, Jesse Madden, at 703-766-7033 or email: jmadden@dhi.org Whether you write one article or 20, your voice can make a difference in our industry! Make yourself heard. You have the Industry expertise. We have the readers. SHARE your knowledge with others. FUNDAMENTALS OF ARCHITECTURAL DOORS AND HARDWARE — Self-Study Course (SSC100) This CD-based self-study course is a complete in-house training program providing a comprehensive introduction to industry products and their applications. It's a cost-effective solution for on-going training needs. Learn to answer basic questions about industry products and applications; read and interpret blueprints, hardware schedules and specifications; recommend appropriate hardware; and improve job site service and troubleshooting. Who Should Order This Course?
$345 DHI member price. Click here to order.
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