If you are using a mobile device or are having trouble viewing this email click here

October 1, 2009

INDUSTRY ACCESS*

Underwriters Laboratories and Phoenix Fire Department to Host First, National Residential Fire Safety Symposium

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the Phoenix Fire Department will be hosting a first of its kind Residential Fire Safety Symposium at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, AZ on December 2nd and 3rd, 2009. The Symposium, titled "Designing Fire Safety into Residential Construction: Perspectives, Ideas, and Trends," will be available to people concerned with residential fire safety, including the general public, through UL University registration.

"UL has created this event to act as an inclusive and attractive platform to encourage builders, architects, fire service, realtors, insurers, and others to gather and learn together the various perspectives on residential fire safety," said Chris Hasbrook, Global Vice President for Building Materials and Life Safety & Security at UL.
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 Associated General Contractors of America unveiled a new plan designed to revive the nation's construction industry. The plan, "Build Now for the Future: A Blueprint for Economic Growth," is designed to reverse predictions that construction activity will continue to shrink through 2010, crippling broader economic growth. Full Story

Reed Construction Data offers some tips for estimating doors. Full Story

The August Producer Price Index for Wood Doors (flush & panel, interior & exterior) was up 0.3% from 2008 and the Other Wood Doors (Incl. garage, screen, storm, etc.) PPI was up 1.7% compared to a year earlier. Compared to July, the unadjusted August PPI was unchanged for both Wood Doors and for the Other Wood Doors category, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The PPI for Metal Doors, Sash & Trim was unchanged from July and down 1.1% from 2008. The PPI for Builders Hardware was down 4.1% from 2008 but up 0.8% from a month earlier. Click here to view the full August Producer Price Index report. (PDF file - Wood Door information is on page 16, Builders Hardware is on page 21 and Metal Door data is on page 22)

For the second straight year, less than 50% of distributors say they expect to grow online sales to customers, according to Industrial Distribution's 63rd Annual Survey of Distributor Operations. Forty-seven percent of distributors said they expect their web-based sales to grow this year while 51% said they expect it to say the same and 2% expect to see a decrease in online sales. Full Story

In the UK, volume timber fire door manufacturers are being hit hardest by the recession, while smaller companies are benefiting from flexibility and long-term relationships, according to a survey from Rigby Research. Full Story

CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN

Reed Construction Data has published new information on construction projects associated with the Federal Stimulus Package. Focused on GSA & education related initiatives, projects have been organized into 3 free bulletins covering NY, OH & US. Full Story

Construction spending is expected to fall 12% this year and another 4% next year before gaining strength in 2011, according to the latest forecast by economist Arminé Thompson at the IHS Global Insight offices in Washington. She projects that commercial construction will fall 28% this year since occupancy rates in commercial properties-office buildings, hotels and retail stores-are falling and rents continue to drop. Total manufacturing construction spending is forecast to fall by almost 42% in 2010 and an additional 12% in 2011 before recovering in 2012, reported Purchasing.com. Full Story

Jobsite spending on nonresidential building construction fell 1.1% in July after being stuck at the December level through June. Current spending is about 4% below the peak level last October. However, the value of starts has plunged sharply since peaking last August so the amount of work underway will continue to shrink. A 7% decline is expected from July to February or March, reported Reed Construction Data. Full Story

Washington officials broke ground on the future home of the Department of Homeland Security, symbolically starting construction on the biggest federal building project in the Washington area since the Pentagon 68 years ago. The project will bring together more than 15,000 employees now scattered in 35 offices in the region, placing them on a 176-acre campus strewn with historic buildings in a long-neglected corner of Washington, five miles from the Capitol building, reported CNN. Full Story

Reed Construction Data lists 20 of the largest upcoming medical and educational construction projects in the U.S. They are all in the planning stage and are mainly new projects, but may also involve additions and/or alterations. Full Story

The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) has completed 144 major construction projects, including 45 new schools. All told, the SDA has invested $5.293 billion in projects since January 2006, generating an estimated 45,800 jobs and creating approximately 45,000 new student seats, reported Newsroom New Jersey. Full Story

Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, OH is planning a $100 million expansion of its St. Ann's campus over the next three to five years, reported Business First of Columbus. Full Story

Tennessee's school bond authority has approved more than $180 million in construction projects as part of a program created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, reported WREG.com. Full Story

SECURITY & SAFETY

A recent article on SecurityInfoWatch.com provides information to fire alarm designers, code officials, and school personnel about the basic requirements for school fire alarm systems, as well as the various design approaches for complying with the applicable codes and meeting the different fire safety needs of schools. Full Story

Nearly two years after the Yale College Council first proposed the measure, the administration has begun to install locks on bedroom doors in residential colleges. In an effort to increase security within the colleges, Yale Facilities installed locks on nearly 389 doors in Berkeley College, Silliman College and Arnold Hall this summer, reported Yale Daily News. Full Story

Members of the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association have voted overwhelmingly to change the name of the 61-year-old organization to the Electronic Security Association, reported Security System News. Full Story

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Revisiting efforts to funnel federal funds into school construction, the House has approved a measure that would authorize more than $6.5 billion for K-12 public school and community-college projects. The provision is part of a bill, which the House passed on Sept. 17, that would expand the federal loan program for college students and curtail private lending. The measure would authorize $2.02 billion annually for fiscal 2010 and 2011 for modernization, renovation or repair of K-12 public schools. Another $2.5 billion would be available for new construction or modernization of community colleges, starting in fiscal 2011, reported Architectural Record. Full Story

With news from Capitol Hill that the "card-check" provision has been dropped from the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), employers need to be concerned that passage of the controversial pro-union legislation is now more likely than ever. In exchange for dropping card checks, EFCA backers gained three incredibly powerful proposals that will dramatically increase union ability to win elections -- Quick elections in five to 10 days, Union access to employers' property, No "captive audience" speeches, reported Business Management Daily. Full Story

New York has joined the growing ranks of state and local governments in the U.S. to require that new state buildings and major renovations of existing structures conform to green building principles. New York Governor David A. Paterson's recent signature on the State Green Building Construction Act means that as of August 27, 2010, construction of new state buildings and overhauls of existing ones must meet the as-yet-to-be established guidelines, reported GreenerBuildings.com. Full Story

A federal judge rejected a legal challenge to a new rule that requires federal contractors to use the E-Verify system to check employees' eligibility to work in the U.S. As a result, the new rule went into effect Sept. 8. Companies that receive contracts worth $100,000 or more will have to use E-Verify, a web-based system that compares Social Security numbers and visa numbers submitted by employees with government records. The rule applies to most subcontractors as well. The new requirement applies to existing employees who are working on federal contracts as well as new hires — something the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hopes to convince Congress to change, reported the Atlanta Business Journal. Full Story

SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

Health Care Reform

The Senate Finance Committee continues its mark up of its version of comprehensive health care reform. The debate certainly has been an interesting one. What is striking about the massive nature of the reform is that it is a bunch of "moving parts." If this "thing" passes, the unintended consequences are going to dwarf the stated purposes. There are many assumptions about employer and employee behavior, ranging from the belief that if you offer small businesses affordable access to health care they will "buy-in," to the way "larger" small employers and their employees will react to the "play or pay" requirement.

Until a system is up and running and small businesses are dealing with "hard" numbers, we will not know what shape the system will take. Passage now requires a leap of faith.

Form 1099

This week, the Senate Finance Committee will move to consideration of the "financing" provisions, including the proposal to require all businesses to issue a Form 1099 to everyone of their vendors. So far, much to our alarm, we have not seen or heard any member of the Finance Committee speak out against the proposal. We are hoping someone will this week.

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 NEWS

Your Foundation & the Fire Marshal Community "The Ultimate Partnership"

To help kick off the two days of activities at this year's forum and conference in Orlando, over 60 fire officials packed into a meeting room to hear the Foundation's session on "Field Inspection of Swinging Fire Doors.' This course is designed to educate fire officials about the basic requirements when approving inspecting fire doors in accordance with NFPA 80.

"It's the ultimate partnership," said Danny McAvoy, the Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal for Osceola County. "The people giving this course are the experts on fire doors and they are exactly who we want to hear from." Other attendees were equally pleased with the quality of the course and the instructors. "You don't ever see classes like this," complained Kerry Barnett, a field inspector from Zephyrhills, FL. "We go to a lot of classes that have a lot of fluff, but this course is just packed full of the kind of detailed information we need that clarifies the codes and helps us do our jobs."

Helping to make this class possible through their sponsorship was:

ASSA ABLOY
Door and Hardware Systems, Inc.
Hager Companies
Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies
Mohawk Flush Doors
Securitech
VT Industries

The Foundation would also like to thank the instructors: Steve Hornyak, DAHC, CDT, Richard Barnhard, DAHC/CDC, FDHI and Robert Johnson, DAHC/CDC. Without their willingness to volunteer their time, it would be difficult to fill a room full fire officials to hear about fire doors.

DHI NEWS

Next VCE session is scheduled for:
Tuesday, October 20th 2:00pm
Bruce Larson - Identify and Understand The New Leed V3 (2009)

Beginning in May of 2009, USGBC introduced revisions to the four existing LEED Rating systems; NC,CI,CS and Schools. This class will compare and contrast the changes from the five LEED Versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 for wood doors to help simplify the bidding process, and help sort out what will be a total of (9) LEED programs. Click here for more information.

Save The Date

We hope you enjoyed the 34th Annual Conference & Exposition! Check your email for a survey from Jerry Heppes, DHI's CEO. Your feedback is important!

Mark your calendars for next year's show, the industry's foremost event for life safety and security. Check back for more information as it becomes available!

National School
September 14-21, 2010
Palmer House Hilton Hotel
Chicago, IL

Conference & Expo
September 22 & 23, 2010
Navy Pier
Chicago, IL