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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
WMA MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Now Available for 2017 – WMA News Brief Sponsorship Opportunities
The WMA News Brief is a highly visible marketing tool available to WMA members to reach top executives and key decision makers in the millwork industry. This unique opportunity presents a great marketing channel for you to achieve your marketing objectives and grow your business in 2017. Build Brand Identity, Promote Your Products & Services, & Connect with Millwork Industry Professionals! Contact Brian Welsh to learn more.
WMA Year End Reminders
- Submit your WMA Membership Dues by January 1, 2017.
- Update your WMA Membership profile through the Membership Portal
- Submit your Company News to Mail@worldmillworkalliance.com
- Save the Date – WMA Annual Convention & Trade Show, October 7 – 11, 2017 in Charlotte, NC.
- Submit your New Products to Mail@worldmillworkalliance.com
- Gain more exposure for your company in 2017. Contact WMA about new sponsorship opportunities.
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION EDUCATION
2017 University of Innovative Distribution
Registration Fee to Increase January 11, 2017
Providing Wholesale Distribution Education
When: March 5-8, 2017
Where: JW Marriott Indianapolis Hotel – Indianapolis, Indiana
WMA members receive $1000 savings on registration.
To view the course listing CLICK HERE!
LIMITED ENROLLMENT, REGISTER TODAY!
2017 Program Offers 3 New Courses! The 2017 UID program features 43 outstanding courses to select from including three new sessions presented by phenomenal speakers. Click the article to learn more about the sessions and the instructors presenting them. Details >
CODES AND STANDARDS NEWS
The Trump Presidency’s Impact on Energy Codes; Is there One?
Ryan Meres, Senior Code Compliance Specialist for the Institute for Market Transformation, considers what impact, if any, there might be on the strides made in recent years in the adoption of more stringent residential energy codes around the country.
According to Meres, “Under a presidential administration and Congress in which members, including the president-elect, believe climate change is a hoax, it’s unlikely that a Trump agenda will pay much heed to advancing energy efficiency. However, it also is unlikely that it will backtrack on current code stringency, given the development process that has been established. With increased energy code enforcement continuing to show strong benefits, with estimates of a 600 percent return on investment on enforcement by local jurisdictions and potential savings from achieving compliance of more than $126 billion in energy bills by 2040, this is good news.” Read more at BUILDER
U.S. Lumber Industry Petitioning for Duties on Exported Canadian Softwood Lumber
Engineering News Record reports that last Friday a U.S. lumber industry coalition filed a petition to the U.S. International Trade Commission and Commerce Department, seeking duties on Canadian softwood lumber exports which the group alleges are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair market prices. Canada is prepared to take a strong stand against this.
As background, Canadian lumber exports to the U.S. were governed by a mutual trade agreement from 2006 to 2015. That agreement expired in October of last year and was followed by a year-long standstill agreement, during which both countries agreed not to file lumber-trade actions against each other. Also during this time, trade officials on both sides worked on reaching a new lumber agreement but were unsuccessful. Following the expiration of the standstill agreement in October, the U.S. lumber industry group moved forward with filing their petition November 25th.
Read more at ENR
INDUSTRY NEWS
Crystal Window Faces OSHA Fines
Crystal Window & Door Systems is facing $74,826 in proposed fines from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for nine safety violations at its facility in Dalton, Pa. Eight of those violations are listed as serious. Read more at DWM
U.S. Industry Seeks Duties on Canadian Lumber, Reignites Dispute
A group representing the U.S. lumber industry and some of its workers on Friday called on authorities to impose duties on Canadian softwood lumber, reigniting a long-standing trade dispute between the two nations. Read more at Reuters
GOVERNMENT & LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Federal Judge Blocks Overtime Rule – Construction Dive reported recently that a federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction last Tuesday against the Department of Labor’s (DOL) overtime rule, which was to take effect December 1st. The rule would have allowed for salaried employees earning up to $47,476 per year to earn overtime pay, as opposed to the current exempt threshold of $23,660. The DOL can appeal the injunction, but with the new Trump administration coming on board, any filed appeal could be dropped. Read More in Construction Dive
HOUSING INDUSTRY
Single-Family Built-for-Rent Construction
The number of single-family homes built-for-rent posted gains over the last year. However, the built-for-rent market is a small portion of the total single-family development, so care must be taken when identifying trends. Read more at NAHB Eye on Housing
OSHA Releases Silica Rule Guidance
OSHA has released a compliance guide meant to help small construction firms comply with the agency’s final rule on exposure to crystalline silica in the workplace. Released on November 10, the guide includes resources for small business highlighted and specified exposure control methods, respiratory protection, housekeeping and a written exposure control plan. Read more at REMODELING
Economist: Housing affordability hits quarter-century best in September
Home prices increased in September, but so did home affordability as borrowers continue to hold more buying power than anytime in the past quarter century, according to the First American Real House Price Index. Read more at HOUSINGWIRE
Housing’s Divided on Immigrants
The near-term question is how to get growth if part of housing’s current workforce goes away. Read more at BUILDER
With mortgage rates up, Trump already makes a mark on housing market
Interest rates for mortgages spiked to more than 4 percent – rising faster in the days since the election than they have in more than three years, when fretting over their persistently low levels has consumed economists, policymakers and investors alike. Read more at The Baltimore Sun
ECONOMICS
The Economy Grew Solid 3.2% in Q3
The economy grew more rapidly than initially believed in the third quarter as stronger consumer spending juiced activity and more than offset weaker business investment. The nation’s gross domestic product increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.2%, up from the 2.9% first estimated, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, That’s the largest gain in two years. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast a revision to 3% growth. Read more at USA Today
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Top Distribution
Trends for 2017
NEXT WEBINAR
Tuesday, Dec 6
11:00 am PST
2:00 pm EST
As distributors look to the coming year with caution, this panel discussion will review:
- the upcoming economic and market shifts.
- Other major issues impacting distribution such as consolidation, employment and e-commerce.
Presented by Industrial Distribution
3 Keys to Distributor Analytics Implementation
NEXT WEBINAR
Thursday, Dec 8
11:00 – 11:45 am PST
2:00 – 2:45 pm EST
NAW invites WMA members to join a free, educational webinar on distributor analytics implementation. You’ll learn field-tested processes for analytics rollout and adoption, which dashboards and reports are a “must have” for every distributor, and how to track your key metrics.
WMA
2016 Compensation & Benefit Survey
Available for Purchase
What is the ANSI/WMA 100 Standard for Side-Hinged Exterior Doors?
- Approved as an American National Standard by ANSI
- Uses the ASTM E330 test method to obtain a full system design pressure rating
- Defines methods for qualifying door system components for substitution in the rated system
- Outlines slab stiffness testing procedures for use in determining component substitution
GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN 2017
BECOME A WMA SUPPORTER
. . . . . .
BUILD BRAND IDENTITY
PROMOTE YOUR
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CONNECT WITH THE
MILLWORK INDUSTRY
. . . . . .
We’re unveiling some forward-thinking initiatives in 2017, and you can be a big part of it. Contact WMA to get started
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