ABC Supports Legislation to Protect Majority of Construction Workforce

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today came out in strong support of the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (S. 90), a measure to codify into law Executive Order 13202 barring federal agencies from requiring union-only project labor agreements on federal construction projects. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) introduced the bill.

“ABC urges quick congressional passage of this important legislation,” said Jerry Gorski, 2009 ABC national chairman and president of Gorski Engineering, Inc., Collegeville, Pa. “The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act ensures that all contractors and all workers – both union and merit shop – have a fair and equal opportunity to participate on federally funded and federally assisted construction projects.”

A union-only project labor agreement (PLA) is a contract that requires a federal project to be awarded only to contractors and subcontractors that agree to recognize unions as the representatives of their employees on that job; use the union hiring hall to obtain workers; pay union wages and benefits; and obey the union’s restrictive work rules, job classifications and arbitration procedures.

“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, union membership in the U.S. construction industry stood at 13.9 percent in 2007,” said Gorski. “Union-only PLAs drive up costs for American taxpayers while unfairly discriminating against the 86.1 percent of U.S. construction workers who choose not to join a labor union. All taxpayers should have the opportunity to compete fairly on any project funded by the federal government.”

The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act now awaits action in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

LG SURFACES ANNOUNCES “LG BEYOND” 2009 STUDENT DESIGN CHALLENGE

LG Surfaces, the North American supplier of popular surfacing products, such as LG HI-MACS® and LG Viatera® announces the LG Beyond 2009 Student Design Challenge. Joining forces with its counterparts in Europe and Asia, LG Surfaces challenges student designers at top schools across three continents to conceive of new twists and innovative applications for LG’s highly-versatile acrylic solid surface product, LG HI-MACS®. Contest winners will have their design fabricated and will travel to Milan, Italy in April of 2009 to exhibit their finished piece during Design Week in Zona Tortona.

Students must conceptualize their submission, specifying material and color from among three of LG’s solid surface product lines: LG HI-MACS®; the eco-friendly LG EDEN® collection; or the colorful new LG Spectrum® line. The theme of the North American leg of the contest is Balance. To qualify, concepts must reflect the theme and be suitable for commercial design applications in industries such as retail, hospitality and dining, offices, banking, healthcare and education.

“The design contest gives student designers the opportunity to create innovative concepts that capture the imagination by thinking beyond current LG HI-MACS® applications,” said Mike Tasch, director of Commercial Marketing for LG Surfaces. “The contest also presents an amazing opportunity for students to see their work showcased internationally, network within their field, and gain exposure to top design professionals, media, and consumers.”

In March five finalists will travel all expenses paid, to Atlanta, Ga., a press conference where three North American grand prize winners will be selected and announced. The winning designs will then be fabricated and will shipped to Milan, Italy where they will be exhibited at Zona Tortona’s “That’s Design!” show. During the trip, the winning student-designers will have the opportunity to network with other students and design professionals from across the globe and participate in press interviews and photo opportunities.

Design students from the following schools have been invited to participate in the 2009 contest: Arizona State University, Auburn University, North Carolina State University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and California State Polytechnic University-Pomona. Rules and regulations are available on the competition website, www.lgbeyond.com, where submissions are uploaded. The submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on January 24, 2009.

Visit www.lgbeyond.com for more information and contest rules.

ABC Announces Four Regional Winners for 2009 Craft Instructor of the Year

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced the four regional finalists for its 2009 Craft Instructor of the Year award. One will be chosen Feb. 28 as the winner at ABC's National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“The construction craft instructor sets the standard for excellence for the next generation of construction craft professionals,” said Jerry Gorski, 2009 ABC national chairman and president of Gorski Engineering, Inc., Collegeville, Pa. “These finalists embody the ideals of a merit shop construction craft instructor and are helping to bring a new generation of highly-trained, skilled craft professionals into the construction industry.”

This year’s grand prize winner receives a cash prize of $3,500 from the Trimmer Education Foundation, a notebook computer and leather jacket from the National Center for Construction Education and Research, a Craft Instructor of the Year trophy, airfare and hotel accommodations to attend the ABC National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, one complimentary convention registration (valued at $760) and national recognition through numerous industry publications.

ABC 2009 Regional Craft Instructors of the Year:

Region 1

Christopher Scott Davis

Electrical Instructor

ABC New Mexico Chapter, Albuquerque, N.M.

Region 3

James Crainer

Welding Instructor

ABC Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, Freeport, Texas

Region 4

Raymond W. Kosach

Electrical Instructor

ABC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, Tampa, Fla.

Region 6

Michael Pope

Insulation Instructor

ABC Saginaw Valley Chapter, Midland, Mich.

HOMEBUILDING’S FIRST NAME IN LASTING VALUE CELEBRATES HALF CENTURY

Now marking its 50th anniversary, leading American homebuilder K. Hovnanian® Homes® is celebrating half a century of building quality.

In 1959, Kevork S. Hovnanian founded his homebuilding company with a clear and concise vision to build homes and create a company that provides quality and lasting value to its customers, community and associates. K. Hovnanian Homes is going strong in its 50th year with a family of homebuilders across 18 states, including the District of Columbia.

“For 50 years we have continued to stay true to my father’s founding principle of building quality homes with lasting value,” said Ara K. Hovnanian, president and CEO of Hovnanian Enterprises Inc., parent company of K. Hovnanian Homes. “It is with this commitment that we look forward to another 50 years of providing Americans with the home they deserve backed by a company they can trust."

The K. Hovnanian family of homebuilders provides numerous housing choices for all budgets, lifestyles and stages of life throughout the country. Additionally, K. Hovnanian American Mortgage helps to fulfill Americans’ dreams of quality home ownership by assisting homebuyers through the mortgage process.

“We know that buying a home is one of the largest and most important purchases an individual or family can make. That's why we are a company devoted to building communities of excellence. We build quality homes so individuals and families can make memories in a home of their own that will last a lifetime," concluded Hovnanian.

For more information about K. Hovnanian Homes’ 50th anniversary, visit www.khov.com/50.

AHRI Calls on EPA to Avoid "Chaos" and Modify HCFC Rule

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) today called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to modify its proposed rule governing the sale of equipment pre-charged with HCFC-based refrigerants (R-22, R-142b, and their blends).

In testimony before the EPA, AHRI Vice President of Regulatory Policy and Research Karim Amrane stated that the proposed rule "goes well beyond its original intent," which was to close a loophole on imported products containing HCFCs, to match the ban on domestic manufacturing of products that use virgin R-22 or R-142b beginning January 1, 2010.

While the proposed rule would close this loophole, it also would introduce new problems that could have a devastating effect on U.S. manufacturers. The proposed rule contains an unconventional definition for the "date of manufacture" -- one that shifts the meaning from the date the equipment leaves the factory to the date it is installed. Left unchanged, this definition would ultimately accelerate the phaseout timeline by six to 12 months because manufacturers would likely immediately stop producing condensing units charged with virgin HCFC refrigerants.

Amrane said that industry will manufacture an estimated 2 million HCFC condensing units in 2009, and if they were unable by law to be sold, stranded inventory costs could be well in excess of $500 million, "enough to bankrupt several manufacturers and suppliers," he said.

On behalf of AHRI, Amrane also forcefully objected to a provision in the proposed rule that would prevent U.S.-based manufacturers of HCFC-charged equipment from exporting it to Article 5 countries where, he said, "it is perfectly legal" to use those refrigerants. Keeping that provision intact would disadvantage and penalize U.S. manufacturers because their foreign competitors would face no such ban in those nations. The net effect, said Amrane, would be "the export of U.S. manufacturing jobs."

Finally, Amrane called on the EPA to modify the rule to exempt pre-charged appliance components, such as thermostatic expansion valves (TXVs), from the refrigerant ban. Failure to do so, he said, would prevent consumers from obtaining needed replacement parts for the installed-base of HCFC equipment.

The solution, according to Amrane, would be for the EPA to modify the rule to use a more conventional definition of the term "manufacture" to mean "when the product leaves the manufacturer's final assembly process, is packaged for shipment, and placed into initial inventory;" and to exempt products intended solely for export and pre-charged components from the rule.

iLevel by Weyerhaeuser Announces Grand Prize Winners in "The Great Frame Giveaway" Sweepstakes

The results are in; iLevel by Weyerhaeuser has announced the five randomly drawn, grand prize winners in the "Great Frame Giveaway" sweepstakes:

• Hope Construction, Flagstaff, Arizona
• Cutler Construction, LLC, Saint Anthony, Idaho
• Thornton Construction, Manhattan, Kansas
• Ferguson Construction Company, Russia, Ohio
• Dennis Epperson Custom Homes, Cleveland, Tennessee

Designed to give homebuilders a boost during a tough market, the $150,000 sweepstakes provides each grand prize winner with an optimized structural framing package to help meet their construction needs. The framing packages combine high-quality products and services from well-known brands such as Trus Joist® and Structurwood®, worth up to $20,000 each. Also included in the grand prize is a complimentary trip for two to the 2009 International Builders' Show® in Las Vegas, including airfare, two-nights' accommodation, and $500 cash.

iLevel offers builders and building material dealers a complete and integrated package of innovative framing materials and services, including TimberStrand® LSL, Parallam® PSL, TJI® joists, Structurwood Edge Gold® floor panels, iLevel Premium Joists™ and design software tools such as iLevel® Javelin®. To learn more about the complete iLevel line of residential framing products, software tools, technical support, and extensive distribution network throughout North America, visit www.iLevel.com or call 1 888-iLevel8 (888-453-8358) to locate a dealer near you.

HBACA Introduces the 2009 Parade of Homes

The Home Builders Association of Central Arizona (HBACA) today announced its partnership with The Arizona Republic in bringing the 2009 Phoenix Metro Parade of Homes to the Valley.

Expected to be the largest real estate event in the Valley of the Sun with dozens of new-home builders and thousands of new-home shoppers, the event takes place March 28-29 and April 4-5 throughout the Valley.

"Valley cities continue to rank among the best places to live in the country, and with housing and borrowing becoming more affordable, this is a great time to showcase our best builders and developers and feature their incredible buyer incentives over the two Parade of Homes weekends" said Connie Wilhelm, HBACA President and Executive Director.

The HBACA/The Arizona Republic partnership to promote the Parade of Homes 2009 is ideal. HBACA represents approximately 800 members, which include builders, trade vendors and subcontractors who support the residential construction industry; and The Arizona Republic's mix of print and online media reach a Valley-wide audience of more than 1.8 million adults every day.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with the Home Builders Association for this event," said John Waldron, senior real estate sales manager from The Arizona Republic. "We already have strong, established audiences with our real estate print and online products. Our high-reach, high-frequency publications and interactive online products will educate a mass consumer audience on this exciting event and drive traffic, along with interested buyers, to the builders' communities."

Thousands are expected to tour new-home models during the four-day event, which includes promotional giveaways.

For more information about the 2009 Phoenix Metro Parade of Homes, contact Tisha Earls or Jim Sorgatz, 602.274.6545.