March 6, 2008

INDUSTRY ACCESS*

Overhead Door Acquires Ankmar, LLC

On Feb. 22, 2008, the assets of Ankmar, LLC, a manufacturer of a variety of residential and commercial overhead door products, were sold to strategic acquirers. Ankmar’s CladPanel™ manufacturing and distribution business in Sweet Home, OR, was purchased by Overhead Door Corporation, who will continue to manufacture the high quality composite garage doors produced in that facility.

The assets of Ankmar’s Denver, CO, garage door installation business, which has the dominant market share in the Denver area and is believed to be the largest garage door installer in the nation, were purchased by another strategic acquirer. That company will formally announce its purchase at a later date.

For additional information, visit www.overheaddoor.com.

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

DHI-Sponsored Insurance Program — Protects, Educates, and Saves You Time & Money!

The Door and Hardware Institute has endorsed Telcom Insurance Services Corporation (TISC) to administer an insurance program for the members of the Association. TISC is a national leader in developing association specific programs and has worked closely with the leaders and select members of DHI to become an authority on providing protection to the architectural door openings industry. TISC’s President and CEO, Peter Elliott, has personally taken the lead in crafting a program that will deliver first class coverage and service to the DHI members. Read More (PDF file)

In January, private nonresidential construction dropped for only the second time in 31 months. On top of this, revisions shaved December's gain to 0.4% (previously 1.3%). The drop in private nonresidential construction may be a sigh of things to come, reported Building Design & Construction. Full Story

By reviewing key changes in door hardware components — including locks, handles, hinges and operators — managers can more effectively specify the most appropriate components to meet their organizations’ security needs, reported FacilitiesNet. Full Story

The January Producer Price Index for Wood Doors (flush & panel, interior & exterior) was down 3.7% from 2007 and the Other Wood Doors (Incl. garage, screen, storm, etc.) PPI was up 2.3% compared to a year earlier. Compared to December the unadjusted January PPI was down 2.2% for Wood Doors and the PPI for Other Wood Doors was down 0.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The PPI for Metal Doors, Sash & Trim was up 1.3% from December and up 2.7% from 2007. Click here to view the full January Producer Price Index report. (PDF file - Wood Door information is on page 12 and Metal Door data is on page 17)

CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN

New construction starts increased 8% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $551.3 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. After a weak December, substantial gains were reported for nonresidential building and nonbuilding construction (public works and electric utilities), as both of these major sectors were lifted by the start of several very large projects. Full Story

In 2007, green building construction starts exceeded $12 billion. As of November 2007, more than 3.2 billion sq. ft. of green commercial building space was registered or certified with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), reported Construction Purchasing. Full Story

A recent Buildings.com feature discusses The Realization of Intelligent Buildings. Full Story

The San Francisco Chronicle profiles the New American Home which was showcased at the International Builders Show last month. Full Story

SECURITY & SAFETY

Cisco has reported a change in how K-12 schools, colleges and universities view emergency preparedness and security management when designing their campus safety architectures. Seizing a movement already under way in businesses and government agencies, school officials increasingly recognize the importance of converging their physical security tools on their networks and are doing so at an unprecedented pace, reported Access Control & Security Systems. Full Story

The LearnSafe Initiative has partnered with Government Capital Corporation to found the Texas School Safety Fund. The fund, established to finance school safety and security projects, primarily those that arise from critical risk discovered by school security administrators during school district risk audits, is designed so that any Texas school district can receive an effective local or district-wide safety and security program with a comprehensive financing plan tailored to the specific needs of each district. The Texas Legislature established Senate Bill 11 (TEC 37.108), which is an executive mandate that requires all schools in the state of Texas to conduct comprehensive school safety audits before August 31, 2008. Full Story

Washington, DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and school facilities chief Allen Y. Lew pledged to eliminate a backlog of fire and health code violations in DC Public Schools by summer, reported The Washington Times. Full Story

The Star Telegram reviews recent security upgrades by Texas colleges and universities. Full Story

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

The state of Wisconsin has adopted the most recent edition of NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code. The adoption became effective on March 1, 2008. Recognized worldwide and adopted statewide in 20 states, NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code provides requirements necessary to establish a reasonable level of fire safety and property protection from hazards created by fire and explosion. Its primary purposes are to address basic fire prevention requirements and to reference or extract the fire prevention and protection aspects of many other NFPA codes and standards. Full Story

A coalition of more than 100 business, trade and advocacy groups called on the U.S. Senate to pass bipartisan legislation as soon as possible that extends renewable energy and efficiency tax credits that have already expired or will expire at the end of this year. The tax incentives would strengthen the renewable energy industry and expand the market for energy-efficient products, which ultimately would reduce residential and commercial energy costs, generate new domestic jobs, and boost a flagging economy, according to the coalition. Full Story

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has submitted a notice to update its standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for administration review and clearance. If approved within the customary timeframe, the department could publish the notice for public comment in April. The DOJ is expected to update its ADA standards according to revised guidelines issued by the U.S. Access Board, reported FacilitiesNet. Full Story

A proposed green building ordinance in San Francisco would transform the construction industry across northern California, impacting everything from city paint shops and local subcontractors to suburban neighborhoods resistant to sand pits and gravel quarries. If passed in March, the ordinance would require most new commercial and residential high-rises to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. A number of cities and states, such as New Mexico and Washington, have adopted LEED for public buildings, but San Francisco would mandate it for the private sector as well, reported The Christian Science Monitor. Full Story

Under a bill that unanimously passed the Virginia state Senate and now sits in a House committee, some state construction projects after this year could be built to the standards for either the program in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or the Green Globes, being promoted by the Portland, OR-based Green Building Initiative (GBI), reported the Washington Business Journal. Full Story

SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

Budget Reconciliation

The efforts to develop a budget resolution for fiscal year 2009 are slowly taking shape. It looks like the concept of budget reconciliation is making a comeback this year. The new majority tried to avoid its use in last fiscal year’s budget process.

Under budget reconciliation rules, if both chambers of Congress can agree on a budget resolution, Congress can provide instructions for reconciliation bills. While these can include spending increases as well as tax relief, it is the tax relief that is of most interest to small business. The reconciliation instructions allow the committee of jurisdiction to bring forward a tax relief bill, in this case offset by revenue increases elsewhere, and it can be passed by a simple majority in the Senate without having to overcome filibusters. There is talk of including stimulus "orphans," various expiring tax credits, and even this tax year’s version of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch in the reconciliation instructions.

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

Order the AHJ and Building Owner's Annual Safety Inspection Guides Online

These safety inspection guides are designed to explain a technical subject to a non-technical audience — specifically, those individuals charged with overseeing or performing routine fire door inspections. Click here to order or for more information.

The Foundation Auction Continues

Make your bid to support the Foundation. Check back regularly for new items. Click here to see what items are up for bid.

Keep up-to-date with the latest Foundation news and programs, please visit www.lifesafetysecurity.org

DHI NEWS

Invest in Your Future — Become a Fire Door Assembly Inspector!

Expand your career potential and become part of this growing program. DHI’s Fire Door Assembly Inspection class (DAI 600) puts you on the track to become a Certified Fire Door Assembly Inspector. DHI’s upcoming May MEGA school features DAI 600 - Fire Door Assembly Inspection, as well as the following DAI 600 prerequisite classes:

COR110 - Basic Architectural Hardware
COR115 - Hardware Applications
COR140 - Using Codes and Standards

Space is limited, so reserve your spot for this education event. This class won’t be offered again until November 2008 in Boston, so ACT NOW!

Go online to www.dhi.org/education or contact our Member Services team directly at 703-222-2010 for more information or to register!

Join DHI And Be Part Of The Association Advancing YOUR Industry!

Not Already a DHI Member? Know Someone Who Could Benefit From DHI?

Now is an excellent time to join! Join DHI in March and receive 15 full months of membership for the price of 12!

DHI not only offers extensive career advancement opportunities, but it also continues to advocate for the advancement of life safety and security in the built environment!

To find out more about how DHI members benefit from:

Being part of a professional organization dedicated to advancing the future of YOUR industry
Increasing and honing technical expertise through extensive education opportunities
Networking with other successful industry leaders both nationally and locally

Go online to www.dhi.org/membership or call 703-222-2010!