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August 7 , 2008

INDUSTRY ACCESS*

Karl Adrian Promoted to Senior Vice President, Operations of Marshfield DoorSystems

Karl Adrian has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Operations of Marshfield DoorSystems, Inc.

Karl joined Marshfield DoorSystems in September 2006 as Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Doors. Since that time, Karl has led Marshfield’s commercial door division to record growth while implementing enhanced customer services and manufacturing capital improvements.

Prior to joining Marshfield DoorSystems Karl held the position of door division president of Dallas-based Overhead Door Company and prior to that position was the Vice President, General Manager of NuTone. Karl has held management positions in marketing, plant operations, purchasing, production scheduling and other key disciplines.

In this new position, Karl will be responsible for all Marshfield, Greensboro, and Largo manufacturing and related operations. Karl will be reporting to Don Bergman the CEO of Marshfield DoorSystems.

For more information, call 715-486-2495 or visit www.marshfielddoors.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

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) rebounded almost three points in June, after dropping two points the previous month. However, this is the fifth straight month that the index has remained below the 50 threshold, indicating that business levels at U.S. architecture firms continue to deteriorate. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the June ABI rating was 46.1, up from the 43.4 mark in May (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The inquiries for new projects score was 51.8. Full Story

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association recently started a yearlong review process to evaluate AAMA 520, a new specification designed for rating the severe wind-driven rain resistance of windows and doors, reported Window & Door. Full Story

Broadly defined "green" building is expected to be worth $12 billion to $20 billion this year, or 6% to 10% of the market, according to research from McGraw-Hill Construction. That's expected to double in five years, reported The Los Angeles Times. Full Story

The International Code Council Board at its July 19 meeting approved the creation of a Sustainable Building Technology Committee (SBTC) to support its many ongoing efforts in green, sustainable and safe construction. Full Story

Associated Construction Publications details five strategies to keep a construction business on track and profitable now and in the future. Full Story

As lenders rush to curtail their real-estate exposure and preserve sorely needed capital, they are triggering lawsuits from builders that say the banks have unfairly cut off their construction financing, stopped their projects midstream and forced their companies to the brink of bankruptcy, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story

Slate Magazine looks at the energy savings revolving doors offer commercial buildings. Full Story

CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN

Although California has not adopted the American Institute of Architects' guidelines for healthcare facilities, many hospitals across the state have nonetheless embraced the concepts. The largest construction program incorporating evidence-based design is being carried out by Kaiser Permanente. The healthcare provider has 31 California-based hospitals, three of which are brand-new. The rest are being retrofitted or reconstructed to meet seismic requirements. Kaiser is also building six new hospitals in California areas where its membership is expanding. That construction effort includes the creation of single-occupancy patient rooms and emergency departments with enclosed rooms and negative air pressure to protect against airborne infections in each of its hospitals, reported The Los Angeles Times. Full Story

During the next few years, the Massachusetts School Building Authority will dole out close to $2 billion to build new schools. At the same time, the authority is considering uniform design concepts to ensure taxpayers' money is spent efficiently and wisely, reported the Lincoln Journal. Full Story

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) wants the nation's hospitals to improve energy efficiency by 20% at existing facilities and make new hospitals 30% more efficient than expected, reported GreenerBuildings.com. To that end, the DOE has started its EnergySmart Hospitals initiative to promote improved energy conservation and resources management at the 8,000 hospitals in the U.S. Full Story

In Nevada, plans are underway to build more than 100 million square feet of new construction to the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program. More than half of that involves casino-resort projects on and around the Las Vegas Strip, not including the 8.3 million square feet of the 7-month-old, $1.9 billion Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, which, in May, was designated the nation's largest LEED-certified building, reported Building Design & Construction. Full Story

SECURITY & SAFETY

Virginia legislation requires schools to set up threat-assessment teams and adopt crisis and emergency-response plans that must be reviewed and revised every four years. By January, they must have a first-warning system in place, reported The Richmond Times Dispatch. Full Story

Access Control & Security Systems asked a panel of integrators and consultants with varied backgrounds to evaluate their recent experiences and formulate rules to describe aspects of the emerging world of security integration as they see them. Nine of the rules are explained here.

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the award of $5.2 million for 13 new grants to colleges and universities to develop and implement emergency management plans for preventing and responding to campus violence and natural disasters in order to ensure the safety of the entire campus community. Full Story

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

CA Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed Assembly Bill 811 into law as an "urgency measure," for the first time allowing city governments throughout California to provide loans to property owners planning home or business improvements that will reduce energy consumption, reported MarketWatch. Full Story

Security On Campus Inc. (SOC) has commended passage of legislation by the U.S. House of Representatives that will require colleges to "immediately notify" their students and employees when an emergency, such as an active shooter situation, happens on campus, reported Access Control & Security Systems. Full Story

The Los Angeles Board of Education voted unanimously to place a $7-billion bond on the November ballot. It would be the largest local school bond ever and would allow officials to tax property owners for building and repairing schools for the next 10 years, reported The Los Angeles Times. Full Story

SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

Small business news will return after Labor Day when Congress reconvenes after their summer recess.

DHI NEWS

CHECK OUT DHI’S NEW WEBSITE!

Our new site has been re-invented, revolutionized and re-launched! We have listened to you and have customized the site to save you time; tweaked it to help you navigate with more ease; and simplified it to improve your browsing experience. The three industry tabs should help you find exactly what you are looking for with minimum effort and time on your part. We hope you enjoy the new site! Go to www.dhi.org to see for yourself!

Make Your Plans to Attend DHI’s 33rd Annual Conference and Exposition
November 7 -15, 2008 in Boston, MA

Online registration is available by clicking here. Re-ignite your passion for the industry and your career at this essential industry event. This year’s Conference and Exposition is jam-packed with networking, educational and business development opportunities. From the National Education to the Forum for the Future, Industry Marketplace and exposition, this is a smart investment of your time and money. Click here for the complete schedule of events. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 703-222-2010.

HOUSING UPDATE!

DHI’s Headquarters Hotel, Westin Boston Waterfront
Conference Block: WAIT LIST ONLY!
Student Block: Still Available

Hotel rooms for are filling quickly. Space is still available at the following DHI host hotels: Doubletree Hotel Boston-Downtown, Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, Seaport Hotel.

For more information about the hotels and rates, please click here to visit the DHI conference Web site at or call the DHI Housing Bureau at 866-578-8809. To take advantage of DHI’s conference rates, be sure to book your reservation by Friday, October 10, 2008.