November 1, 2007

INDUSTRY ACCESS*

Intertek Launches Certified Fire Door Inspector Program

Intertek, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, has launched the Certified Fire Door Inspector Program. Through the program, potential inspectors will be trained to properly perform inspections of fire-rated door assemblies to the 2007 edition of NFPA 80: Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives. Upon successfully completing the training regimen and becoming certified, inspectors will conduct annual inspections of assemblies in the field to ensure ongoing compliance and safety. The 2007 edition of NFPA 80 now requires annual inspections by subject experts of all fire-rated door assemblies including swinging doors with builders' hardware. To facilitate this massive undertaking, Intertek will certify inspectors who have successfully completed the Door and Hardware Institute's (DHI) Fire Door Assembly Inspection Class (FDAIC), completed applicable DHI pre-requisite classes and passed Intertek's written exam. 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

"Green Buildings Research White Paper," the fifth in a series of annual reports on green building by Building Design+Construction, provides exclusive data on how building owners, operators, facilities directors and real estate executives view green buildings—and what they are doing to implement green building. The 60-page report covers corporate office buildings, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, college and university facilities, restaurants and residential development. Full Story (PDF file)

A new version of the LEED rating system for existing buildings (LEED-EB) has recently been unveiled by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED-EB v.2008 includes fewer program prerequisites, greater emphasis on facilities operations and maintenance, updated referenced standards and expanded sections on water efficiency, energy performance, building commissioning and green cleaning, reported Facilitiesnet. Full Story

While most members of the local building industry agree that using environmentally friendly techniques for city-owned buildings is a good idea, there are two certification programs that will certify commercial projects, and some parties disagree about which one is best. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, founded in 1998, is perhaps the most widely known green building initiative, but a newer effort, the Green Building Initiative, is gaining ground, reported the Springfield Business Journal. Full Story

An overwhelming 79% of corporate real estate professionals consider sustainability an important issue today or believe it will be within the next one to two years, according to research unveiled during the CoreNet Global Summit. Called "Sustainability Perceptions and Trends in the Real Estate Industry," it was conducted by CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle and based on a survey of 414 industry professionals at CoreNet Global Summits in London, Melbourne, Denver and Singapore. While there are similarities among respondents’ views worldwide, interest is highest in Europe where 90% of survey participants there consider sustainability important or very important, reported GlobeSt.com. Full Story

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), working with GreenHome Guide, has developed a certification program for remodeling professionals using green building techniques. Applicants must have five years of remodeling experience, have been focused on green remodeling techniques for at least three years, and have 16 hours of continuing education related to green building, reported Green Source. Full Story

CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN

Nonresidential building, at $206.9 billion (annual rate), fell 6% in September, reported McGraw Hill Construction. Most responsible for the decline was a steep 77% pullback for the manufacturing building category, which had been lifted in August by the start of a $3.5 billion facility to process plutonium for use in nuclear power plants. Excluding this huge project, nonresidential building in September would be up 16% and the manufacturing building category would be up 60%. Full Story

The West is leading the country in construction project starts, both in terms of non-residential buildings (+25.4%) and engineering/civil work (+41.4%), according to Reed Construction Data. The Midwest (+22.5%) is in second place with respect to non-residential building starts, followed by the South (+18.3%) and the Northeast (+1.6%), with only the barest of increases. However, the Northeast (+33.0%) is in second place in the engineering category, with the South (+14.8%) trailing and the Midwest (-7.0%) in decline. Full Story

Though there appears to be no let-up to the current housing downswing, economists participating in the National Association of Home Builders Fall Construction Forecast Conference on Oct. 24 said they expect the industry to bottom out and to start turning around in 2008. Despite the present market contraction, NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders said that housing should begin to turn around next year for a number of reasons: the overall economy and job growth continue to move ahead at a decent pace, core inflation is under control, the late-summer credit crunch in mortgage markets is showing signs of easing since the Federal Reserve cut short-term interest rates on September 18, and the supply-demand equation will be better balanced as builders begin to whittle down excess inventories. Full Story

Spurred by massive commercial building projects like the World Trade Center, the New York City is poised to spend $83 billion in three years building office towers, apartments, arts centers and sports complexes, according to a New York Building Congress report. The report described a sustained building boom helped by long-term construction projects like the redevelopment of the trade center site, the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn and new stadiums for the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, reported CNN Money. Spending on new construction, which was a record $24.6 billion last year, will increase to $26.2 billion this year, $27.5 billion next year and $29 billion in 2009, the group said. Full Story

SECURITY & SAFETY

Washington, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty (D) recently announced a new method for securing doors at District schools. Fenty noted that for more than a decade Ballou and Anacostia high schools have relied on either padlocks or chain locks for security — until the fire marshal last month found that using such locks was a violation of fire codes. The marshal ordered chains and locks removed. Fenty announced that doors at seven high schools, including Ballou, and one junior high will soon be equipped with a system that relies on magnetic locks. Once classes are in session every morning, the doors cannot be opened from the outside. If they're opened from the inside, a loud alarm sounds for 15 seconds and a camera records who's opening the door. The system is controlled from the principal's office; all doors open automatically in case of an emergency, reported The Washington Post. Full Story

Because the Arizona Legislature has let years go by without funding prison lock replacements, it now will cost the state an estimated $60 million or more to replace all the old and worn-out locks, reported The Tucson Citizen. Full Story (Free registration required)

Students at Washington University in St. Louis living in the traditional dorms will soon need to use their swipe cards to access bathroom doors, a measure intended as another layer of security, reported Student Life. Full Story

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

The Greater Washington Board of Trade has decided to jump on the regional "going-green" bandwagon. At its 2007 Potomac Conference Oct. 30, attendees and members of the organization voted to set a regional greenhouse gas reduction target, create a system of business incentives for companies to go and build green, educate the public about the trend by marketing the region's own green-friendly assets and support regional development around public transit, reported Washington Business Journal. Full Story

The Jefferson County (Idaho) Joint School District settled a lawsuit against two contractors that built Midway Middle School and Jefferson Elementary School in Rigby. But the issues that led to the lawsuit are far from resolved. The two schools have been in poor condition since opening in 2002. The roofs leak, the insulation was poorly installed, fire sprinkler systems are inadequate, some doors don’t meet building codes, the bathrooms are not Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant, and it’s questionable whether the roofs can support rooftop mechanical equipment, reported Idaho Business Review. Full Story

Just as other cities around the country are experimenting with ways to streamline the plan review and permit process, New York City, a trendsetter in this respect, is clamping down on its practice of allowing architects to self-certify building plans, reported Architectural Record. Full Story

SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

Taxes

It is often difficult to assess the potential impact of tax legislation on small business. Take, for example, the increase in the direct expensing allowance. While a tremendous advantage for small business, the decision to purchase new machinery is a discretionary one so it is not simply a matter of measuring the tax savings.

Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel’s (D-NY) bill, H.R 3970, to repeal the individual Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) provides an opportunity to put some rudimentary numbers together on the impact of the proposal on small business. To “pay-for” the repeal of the AMT, the bill creates a new surtax. Individuals with adjusted gross income in excess of $150,000 will pay 4 percent on the amount over $150,000 and 4.6 percent on the amounts that exceed $250,000. For joint returns the threshold numbers are $200,000 and $500,000, respectively.

There are some nuances in the surtax proposal. And perhaps more importantly, there are other elements of the proposal that could have an impact on a business’ tax liability, (e.g. repeal of LIFO or the requirement that service S Corporation shareholders pay self-employment tax on the distributions from their S Corporation) or provisions that could change personal tax liability (e.g. high-income itemized deductions, tax credits).

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

Forum for the Future 2007

The Foundation board would like to thank all of those who attended this year’s Forum for the Future to hear presentations on the business aspects of the fire door inspection initiative. Over 400 were in attendance.

Special thanks to our presenters:

Peter J. Elliott, CPCU – President & CEO, National Telcom Corp.
Gerald S. Heppes, CAE – CEO, Door and Hardware Institute
Robert O. Polk, CFPS – President, RKP Associates
Jeff Turcotte – Vice President, Intertek Warnock Hersey
Tim Wilson – Co-Owner, Mulhaupts, Inc.

Special thanks also goes to our sponsors that help make this event possible: ASSA Abloy, Ingersoll Rand, Hager Companies, Colorado Doorways, D.H. Pace, Contract Hardware, Inc., LaForce Inc., Stock Building Supply and the Steel Door Institute.

A video copy of this event will be made available shortly and will be viewable from the Foundation’s website www.lifesafetysecurity.org

Golf Outing Proceeds Benefit Foundation

Thank you to all those who participated in this year’s golf outing at Heritage Golf Course. Over 130 individuals were able to share in the days events. Special thanks to our sponsors and tournament donors that help make this event possible: PBB, Timely, ABH Manufacturing, ABS Millennium, Alarm Lock Systems, Inc., Columbia Aluminum Products LLC, Marshfield DoorSystems, Inc., The Algoma Group, Amweld Building Products, Anemostat Door Products, DORMA Architectural Hardware, Hadrian Manufacturing, Inc., Hager Companies, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, Karpen Steel Custom Doors & Frames, National Guard Products, Top Notch Distributors, Inc., VT Industries, Inc., Wentworth Associates, Ltd., Woodfold-Marco Mfg., Co., Wm. S. Trimble Co., Zero International, Inc.

The Foundation’s 2007 Online Auction Closes Today, November 1st.

Support the Foundation by visiting lifesafetyfoundation.cmarket.com to see what items are available for bid.

Companies, Chapters and Individuals Committed to Making a Difference

Thank you to all of the individuals, companies and chapters that continue to support the Foundation. Click here for a complete list of contributors (as of September 5th).

It is with this type of commitment that the Foundation is able to continue to advance our important message of life safety and security.

Your support continues to make a difference. Thank you.

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

DHI NEWS

LAST CHANCE TO RECEIVE 2007 EDUCATION PRICING!
December 7th – 9th, 2007 in Lansdowne, VA

DHI will be offering ONE LAST National Education session this year. If you are interested in becoming a Fire Door Assembly Inspector (FDAI) this school is designed for you! The classes that will be offered include:

Basic Architectural Hardware (COR110)
Hardware Applications (COR115)
Using Codes and Standards (COR140)
Fire Door Assembly Inspection (DAI 600)

Whether you need to satisfy the pre-requisites or are ready to enroll in the Fire Door Assembly Inspection class, you can’t afford to miss this upcoming education opportunity! Beginning January 1, 2008, the price for DHI education will increase! Don’t miss your last chance to take advantage of 2007 education pricing! Register online at www.dhi.org/education/courselistings.asp, fax your completed registration form to 703-222-2410 or contact DHI directly at 703-222-2010.

Thank You for Another Successful DHI Annual Conference and Exposition!

Thank you to all who joined us in Nashville for DHI’s 32nd Annual Conference and Exposition. Your participation and support continue to make this the premier annual event for our industry. For those who were unable make this event, you won’t want to miss out next year! Mark your calendars for DHI’s 33rd Annual Conference and Exposition next November 8th through the 15th, 2008 in Boston! For more information, please contact DHI directly at 703-222-2010