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HPmag | Magazine | Directory & Buyer's Guide 2007| Industry News

industry news

AMERICANS LINK HURRICANE KATRINA TO GLOBAL WARMING

An overwhelming majority of Americans say they are more convinced that global warming is happening than they were two years ago, and they also are connecting intense weather events like Hurricane Katrina and heat waves to global warming, according to a Zogby America telephone poll.

The survey, sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, was conducted August 11 to 16 and included 1,018 respondents. It carries a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

Nearly three of every four respondents (74 percent) are more convinced today that global warming is a reality than they were two years ago, the survey shows.

Asked what influence global warming has had on specific weather events, 65 percent said they believe it had an influence on this summer’s heat wave, and 68 percent said they think it was a factor in the development of more intense hurricanes like Katrina. Similar numbers are seen for other weather phenomenon including droughts, wildfires and snowfall.

“While the findings in this survey are not proof that intense weather events are linked to global warming, it is clear that Americans are making that connection,” said pollster John Zogby.

What influence has global warming had on more intense hurricanes like Katrina?

Major Influence 30%
Some Influence 38%
No Influence 27%
Not sure 5%

MY SAFE FLORIDA HOME PROGRAM UNDERWAY; MORE THAN 50,000 APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED

In mid-August, Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher announced that the My Safe Florida Home program was open for business and accepting applications. Since then, more than 50,000 Floridians have submitted completed applications.
The $250 million program was created when state lawmakers during the 2006 session approved legislation directing the Florida Department of Financial Services to help Floridians strengthen their homes against the devastating damage of hurricanes. The My Safe Florida Home program provides free home inspections to qualified homeowners and provides homeowners who undergo an inspection and live in high-risk wind areas of the state the opportunity to apply for matching grant funds up to $5,000 to make improvements.

A Floridian whose primary residence is a single-family, site-built home with an insured value of $500,000 or less and who has a homestead exemption will be eligible to apply for a free home inspection.

The inspection report will detail four things for the homeowner: the current strength of the home, what improvements could be made to make the house stronger, how much those improvements would cost and how much the homeowner could anticipate saving on insurance premiums if improvements were made.

In the pilot phase of the program, the Department of Financial Services has partnered with the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) to conduct the inspections. Working together, more than 400 inspectors have been screened to do the inspections. Inspections were initially in Broward, Miami-Dade and Lee counties, and the department plans to expand to other counties in October.

The Department of Financial Services also will partner with contractors to complete the work approved for grant funds. Prior to participating in the My Safe Florida Home program, a contractor must have a valid contractor’s license and complete a four-hour course on techniques and standards for effective wind-resistant retrofit improvements. The department has been working with FLASH to offer these courses around the state. This course also is approved by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for four continuing education credits. For a complete schedule of available courses, visit www.mysafefloridahome.com.

STORM SMART CREATES INSTALLATION TRAINING CURRICULM

In an effort to create high skill/high pay jobs and meet the increased demand for hurricane shutter installations, Storm Smart Industries, Fort Myers, FL, has developed a training curriculum for hurricane shutter installers. Although hurricane shutters are required by the Florida Building Code, there is no standardized training for the trade.

Storm Smart’s on-the-job training program reportedly is the first of its kind. It’s designed to establish a certification process through the state of Florida, enabling an apprentice to learn and earn, receiving qualified training from both the classroom and the job site while earning a paycheck.

An example of this training program was provided in mid-September as a Storm Smart team of trainers and apprentices installed Storm Catcher Hurricane Wind Abatement Screens on the city of Cape Coral’s Council Chambers, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd., Cape Cora.

This installation came as a result of Storm Smart securing the bid from the city of Cape Coral for hurricane protection using its wind abatement systems, a Florida Building Code approved product.

Brian Rist, company president, states. “We’re excited about the potential effect this training program could have on our area and our industry as a whole. Instead of learning by trial and error, an apprentice can come to work each day, earn a living wage while being trained, and gain a lifetime of experience in a condensed period of time.”

YORK LEAVES ARA, STARTS CONSULTING BUSINESS

William H. York has left Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) to start his own consulting business. Rick Vaughn will handle York’s work with the inspection business.

Vaughn is one of ARA’s inspectors and holds a license as an insurance agent, a State Certified Contractor’s license, and has managed his own inspection business for a number of years. He has worked with York on several projects and is well qualified to manage the inspection business for ARA.

In addition to being president of his new consulting business, WHYork Consulting, Inc., York will be working with and teaching classes for the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), the University of Florida Energy Extension Service, Mercedes Homes and others. He also will consult on the Department of Financial Services’ comprehensive hurricane damage mitigation program, My Safe Florida Home.

KRASNE NAMED S & P PARTNER

Mitch Krasne has been named partner and vice president of sales at S & P Architectural Products, Pompano Beach, FL, a South Florida provider of impact-resistant window and door products.

Krasne has been with the company since 1996. He has contributed to S & P’s double-digit sales increases by helping to expand the company’s product offerings, the company states. S & P has long been known in the custom builder, high-end market for high-end wood window products from Weather Shield Windows and Doors, which it continues to offer today.

Krasne was instrumental in forging a relationship with PGT Windows, Nokomis, FL, which enabled S & P to enter the production builder market with a complete line of aluminum window products. Today, more than half the company’s revenues are generated from sales of aluminum window products, the company states. Prior to joining S & P, Krasne owned his own window company.

MONARCH SIGNS LEASE TO HOUSE STEEL FRAMING DIVISION

The Monarch Co. has found a home in Stuart, FL, for its newly launched steel framing division (see HP, Fall 2006, page 8).
The company has leased an 8,000-square-foot facility situated on two acres on Commerce Ave. Monarch had planned to house its construction and light gauge steel framing division in the new facility by mid September with the intention of also locating a modular steel framing operation in the building in the future.

In addition to accommodating the growing need for comprehensive steel framing packages for homes and commercial structures, the steel framing division also will be able to work with builders to provide steel trusses for commercial and residential applications, the company states.

“We are happy to have a found a facility that will accommodate our needs and put us in the middle of a very active community,” said company partner Nicholas Peragine. “We plan to do a lot of work in Palm Beach, Martin and Saint Lucie counties and we hope our name will become synonymous with light gauge steel framing and light gauge steel roof and floor trusses in south Florida.”

The Monarch Co. was founded in 2003 as Monarch Builders of Tallahassee. The company reports it has completed residential and commercial projects in excess of $9.5 million in eight states stretching from Florida to New York.

SOLUTIA CREATES SAFE & SECURE AWARD CATEGORY FOR 2007 AURORA AWARDS

Builders and architects who have demonstrated excellence and creativity when designing hurricane-resistant structures are invited to submit projects into the 2007 Aurora Awards, a design competition recognizing projects in the Southeastern United States.

The Aurora Awards are presented annually to builders, architects, interior designers, landscape architects and other homebuilding professionals in a 12-state region. The awards program is affiliated with the Florida Home Builders Association and the Southeast Building Conference—one of two regional trade shows recognized by and affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders. Award winners are announced each year in conjunction with the Southeast Building Conference (SEBC).

Beginning in 2007, Solutia Inc., St. Louis, MO, a leading manufacturer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers for the production of impact-resistant glass, is sponsoring a new category in the competition. Solutia’s award, known as the Safe & Secure Award, will recognize builders, designers, architects and other home building professionals who incorporate the use of—and meet or exceed code requirements for—impact-resistant windows and doors for safety, as well as for the use of other design elements that minimize the effects of hurricanes and other disasters on homes and multi-family structures.

“The building industry has responded remarkably to the need for improved protective measures in residential structures during the past 10 years,” said Stephany Davenport, marketing manager at Solutia Inc. “We’d like to salute those individuals who have made a commitment to designing and building safer structures.”

Judges for the Safe & Secure Award will look for projects that demonstrate excellence in code-plus passive protection measures relating to product usage including roofing, walls, windows and doors. Overall design strategy and aesthetic appeal also will be considered. Finally, affordability will be considered, as it relates to the overall cost of the project. Entries are due March 9, 2007.

SIMONTON WINDOWS RECEIVES J.D. POWER'S HIGHEST RANKING IN SATISFACTION

In its first-ever study related to the preferences of building industry professionals toward residential windows and patio doors, J.D. Power and Associates/McGraw-Hill Construction named Simonton Windows®, Parkersburg, WV, as ranking highest in satisfying builders and remodelers.

Results of the inaugural study, “J.D. Power and Associates/McGraw-Hill Construction 2006 Residential Window and Patio Door Builder and Remodeler Satisfaction Study,” were released in September. It is based on 2,343 responses measuring the opinions of new homebuilders and remodelers on their satisfaction levels with seven factors related to windows and patio doors. The categories include product, warranty and repair service, delivery, price, sales and marketing support, placing orders and credit/billing. Simonton received the highest rankings in four of the categories leading the company to receive the highest ranking overall in the study.

“We’re extremely honored and excited to be recognized with such a high ranking in this study,” says John Brunett, president of Simonton Windows. “The credibility and value of research conducted by J.D. Power and Associates has long been a significant factor in customer satisfaction and purchases. Being ranked as the highest company to satisfy builder and remodeler needs in the window industry is exceptionally significant.”