VEKA Celebrates 30 Years

VEKA celebrated 30 years in the industry this week at its U.S. headquarters in Fombell, Pa., with its employees, suppliers, supporters and members of the press, including USGlass magazine. VEKA U.S. president Joe Peilert welcomed attendees and said they, and VEKA, have a lot to celebrate. “We are celebrating today your and our entrepreneurial spirit and your and our growth in the boom years and your and our ability to weather the biggest recession over the last [Read Full Story]

Boston Area Recovers in Aftermath of Marathon Bombing with Help of Local Glass Shops

Just one month has passed since the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, and some area glass shops continue to work in the area to replace the glass that was broken in the tragic incident. Among these, Hub Glass in nearby Somerville, Mass., was one of the first businesses allowed to enter the Boylston Street area to board up (and later replace the glass) at one of the buildings affected in the blast near Marathon Sports. [Read Full Story]

Flat Glass Prices Down Slightly, According to Latest Producer Price Index Report

Flat glass prices saw a slight decrease—just 0.9 percent—from March to April, according to the latest Producer Price Index Report from the U.S. Labor Department. The index was listed at 115.8 for April, compared with 116.8 for March. The price of construction materials remained stable—with only a slight change from March to April, according to the report. The index was listed at 223.0 for March and 223.1 for April. The PPI is a family of indices that measure [Read Full Story]

Riding the Roller Coaster: Experts Offer Conservative but Optimistic Outlook

Though experts predict the construction market may still have a ways to go before it reaches a full rebound, they were positive about the present outlook during a recent webinar provided by Reed Construction Data. Titled “Riding the Roller Coaster: Ups and Downs of Construction Spending, Materials and Labor,” the webinar included outlooks from Kermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Ken Simonson, chief economist for Associated General Contractors of America [Read Full Story]

Building Construction Employment Stable from March to April

The number of building construction employees remained stable from March to April 2013 with a slight 0.1 percent increase, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS estimates that approximately 1.262 million (seasonally adjusted) were employed in building construction-related jobs in March 2013, compared with 1.263 million in March 2013. This represents a 2.6-percent increase over last April, at which time approximately 1.231 million were employed in building construction-related jobs. On [Read Full Story]