Volume 9, Issue 11 - December 2008
Volume 9, Issue 11 - December 2008
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Feature Want
to Survive this Economic Climate? Don’t want to add extra expenses to your business in today’s economy? Well, we all know that sometimes you have to spend money to survive (and make money). Attending the upcoming International Builders’ Show (IBS) may be one way to learn about new components, such as hardware, that you can add into your manufacturing processes that will help set your business apart from the competition. The show will take place January 20-23, 2009, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and is sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Show organizers have dozens of seminars planned, all aimed at helping companies be successful and to withstand the housing crunch. Four of the educational tracks were designed specifically to help attendees compete effectively in this market says Mark Pursell, NAHB senior staff vice president –exhibitions, marketing and sales. The tracks are: Business Opportunities and New Markets; Green Building and Sustainability; Organization and Business Management; and Sales and Customer Focus (go to www.buildershow.com for more seminar information). “We have designed the educational programming for IBS to help show attendees survive this very difficult market,” says Pursell. “We have also modified our registration fee schedule to make the educational sessions more affordable.” However, show organizers do admit that attendance may be lower due to the economy and state of the housing market. “Attendance is always the hardest part of IBS for us to forecast as most registrations take place within six weeks of the show,” says Pursell. “Also, we never know what our onsite registration will be. On the low end, I think 70,000 is a safe guess.” [104,000 people attended IBS in 2008.] For those who attend, in addition to the educational sessions, there will be featured speakers each day including renowned green business expert Andrew Winston, founder of Winston Eco-Strategies; Kevin Freiberg, notable professional speaker and founder and chief executive officer of the San Diego Consulting Group Inc.; and Peter Hart, top public opinion analyst and founder of Peter D. Hart Research Associates. The keynote speech will be presented by legendary football coach Lou Holtz. “We are thrilled to have such extraordinary speakers presenting at the show this year,” said NAHB chairman Sandy Dunn. “Especially in these challenging times for our industry, attendees will benefit from hearing the advice of a legendary motivator and coach, as well as from some of the top minds in the business world on strategies for success in a changing marketplace.” Product Offerings Booth #N1563 Booth #C6783 Recurrent hurricanes and other weather disasters mean tougher building codes and the desire to avoid product liability issues. Winkhaus says this product provides the answer with this tapered hook design which pulls the door smoothly into the frame against the gasket for a tight seal. The hooks engage behind the strike plates simultaneously providing a positive engagement that the company says will outperform other locking mechanisms. Until the development of this corner drive system, the strength of these hooks could only be utilized on the locking side of the door, according to the company. Previously the panels on a pair of doors could only be anchored with shootbolts or flushbolts and these do not provide a positive engagement nor the same strength as this new product, the company adds. Booth #N1172 “We’ve been making 20-minute fire-rated products for years, and we’re thrilled to offer customers a new product that meets the extended fire rating with the beauty of wood veneers,” said Jim Snodgrass, sales manager. “Historically, when fire ratings were required, steel doors were the only choice. With the availability of wood veneer-wrapped fire-rated door frames, designers can now match frames, doors and mouldings to create more elegant
interiors.” Booth #C7255 Booth #N2835 The company’s newest product is the Window Energy Profiler (#WP4500) Energy Transmission Meter used to test windows in-frame. The product allows users to test the energy performance of operable windows that are already installed in the field. EDTM says it’s as easy as opening the window and sliding the WP4500 over the profile of the window sash. The instrument will show the estimated SHGC value of the window, along with the UV, Visible Light, and Near Infrared Transmission values simultaneously. Company representatives say the product is ideal for evaluating the performance of existing windows in a home, in order to determine the necessity for new replacement windows. It can also be a great aid in identifying the type of low-E coating on the window—a great benefit to energy auditors in the field. The WP4500 is large enough to test most windows on the jobsite before they are installed, according to
EDTM. Booth #N2443 The doors can incorporate up to 10 panels per unit with a 12-foot maximum panel height. Each panel is 2.25-inches thick and requires minimum space when open—either nesting behind one another, or recessing into a pocket opening to disappear completely from view. The company says the doors are perfect for a sustainable design project as they allow great amounts of natural light and contribute to natural ventilation when open. The doors are also available in energy-efficient glass options and environmentally friendly finishes. The TerraSpan doors feature multi-point locking hardware and may be selected in finishes such as brushed chrome and oil rubbed brass. The extruded aluminum can be finished with durable anodize or versatile paint in a standard, specialty or custom colors on the exterior.
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