|
|
|
|
 ASSOCIATION NEWS
|
|
NEW DATES: HPVA® Annual Meeting
Change your calendars! The HPVA® 96th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC is now scheduled from Sunday, May 7 through Tuesday, May 9 to avoid a conflict with Interzum in Germany. Our host venue is the luxurious Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Downtown on the waterfront. In January, we will announce early bird discounts for registration and rooms as well as the program of speakers and division and committee meetings.
Source: HPVA®.
|
|
|
HPVA® MEMBER NEWS
|
|
Danzer Completes Merger
Danzer has successfully merged Furniertechnik Raspenava by incorporating the firm into Danzer Bohemia-Dyharna. The newly-merged Czech company has 70 employees who produce about 160,000 m2 of spliced faces per month.
Source: Lesprom Network, September 20, 2016.
Map Of International Codes
The American Wood Council's interactive map shows which versions of international codes are applicable in each state.
Source: American Wood Council, September 29, 2016. Photo © American Wood Council.
|
|
|
ECONOMIC TRENDS
|
|
Housing: Is A Bubble Coming?
Swiss bank UBS released its Global Real Estate Bubble Index on September 27. Markets in which housing prices have increased by 50% or more since 2011 are considered at risk of a housing bubble. Vancouver tops the list; London and Stockholm are close behind. U.S. markets are not considered to be in danger, as residential mortgage debt is 13% less than during the 2007-2008 housing collapse.
Source: Construction Dive, September 29; Builder, Builder, September 28, 2016.
|
|
|
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
|
|
|
Illegal Mills Shut In Butterfly Reserve
A joint operation of police and two federal agencies - Profepa and Conanp - shut down 7 sawmills for illegal logging in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Illegal logging in the butterflies' winter habitat has been blamed for the decline of the monarch butterfly population.
Source: Mexico News Daily, September 22, 2016. Photo © Raina Kumra.
|
|
REGULATORY NEWS
|
|
Overtime Rule Doubles Salary Cap
A coalition of industry groups, including the Associated Builders and Contractors and the National Association of Home Builders, is suing the U.S. Department of Labor. The reason: DOL's Wage and Hour Division issued an overtime rule that doubles the previous cap. The industry lawsuit claims that DOL overstepped its statutory reaches by raising the minimum salary for exempted employees. The rule is not yet in effect due to the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act, which delays implementation by at least 6 months.
Source: Construction Dive, September 30; Construction Dive, September 21, 2016.
|
|
|
ECONOMIC TRENDS
|
|
|
Is U.S. Housing Affordable?
In 24% of U.S. counties, the answer is no. The reason: wage growth has stagnated as home prices have skyrocketed. This is a growing problem; last year, 19% of counties were rated not affordable. Contributing to the problems are labor capacity constraints and over-regulated lots. Residents are turning to mobile homes. One example is West Virginia, where in 2015, nearly one-third of new homes were mobile homes. The average price: $67,800.
Source: Builder, September 30; Builder, September 29; Builder, September 27, 2016.
|
|
|
ENEWS SPECIAL FEATURE: WOOD & CARS
|
|
THEN: Wood As Structure
Wood was originally used as a key component in automobile construction. A number of car manufacturers at one time used wood as a structural material. The 1924 Hispano-Suiza Tulipwood Torpedo actually had a structural wooden body. High-quality wood frames were more extensively produced by Volvo and others.
Source: Thoroughbred Cars. Photo © Bill Abbott.
|
|
|
NOW: Morgan Motor's Wood Frames
The Morgan Motor Company has manufactured automobiles since the early 1900s. Morgan has consistently used ash for its frames. Ash is lightweight, durable, and highly effective at dampening vibration. The stylish Morgan Aero8, introduced in 2010, boasts a tubular aluminum and ash core frame. The Aero8 has a BMW V8 engine with a top speed of 170 miles per hour.
Source: Morgan Motor, Motorway America. Photo © Motorway America.
|
|
|
MORE: Decorative Wood In Cars
Wood has long been used as a decorative material in cars, such as the woody station wagons common in the 1930s. Current examples of products are Danzer's Freeform Inlays and their ash, oak, and walnut End Grain surfaces used in car interiors. Audi and BMW are among the manufacturers who use decorative wood in their interiors.
Source: Wood Business Forum, September 16, 2015.
|
|
|
|
NEWS BRIEFS
|
|
|
U.S. Homes Sales Down In August
The housing market remains solid, says NAHB, with the apparent decline due to the upwardly revised July statistics.
Source: NAHB, September 26, 2016.
Canadian Housing Starts Decline
Multi-unit starts slowed in nearly all regions, led by declines in Alberta and Manitoba.
Source: CMHC, September 8, 2016.
|
|
Homes Continue To Expand
By 2015, homes of 4,000 square feet and more reached 11% of all new home sales, up from 7% in 2007.
Source: Construction Dive, September 28, 2016.
65 Companies Cut "Go Paperless"
65 North American companies have removed "Go Paperless" claims, as "the 'go green and save trees' claims are misleading" and ignore the renewability of paper as well as the numerous social, environmental, and economic benefits of well-managed North American forests.
Source: Printing Impressions, September 22, 2016.
First Announcement: 2017 LIGNA
The 2017 LIGNA woodworking fair is scheduled for May 22 - 26 at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds in Germany.
Source: Woodworking & Forestry, October 2016.
|
|
|
Send Us Your Company News, Ideas For Articles, And More
We are always looking for great stories, news about your company, and interesting multimedia. We also welcome feedback on this week's content and suggestions for topics you would like to see in upcoming HPVA® eNews. Email us at innovate@hpva.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
