March 6-7 – Fayetteville, Ark.

March 8-9 – Kansas City, Mo. 

Advanced Materials Estimating School… This advanced piece-by-piece estimating seminar is designed to assist the estimator or outside salesperson/estimator who already knows how to estimate but wants some shortcuts and instructions in multi-pitched roofs, including stick framing and finding wall lengths, floor area, and more complicated house layouts. Students receive the estimating guidebook as part of the class. 

March 10 – Kansas City, Mo.

Member Pricing: 

Basic Estimating - $450 per person

Advanced Estimating - $325 per person

Early Bird Discounts available – see registration form for details. Sign up early to get the best price.

Complete information and registration forms are available upon request from MLA at 800-747-6529. Or, simply reply to this email and we’ll send complete information today! 

AN HOUR WELL SPENT

Earl Nightingale comments that if you were to spend just one hour a day studying any subject, you would be a national expert in five years. Why not begin today with a goal of becoming the best at what you do by becoming an expert in your field.

Wall Bracing 101

The Engineered Wood Association released a new publication, Introduction to Wall Bracing, which explains International Residential Code (IRC) requirements for braced wall panels in buildings up to three stories.

The recent hurricanes and Midwest tornadoes illustrate the importance of properly braced walls in today's home. Yet accurate technical application and verification is often a frustrating exercise.  This 16-page guide, based largely on queries to our Product Support Help Desk, answers a host of common questions related to the 2003 IRC such as:

• What's the difference between a braced wall line and braced wall segment?

• Are offsets permitted in a braced wall line?

• How is the percentage of bracing in a wall line determined?

This publication also explains how to work with corner windows and bracing segments not at the end of a wall line, walls taller than ten feet and bracing requirements in high seismic areas.

This publication is available online, at APA's Web site: http://www.apawood.org/publications or to order (minimum order $4.00), request: Introduction to Wall Bracing, Form F430, single copy $2.00.

* Mail:  APA - The Engineered Wood Association, Publications Department, 7011 S. 19th, Tacoma, Washington, 98466

* Email: lit.orders@apawood.org

* Fax: (253) 565-7265

LUMBER NEWS – QUICK GLIMPSES

Canada Wins Latest Softwood Battle… On Monday, Canadian trade officials said the World Trade Organization (WTO) appellate body has sided with Canada’s position that U.S. procedures used to establish countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports are inconsistent with trade organization’s rules. This decision is final.

The case will now go to arbitration, and an amount of allowable retaliation will be determined. That retaliation will come into play should the U.S. not conform with its WTO obligations.

Source: LBM Daily, December 6, 2005

U.S. Changes Softwood Rates to Comply with NAFTA… On Tuesday, the U.S. Commerce Department set rates for softwood lumber penalties at about half of what Canadian companies have been paying, to 10.81%. The Commerce Department also raised its countervailing duties from 8.2% to 8.7%. 

“This is a positive step but we will keep pressing for the full respect of NAFTA,” said Canada’s International Trade Minister Jim Peterson. 

Source: LBM Daily, December 7, 2005

Experts Predict 2006 Will Be 2nd Highest Profitable Year for Housing, Behind 2005… The National Association of Realtors said on Monday that new home sales are projected to drop 4.8% to 1.23 million in 2006, which would still make 2006 the second highest-grossing year in history.  

David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, said that market conditions are still favorable for housing. “The slowdown amounts to a tapping of the brakes on a hot market,” said Lereah. “Home sales are coming down from the mountain peak, but they will level-out at a high plateau – a plateau that is higher than previous peaks in the housing cycle. This transition to a more normal and balanced market is a good thing.” 

Source: LBM Daily, December 13, 2005

Help Shape the 2006 Agenda… As we near the end of the year, NLBMDA’s Government Affairs Committee will soon be meeting to establish our industry’s legislative and regulatory agenda for 2006. We also continue to work on Retailer Liability Relief legislation that we expect will be introduced in Congress in early 2006.  

You can help us make our case for retailer liability relief on Capitol Hill, and shape our 2006 agenda, by taking a few moments to complete our year-end survey by clicking the link below.

NLBMDA 2005 Issues Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=317451432923

Source: NLBMDA, December 16, 2005

Mills in the West Experience Record-Making Output… According to a report recently released by Western Wood Products Association, mills in the 13 states that comprise the Western region of the United States will produce approximately 19.1 billion board feet this year – a sight unseen since 1990.

“Oregon is the largest lumber producing state in the country and comprises 38 percent of the Western total,” said association spokesman Robert Bernhardt, Jr.

Source: LBM Daily, December 19, 2005

HSA QUALIFIED HEALTH PLANS

Federated Insurance is pleased to announce the availability of four new Qualified High Deductible Health Plans, available January 1, 2006. These consumer-driven plans will allow eligible members to contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA).

The addition of the Qualified High Deductible Health Plans expands Federated’s health care options for affordable health insurance coverage. The combination of the qualified health plan, along with the HSA can help control health care costs and provide tax-advantaged benefits for eligible members. Federated’s Marketing Representatives can help inform business owners and their employees about the fundamentals of the qualified plans and the Health Savings Account.

If you are interested in learning more about these new products, contact your Federated Marketing Representative for more information.

MLA is proud to endorse….

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 

“Christmas gift suggestions:  To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” – Oren Arnold (1900-1980)