Labor Day Considerations

I salute the working men and women who build:

• The mechanics, machine operators, and assembly workers that produce building products.
• The truckers. warehouse men, and crane operators that deliver materials to their right location.
• The carpenters, plasterers, steamfitters, roofers, concrete finishers, and other crafts and trades people that work in difficult and too often dangerous site conditions to assemble and buildings.
• The the operating engineers, janitors, and service technicians that keep our buildings functioning.

This website usually focuses on the role of architects, engineers, and contractors in making building product specification and purchase decisions. But it would be wrong to neglect the importance of laborers in determining the acceptance and success of any building product marketing campaign.

One more thing:  Have a very safe holiday weekend.

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MasterFormat Updates

MasterFormat is the construction industry standard for organizing information about building activities. It is used to compile project manuals, cost databases, and information about building products.

Six years after MasterFormat 2004 was issued, there are still segments of the building industry clinging to outdated versions of MasterFormat.  This became clear last night when I made a presentation about MasterFormat to the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE). I told them that now is the time to move ahead. The updated version of MasterFormat has reached critical mass in the construction industry. Continuing to use an older version gives the appearance that a firm is behind the times and not keeping up with best industry practices.

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Flashings for Masonry

While masonry is one of the most ancient ways of building, the techniques used are constantly evolving.  An article written by Chusid Associates in collaboration with our client, Earl Bickett of Mortar Net USA, has just been published in the Construction Specifier, September 2010 issue. It discusses trends in cavity wall flashing.

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Trade Association Antitrust Guidelines

When called upon to participate in trade associations, employees and agents of building product manufacturers must understand and comply with antitrust laws.

Antitrust laws prohibit firms in the same industry from conspiring to restrain trade. There are potential civil and criminal penalties for violations under United States antitrust laws. Potential consequences of violating or appearing to violate antitrust laws can be severe for trade associations, member companies, and their employees.

When attending trade association meetings and other activities, you must follow general guidelines in order to avoid violations of antitrust laws.

Topics that must be avoided include:

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Chusid Associates De-Filed

When, recently, our storage room was defiled by water from a ruptured pipe, I decided it was time to de-file Chusid Associates of as many paper-based documents as I could. This process has helped me measure how far and fast our industry has come in the shift to digital media.  Here are some of my observations:

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