Masonry Magazine November 2005 Page. 54
News
Local, State &
Regional
# Atlanta
The 2005 Custom Home Builders Symposium - originally scheduled to be held in New Orleans-has moved to the Sheraton Atlanta, Nov. 11-13.
Featuring industry-specific education and networking opportunities, the symposium gives custom home builders, remodelers, architects, developers and other industry professionals an opportunity to quickly ramp up the essentials of managing and growing their building businesses.
In light of Hurricane Katrina, two features have been added to the event:
* A roundtable discussion on what custom builders need to do to survive a disaster. Industry experts and disaster survivors will participate.
* NAHB economist Michael Carliner will discuss the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina on the building industry.
The symposium will also include 17 educational sessions, including topics such as contracts, business succession planning, scheduling, building a brand, green building, the builder/architect relationship, dealing with challenging customers, negotiating, growing your business, and controlling profits.
In addition, pre-symposium Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) and Graduate Master Builder (GMB) designation courses will be offered at no additional charge.
Attendees also can attend several advanced, two-day educational sessions and a roundtable discussion with industry veterans to swap business tips and best practices.
To register, go to www.nahb.org/custom. For more information, call (800) 368-5242, ext. 8338.
# California
On Sept. 6, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1329, authorizing cities in Yolo and Solano counties to hire a general contractor to be responsible for both the design and construction work in public construction projects. Existing law requires cities and other public entities to deliver public projects using the design-bid-build method, under which the design and construction work is done by two separate entities, with two separate bidding processes.
The legislation was originally introduced by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis), who cites reduced construction cost and complexity, faster construction times, and lower exposure to litigation as the advantages.
In the past, 13 California cities and counties have pursued and attained legislative authority to utilize the design-build option for construction of public buildings.
# Chicago
Building designers, facility managers and construction professionals will be in attendance at the Roof Consultants Institute's 2005 Symposium on Building Envelope Technology. The two-day event will be held Nov. 10-11, at the Marriott Chicago Oak Brook Hotel in Chicago, III. In keeping with the program's theme "Practical Solutions - Real World Application," speakers will offer experience based insights for solving persistent building envelope problems like water intrusion and failing facades.
Topics and speakers will include:
"Water Testing Methods Employed for Building Facades" David Nicastro, PE, Engineering Diagnostics, Inc. of Austin, Texas
"Vapor Retarder Recommendations for Wall Systems Constructed in the United States" Andre Desjarlais, Oak Ridge National Laboratory of Oak Ridge, Tenn.
"The Role of Masonry in Building Moisture Problems" Norbert Krogstad, Wiss Janney Elstner Associates, Inc. of Northbrook, III.
"The Evolution of Facade Inspection Ordinances" Jeff Endly, Masonry Preservation Services, Inc. of Berwick, Pa.
The Roof Consultants Institute (RCI) is an international association of professional roof consultants, architects and engineers who specialize in the specification and design of roof systems. RCI regularly hosts education programs designed to demystify and explain the application of roofing and building envelope technologies.
# Do Your Masons Have What It Takes?
Melissa Polivka
MCAA Director of Membership and Director of Workforce Development
Contestant registration is now open for the nation's premier event featuring the industry's top masons - the annual MCAA Fastest Trowel on the Block, sponsored by QUIKRETE-held at the Masonry Showcase in Las Vegas on March 31, 2006.
This competition highlights the speed, skills and craftsmanship of journeyman masons from across the country, and the winners of the contest will take home over $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Will this year's winner come from your company? Register your best masons to compete for the grand prize and the glory of being known as the "Fastest Trowel on the Block." There are only 16 stalls, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so you need to act fast.
To submit a team, consisting of one journeyman mason and two tenders, visit www.masoncontractors.org, or for more information, call the MCAA at (800) 536-2225.