Opening Thoughts from the Western Region Board of Directors

The meeting, held April 10-11 in Portland, OR, truly symbolized the Western Region Board’s commitment to the pursuit of education and the fostering of relationships among likeminded industry professionals.



Presentations

One presentation that was of great interest to the meeting’s attendees was the update on BIM from Dennis Neeley (SmartBIM). Neeley’s presentation not only provided a comprehensive overview and real world examples of the benefits of BIM, it gave attendees a key contact when they embark on their BIM plan. BIM has become exceedingly relevant to our industry due to the boom in multi-family housing construction.



The NFRC IVP for windows and doors presentation, given by Steve Strawn (JELD-WEN), also drew interest from attendees. AAMA members are encouraged to comment on the draft of the NFRC 713 IVP document. NFRC is required by the Environmental Protection Agency to have the IVP fully implemented in January 2013.



Also during the meeting, Dr. Esmael Adibi of Chapman University, provided a very informative update and forecast of the U.S. economy. Focusing on the Western Region, the projected job growth rate for 2012 ranges from a high of more than 2 percent in Oregon to a low of just under 1 percent in Nevada. However, California is making forward progress with projected single-family housing starts expected to be up more than 17 percent in 2012.



Cardinal IG Facility Tour

In addition to the presentations, Western Region members were graciously invited to take part in a tour of the Cardinal IG Hood River Facility, which gave us the opportunity to experience firsthand the design and fabrication of some of the most advanced residential glass products in the industry.



Continuing Education

To provide Western Region members with the tools and information needed to succeed in an evolving market, the Western Region Board has initiated plans to offer an ongoing webinar series between the region’s regularly scheduled meetings.



The first two installments of the webinar series, scheduled for August and November 2012, will deliver industry information specifically tailored to address the unique requirements of fenestration manufacturing and performance within the Western Region.



If you would like to learn more about Western Region activities, visit the Western Region News web page. AAMA members may also view the Western Region 2012 Spring Meeting presentations in their entirety in the Members Only portion of the AAMA website.



We look forward to a prosperous year and continued focus on technical education, networking and industry updates for Western Region members.