Fred Vapenik Joins Deceuninck

Fred Vapenik was introduced as the new Vice President of Sales and Marketing to a crowd of 125 customers, business partners, and industry leaders, during the Deceuninck GlassBuild celebration on Wednesday, September 15, 2010, at the Renaissance Marriott in Las Vegas.

In his new role, Fred is responsible for the sales and marketing leadership of both the Fenestration and the Building Products sides of the Deceuninck Americas organization which supports business in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several other countries.

Fred has a rich background as a sales and marketing leader in the building products industry where he created marketing and sales strategies to drive revenue and enhance profit.  He has served as a corporate officer and executive for several major building products manufacturers.  Most recently, he has been the Principal and President of his own marketing and business consulting firm.
Please join us in welcoming Fred to Deceuninck.

GlassBuild America 2010 Wrap-Up

It was wonderful to see many of our customers and friends at the 2010 GlassBuild America convention in Las Vegas.  The focus of the booth this year was building products that can withstand the outside elements and stand up to the forces of mother nature.  Deceuninck featured our energy efficient line up of windows and doors all of which meet or exceed the current requirements for R5.  All of these products can be built to meet impact and hurricane building code requirements, and several impact versions were on display.  The new thermal reinforcements are now available for many of our popular sash systems.  The thermal reinforcements were displayed along side of aluminum and steel in a large ice cooler.  Attendees were able to experience the significant difference in the cold conductivity of the aluminum and steel versus the non-conductivity of the thermal reinforcement.   The newest addition to the Deceuninck window line, Zendow, was introduced at the show for application in the commercial market.  In front of the waterfall was a beautiful deck of durable, weather-resistant cellular PVC from Deceuninck's Kodiak Building Products line of products.

On Wednesday evening, the Deceuninck GlassBuild hospitality event, held poolside at the Renaissance Marriott, proved to be an exciting evening.  The event was kicked off by a welcome from Deceuninck North America CEO, Mark Parrish, followed by an introduction to Fred Vapenik, Deceuninck's new VP of Sales and Marketing.  Tom Debusschere, Deceuninck Group CEO, spoke to the 125 attendees about the restructuring of Deceuninck and how Deceuninck is positioned for success today and well into the future.  Ron Jones was the featured guest speaker, and he challenged the audience to 'drive the industry' in energy efficiency advancements.

Deceuninck Cellular PVC Decking at Deck-Expo 2010

Kodiak, the Deceuninck building products brand, participated in the Deck-Expo at the NAHB Remodeling Show, held September 15-17, in Baltimore Maryland. The Deck-Expo is the only U.S. trade event that focuses exclusively on deck, porch and railing. The growth of Deck-Expo has accelerated in the last few years, and this year it dominated the Remodeling Show with nearly all deck manufactures represented. The Remodeling Show draws builders and carpenters from all over the United States and outside the country, looking for the latest technologies and the newest products, designed specifically for the special building requirements of decks, docks and porches.

Deceuninck unveiled their new Kodiak Cellular PVC variegated decking planks which are scheduled for full product launch in January 2011. The response was excellent with many booth visitors remarking that the Kodiak Cellular PVC variegated deck planks were the most attractive on display. In fact, a number of attendees were actually on their knees trying to determine if the decking was real wood. While the Kodiak booth was modest by comparison to some other manufacturer’s booths, the attendance was high at the booth. Many of the people visiting the booth were directed there by non-competitive manufacturers who commented on how realistic the Kodiak variegated decking looked.

During the show we were able to gather important information on color and design for our Cellular PVC launch. Most of the attendees to our booth were asked to vote on color and design sample options that were on display. This information, along with other surveys that have been conducted, will help to determine the final color selection.

Hanley Wood, the sponsor of the Remodeling Show and Deck-Expo, reported that the 2010 show had a higher attendance rate than the previous year.  This positive sign for the remodeling industry may indicate that a recovery is underway.  Visitors who stopped in our booth expressed optimism for the future.

Product Feature - Thermal Reinforcements

Deceuninck Thermal Reinforcements were developed as an alternative to metal reinforcements for PVC windows and door profiles.   With all of the current and pending regulatory changes and focus on high performance energy standards, Deceuninck Thermal Reinforcements are the ideal solution, outperforming aluminum and steel thermally, while delivering similar structural characteristics. 

The superior performance of the thermal reinforcement allows manufacturers to achieve excellent energy efficiency ratings. The thermal reinforcement fills the profile cavity, minimizing the occurrence of convection within the cavity. Impervious to cold or heat, the thermal reinforcement does not condensate, preventing the staining that can occur with steel reinforcements.  The density of the thermal reinforcement provides increased screw retention over-thin wall aluminum reinforcements.

Deceuninck Thermal Reinforcements can be ordered in smaller quantities than most extruded metal reinforcements and shipped from the same supplier of the PVC profiles, saving the manufacturer inventory carrying costs and shipping costs.  The reinforcements are available for the majority of our sash systems.  Contact your sales representative to obtain samples and find out more.

Industry and Regulatory Update

Home Star Update, October 6th
Last week, on Thursday, the U.S. Senate recessed until after the November elections. Senators left a lot on their plate, including HOME STAR.
Immediately after breaking, The HOME STAR Coalition reached out to HOME STAR's main sponsors Senators Bingaman (NM-D), Snowe (ME-R) and Warner (VA-D) along with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to express their concern.
The HOME STAR Coalition will continue to fight for passage, though the odds of a 2010 HOME STAR bill depend largely on election results and Senate floor politics.
For more info visit: www.efficiencyfirst.org or www.homestarcoalition.org

Federal Trade Commission Proposes Revised "Green Guides", October 5th
The Federal Trade Commission proposed changes designed to update the "Green Guides" and make them easier for companies to understand and use.   The changes could help marketers avoid misleading environmental claims related to “renewable energy”, “renewable materials”, and “carbon offset” along with use of product certifications and seals of approval.  The FTC is seeking public comments on the proposed changes until December 10, 2010, after which it will decide which changes to make final.
For more information, visit  http://www.ftc.gov/green

Senator Snowe Releases Draft Energy Efficiency Legislation, October 1st
U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) was today joined by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in releasing draft legislation that would extend the current residential energy efficiency tax credit.
Read more http://snowe.senate.gov/

Energy Star, September 14th
The EPA notified manufacturing partners of the proposed revisions to the Energy Star Partner Commitments document. These changes are in regards to accreditation bodies, test laboratories, certification bodies, and third-party certification programs (blind purchase). The comment period for the proposed revisions closed October 1. EPA plans to distribute the final Partner Commitments and Product Specifications by mid-October, 2010. The proposed changes are available at www.energystar.gov/testingandverification

AAMA Launches FenestrationMasters™

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) officially launched the new AAMA FenestrationMasters™ professional certification program at the 2010 GlassBuild America show.

The FenestrationMasters program offers training content based on consensus-based AAMA standards. The program coursework covers a wide range of subject matters including performance standards, product and material types and code requirements. Coursework is accessed through MyWindowClass.com, which is owned and operated by the National Glass Association. The online education format allows professionals to complete the coursework at their own pace and convenience, simply through access to any computer with an Internet connection.

There will be two different credentials available through the program:
Certified FenestrationAssociate: To qualify for entry-level certification, a four-year degree and 1 year of full-time fenestration-related experience is required or 3 years of full-time experience in the fenestration industry. This credential level requires successful completion of 30 hours of coursework as well as achieving the required score on the certification exam.
Certified FenestrationMaster: To qualify for advanced certification, a four-year degree in engineering, architecture or applied sciences and four years of full-time fenestration-related experience is required or 6 years of full-time experience in the fenestration industry. This credential level requires successful completion of 50 hours of coursework, as well as achieving the required score on the certification exam.
For more information: www.aamanet.org