If you are attending the HPBA Expo in Orlando, Florida this year, please note that HPBA will NOT be mailing out the badges. You will need to pick up your badges at the EXPO in person!

This new system will save in the following ways:

1. No more badges being lost in the mail or forgotten at home.
2. Allows for you to add sessions, events and badge changes up until the start of the show.
3. Faster onsite process. The Express Badge Pickup process resembles the airlines e-ticket system. This allows our badge registration to become more efficient, more cost effective, and ecologically-friendly for HPBA and our members.

DON'T MISS IT!!!!!! MAHPBA is celebrating our 10th Anniversary and wants all of its members and sponsors to come to the BEST affiliate Member Reception at EXPO! This year our member reception will be at "Howl At The Moon" Club with the "World's Greatest Rock 'n Roll Dueling Pianos" on Wednesday, March 10th from 7 to 9 pm. As a member or sponsor, you already received your invite in the mail, but the address is 8815 International Drive in Orlando. Please remember -- Members and Sponsors ONLY are invited!

1. HPBExpo 2010 will celebrate its 30th Anniversary in Orlando. Celebration will be Thursday, March 11, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm in the indoor and outdoor exhibit areas. There are over 25 companies participating in the reception.

2. The Expo returns to Orlando after 19 years!

SAVE THE DATE!!!!

MAHPBA's 10th Anniversary Annual Meeting with be held at the Lancaster Host Resort and Conference Center, June 13 and 14. Due to popular demand, we are kicking it up a notch for 2010 with design changes that will appeal to sponsors and attendees. Centrally located, The Lancaster Host has always drawn a big crowd. With two full days of events and a new Advanced Technical CEU Track and the return of the Outdoor Burn Area, we expect a colossal turnout for 2010!

Your membership and sponsorship affords your company and staff many benefits that others do not enjoy, one of which is access to the inner areas of MAHPBA.com. Now only registered members will be able to get into the content levels of each menu item. The resources within these pages have been created for the exclusive use of MAHPBA members and to access them you will now need to log in with the user name and password.

Email Lynda at the MAHPBA office at lynda@mahpba.com for membership verification, and we will send you the login information. If you prefer, you can call the office at (603) 669-2744. Just one more way that MAHPBA is working for you!

What happens on April 22, 2010?
What do I NEED to do?
Where can I get trained?
What is MAHPBA doing to help me?
What happens if I do nothing?

What am I talking about? Well, the long and short of it is the EPA has put forth new regulations that all contractors who do work in houses built before 1978 must now be certified in the EPA's Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (RRP program). ALL CONTRACTORS IN ALL STATES AND TERRITORIES MUST BE CERTIFIED.

HPBA needs your help if you sell coal stoves, cook stoves, wood furnaces, or non-certified pellet stoves.

HPBA will be hosting a meeting for small companies that are NOT HPBA members, at Orlando during EXPO, to enable these companies to learn about the EPA's review of the New Source Performance Standard (NSPS). If you sell one of the previously "exempt" products, and buy it from a small manufacturer who may not be an HPBA member, please urge them to attend this meeting and fax them this announcement.

Long-time member, Michael Warner, owner of Glyndon Gardens, LLC in Reisterstown, MD, recently died suddenly at the age of 50. Our condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.