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Welcome!
Welcome to the April edition of New(S)olutions, our monthly newsletter.
In this edition, we will tell you about a new product introduction and a new project award, show you some of the coolest new buildings in the world, give you some helpful business tips, share some humor and update you on the state of our industry.
If you would like to forward this newsletter to friends or colleagues, it's easy! Just click on the Forward email link at the bottom of this newsletter.
And please, give us your comments and suggestions on things you'd like to see and how to improve our newsletter. Email your suggestions to marketing@cc-aep.com. Sincerely, Custom Components Company "Your Custom Solutions Provider" |
 Remembrance Plaza Project Dedicated
Custom Components Company's Lynn University Remembrance Plaza project was recently dedicated.
You can see the six glass prisms from the front gate.
In what came to be a community project, more than 600 people raised $1 million for the Lynn University Remembrance Plaza, president Kevin Ross announced at the dedication on March 16. The granite was a gift of the Urso family. Custom Components Company contributed our engineering and design services.
Two faculty members and four students were among 14 people who went to Haiti for a Journey of Hope, to help a school for the handicapped and a girls' orphanage. They never came home.
As Ross told a large and emotional crowd outdoors, "two years, two months and four hours later," six families talked about the loved ones they lost on Jan. 12, 2010, when an earthquake struck the island. The university presented honorary degrees to Richard Bruno and Patrick Hartwick. And Stephanie Crispinelli, Britney Gengel, Christine Gianacaci and Courtney Hayes got their diplomas they would have received at graduation.
"I lost two good friends, Stephanie and Christine," said Jason Dorf, a Boca Raton graduate student and 2011 Lynn alum who came back for the ceremony and a look at the plaza. "It's beautiful," he said. Read more
Click here for larger images
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Custom Components Company Introduces Cable Railing
Custom Components Company is both excited and pleased to introduce our new line of cable railing, available in both exterior and interior  styles. Our cable railing offers a clean, strong and durable railing system that is virtually maintenance free, and is perfect for those situations where a more unobstructed view is desired. Durable and secure hardware is included. Available for both new construction and remodeling, our cable railing system frames come in both aluminum and stainless steel in a variety of finishes including powder coated. Complete custom designed cable railing systems are available to meet your specific design needs.
Click here for larger images |
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Construction Material Prices Spike
In March
The cost of construction materials jumped in March, even as the amount contractors charge to complete projects remained stagnant, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the spike in materials prices continues despite relatively weak overall demand for construction, and cautioned that current market conditions could force some firms out of business.
"Price shocks for a number of key construction materials may have caught contractors by surprise in a period when overall inflation remained very moderate," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "Even though the increases are generally small compared to the high levels of last March, contractors have not been able to pass along these new costs, putting firms at risk of insolvency."
Simonson cited increases in March for diesel fuel, up 3.5 percent for the month after rising 3.0 percent in February; gypsum products such as wallboard, up 2.2 percent after increasing 5.1 percent in February and 5.9 percent in January; and aluminum mill shapes, up 1.2 percent after a 1.9 percent rise the previous month, as particular problems. Overall, the producer price index for construction materials prices increased by 1.4 percent between February and March, following a rise of 0.9 percent from January to February. Read more
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Architecture Billings Index Positive For The Fourth Straight Month
Led by the commercial sector, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has remained in positive territory four months in a row. The economic indicator of construction activity reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) of Washington, D.C., reported the February ABI score was 51.0, following a mark of 50.9 in January. This score reflects a slight increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 63.4, up from mark of 61.2 the previous month and its highest reading since July 2007. Read more
Source: usgnn |
World' s Coolest New Buildings
If you still think of Fort Worth, TX, as simply "Cowtown," then you're due for a return visit. The city is home to the cutting-edge Modern Art Museum,  with its five glass pavilions surrounded by a reflective pond-one of the world's coolest new buildings, according to readers of Travel + Leisure.
T+L readers ranked 60 landmarks, including skyscrapers, stadiums, museums, and opera houses. While they all had to have opened within the last 15 years, many of the top-ranking buildings are more recent arrivals, such as the 2008 I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. Why are they important? Great buildings can help to revitalize a destination, put a neighborhood on the radar, or set the stage for major world events. And of course, new buildings can thrill us with their sheer scale - in many cases, the kind that makes you crane your neck, drop your jaw, and perhaps, hold on for dear life. Read more
Source: Travel + Leisure Magazine |
FMI Forecast Shows 2012 Construction Up 5%
FMI's forecast for total construction put in place for 2012 is an increase of 5% over 2011, or $826.3 billion. We expect 2012 to be the turning point for a long-depressed construction industry. Of course, we must temper that with a number of caveats in our report. Nevertheless, if our forecast seems moderately optimistic, note that the last time construction put in place was at this level was 2000-2001. One of the keys to this growth is the return of private investment in projects as state, local and federal construction dials back until budgets are in better repair and tax revenues return to levels that are more normal. That is a big "if," but there are signs in the markets reviewed in FMI's First Quarter Outlook that this is starting to happen.
Despite slow growth projections, GDP is still growing, and despite rising prices of gasoline, consumers are still spending, as the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index® reflects, with consumer confidence jumping to 70.8 in February compared with 70.4 last February. This mix of good news and bad, along with the Federal Reserve's intervention, has served to keep growth slow and inflation in check. Read more
Source: www.fminet.com |
Industry Sees Recovery Ahead After Four Years Of Gloom
The market recession has severely tested the confidence of the normally optimistic construction industry. Four years of struggling markets have 
taken a toll. However, the slow-but-steady recovery of the U.S. economy has many firms in the industry now believing that the worst is behind them and that a broad recovery is poised to begin.
The recovery of the industry's optimism can be seen in the most recent ENR Construction Industry Confidence Index survey. The first-quarter 2012 CICI rose to 58 on a scale of 100, up 16 points from 42 in the last quarter. (A CICI rating of 50 would represent a stable market.) The 464 executives of large construction and design firms responding to the survey believe the market has stabilized and is beginning to show signs of recovery.
The CICI measures executive sentiment about the current market as well as projections for where it will be in the next three to six months and over a 12- to 18-month period. The index is based on responses to surveys sent out to more than 3,000 U.S. firms on ENR's lists of the leading contractors, subcontractors and design firms. The latest results are based on a survey conducted from Feb. 22 to March 12. Read more |
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Cathedral Construction
There's this cathedral that's still being worked on, and the workers have rigged a "cage elevator" inside so they can get material up and down to the upper floors.
A characteristic of these "cage elevators" is that the doors (gate) must be closed manually for them to be "called" to another floor.
One day one of the workers, Peter by name, takes the elevator to the top floor, and it is subsequently needed on the first floor by the sexton.
Unfortunately, Peter forgot and left the door open. After the sexton rings for the elevator a couple times, to no avail, he yells up for the worker to send the lift back down.
Visitors to the cathedral were treated to this sight: The sexton of the cathedral, head tipped up, yelling up to the heavens:
"Peter! CLOSE THE GATES!!"
Source: www.contractorcity.com
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Survival Of The Fittest?
It's been tough. Even though the recession shows some signs of improvement, a lot of companies didn't make it. Those that did are still struggling, while still others actually managed to do surprisingly well. What makes the difference?
Darwin was often credited with the phrase "survival of the fittest" relating to evolutionary theory. Actually, the phrase was coined by Herbert Spencer, a British polymath philosopher after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origin of the Species (1864). Through time, most have inferred this to mean those in the best physical shape or the strongest. But that doesn't always happen.
What Darwin said later is actually much more on the mark, particularly pertaining to today's (and most likely the future's world economic environment), "It's not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change."
Years ago, I attended a seminar at Northwestern University in Chicago, the subject of which was the process of reformulation. The basic concept of the seminar was this: As a business develops and grows, it reaches a point were it will stop growing, stagnate and even start to decline if it continues to be run the way it has in the past. It must be reformulated, changed to adapt to current economic and business conditions, if it is to continue to grow.
Is your business struggling? If so, remember what Darwin said and be responsive to change. Take the time to re-examine and reformulate your business and begin to prosper again.
Dave Janosz
Marketing Manager
Custom Components Company
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About Custom Components Company
Custom Components Company is the premier manufacturer, fabricator and supplier of architectural engineered products, including interior and exterior railing systems, interior aluminum office fronts, stile and rail doors and sun control devices. For clients interested in custom engineered products, Custom Components' Engineered Services brand offers full design, engineering and fabrication of one-of-a-kind architectural elements. Through a national network of independent architectural representatives and an in-house staff of engineers, Custom Components offers the highest level of technical and product assistance to building and design professionals.
For any project large or small, if we don't already have what you need, we will build it for you and make your vision come alive.
For more information, give us a call or visit our website at www.cc-aep.com.
Custom Components Company "Your Custom Solutions Provider"
13902 Lynmar Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33626
1-800-516-9474
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Visit Our Website
It's user friendly, informative and easy to navigate. The site is designed to showcase our products and projects, as well as provide information, photos, drawings and specifications that the architectural and building community needs to assist them in making their project decisions. Click here to go to our website |
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Visit Our Online Store
Visit our online store. It has been completely redesigned and upgraded. We've added more products, more photos, a better shopping cart and loads of other features to enhance the online buying experience.
Click here to go to our online store
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Quote Of The Month
"Whatever you are, be a good one."
- Abraham Lincoln |
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Trivia Question
How many drinking fountains does the Pentagon have?
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Who Says Construction Workers Don't Know How To Have Fun?
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Visit Our Blog
Come view our blog. We created it to help our customers and potential customers improve their businesses.
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Marketing Is Not An Expense , It's An Investment
 Jayme Broudy of the Contractor's Business School answers a contractor's question: Dear Jayme: I'm spending a fair amount of money on marketing. I'm thinking about cutting it down to conserve cash since things are tight. Good idea or no?
Read Jayme's response here
Source: designandbuildwithmetal.com |
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New Project Award - Price Waterhouse Coopers Offices
Custom Components Company recently received a  new project award for the Price Waterhouse Coopers offices in Tampa, Florida. We will be working with Harmon, Inc. to outfit ten floors of new offices with our EZ Access™
Sliding Door System.
Click here for EZ Access™ details and drawings
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Connect With Us!
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, view our blog on Blogger.com and see our work on the Behance Network.
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Our Corporate Presentation
 Take a look at our corporate presentation. It will give you a detailed understanding of our company, our experience and our capabilities. It also includes an overview of our products and services, our project resume and photos of some of the projects we have worked on. Click here to view the presentation |
Custom Components Featured In Glass Magazine
Custom Components Company is featured in the April issue of Glass Magazine. We are part of an  article "An Architect's Guide to Interior Glass - Idea Book." Our Bioinnovation Center project is highlighted along with comments by Custom Components Principal Jim Ellsworth. Check us out on page 35 of the April Edition. Don't have the magazine? Click below to view the article.
Click here |
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60 Second Guide To Managing Upset Customers
Dealing with upset customers can be difficult and frustrating. But it's important to have a plan, especially given that it's much more difficult to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing one. So what do you do when a customer is heated? First: stay calm. Listen carefully to your customers' complaints without interrupting. Acknowledge the problem with empathy and respect. Let them know what you can do for them and make them aware of all of their options. Read more
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The How Of Wow!
The truth is world class service organizations know and apply certain practices that most  companies do not. This is what differentiates them from the pack. This is what keeps them moving forward on the leading edge of innovation and change, forcing others to catch up. They do things that exceed customer expectations. They solve problems before customers even know there is a problem. They fill latent needs before customers know they have a need. They offer value propositions that seem impossible, yet they deliver on their word. They understand that the customer is not always right, that the customer often does not know what they want until they see it.
Source: simpletruths.com
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The "Shard" Gives London Skyline A Lift
Last week, the last steel frame was put in place to make London's Shard skyscraper the tallest  building in Europe in 2012. The architectural design is modeled after a shard of glass-a triangular long shaped spire with a narrowing top. The exterior of the building is glass to give Shard a unique sunlit appearance and color according to the weather of different seasons and times of day.
Designed by an Italian architect Renzo Piano, the building will be 1,017 feet (310 meters) tall, with 72 habitable floors-at the moment the tallest in Europe. Shard will feature office floors, a Shangri-La five-star hotel, restaurants, living floors, and an observatory. Read more
Source: usgnn
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In Case You Missed
Us...
In case you missed some of the past editions of our monthly newsletter, you can access them by clicking on the link below.
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Our Brands
 RAILING SYSTEMS INTERIOR OFFICE FRONTS  SUN CONTROL DEVICES CUSTOM PRODUCTS |
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