The office will close at noon on December 31, and we'll be back to regular hours on January 2, 2013.

NLBMDA Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference 

Two Building Material Associations Merge

Paint Companies Hit with Lead-Paint Ruling 

Housing Starts Hit Five-Year High in November 

Housing Outlook 2014: 10 Predictions 

Missouri's Minimum Wage Rises on January 1 

NLBMDA Spring Meeting & Legislative Conference...Registration is now open for NLBMDA's Spring Meeting and Legislative Conference, which will take place from March 31-April 2, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency in Arlington, Va. Join us in Washington to make your voice heard! 

Two Building Material Associations Merge...  Members of the Southern Building Material Association (SBMA) and the Ohio Construction Suppliers Association (OCSA) approved a merger of the two groups. The newly formed Building Material Suppliers Association will represent lumber dealers in Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. SBMA President Larry Adams will become president of BMSA, while Lynn Schwarz, currently OCSA's Executive Vice President, will be BMSA's Executive Director. The merger will take place in early 2014. 

Paint Companies Hit with Lead-Paint Ruling... The paint industry has proved generally successful in court, dodging expensive lead-paint related rulings. But not in California. Not Monday. A judge in Santa Clara County Superior Court ruled that paint companies must pay $1.1 billion to 10 California cities and counties - including Los Angeles County - as part of a lead removal program. Millions of older homes will be involved in the treatment. Read more. Source: Home Channel News, December 17, 2013

Housing Starts Hit Five-Year High in November... Single-family and multifamily housing starts reached their highest rates since 2008 in November, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Privately owned housing starts were at an adjusted rate of 1,091,000 in November, up 22.7 percent from the revised October rate of 889,000 and 29.6 percent above November 2012's 842,000. Single-family starts reached a rate of 727,000, up 20.8 percent from October. Multi-family starts rose 26.0 percent to 354,000. Read more. Source: Hardwood Floors Magazine, December 18, 2013

Housing Outlook 2014: 10 Predictions... In 2013, the housing recovery was a welcome bright spot for the economy: prices were shooting up, fewer homeowners were underwater, and builder confidence was finally on the upswing. It's looking like 2014 should be another good year for housing-mostly. Here are ten things housing experts expect to see in 2014. Read more. Source: Builder Online/Forbes, December 23, 2013

Missouri's Minimum Wage Rises on January 1... About 104,000 minimum wage workers in Missouri will get a 15-cents-an-hour raise on Jan. 1 to $7.50, thanks to an inflation adjustment built into state law. Read more. Source: Kansas City Star, December 25, 2013

Many of us make it a point to see our doctor for an annual medical checkup. This is an important opportunity to have a medical professional assess the current condition of our health. It also allows us to ask questions of our doctor about medical issues or concerns, and it is a chance to consider making changes to accommodate a healthier lifestyle.

When was the last time you turned to your insurance provider for a similar checkup of your business insurance and risk management programs? Read more.

This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association's recommended insurer.

"We cannot do great things unless we're willing to do the small things that make up the sum of greatness."

~Theodore Roosevelt