March 4, 2014 - 9 - 10 a.m. CST

For many dealers, managing a contractor credit program often feels like a chore - and can be neglected, expensive and stressful. This webinar will teach participants how to create smarter credit departments that translate into stronger cash flow, great relationships with customers and peace of mind for the owners. Learn more here and register today.

The 2014 Building Material Operations Comparison (BMOC) Program is open for business!  Attached is a brief summary of the program, along with a list of available reports and a few samples.  Also attached is a BMOC Order Form. 

Participating members can enter their financial data from now through April 30, 2014.  The participant fee is $200.  This program - now in its fifth year - is the only comprehensive financial comparison tool for our industry. There has never been a better time to participate - get on board in 2014!

Obamacare Employer Mandate Eased

OSHA Fines Alabama Lumber Company

EPA Fines 35 Contractors and Training Providers

Going Green with Steel

Small Group Insurance Rates Balloon

True Value Looks to Transform 

Obamacare Employer Mandate Eased... Mid-sized companies withthe equivalent of 50 to 99 full-time employeeswill now have until 2016 to provide affordable coverage under Obamacare, a year later than expected, the administration announced Monday. Read more. Source: CNN Money, February 10, 2014

OSHA Fines Alabama Lumber Company... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the imposition of more than $106,000 in federal fines for alleged safety violations against southeast Alabama lumber company, Dudley Lumber. The alleged violations originated in the company's Salem installation. Dudley Lumber employs approximately 50 to 60 people and has multiple plants. Source: LBM Daily, February 17, 2014

EPA Fines 35 Contractors and Training Providers... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) settled with 35 contractors and training providers on more than $274,000 worth of civil penalties for violations relating to the Lead Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. The violations, which occurred between May 2013 and January 2014, include 17 instances where contractors failed to obtain certification for renovation on homes built before lead paint was banned in 1978, and 21 instances where contractors failed to comply with required lead-safe work practices. Read more.

Source: Remodeling Daily Update, February 18, 2014

Going Green with Steel... Rural builders know that a customer wants a building that serves an intended purpose and doesn't cost a lot to own. Rarely are they asking for a "life cycle analysis" or demanding LEED compliance. But increasingly there is industry and public pressure to use fewer natural resources in the making and maintaining of buildings. It can present some challenges to builders who want to pursue a greener business but are not sure how.  Read more. Source: Builder Express, February 20, 2014

Small Group Insurance Rates Balloon... Ballooning premiums as the result of health care reform are sorely testing small employers' ability to provide health care coverage, a new survey by Churchill-based SMC Business Councils found. Hardest hit are companies with fewer than 25 employees, including a high number of sole proprietorships, President Steve Shivak said. In total, eight employers were surveyed. Read more.

Source: Biz Journals, February 18, 2014

True Value Looks to Transform... An information-packed general session here at the True Value Reunion included up-close interviews with a new slate of senior executives and an update on the co-op's long-running strategic planning effort. Read more.

Source: Home Channel News, February 24, 2014

A Frank Discussion on Offering Medical Insurance to  

Your Employees

Some employers are so tired of ever-increasing health insurance costs that they are ready to throw in the towel. The advent of the mandated Health Insurance Exchanges (Marketplaces) developed through passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act permit anyone to buy insurance, even if they are unhealthy.

This is causing some employers to consider eliminating health insurance as an employee benefit, and instead, increase wages so employees can buy their own insurance. If you've been pondering this move, you need to carefully weigh the impact of that decision. Read more.

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

"We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology."  

~Carl Sagan, American astronomer