Always looking for ways to benefit our members!

This is an exciting time for us at Fen-BC as the website is now live! Visit us at  www.fen-bc.org for all the association information!  You will also be seeing in the next couple of weeks your copy of our new magazine Fenestration West.  It is packed with information on new/completed projects, so make sure and check it out.  The second issue is now being built so if you would like to advertise or supply an idea for an article please contact Frank O'Brien [[email protected]].

We would like to thank Tyler Galbraith from Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP for his three part webinar series on Tendering, Contracts and Builders Liens.  They were very informative and had a great turn out by our membership.  If the membership would like to see more of these please contact Zana with your ideas and she will arrange it.  These webinars were recorded and you will be able to review them off our website.

On May 7, 2013 we will be hosting a round table meeting in Kelowna, BC with Al Jaugelis, Terry Adamson and myself.  This will give everyone a chance to be informed and give feedback on the new window and door regulations.  Make sure and sign up now and pass along the information to any branch members you think would benefit from it.  Al and Terry are extremely knowledgeable in the area of NAFS compliance so it is exciting to have them in our area.

Quote:

"The worst crime against working people is a company which fails to operate at a profit."

Samuel Gompers

Hope everyone has a profitable month.

Debra Dotschkat

Chairman of the Board

I am a firm believer that industry must move forward in a constant improvement motion.  This motion is often fueled with regulation, think about the late 70's, if it wasn't for regulation we might still be doing single glazed aluminum windows.  So as painful as it is, with regulation we improve the industry.   

Here is the down side to this regulation.  Government is very good at providing regulation to industry, but fenestration has had a fairly easy ride if we consider more life reliant products.  So let's imagine for a moment, we are not making windows, but maybe pacemakers.  Government institutes a law on our pacemaker industry that says all pacemakers need to keep the user alive via an energy efficient energy source.  As a pacemaker manufacturer you must have your product tested and verified your energy source is compliant.  This of course is expensive and time

 
Then you go out to market to sell your compliant pacemaker.  Your potential customers tell you, your price is too high, they can get pacemakers much cheaper from brand X.  So you investigate, how can this be so, you have very good prices for the value.  Your customer tells you that he gets his pacemakers 30% cheaper from a company that doesn't bother with testing or compliance because the government does not bother to check to see if these pacemakers are following the rules.  You complain, you follow the rules, you provide information to the regulators about these manufacturers, you try to take the high road, and still you are faced with trying to sell your pacemakers to market, but often your price is simply too high.   

So you go back to that first customer to see how his non-compliant pacemaker is doing.   

He's dead.  

Regulation without enforcement kills manufacturers.      

Terry Adamson, Westeck Windows and Doors

FEN-BC Vice Chair, Residential

As public announcements from government are difficult to issue during the election period, this notice will have to suffice for the moment. A formal announcement from the Building Safety & Standards Branch is expected after the election.

David Bruce has recently ended his contract at the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas.  We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

Voytek Gretka will now be overseeing technical aspects of the Energy Efficiency Act (EEA) including but not limited to: fenestration, HVAC equipment and electronics. Any questions or clarifications on EEA provisions should be directed to him (contact info below).

Some of you may have met Voytek in recent months, when he and David were touring various facilities in the fenestration industry in the Lower Mainland. We will do all we can to ensure a smooth transition, and please feel free to contact Voytek if you have questions or concerns.

Energy Efficiency Standards Engineer - Energy Efficiency Branch

BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas

Tel: 250.952.0626

Email: [email protected]

The intent of these proposed Building Bylaw amendments is to ensure that, when necessary, the majority of homes have the ability to be adapted to meet resident's requirements with minimal cost and construction impacts.

All comments must be submitted by 4:30 pm on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

Join us for a FEN-BC Round Table Lunch Meeting

This luncheon will be your opportunity to meet our new Technical Consultant, Al Jaugelis and our new Chair; Debra Dotschkat and Vice Chair - Residential; Terry Adamson.   

Victoria
May 2, 2103
1130 am - 130 pm
Royal Colwood Golf Course
629 Goldstream Avenue, Victoria
Click here for registration

Kelowna
May 7, 2013
1130 am - 130 pm
Coast Capri
1171 Harvey Street, Kelowna
Click here for registration

Surrey
May 23, 2013
1130 am - 130 pm
Sheraton Guildford
15269 - 104 Avenue, Surrey
Click here for registration 

Attendance will also give you a chance to be heard. What are your concerns, what issues are affecting your business, what can your association do to help?

Group Benefits Insurance, Small Business Benefit Plan, Construction Industry Benefit Plan, Owner/Operator Benefit Plan, Bonding and Liability Insurance Program 

The FINAL Report -Energy Rating Study is now posted on the HPO website.  Click here for full report