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Wolfgang Schroeter Honored

with Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal

BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA

 

Wolfgang Schroeter, founder and CEO of Napoleon Fireplaces & Grills, was presented with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal at the Barrie City Council meeting in recognition of his business and corporate philanthropy. 

 

"It's such an honor to be presented with such a prestigious medal," said Schroeter. "I'm thankful to the community that has supported us throughout the years and it's always a great privilege for us to be able to give back to that same community." 

 

The Schroeter family is known for supporting a vast array of local causes, including Rotary Club charities, Radio for Radiology and a gift of $100,000 in furnaces to Habitat for Humanity. 

 

Mayor Jeff Lehman recognized Schroeter's 36-year-old company, which currently employs over 700 people worldwide, and has headquarters located in Barrie, Ontario, and factories and distribution centers around the world. Napoleon Fireplaces and Grills is widely known as a world leader in its field, most recently having invented and is manufacturing the only high-efficiency gas furnace made in Canada.  

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal award is a commemorative medal that was created to mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honor Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honor significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

 

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Momentum Building for

Home Improvement Activity

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

 

Spending by homeowners on improvement projects is expected to accelerate as the year progresses, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. On top of the almost 10 percent growth reflected in U.S. Census Bureau figures for 2012, the LIRA projects strong gains in homeowner remodeling spending continuing throughout 2013, with some moderation in the pace of growth toward the end of the year. 

 

"Existing home sales were up almost nine percent last year, and house prices are increasing in most markets across the country," says Eric S. Belsky, managing director of the Joint Center. "This has increased the home equity levels for most homeowners, encouraging them to reinvest in their homes." 

 

"The strong growth that we've seen recently is putting pressure on the current capacity of the home improvement industry," says Kermit Baker, director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center. "Contractors and subcontractors are having more difficulty finding skilled labor, and building materials costs are unusually volatile for this stage of a recovery."


 
The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) is designed to estimate national homeowner spending on improvements for the current quarter and subsequent three quarters. The indicator, measured as an annual rate-of-change of its components, provides a short-term outlook of homeowner remodeling activity and is intended to help identify future turning points in the business cycle of the home improvement industry

 

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