Construction employment in June continued to trail pre-pandemic levels in more than one-third of the states despite record job openings, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by AGC.

The Florida Wall and Ceiling Contractors Association announced the appointment of Herman Guevara as president of the organization at its recent conference in Orlando, Fla.

On June 2, EIMA staff members met with leaders of the Operative Plasterers' & Cement Masons' International Association to discuss ways in which the organizations can collaborate in advancing the EIFS industry.

In today’s Federal Register, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is seeking comments on a new information collection request entitled, “Field Testing of Spanish-Language Toolbox Talks for Spanish-Speaking Construction Workers.” “Toolbox talks” are brief (approximately 5-10 minutes) occupational safety and health instructional sessions designed to be delivered on the work site or at the contractor’s office. This new ICR will evaluate Spanish-language toolbox talks with Spanish-speaking construction workers to assess the effectiveness of toolbox talks as an OSH training method for this audience.

To set the stage for mass energy transformation of cities, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority aims to upgrade New York’s building stock through their RetrofitNY Program. Identifying partners to help drive and execute this change, NYSERDA has named Tremco Construction Products Group an approved component manufacturer (RFQL 4551) for Deep Energy Retrofit projects across the state of New York.

iQ Power Tools, manufacturer of premium power tools with integrated dust collection systems, has promoted Evelyn Casillas from Marketing Assistant to Marketing Manager. Casillas has been with iQ for two years and during that timespan, has contributed greatly by creating and managing both print and online marketing tools such as brochures, merchandising, packaging, manuals, advertisements and E-mailers.

This morning, Autodesk announced the next phase in its effort to upskill current construction workers and help the industry engage the next generation of prospective recruits.

The Insulation Solutions Suite is a new 24/7 building science content hub created by Owens Corning to serve architects, contractors and other professionals involved in designing, constructing and maintaining high-performing commercial buildings. Content resources housed on the site are organized into building science categories including fire, moisture, air resistance, acoustics, structural performance, thermal performance and more.

With its July Market Trends Report, Ritchie Bros. digs into construction and aerial equipment sales through the first half of 2022. In the United States, Ritchie Bros. mix-adjusted price indexes (for April to June) show prices for used large and medium earthmoving categories are up 15% and 20% year over year respectively, while aerial equipment is up 18%.

As mentioned in the EIFS-Briefs (September-October-2021.pdf on eima.com), the New York City Council passed an updated code that will take effect on November 7. Filed under Int. No. 2261-2021, the new code “completes the most recent code revision cycle with amendments to the New York City Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes, based on the 2015 editions of the International Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes published by the International Code Council, where necessary, modifying or adding new text tailored to the unique needs and characteristics of the City’s built environment.”