Fall 2011 News

Grace China, Ltd., a subsidiary of W. R. Grace & Co. has announced plans to build a new factory in the central China city of Ezhou.  The facility is expected to double Grace’s production capabilities for waterproofing products and other specialty construction products that are sold to Chinese customers.

Up to 80 employees will work at the combined manufacturing and office building on the 10-acre site that replaces an existing Grace manufacturing plant. Construction is slated to begin later this year with completion expected in the first half of 2012.

“Our expansion will both increase our capabilities while providing a footprint to support our future Asian growth,” commented Adam Grose, Vice President and General Manager of Grace Construction Products – Asia Pacific.

Grace China Ltd. was founded in 1986 as the first wholly foreign-owned company to do business in the People’s Republic of China. Currently, Grace operates six manufacturing facilities, four sales offices and four technical service centers in China, including the recently completed manufacturing facility in Chongqing, China to expand cement and concrete additives capabilities.

MFM Building Products, a waterproofing and weather barrier manufacturer, is celebrating the company’s 50th Anniversary.

MFM Building Products was founded in 1961 by Robert E. Simpson. Initially, the company manufactured products used for wrapping underground pipe to protect from water penetration and contamination. MFM later expanded this technology to develop sealing and waterproofing products for use within the general construction industry.

Today, MFM manufactures an array of weather barrier products that include low-slope roofing membranes, roofing underlayments, window and door flashing tapes, multi-purpose waterproofing membranes, construction and roof tapes, and HVAC duct and pipe wrap. MFM products are all made in the United States and sold through an extensive distributor network.

Founder Robert E. Simpson passed away earlier this year.  The company is managed by three of his sons: Robert S. Simpson serves as President, John S. Simpson serves as Vice President of Manufacturing and W. Wesley Simpson serves as Vice President of Finance.

In July, the Sealant, Waterproofing & Restoration Institute (SWRI) renewed its alliance with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  By formalizing the relationship, both groups hope to reduce worker exposures to industry hazards such as falls, exposure to chemicals, and confined spaces.

The relationship also provides stakeholders in the sealant, waterproofing, and restoration industry with information about workplace health and safety training resources. For example, shortly after the alliance was formalized, the two groups announced development of the Safety and Health Field Manual that identifies key hazards and OSHA requirements for issues associated with sealant and waterproofing industry worksites, including competent person, aerial and scissor lift, excavation and trenching, fall protection, and respiratory protection.

David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health says that SWRI provides “good sources of safety and health information for employers and workers in the sealant, waterproofing and restoration industry.” He continues, “I expect the materials generated through the continuation of the Alliance to further assist employers and workers in recognizing and preventing hazardous working conditions.”

LiveRoof LLC, a maker and installer of modular green roof components, announced that its system has been certified by FM Global, an independent, third-party testing organization, FM Standard 4477, administered by FM Global, is the approval standard for vegetative roof systems. It evaluates green roof performance related to fire, foot traffic resistance and water leakage. In addition to testing the LiveRoof system, FM Approvals examined LiveRoof’s manufacturing facilities and audited its quality control procedures to verify that the company produces a consistently uniform and reliable product.

“As a horticultural science company, we designed the LiveRoof system for long-term sustainability by establishing our green roofs as naturally functioning ecosystems in which plants thrive,” said Amber Poncé, business development manager, LiveRoof, LLC. “Securing FM Approval signifies that we are equally devoted to product engineering and manufacturing.”

The complete report and certificate of compliance be viewed on the LiveRoof website.

In related news, LiveRoof was selected by the Community College of Philadelphia to install vegetated roofs on two buildings on its main campus.  The system chosen installs vibrant, fully mature plants. With a combined square footage of 11,600 sq. ft., the roof will make an immediate difference to the largest college campus in the city.

“LiveRoof is complete on the day it is installed,” explains Gary Bixby, director of facilities at Community College of Philadelphia. “With LiveRoof the college immediately gets 100% of the roof protection, energy conservation and stormwater management benefits from our investment in green roofs.”

The Sealant, Waterproofing & Restoration Institute (SWRI) is holding their 2011 Fall Technical Meeting in New Orleans, from Sept. 25 to 27.

Contractors, manufacturers, arch-itects, project engineers and other industry professionals are invited to attend.

For information on travel plans or to find out about sponsorship opportunities, call Erin Neid at 816-472-7974

The Basement Health Association, formerly the National Association of Waterproofing and Structural Repair Contractors (NAWSRC), has scheduled a series of regional meetings to showcase the associations expanded focus.

The first, to be held October 16-17, 2011 in Orlando, Fla., will be a joint event sponsored by BHA and the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists to share how radon affects basement health.

The second meeting, held in conjunction with the World of Concrete convention in Las Vegas, Nev. will be January 23-25, 2012.  The schedule consists of the annual BHA board of directors meeting, certification testing, two days of seminars, the annual membership meeting, and a social event.

Finally, the Long Island Regional Meeting will be held on May 18, 2012.  Planning for this meeting is stil in the early stages.

Membership in BHA is not required to participate in these events; however, companies that join at a regional event can take advantage of a $100 discount off their first year’s membership dues. BHA also offers a premier membership level that includes complimentary admission for one person to all BHA meetings.

For more information, or to register, visit www.basementhealth.org or call (937) 424-3313.

Greenbuild 2011 will be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from Oct 4 through 7. The trade show is the largest green building event in the United States, and also one of the fastest growing. (Attendance at the 2010 show was up about 5%  from the previous year.)

The 2011 show will have well over a thousand exhibitors including at least a dozen waterproofing and roofing manufacturers, including American Hydrotech, CETCO, International Leak Detection, Soprema, Tremco, and others.  All of the waterproofers exhibiting at the show produce environmentally friendly/responsible products and systems, such as VOC-compliant, water-based products.

Greenbuild will also feature more than 100 educational sessions and workshops, nearly all of which will count as Continuing Education Units (CEUs).  The U.S. Green Building Council, which hosts the event, is a registered program provider for AIA/CES, ASID/IIDA, BOMI, and IFMA.

Attendees should remember that due to new security regulations, all non-Canadians must have a valid passport to enter the country.

For more information on the show, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org.

The Polyurethanes 2011 Technical Conference is quickly approaching.   Hosted by the American Chemistry Council’s Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI), the conference will take place September 26 to 28 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.

“This year’s conference schedule is packed with networking and professional development opportunities for industry professionals,” said Lee Salamone, senior director of CPI. “During the three-day conference, attendees will have the chance to meet industry leaders from around the world, all while learning about the latest industry developments.”

Featuring more than 60 technical presentations, the conference provides an opportunity to hear about the latest innovations, technical developments and issues affecting the global polyurethanes industry. CPI will also host tabletop exhibits where companies and industry professionals from a range of disciplines will showcase their products and services. CPI will offer its popular Polyurethane Professional Development Program (PDP) as part of the conference.

For more information on the conference, visit www.americanchemistry.com/polyurethane.