Flashings

• 

Pass the turkey, please

Thanksgiving is a much anticipated holiday largely because of family, football and, of course, food. This year, as you loosen your belt and nap your food coma away, chew on the following Thanksgiving food facts:

• Most Americans eat about 14 pounds of turkey each year, and much of that is consumed during Thanksgiving weekend.
  
  
• In 2004, the U.S. raised 263 million turkeys, with Minnesota being the top producer.
  
  
• In 2003, about 2.6 billion pounds of sweet potatoes were raised.
  
  
• About 658 million pounds of cranberries were produced in 2004, and a majority came from Massachusetts.
  
  
• In 2003, Illinois led pumpkin production, raising a hearty portion of the total 805 million pounds of pumpkins produced that year.

TDI product prices increase

The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., increased its prices for VORANATE™ toluene diisocyanate (TDI) by 10 cents per pound and VORANOL,™ VORALUX™ and SPECFLEX™ polyether and co-polymer polyols by 6 cents per pound Oct. 1.

Continuous growing demand and costs have caused the price increases.

"Unrelenting increases and volatility in energy and raw-material costs, particularly for natural gas, propylene and toluene, continue to affect our production costs and overall margins," says Chuck Reardon, North American product market manager for polyurethanes at The Dow Chemical Co. "Our TDI margins, in particular, are at a historical low.

"Also, we are experiencing continued supply/demand tightness for propylene, propylene oxide and polyols," he continues. "These price increases are necessary to help us keep pace with rising costs."

Hurricane Katrina produces tax breaks

After Hurricane Katrina, tax breaks and incentives have developed for hurricane victims, as well as those who offer aid. According to The Kiplinger Tax Letter, the following breaks have been offered, among others:

• The 10 percent penalty on pre-59 1/2 payouts from individual retirement accounts has been waived for victims as long as withdrawals are $100,000 or less.
• People who house victims for 60 days or more receive a break, and a higher mileage rate—34 cents per mile—is available for Katrina-related charitable drivers.
• Victims have until Feb. 28, 2006, to file and pay taxes for payments, deposits or tax returns due after Aug. 29, 2005.
• Companies receive a credit if they hire displaced victims and special break if they keep paying employees while business operations are suspended.
• Corporations can completely deduct Katrina cash donations.
• A Katrina bill is being planned, which likely will include faster depreciation and higher asset-expensing limits, to reward companies that invest and rebuild in the disaster area.
• Victims receive easier access to retirement funds, allowing hardship withdrawals for people who lived or worked in the disaster area and hardship distributions for people who have children, parents, grandparents, etc., who lived in the area.

Reprinted by permission of United Media.

Organizations help small businesses

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) has partnered with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to establish a Small Business Disaster Relief Fund, which will cover things that are vital to small-business operation yet not covered by typical insurance.

All small businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina in the entire Central Gulf Coast region can apply for assistance through the fund, and LABI began accepting grant applications Sept. 15 at its Web site, www.labi.org.

Qualified businesses must have had fewer than 100 employees on Aug. 29, be a for-profit entity, be in the private sector and be in one of the federally designated disaster parishes or counties. To ensure fairness, applications will be handled anonymously so screeners do not know the company or region.

Donations via credit card can be made through LABI's Web site, www.labi.org, and checks can be made out to Small Business Disaster Relief Fund/BRAF, 402 N. Fourth St., Baton Rouge, LA 70802.

Details

Kyle Thomas
Vice president—sales and operations manager of Thomas Roofing Co., Mobile, Ala.

What is the most unusual roofing project you've performed?
Reroofing the Middle Bay Lighthouse in the middle of Mobile Bay. We had to remove the old asphalt shingles and install underlayment and a new slate roof system. The logistics of transporting manpower, equipment and materials to a job site in the middle of a bay were challenging. We had to secure the job site twice during construction because of tropical storms. However, I have to admit it was fun visiting the site. It is probably the only time I honestly can say I was in my boat and working.

Why did you become a roofing contractor?
It is a family business. In college, I decided the big corporate lifestyle was not for me. I knew I wanted to return to this area to make my living, and I wanted to work where I could have more control over my own destiny.

What was your first roofing experience?
I was the helper on a tile replacement job at Murphy High School in Mobile, Ala. I carried the tile to the installers. They seemed to enjoy barking orders at the owner's son.

What are your favorite items on your desk?
Drawings by and photos of my kids.

What do you consider your most rewarding experiences?
Spending time with my family. When running a company, family time comes at a premium.

What was your first job?
Loading and unloading trucks for my father's roofing company.

What is your favorite vacation?
Walt Disney World with my wife and kids.

What do you consider a waste of time?
General contractors' weekly scheduling meetings.

What are your best and worst habits?
My best is I'll listen to a whole story from all sides before I make a decision or take action. My worst is I'm a habitual procrastinator.

What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who whine or complain about a problem but are not willing to take the necessary actions to fix it.

If you could invite any three people to dinner (dead or alive), whom would you invite and why?
Jesus Christ, Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King Jr. I'd love to hear their thoughts about how people adhere to their teachings and ideas.

What is your favorite stress reliever?
Going out on my boat whether I am fishing, riding, playing or working.

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?
Balancing the needs of a diverse customer base with the needs of a diverse work force and bringing the two together in a profitable manner. And in the course of doing that, not becoming a stranger to my family.

What is your roofing industry involvement?
We are a member of The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress, and I just started a three-year term on NRCA's board of directors.

People would be surprised to know...
After graduating from college, I spent a ski season working as a cook at a Colorado ski resort.

Union leader passes away

Earl J. Kruse, president emeritus of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers (UURWAW), passed away Oct. 7. Kruse was 75.

Kruse's career spanned 55 years in the roofing industry. In 1950, he joined Chicago Local Union #11 of UURWAW. He was a trustee of the local union from 1961 until 1968, when he was elected vice president. In addition, from 1961-80, he served as an officer of the local union's executive board, as well as a trustee and chairman of the local union's Health & Welfare, Pension Plan and Vacation Plan from 1969-79.

Kruse was elected international vice president of the union in 1972 and appointed special assistant to the international president in 1979. He held both positions until 1985, when he was elected international president.

As international president, Kruse emphasized development of quality apprenticeship and safety and health programs for the international membership. As a member of the international union's apprenticeship committee, he helped develop apprenticeship bilingual manuals for the union. His administration developed a strong relationship with many contractor groups and associations throughout the U.S. and made labor-management cooperation a hallmark of his administration.

Kruse also became a member of the Union Labor Life Insurance Co. Board of Directors in 1999.

Kruse retired in 2003 but retained the title of president emeritus.

Kruse is survived by his wife, Jean; daughters, Terri Kirkpatrick and Maureen Nagle; sons, James, Robert, Timothy and Tom; and many grandchildren.

The Kruse family requests donations be made to the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, Children's Burn Camp, P.O. Box 911, Mount Prospect, IL 60556; American Cancer Society, 77 E. Monroe St., Suite 12, Chicago, IL 60603-5906; or Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America, 386 Park Ave. S., 17th Floor, New York, NY 10016.

Rohm and Haas Co. increases prices

Rohm and Haas Co., Philadelphia, has increased prices for acrylic emulsions, solution and solid-grade acrylic resins, vinyl acetate-based emulsions, additives and colorants sold to industries in North America, such as architectural coatings, industrial coatings, and construction and building products. The price of acrylic-based products increased 6 cents per wet pound and vinyl acetate-based products increased 5 cents per wet pound Oct. 10.

The price increases reportedly have been implemented as a response to increased raw-material, energy and freight costs, as well as the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.