Masonry Magazine August 2005 Page. 51
Articles
The city of Venice was the first to adopt the ordinance after four hurricanes threatened the Gulf Coast last year, officials said.
The county does not have such an ordinance, though there has been some talk about implementing one, Manatee County Department of Public Safety Director Karen Windon said.
For more information about the ordinance, visit www.cityofbradenton.com.
Reported by the Stuart News, "New statewide building codes on the books," June 30, 2005: A massive rewrite of Florida's building codes takes effect today, but homeowners won't see much difference until Oct. 1, when the industry and local building officials must begin complying with the changes.
It's been seven years since lawmakers last took a detailed look at Florida building regulations. Those rules were put to the test last year when four hurricanes ravaged the state. In response, lawmakers decided to sift through the myriad regulations and codes that govern building and remodeling.
Much of the bill's 49 sections deal with making building code governance uniform throughout the state and compliant with federal regulations. The law also establishes statewide standards for building products and stricter penalties for unlicensed contractors.
The Florida Building Commission is scheduled to meet in late August to make changes to requirements for building products in light of problems presented by last year's intense storm season.
"There are a number of issues concerning water intrusion that were seen in Central Florida, which got hit by three storms," said Jack Glenn, of the Florida Home Builders Association. "There is a list of seven or eight things that will address those concerns."
Among the changes taking effect today, the law conforms Florida Building Code to International Building Code requirements.
Massachusetts
Reported by The Republican, "Welcome center work of Job Corps students," June 22, 2005: It's more than just bricks and mortar at Westover Job Corps' new $80,000 "Welcome Center."
It represents not only a new entrance to the 50-acre center campus, 103 Johnson Road-but an inviting area for visitors and parents of students when they arrive, said John E. Arthur, business and community liaison.
The 2,100-square-foot center is being built entirely by students studying a variety of career trades.
Hard at work is student Kiana Hicks of Boston, who is learning masonry. "I like it and I plan on going into contracting" after graduation, she said.
Hicks said she takes pride in her work and is enjoying getting on-the-job training for her future profession.
Founded in 1964, the Job Corps is the nation's largest residential employment and educational training program for.
Embracing Technology
# MASONRY NEWS CONTRACTOR TIP
How many of you cannot use a computer? Maybe you have one for your secretary, but you don't think it's important for you to know how to use it. Most of us like to pretend we don't need computers and that our businesses will be fine without them. But, did you know that today many companies are requesting bids and submitting information over the Internet?
The time is nearing when computers will be a must in almost all companies. Even mason contractors will need to learn how to use computers if they want to stay competitive in the future. Don't let time run out before you learn to use them.
Computers cost money, but they save time. Think about it. Once you spend an hour on the phone with someone, that hour is lost forever. Wouldn't it be worth a small investment in technology to save that time and be freed up to make money?
In April, I attended the Masonry Showcase in Chicago. After being out of town several days, I would normally expect to have 20 to 30 calls to return. Only two years ago, these calls would have taken me up to a day and a half to complete. This time, when I returned it was different. I had 40 e-mails and only four voice messages to address. I went through my all e-mails and returned my phone messages in about two and a half hours. Can you imagine how long it would have taken me to return 44 phone messages? I was done in a fraction of the time it once took me.
Usually I can return three to five e-mails in the time it takes me to return one phone call. Plus, e-mail is really simple. A lot of the answers people are looking for are to simple yes or no questions. With e-mail, you just type yes or no and send. Often, e-mails provide me an answer, and I don't even need to respond. Much of the extra conversation that goes along with a phone call does not take place in e-mails. It's quick, efficient and easy.
I'm certainly not an expert on computers or a person with an extensive education. In fact, like many other mason contractors, I have only a high school education. My education the best I could have received in this industry has been in the field, better known as the school of hard knocks. As our business grew, I realized that to be efficient in the office, our staff needed to embrace technology. Two years ago I had the local college come to train the members of our staff on computer basics-how to type and use e-mail. Now, the time we save everyday just by using e-mail alone is amazing. If one of us has something to tell all 17 employees, we can type the message and send it company wide. Gone are the days we spent running up and down the halls to be sure everyone got the message. And, your message is in writing, so later no one can claim they weren't informed of the details.
Learning to type and send e-mail is a necessity in business-it may be even more important today than using the telephone. If you and your employees haven't embraced technology, I encourage you to do so. It's an investment that you won't regret. It could be the difference between getting bids and jobs in the future or not.