NCMA: After the Elections

Initial indications are that the concrete masonry industry is well positioned to take advantage of the strong support sustainable, durable, and energy efficient building material will likely get from Obama energy and environmental policies.

As the formal transition to the Obama Administration picks up speed, strong signals of the short term and long term policy priorities will emerge. Public reaction to global warming and increased energy efficiency will provide the vehicles for proposals that could add significant value to the industry. Now that the principle of life cycle cost analysis is included in the selection criteria of building materials for the military service branches, the concrete masonry industry will be on solid ground when pursuing related tax incentives or grants. But the same global warming legislation that could provide the industry with opportunity to market and sell more product may also prompt regulatory compliance issues and result in additional burdens and costs to businesses. But the overriding issue for the new administration will be the financial crisis. It will be the prism through which all issues, challenges and opportunities will be filtered in 2009 and beyond.

In addition, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), of which NCMA is a member, got right to work building relationships with the new Administration and Congress. In a 14-page open letter to the President-elect, John Engler, president and CEO of NAM, spelled out the position the association membership holds on 11 important topics. The letter explains how to best address these issues for financial recovery that strengthens the US manufacturing economy, reduces unnecessary domestic cost burdens on production, develops a new generation of manufacturing workers, and enhances the ability of US manufacturers to compete in the global marketplace. All of these principles are of importance to the NCMA membership and lend support to the legislative agenda NCMA has on taxes, healthcare, labor policy, and the environment.