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Reuters
U.S. homebuilding fell for a third straight month in May to the lowest level in eight months as construction activity declined broadly, suggesting that housing could be a drag on economic growth in the second quarter.
Housing starts weakened despite a dearth of properties on the market, which is hurting sales and boosting prices. Economists blame shortages of labor and land for the downturn. Demand for housing remains strong, underpinned by a tightening labor market.
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Window & Door
There are plenty of reasons why vinyl windows have come to dominate market share in new residential and multifamily construction.
It's not energy performance. It's not price. It's color. In markets throughout the country, the availability of color options in vinyl window systems as technology has matured has opened new opportunity for residential window fabricators.
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Jamsill Guard® is an adjustable sill pan flashing designed to prevent water damage from window and door leaks. Made from high impact ABS plastic, Jamsill Guard® will not deteriorate or corrode over time. Our multi-piece telescoping design allows on-site adjustability to fit all rough openings and features sloped weep areas to help evacuate moisture to the exterior of the structure. Jamsill Guard® is bonded together on site using PVC cement, creating a one-piece sill pan flashing beneath your door or window. Click here to view our video.
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The Washington Post
Amazon was awarded a patent May 30 that could help it choke off a common issue faced by many physical stores: Customers' use of smartphones to compare prices even as they walk around a shop. The phenomenon, often known as mobile "window shopping," has contributed to a worrisome decline for traditional retailers.
"E-commerce and technology have absolutely changed the rules of the game and given massive amounts of power to the consumer," said Simeon Siegel, a retail analyst at Nomura. "There is a self-help mentality now. People walk around with their phones in their hand to tell them the best model and the best price." Amazon has figured out a way to stop "showrooming" in their stores. Can other retailers be far off?
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Bloomberg
Canada's envoy to Washington says President Donald Trump's administration is interested in a quick deal to end a softwood lumber dispute although Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government sees no imminent agreement.
Ambassador David MacNaughton said last week U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told him it would be good to get a softwood deal before renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, due to begin as early as August.
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Entrepreneur
Millions of businesses join Facebook, Twitter and Instagram every day for the sole purpose of generating traffic. Many set up Google ads. Because of this increasing participation in social media, however, success with conventional online advertising has become harder to come by.
For the small business owner, this problem is especially worrisome: These smaller guys (and gals) are up against bigger competitors with much larger marketing budgets and armies of marketers. They're worrying about setting up the perfect Facebook ad to avoid "banner blindness." They're consumed with that fragile Facebook post-to-ad ratio.
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Remodeling
Low interest rates and a hot housing market mean significant opportunities for professionals in the commercial and residential remodeling industry. Yet, maintaining cash flow can prove to be far more challenging than marketing your services, winning jobs, or completing them on time and on budget.
While the remodeling industry is inherently exposed to macroeconomic factors you can neither predict nor control, there are industry-best practices you can implement into your remodeling business to ensure your cash flow doesn't suffer or put you at risk of financial instability.
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AGC via For Construction Pros
Forty-two states added construction jobs between May 2016 and May 2017 amid growing demand for construction services, while 25 states and the District of Columbia lost construction jobs between April and May as firms struggle to find enough workers, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials said workforce shortages appear to be impacting construction employment in parts of the country.
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For Construction Pros
For a growing number of contractors, the worker shortage is reaching a critical stage, and the problem will only worsen as increasing numbers of construction workers "age out" and take their knowledge and skills with them. Some estimates predict a shortage of 31 million skilled tradespeople by the year 2020, much of it through natural attrition as increasing numbers of baby boomers exit the workforce.
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