Plumbing Manufacturers Institute Hosts Fall Meeting
For Immediate Release
ROLLING MEADOWS, ILLINOIS (OCTOBER 31, 2009) — The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI) hosted its Fall Meeting, October 11-14, 2009, at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The theme for the Fall Meeting was “Shaping the Legacy for a Sustainable Future,” reflecting the growing mindset of efficiency and sustainability in the plumbing manufacturing industry.
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PMI again put together a top-notch list of guest speakers and topics that both informed and entertained.
John Wicks, merchandising vice president of Home Depot, Inc., addressed the attendees on Monday, October 12. PMI was thrilled that Mr. Wicks was able to make time in his schedule to speak at the PMI meeting as requested by the PMI membership.
The first full day of the meeting, Monday, October 12, consisted of PMI Issue, Standing and Product Committee Meetings that included a presentation by
Michelle Desiderio of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center on national green building certification.
The Tuesday, October 13 sessions started out with a special presentation by
Don Abraham of Social Technologies examining global trends in society and culture and their impact on customers and consumers.
Michael Colopy, a foreign affairs specialist who focuses on the emergence of Brazil, India and China as world business forces, followed with a riveting overview of market opportunities.
Bill McElnea of the Department of Commerce spoke on their Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative.
Brian Woodward,
Pat MacAuley and
Gary Stanley, also of the Department of Commerce, presented a demystification of “Made in USA,” “Country of Origin” and “Buy American.”
Yvonne Orgill of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association presented an update on the state of plumbing manufacturing in the United Kingdom.
Marsha Mazz of the U.S. Access Board offered an update of the Americans with Disabilities Act and
Barbara Lippiatt of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) explained how to measure Building for Environmental Economic Sustainability (BEES) performance.
A roundtable discussion on issues related to plumbing product certification took place on Tuesday, October 13. Representatives of various certification bodies engaged in a lively panel discussion on topics such as mutual acceptance of test data, green product certification and certification of products in compliance with new prescriptive lead laws. The panel included
Terry Burger, Canadian Standards Association (CSA);
Shahin Moinian, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, Research and Testing (IAPMO R&T);
Jay Peters, International Code Council (ICC);
Robert Hill, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center;
Jeremy Brown, NSF International;
Norman Hester, Truesdail Laboratories;
Tom Bowman, Underwriters Laboratories;
Timm Schaeffer, Intertek and
Tom Palkon, Water Quality Association.
The
Capitol Steps comedy troupe brought their own brand of subversive humor to the Keynote Dinner on Tuesday, October 13.
Wednesday, October 14 started with the Universal Conformity Assessment Issue/Technical Standing Joint Committee Meeting. Afterwards, attendees headed to Capitol Hill to meet with their federal representatives for the remainder of the afternoon. Waterman & Associates, PMI’s federal lobbyists, prepared PMI members for their visits in a detailed briefing, held earlier in the conference.
For more information about the PMI Fall Meeting, visit
www.pmihome.org or call 847-481-5500. Photographs of the meeting are available. Please note that the 2010 Spring Meeting will take place March 14-17 at the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, CA.
About PMI:
The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute is the voluntary, not-for-profit international industry association of manufacturers of plumbing products, serving as the Voice of the Plumbing Industry. Member companies produce a substantial quantity of the nation’s plumbing products.
For more information on PMI, contact the association at 1921 Rohlwing Road, Unit G, Rolling Meadows, IL, 60008; tel.: 847-481-5500; fax: 847-481-5501; or www.pmihome.org.
PMI Mission Statement:
- To promote the water efficiency, health, safety, quality and environmental sustainability of plumbing products, while maximizing consumer choice and value in a fair and open marketplace.
- To provide a forum for the exchange of information and industry education.
- To represent openly the member’s interests and advocate for sound environmental and public health policies in the regulatory/legislative processes.
- To enhance the plumbing industry’s growth and expansion.
Plumbing Manufacturers Institute
1921 Rohlwing Rd., Unit G, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008, U.S.A. • Tel: 847-481-5500 • Fax: 847-481-5501
www.PMIhome.org •
www.SafePlumbing.org
Contacts:
Barbara C. Higgens, executive director, Plumbing Manufacturers Institute,
bhiggens@pmihome.org, 847-481-5500
Heather West, media contact,
heather@heatherwestpr.com, 612-724-8760