PR December 2010

Porter-Cable introduces the first ever maintenance-free pin nailer with its new 23GA, 1-3/8” Pin Nailer Kit.

The Ridgid 5” Fiber Cement Circular Saw features an on-board active dust collection system that captures up to 90 percent of silica dust that can be…

New Bedford Tool & Gauge Co. introduces “Jobsite Automation” with SawGear, a portable, precise, and rugged automated length measuring system for…

Paslode has introduced the world’s first fuel-powered, cordless roofing nailer — the Model CR175C. The nailer drives two nails per second and holds…

Dewalt’s latest product line, the 12 Volt MAX Lithium ION, includes a complete set of cordless tools, including a 1/4-in. screwdriver and impact…

The truth is we probably need to come to grips with a new reality. Housing and the attitudes toward it have drastically changed. As I’ve written many times over the past few years, I think we’re in the middle of a seismic shift.

The residential market’s “shadow inventory” is up more than 10 percent from a year ago, according to real-estate research firm CoreLogic. That puts overall inventory at more than 6.3 million unsold homes on the market, nearly a third of which are so-called shadow inventory or “pending supply” — those homes that are seriously delinquent, in foreclosure, or being held off the market by banks or other investors.

Housing affordability remained near its highest level nationwide for the seventh consecutive quarter

For full-service remodelers it’s rare that a single marketing tool generates leads by itself. Over time an accumulation of good impressions — from referrals to classy promotion pieces to a good website and a healthy crop of job signs — makes the point that your company is reliable and does good work.

Some remodelers have been known to take an adversarial, lowest-price-is-best mentality when it comes to dealing with their trade partners. They still view trade contractors as subcontractors. The good news is that most of these ultimately fail in business before too long.