Industry News

>> Gaco Western Appoints Chuck Skalski as President
Source: Gaco.com
Gaco Western is pleased to announce the appointment of Chuck Skalski as President of the company after over 25 years of dedication and leadership. "This is really exciting and a quite humbling point in my career at Gaco Western. I’m looking forward to building Gaco to be even bigger and better than what it is today."  – Chuck Skalski

>> Global Chemicals Production Softens After Six Months of Stable Activity
Source: americanchemistry.com
The American Chemistry Council’s Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that growth in the industry has been nearly flat most of the year thus far. The headline index for July rose just 0.1 percent on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis. This follows six months of relatively stable activity after a fairly strong 4th quarter.

>> Home Improvement Projects Drive Sales of Spray Foam Insulation
Source: plasticsnews.com
Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) sales topped $1 billion in 2015 by most estimates after another solid year of growth due to increased activity in construction and home improvement projects.

>> OSHA Appoints New Director for its Construction Directorate
Source: osha.gov
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels has selected Dean McKenzie as the new director of the agency's Directorate of Construction. McKenzie served as director of OSHA's Office of Construction Services from 2012-2013, then became the deputy director in 2013, and has been the acting director since January of this year.

>> Proposed ASHRAE/ACCA Standard for Energy Audits Open for Comment
Source: achrnews.com
A proposed joint standard from ASHRAE and ACCA that establishes consistent practices for conducting and reporting energy audits is open for an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) public review. ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 211P, Standard for Commercial Building Energy Audits, is open for public comment until Sept. 19, 2016.

>> Get Ready for 600,000 Commercial Drones
Source: inc.com
There will be 600,000 commercial drone aircraft operating in the U.S. within the year as the result of new safety rules that opened the skies to them on Monday, according to a Federal Aviation Administration estimate.

>> Aetna’s Exit from Obamacare Stokes Growing Concern
Source: thepowerofa.org
Aetna, the nation’s third largest health insurer, announced earlier this month that it is sharply reducing its participation in the marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act, raising doubts about how the nation’s health care law is functioning six years after its enactment.