Tradeshow Report

(June 2009)

Pacific Coast Builders Conference 2009 Recap

This year’s PCBC opened to an expectedly smaller crowd. The typically three full halls of exhibits were condensed into one hall making for a much more manageable trade show. Despite the low turn out, many felt as though they were getting more quality leads from those attending.

Kleber and Associates own Eternal hybrid water heater had a special guest make a booth appearance – Ed Sanders of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  Ed recently had two Eternal units installed in his new eco-friendly home in Upland, CA.  A proponent of the hybrid technology, Ed understands that the Eternal system can provide enough hot water for his six person family without losing pressure and temperature. Of greater note is that the Eternal works with Ed’s low-flow faucets. This compatibility issue is becoming a more noticeable problem with the owners of tankless systems.

Nichiha Fiber Cement had a grand showing and made headway with quality customers. During the show the TimberlandPanel Series was displayed. These panels replicate cedar and bark, but they don’t have all the maintenance. The fiber cement company also showcased its Kurastone. The faux stacked stone was a hit and could fool any naked eye in quality and beauty.

One theme carried out in several exhibitors’ new products or innovations was Thinking Bigger. Many companies are taking their products to the next level and using them in multiple applications. Others are thinking bigger than themselves and being green where once not thought possible; and global companies are making a reach into the US.

Kleer Lumber made the announcement that they “achieved recycled content certification for its’ cellular PVC trimboard. The certification has been awarded by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), the leading US-based third-party certifier of environmental claims.” By thinking bigger than themselves they are making a move to be environmentally friendly in an industry – plastics– that has never really been considered to be Green.

Another bigger thinking company is Ostberg Fans. They are a global manufacturer of indoor climate ventilation fans and have recently made the move to the US. Ostberg claims that the fans promote healthy indoor air quality.  The fans can intake or exhaust air and are ultra-quiet.  By being a global company, Ostberg is the definition of having to think bigger.

Mixing indoors and outdoors, Isokern is a maker of fireplaces and chimney caps. They utilize Icelandic volcanic stone to produce indoor and outdoor fireplaces with superior ventilation and insulation. The company stated that, “[the] new resource is being excavated in approximately 2500 year old mines that are located near the polar circle. Due to such high quality resources, the aggregate is very clean, pure and exhibits very fine qualities as opposed to other volcanic material in lower latitudes which are full of organic material.” By thinking bigger Isokern is also using the volcanic rock as road bedding; multiple applications provide the company with a greater breadth of customer.

Green and eco-friendly products are no stranger to the west coast and again this year they were making an appearance. Those companies in attendance showed signs of forward thinking innovation in a time when most are retreating and rebuilding. 

 


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