Newsletter
6 JULY 2001- Recycled HTML
Version
Volume 1 Issue 2 - Association
for Better Insulation
In Today's Newsletter:
1. Associate Update - New Member Roster
2. Website Update - @www.betterinsulation.com
3. Marketing Tips - Ways to Spread the Word
4. Industry News - Products, Events and
Announcements
5. Business Tips - Keeping Good Employees
6. Readers Questions - Submitted Since Last
Issue
7. Reader Submitted Articles - A Short History
Lesson from Russia
8. Useful Products - Driveway Alert
9. The Legal Stuff Newsletters Must Have
10. Quote of the Week.
Welcome to the second issue of the ABI
Newsletter.
A Special Welcome to the new members in the
past week, since the last issue:
WELCOME TO THE ABI CELLULOSE FAMILY!
Payless Insulation - Houston, TX. USA - www.paylessinsulation.com
Custom Spray Insulation - Greenwood, AR. USA -
www.customspray.com
Eagle Insulation Los Angeles, CA. USA - www.eagleinsulation.com
P.K. Insulation MFG., Co. Joplin, MO. USA
- www.pkinsulation.com
Website Updates @www.betterinsulation.com
The Better Insulation
Web site is, and will be, a constantly changing site, simply because this is
a dynamic industry and we will strive to always keep the latest information
available to you and your potential customers. Speaking of potential
customers, this Web site is a resource that you should use as it will help
you inform your customers of the benefits of Cellulose and the dangers of
fiberglass. Don't underestimate the power of "third party"
information! And PLEASE link to it if you have a website! We have a new
logo design and many banners available on the website. If you have a website
and advertise it locally, don't make potential customers search for valid information
that supports your claims... You never know what lies they might find on the
Internet...See the new graphics and banners at: www.betterinsulation.com/Link2us.htm
There has been a big increase in visitor
inquiries from the website over the past week or so. Customers are going to
the site, being sold on Cellulose, and can't find a contractor listed. This
means we do our best to track down a local Cellulose Contractor for them. We
are spending more time every day doing this and though it is a good
indication of both the site's effectiveness and the industry's growth in the
public information area, we are concerned that if the trend continues, we
will be spending an inordinate amount of resources tracking down Contractors
who are not listed. This is an unabashed plea to manufacturers to let their
contractors know the site is here and a free listing is available! A full
page custom listing at that! We would much rather have customers contact
local Contractors directly off the site... Thanks...
Marketing Tips: Ways to Spread the Word
In this section, we would like to share with
everyone ways to increase business through creative marketing and public
education. We would appreciate any member or reader suggestions for this
section to be included in the next issue. If you are doing something that
works, SHARE IT! The more market share nationally and internationally that
Cellulose Insulation gets, the more the word will spread and YOU will
benefit directly from that. Just drop us an email or give us a call...
Today's tip comes from Ted Estey of Polar
Insulation in Crestview, Florida. www.polar-insulation.com
Ted says that one of the best and least expensive ways to promote your
business is by letting the Chamber of Commerce, Home and Garden Clubs,
Builders and Real Estate or Remodeling Associations and any other group
or organization that may be interested in energy savings, recycling,
environmental issues, construction or home improvement and volunteer
yourself as available to speak at luncheons or meetings of these groups.
These groups are ALWAYS looking for local experts to speak at their
gatherings. Ted says that inevitably after one of these speaking
engagements, several people will approach him with requests for more
information or a home demo. Just bring your demo box, VCR Tape and speak a
little about the benefits to the environment, the homeowner, and lightly
brush on the concerns about fiberglass and health, refer them to the website
at www.betterinsulation.com
for more info and hand out product brochures available from your
Manufacturer and your business card! Don't forget to mention the latest
pest control technology available now.
We have a sample form letter of introduction available that you can mail to
these organizations. Just drop us an email and we'll get it out to you!
(note: MS Word format)
Industry News
P.K. Insulation of Joplin, Missouri,
www.pkinsulation.com , servicing
contractors in 12 Midwest States, produces In-Cide Pest Control Insulation
under license agreement with InCide Technologies.
P.K. is one of several producers around the
country presently or soon to offer EPA Approved Pest Control
Insulation. These products are non-toxic and not an organic poison like
most insecticides. Insects cannot build up an immunity to it and it is 100%
environmentally friendly. It works by dehydrating the internal digestive
linings; preventing nutrition absorption, thus starving the insect to
death with this natural chemical dehydrator that the insects ingest when
they clean themselves. Truly remarkable. A great product option to offer
your clients. www.pkinsulation.com
--- Although the Borate content of Cellulose insulation is generally insect
repellent, these products are EPA approved as an insecticide. editor's
note: This may seem to be a bit of hair
spitting, but we just wanted to remind you to offer and espouse the pest
resistant properties of Cellulose along with the other benefits. It's
an easy one to overlook, but a good incremental closer during your sales
presentation. There is a percentage of customers that will want to have the
EPA approved products installed if you give them the option. Of course,
there is a premium attached to this form of better insulation and many
Contractors charge a substantially higher installation rate for these
products. Just let your conscience guide you! Our calculations/research
indicate an average of a nickel a square foot cost increase for the EPA
approved products and an average dime a square foot increased installation
charge is industry average. Check with your Manufacturer for pricing and
literature and use it.
----------
Service Partners has acquired Thermoguard
Insulation Company, with plants in Spokane, WA, and Billings, MT. With
this acquisition Service Partners now has almost a nationwide presence in
the cellulose industry through All Weather Insulation, Springfield, KY, and
Cell-Pak, Inc., Decatur, AL, and Thermoguard.
Business Tips: Keeping Good Employees
Turnover... the bane of the business owner.
How many times have you had to go out and help on an install because someone
quit or didn't show up when you should have been doing YOUR job and
promoting your business? Please take a minute a share with our readers what
works for you and we'll publish your ideas in the next newsletter! By
helping others, you help yourself.
Reader's or site visitor's Questions
Since the Last Issue
Q. How long should I tell the General
Contractor that they have to wait to install the drywall after I use the
spray on system?
A.
Reader's
responses in next issue! Get answers to YOUR questions, submit questions to
this section by dropping them to us in an email...
Q. What's a good rule of thumb for knowing the
moisture level is correct when setting the spray mixture?
A.
Reader's
response in next issue.
Q. How can I stop the retrofit end on my hose
from clogging up during installation?
A.
Reader's
response in next issue.
Q. There isn't a Cellulose Contractor listed
on your site for my area. How do I find one?
A. This one we can answer. Email us your
name, zip code and telephone number and we will find one for you that will
do the job or at least give you an in home demonstration.
Readers: Please respond to these questions.
Your answers will appear in the next issue of this newsletter... just email
the question and your answer to QandA@betterinsulation.com
or email a new question!
~ This Week's Reader Submitted Article ~
This Article submitted by our member
contractor in Moscow:
Cellulose was first used in Russia as a
structural insulation in 1994. It was first imported by a highly
placed, though retired, government organization member, who used his
contacts with the Makron company in Finland to produce and distribute
Cellulose Insulation under license in Russia. He saw how the benefits
of Cellulose could save energy and was a safer product for his country.
He persuaded Russian creditors that the
product was good for the country, the economy, and the people and they
worked up an agreement to purchase Cellulose manufacturing equipment from
Makron under the name of Ekowool for the Cellulose product, which
became well known in Russia in the latter half of the 1990s.
In 1994 the first
Cellulose-producing plant came into operation in the Volga region
(town of Kanash), and in the years 1995-96 two more plants came into
operation in Moscow. These plants produced 3000 tons of Cellulose per
year. At the same time a few companies started installing
Cellulose insulation in Moscow. They used machines imported from
Finland.
Initially, it was agreed that there needed to be a
massive advertising and education campaign so the building contractors and
the public would be aware that Cellulose was the best alternative to
mainstream insulation.
Unfortunately, this never happened. There was also a
problem with fire safety regulations. There wasn't a problem with the
Cellulose, as it was treated to be fire retardant as it is elsewhere in
the world. The problem was that the process of changing regulations in
Russia is a slow one, much as it is elsewhere in the world. Cellulose was
not permitted by regulation to be installed in multi-level structures at
that time.
The lack of advertising and public awareness efforts
coupled with the single story structure regulation and the VERY high price
of imported blowing or spraying equipment ($20,000 US!) from Finland,
conspired to defeat the progression of the Cellulose Industry in Russia.
It is at about this time that the fiberglass
industry moved into Russia in full force, led by Pfleiderer, a German
fiberglass Company, and Isover, a Finland fiberglass manufacturer to
influence regulations to defeat Cellulose and now control the market. Of
the 5 main Cellulose Manufacturers that began the movement in Russia, only
one Manufacturer survives and is operating at scarcely 15%-20% of
production capacity, staying in business toward future hope of
reestablishing a viable share in the Russian Insulation market.
If one could read between the lines of this story,
that was submitted to us by the good people of Jupiter Insulation in
Moscow www.jup.ru
, it would be easy to see the politics and infighting that went on over
there. We experienced and are experiencing the same here in the US.
Fortunately, the Cellulose Industry here was a bit stronger before the
battle ensued and there are people and Associations willing to take up the
battle to promote a healthy economy through fair business practices. That
isn't to say the battle is won. What happened in Russia, could very well
happen here. Constant vigilance, an effective public awareness program,
and a unified industry approach will insure an ever growing increase of
market share for Cellulose in this country's insulation market.
Thank you again, Jupiter Insulation in Moscow for
this excellent story. Please visit their site, as they have some
interesting products for export that involve combining insulation with
decorative building facades... www.jup.ru
The site is in both English and Russian. Email Paul, who emails good
English and can explain what insulated decorative building facades are... yupiter@ranet.ru
Paul is interested in import/export opportunities.
<----- Note: Articles and ideas in the Reader Submitted section
do not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the Association. We welcome
comments and will publish them in the next issue. ---- >
Useful Products
Driveway Alert is a
wireless beam that crosses any open space, across a driveway, doorway, or
loading dock and sounds an audible alarm at the receiver that can be placed
up to 1000' feet away. Driveway Alert is
the original and a high quality product. We have negotiated a 10% discount
from the normally low price of $199 ($179) for our members, newsletter
subscribers, and site visitors. For more information on the product, or to
order, scroll to the bottom of the contractor search page at :
Another useful product is a data CD. These are
very inexpensive, can hold a lengthy presentation in slide show or
movie format with full multimedia effects, such as sound, voice over, text
insertion, and anything else that can be done on film. Contents edited
directly from a digital video camera. Is anyone interested in developing a
CD on the Benefits of Cellulose and the Dangers of Fiberglass? Think about
this. What does AOL know that we don't? Maybe it's how inexpensive it is to
produce and distribute CDs by bulk mail. Or is it how effective such a
strategy would be? We think it would be well worth a test market.
Produce and Distribute to 4 innerstate regions (one in each area of the
country) and monitor sales for 6 months. Through extrapolation, the
growth of the industry could actually be controlled. We would know the
target area. Strengthen distribution and Installation channels in that area.
Mail out half a million CDs and watch it grow. Continue to next region. Also
make the movie available as streaming media, for a small fee ($9.99 a month)
so it is accessible and linked to every Cellulose website on the Internet
and whatever other sites we can talk into carrying it. Offer it as part of a
free download of 10 FREE e-BOOKS! and get it out to hundreds of thousands of
people for less than a thousand bucks by advertising in electronic newsletters.
Just a thought from a creative marketing member.
Thus ends another issue of the ABI Newsletter.
Thank you for your time and we hope you found some of this useful.
Please forward this Newsletter to whoever may
benefit from it in your circle of Associates.
To Subscribe CLICK
HERE (AOL users simply drop an email to subscribe@betterinsulation.com
with "Subscribe ABI Newsletter" as the subject if your
version makes the link unavailable.
To unsubscribe CLICK
HERE (AOL users simply drop an email to unsubscribe@betterinsulation.com
with "unsubscribe ABI Newsletter" as the subject if your
version makes the link unavailable.
The information herein is available
for reproduction. Simply contact us for permission (We like to keep track
:o). Please forward unedited. Thank You!
~ quote of the week ~
"Increasing the Internet presence of any
industry, benefits that industry."
---- Time Magazine