Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/175815
MIND THE TECH GAP High-tech solutions wait in the wings as window wall and curtain wall sectors battle trade winds t The chill winds of overseas competition, especially from China, have to be an increasingly signi icant factor in the strategies and approaches adopted by Canada's curtain wall and window wall sectors. "Offshore competition is affecting all facets of the glazing industry. The cost of labour here makes up the majority of the difference in prices," says Jim Lebedovich, general manager at Phoenix Glass Inc. Innovation, product quality and service are a big part of the strategies used. Also, many irms can lay claim to specialized, high-end expertise in a niche area. In the case of Phoenix, one of its strengths stems from the fact that it is a manufacturer with an R & D component. "Most installers and contract glaziers buy from other manufacturers, but we manufacture our lines," says Lebedovich, who notes that Columbia Aluminum Products is the company's manufacturing branch. "It gives us the lexibility to design and make anything the market is looking for. We do sell off-theshelf systems but we're not limited to that." Having a product that anticipates the growing focus on energy ef iciency and more stringent provincial energy codes is also helping companies like Phoenix maintain a competitive edge. For instance, when the B.C. government's Energy Ef iciency Act came into force last year, Phoenix was ready with products that meet the more rigorous codes associated with green buildings. One is the i500 hybrid window/curtain wall system, the other is the i625 commercial curtain wall, a unitized system that is entirely shop assembled and glazed. Despite these successfully introduced products and other strengths, Lebedovich believes that tariffs are an option that needs investigating. Certainly, there's been some action on this front, south of the border. Last year, the U.S. International Trade Commission instituted anti-dumping and countervailing duties on aluminum extrusion products from China, much of which were components of curtain wall systems. The action was taken following a U.S. Department of Commerce investigation which found that 29 Chinese companies dumped some $500 million worth of extruded aluminum products into the U.S. market in 2010. The measures have had an effect, apparently. Once the tariffs took hold, Chinese extrusion shipments, which had been entering the U.S. at the rate of about 40 million pounds per month, fell almost at once to around one or two million pounds per month. "Early indicators are proving this was very effective and positive for our members, and those dumped aluminum pro iles have pretty much disappeared," said Rich Walker, president and CEO of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association, in an interview with a U.S. trade publication. "Quality issues and distance costs," says Gary Lawrence, a partner at Inland Glass & Aluminum, are another concern for importers and owners who use products from overseas. Top: Series HP 3253 from C.R. Laurence Co., Inc. at the Knoxville Convention Center, Knoxville, TN. Right: Durabuilt Windows and Doors' Hybridex curtain wall system. Quest, Edmonton, Alberta. Window Wall & Curtain Wall p.12-19Curtain Wall2.indd 13 COURTESY BRINSMEAD KENNEDY ARCHITECTURE COURTESY C.R. LAURENCE CO., INC. by Godfrey Budd OCTOBER 2012 /13 9/11/12 11:34 AM