‘Building Green’ Issues at MDA Town Hall Meeting

During his “Building Green” presentation at the Fourth Annual Midwest Distributors Association (MDA) Town Hall Meeting and Seminar, Sloan Valve Co. Water Conservation Manager Jim Allen addressed the need for sustainable building designs and demonstrated design benefits of achieving Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ certification.“The building industry is facing a new trend toward green buildings,” says Allen. “New standards for sustainable buildings are becoming more and more common. With advances in modern technology and building techniques, these buildings are providing owners with real economic benefits. Plumbing wholesalers will play an increasingly important role in these types of jobs … providing valuable product knowledge, as well as detailed product information, which helps qualify these buildings as ‘green.’ ”In his presentation, Allen outlined the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program and its benefits. Acknowledging the increase in these types of projects, Allen discussed the role the wholesaler will play and made some suggestions on how to best position the wholesaler within the value chain of a green building.“Green projects focus on the complete process of building a building. The emphasis is on coordination and planning to make best use of resources. Many times, achieving credit for certain measures is a function of product specification. Products that meet or exceed water and energy conservation standards are the norm. Having strong product knowledge can expedite the process and help the overall project meet its sustainable goals,” says Allen. Sloan Valve Co., a Franklin Park, IL-based manufacturer of water-conserving plumbing systems, is focusing on the development of technologies designed to make this vision a reality.Expo Real 7: Munich as the Crossroad of International Real EstateExpo Real, the international real estate exposition and conference, is scheduled for Oct. 4-6, 2004, in Munich, Germany. Last year, the exhibition attracted more than 16,000 international visitors from 63 countries who came to make deals with 1,279 exhibitors representing 30 different countries. Exhibitors range from all of Europe’s banks, investment funds, and financial institutions to real estate developers and city governments from the Netherlands to China – all showcasing development opportunities.Much of this year’s attraction will be exploring the real estate opportunities in the 10 new European Union (EU) countries where investments can return yields ranging from 12 to 14 percent in countries including Poland and Bulgaria, and as much as 18 percent in Moscow. Expo Real has also become a key location for those seeking deals with Europe’s largest investment banks and funds. Germany, alone, has more than 800 billion euros targeted for international investment, according to Eugene Egetenmeir, deputy director, Messe Muenchen, organizer of the exposition.At the core of Expo Real is a program of “Forums,” which attracts standing-room-only numbers of visitors. Nearly 100 presentations and dialogues are scheduled over the three days. This year’s Forums will feature topics including: case studies on cross-border transactions; discussions of international public/private partnerships; insight into the strategic business opportunities inherent in China and the new EU countries, a hospitality forum, and the Seventh Annual Facility Day, sponsored by GEFMA/IFMA.For additional information on Expo Real, contact Noel Hoekstra, president and COO, Munich Trade Fairs, North America, at (312) 377-2650, ext. 11, or ([email protected]). As a service to real estate and business executives wanting to learn more about the prospects for international real estate investment, Expo Real has compiled a list of research reports on international real estate which are available free online. To receive a copy, e-mail ([email protected]).