A new program by the U.S. Green Building Council may multiply the number of LEED-certified retail outlets, restaurants and hotels by making it easier for developers to get their projects pre-certified.

By August 2012, U.S. businesses that sponsor fully insured group health plans could share millions of dollars in rebates from health insurers who spent more on administrative expenses and profits than allowed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), finds an analysis from the not-for-profit Kaiser Family Foundation.

Homeowners seeking lower utility bills in North Carolina have a new option, according to vendors making it happen. 

Solar-powered electricity and hot water, along with efficient thermostat controls, are all being wrapped into a single package, under to a new partnership between three companies: Meritage Homes, EchoFirst solar systems and Southern Energy Management (SEM).

The deal marks the first time Echo technology has been deployed in the eastern United States.

Schlage, a brand of Ingersoll Rand that produces security products, is spearheading a national neighborhood safety initiative in conjunction with National Neighborhood Watch-USA to commemorate the crime-prevention organization’s 40th anniversary.

Schlage will meet with Neighborhood Watch Captions in 40 cities across the United States and donate hundreds of its new alarmed locks, a residential door lock with an audible built-in alarm sensor that alerts residents the moment there is activity at the door.

Two recent high-profile incidents have proven there’s a lack of basic leadership at the highest levels of government.

The first involved Government Services Administration members partying in grand style all over the United States. The second was the Secret Service prostitute scandal before the hemispheric conference in Columbia. Both examples show a blatant disregard for basic leadership by chief executives in some of our top agencies.

Unbelievably unethical

Whether it’s a product designed to bring efficiency to the home, save time for the DIYer or allow a consumer a chance to feel good about buying a Made-in-the-USA product, show organizers have taken steps to give permanence to the show-floor activity.

The May 1 to 3 event at the Las Vegas Convention Center will see a few new twists.

For the first time at the show, a “Made in the USA Pavilion” will showcase domestic-made products.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a Chinese trade group have signed a major exhibition agreement that will bring a large number of additional manufacturers and products to the annual NAHB International Builders' Show in Las Vegas in January 2013.

A formal signing ceremony was held April 19 in Foshan, China, between officials from the China Building Ceramics & Sanitaryware Association and NAHB's immediate past chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder and developer in Reno, Nev., and Mark Pursell, NAHB senior VP for exhibitions, marketing and sales.

Renewable Resources (Energy Solutions) Ltd launched operations in North America to provide roof-mounted solar technology for residential & commercial customers across New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut. 

As a result of Renewable Resources origins in Scotland, the launch is timed to coincide with Tartan Week 2012, a series of events in New York City celebrating Scottish culture and innovation in the United States.

Mark Ayers, the 63-year-old president of the building and construction trades department of the AFL/CIO, died unexpectedly on April 8, according to an announcement issued by the organization.  No details were released on the cause or circumstances of his death. Ayers served as president since 2007.

Westminster, Mass.-based Aubuchon Hardware, an independent chain of 126 hardware stores in the northeastern United States, will accept the Home Channel News Retailer of the Year award during the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.

The award is part of the 28th Annual Golden Hammer Awards, which will take place May 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Employee loyalty in the U.S. continues to wane. Only 42% of employees said they felt a strong sense of loyalty toward their employer—a seven-year low—according to MetLife’s 10th Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends report, released in March 2012. Conversely, the percentage of employers who felt a strong sense of loyalty toward their employees grew to 59% in 2011—a seven-year high.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) applauded new legislation designed to curb regulatory overreach, building delays and red tape.

Introduced by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and 29 other Senators from across the country, the Preserve Waters of the United States Act would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) from using a draft guidance to dramatically expand the scope of the Clean Water Act.