b'in apackage deal sothe contractor DirectA Directorcan tumone supplier forneeds. Fromtohis This may simplify purchasinghe for tNewscontractor, butalso begins to limit it RecentItem - OwensCorning FiberglasCor competition.Althoughwecertainly have moreenough choices in\'-"\' porationreorganizesitself andthantheparesdownto fightoff anun today,concentration marketplacethe of more productsfewer companies\' wanted corporate suitor.in hands mayto considerable fewer lead - Koppers Companypurchased bychoicesinthe futureand higher is aforeigncompanywhichthenprices.Higher prices are not necesspins offroofing division to itssarily bad if theincreases can be the management.passedalong by the contractorand - Bridgestone buys Firestonee &theincreasedmarginsatthe TirRubberCo.which in tum buysmanufacturers level are plowed back RhoflexandThermalSystems,into the roofing business. Inc.Bothof these trendsofferoppor- ManvilleCorporationemergestunities tothe roofing contractor -frombankruptcyandbuystheusingthefinancialstrengthand phenolic insulation business fromBillmarketing capabilities of the larger O\'Brienfirms to enhances own sales and/or Koppers.hitooffawider variety of roofingusing thethe smaller These events aresmall parttheerspecialization of aofproducts and insures Manville\'s con firmstoconcentrateonamarket recent fad in corporate buy-outs andtinuedcommitmenttoroofing.niche.Usedproperly bothcanenhave dramatic Likewise,Koppers must becom hance theline. restructuring thatally changed thenatureof businessinbottom America.eytions ofmitted to roofing because it is nowWilliam O\'Brien Th are indica evenKoppers only business.American Roofing & Repair Co. more changesthe roofing industry. inSecond, I thinkchanges Ofas contractors arethesepointWest Chicago, Illinois course, wein outent ways timately familiarchange.intwo fundamentally differwithJustofapproachirtgtheroofing"Stay\'\'on LiftedOSHA the lastyears or so, we have seen 10marketplace. On one hand you haveHazard Communication thepredominanceof long t ermOwens Corning and Koppers gettingStandard guarantees -10, 15, 20, even 25 yearsmaller and focusing on anarrower terms. We have witnessed the intro segmenttheirbusiness.OSHA is now freeto enforcethe oftraditional duction of new products and systemsWhetherbychoiceorbycir HazardCommunicationStandard\'-" - EPDM,PVC,CPE,CPA,CSPE,cumstance, they have been forced toagainst constructionemployers. The modified bitumens, etc. - with the ac lookattheir businessesand maketemporary "stay" prohibiting enforcecompanying headaches of educationsome tough decisions - what dowement of the Standard was lifted on andaining. Governmental agencies January24,1989.TheSupreme tr keep and what dowe discard. Both have instituted rules and regulationsKoppers and OCF have kept roofingCourtiscurrentlyconsidering that require us to change some verywhetherreview theCircuit\'s as part of their core business. EachtoThird basic operating procedures. We havedenial of relief to industry must be sure itresponsive to thegroups opis seenthe emergence of thermal effi needs and demands of its customers.posingtheHazardCommunication cientinsulationsasaroofingBeingthey shouldmoreStandard\'s applicability to construcstandard and then watched insmallerhavetion. Although OSHAnot stated horrorflexibility, butave seen that sizehas last year as they became expensivewe h whether it willmoveforwardwith can be a detriment - OCR\'s fiberglas and scarce.insulation problems during 1987 is aenforcement nowor wait untilthe But whatdothechangesat theperf bothSupreme Court indicates whether it ect example. Currently,commanufacturinglevelmeantouspaniesvery heavilyand aswillr eviewtheThirdCircuit\'s today? First, I think they indicate aarein debtdecision, OSHA may begin checking interest rates rise this year, as it positivecommitment totheroofingnowfor compliance. appears will happen, the dollars alloindustry.Owens Coming hascom cated to research and development,The Standard requiresemployers mittedsomesignificantdollarstoeducation,tradeassociations,etc.toprovideMaterialSafetyData their fiberglass insulation and BURmay be reallocatedtoother thingsSheets(MSDS),proper labelingof productsaslimmed down com hazardous materials and to conduct anda s such as debt service. But despite the panymson itsemployee training on the hazardous see to be concentratingroughroad thesecompaniesmust corebusinessof building products.travel,bothareimportant inthematerialsintheworkplace.If you Firestone\'s purchase of Rhoflex andmarket because they offer productshavenotput your complianceproThermal Systems makes it amajorwhich are not widely available fromgraminplaceyoushoulddoso player inawiderrangeof roofingimmediately. Forof you needing other sources.those systems, not just EPDM. Manville\'sOn the other hand, you have Man helpthe National Roofing Contracemergence from bankruptcy and itsvilleandFirestonebroadeningtors Association has put together a purchase of Koppers\' phenolic insula product lines to expand theirrket completeHazardCommunication\'-"\' mationbusinessstrengthensandsh are.BothcompaniespushtheComplianceprogram.Information enlargesitsrelationshipwiththe"systems"approach,combiningtheabout this program isavailable by roofing contractor.ItcontactingeNRCAoffice. allows Manvilleinsulationandthmembraneaccessories Page2'