Masonry Magazine April 1979 Page. 27

Words: Dorroh Nowell, James Skinner, James Shea, Sherwood Patek
Masonry Magazine April 1979 Page. 27

Masonry Magazine April 1979 Page. 27
Small Business Votes
Against Metric System

In what has been termed a "dramatic, major shift," small firms have moved from a position of narrow support to a position of strong resistance to a national policy of mandatory metric conversion.

In early 1973, and again in early 1979, all members of the National Federation of Independent Business were asked their opinion on mandatory conversion to the metric system of measurement. In the most recent survey, 69% of the respondents voted against a national metric conversion policy. Six years ago, a bare majority of 51% of the respondents favored metrication.

NFIB is a non-profit federation of people who own small or independent businesses. With more than 565,000 current, dues-paying members, it claims to be the largest business organization in the nation.


Skinner Chairs BIA

James A. Skinner, Jr., Nashville, Tenn., has been elected board chairman of the Brick Institute of America. Skinner, who is president of Herbert Materials Inc., has served as vice president and treasurer of BIA.

Other officers elected were Sherwood E. Patek, president of Midland Brick & Tile Co., Chillicothe, Mo., vice chairman, and Dorroh L. Nowell, Jr., board chairman of Merry Companies, Inc., Augusta, Ga., treasurer.


Portland Cement Plant
To Go Up in Argentina

The World Bank announced in Buenos Aires that it has granted a private Argentine firm, Juan Minetti S.A., a $9 million credit to build a Portland cement plant in Cordoba province. The $82 million facility is expected to have an annual production of 540,000 metric tons and be completed by 1981.


GSA Booklet Outlines
New Savings Incentives
For Contractors

The General Services Administration is encouraging its contractors to help save the government money. A new handbook, Contract Value Incentive Clauses put out by GSA's Public Buildings Service, invites industry to challenge "unrealistic or unessential" contract requirements and to profit by doing so.

"Value incentive clauses have a proven record of success," said PBS commissioner James B. Shea, Jr. "This handbook should help our employees and contractors understand how to use them to everyone's benefit."

The new handbook consolidates materials on use of the clauses in PBS procurement, broadens some of the clauses and provides for incentive awards for employees as well as citations for contractors."


Index ASHRAE Standards

Standards of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Engineers have been filmed and indexed by Information Handling Services, and are being offered as part of a new service by the company.

The ASHRAE service contains 51 standards including air conditioning (commercial and industrial) and heating (particularly forced air). The standards are indexed both numerically and by subject, with updated information made to subscribers every 60 days.

For more information, contact Information Handling Services, 15 Inverness Way East, Englewood, CO 80150.

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MASONRY/APRIL, 1979 27


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