Industry Tips for February 2011   

Contractor Alert!  

Find Prevailing Wage Rates Online  

Up-to-date prevailing wage rates are available online for every construction trade in over 400 US metro areas.  This information is available as a service from BNi Building News and is part of their Construction Work Zone website.  Learn more at www.ZENIndustries.com.  

Based on up-to-date data from the U.S. Department of Labor, the website offers an invaluable resource for estimating and bidding for both private and publically funded projects.  It is especially useful on publicly funded projects where the payment of locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits is required by law.  

The tool helps you determine the hourly wage and fringe benefit cost for every labor classification covered by the Davis-Bacon Act.  You'll find other free resources on this comprehensive website as well.   

For more information on how to access the prevailing wage rate tool, read more on the ZEN Industries website.  

 Current State of Industries  

The Best and Worst of a Year in Jobless Recovery

   Fabricating and Metalworking Magazine has published an informative article reviewing jobs lost and gained in 2010.  Learn more at www.ZENIndustries.com.  

While markets and profits rebounded, hiring did not. Building Construction lost 38,900 jobs, but was 9th in line behind local education, hit hard by the collapse of  property taxes.  Specialty Trade Contractors were #3, with a loss of 102,100 jobs.  That's a total of 141,000 jobs lost in construction and specialty trade overall.    

While hiring is not making up for employment lost during the recession, a number of industries added jobs in 2010, some to the tune of hundreds of thousands.  To learn the 10 industries that gained the most jobs and the 10 industries that lost, visit our website for a link to the article at Fabricating and Metalworking.  

All of the research data used to compile these two lists was sourced from the seasonally-adjusted nonfarm payrolls of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from November 2009 through November 2010.  Learn more at www.ZENIndustries.com.

 Polyvinyl Coated Duct   

Saves on Labor, Concrete, Time, and Space   

Polyvinyl Coated Duct is often used as an alternative to stainless steel duct in underground applications and environments corrosive to steel duct.  Now, ZEN Industries has combined the corrosion resistance of PCD duct with the strength, durability, and visual appeal of spiral duct.   

Learn more at www.ZENIndustries.com.     

PCD Duct offers a variety of benefits.

• Corrosion and weather resistant.
• No chipping, cracking, peeling or release of volatile odors.
• Will not collapse under concrete - strong enough to walk on. 

Learn more, including how PCD duct is made and more about the advantages of Spiral Polyvinyl Coated duct on our website at www.ZENIndustries.com

No matter how big or small your project:

ZENZEN Industries provides all or part of your HVAC needs. HVAC ductwork manufactured according to your schedule, meeting 3rd Edition 2005 SMACNA standards. Contact Drew McCaffrey - Sales & Estimating at 877-600-0274.

Success in our business is about service.

The quality of our HVAC duct work is of the highest caliber and our price competitive with the best in the industry. Nonetheless, quality and price are default items today in sheet metal fabrication. They give us access to the playing field. Service is where ZEN Industries Inc. gains its edge, and service means people - it's about our experienced personnel and the relationships we build with each and every customer. Learn more at www.ZENIndustries.com.

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