StoneDimensions

January 18, 2012 - Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes continued to climb for a fourth consecutive month in January, rising four points to 25 on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. This is the highest level the index has attained since June of 2007.

“Builder confidence has now risen four months in a row, with the latest uptick being universally represented across every index component and region,” noted Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. “This good news comes on the heels of several months of gains in single-family housing starts and sales, and is yet another indication of the gradual but steady improvement that is beginning to take hold in an increasing number of housing markets nationwide -- and that has been shown by our Improving Markets Index. Policymakers must now take every precaution to avoid derailing this nascent recovery.”

“Builders are seeing greater interest among potential buyers as employment and consumer confidence slowly improve in a growing number of markets, and this has helped to move the confidence gauge up from near-historic lows in the first half of 2011,” noted NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “That said, caution remains the word of the day as many builders continue to voice concerns about potential clients being unable to qualify for an affordable mortgage, appraisals coming through below construction cost, and the continuing flow of foreclosed properties hitting the market.”

Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for more than 20 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores from each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

Each of the HMI’s three component indexes registered a fourth consecutive month of improvement in January. The component gauging current sales conditions rose three points to 25, which was its highest point since June of 2007. The component gauging sales expectations in the next six months also rose three points, to 29 -- its highest point since September 2009. And the component gauging traffic of prospective buyers rose three points to 21, its highest point since June of 2007.

The HMI also posted gains in all four regions in January, including a nine-point gain to 23 in the Northeast, a one-point gain to 24 in the Midwest, a two-point gain to 27 in the South and a five-point gain to 21 in the West.

Editor’s Note: The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index is strictly the product of NAHB Economics, and is not seen or influenced by any outside party prior to being released to the public. HMI tables can be found at www.nahb.org/hmi. More information on housing statistics is also available at http://www.housingeconomics.com/.

CLEVELAND, OH., January 12, 2012 - The Marble Institute of America (MIA) recently completed its fourth Performance Analysis Report for U.S. and Canadian natural stone fabricators. The survey was conducted in 2011 and contains an evaluation and interpretation of financial data solicited from fabricators.

The survey was made possible through the generous support and sponsorship of Laser Products Industries and Moraware.

Harry Hollander, Moraware's president, stated, "I'm excited about being a sponsor of the 2011 fabricator performance report. Small differences in how you run your company can make huge differences in profitability - this survey helps you learn best practices."

Dan Louis, president of Laser Products agreed, "When you can confidentially compare your data against your peers, it uncovers opportunities to improve efficiencies."

New for 2011 were analyses of some key production metrics:

• Average square feet of granite and quartz fabricated weekly
• Yearly total production (square feet)
• Templating method identification
• Bridge saw vs. CNC use
• Production tracking methods

Like its predecessors in 2007, 2009 and 2010, the report provides one of the most comprehensive set of benchmarks available on financial performance in the natural stone fabrication industry to date. The report is designed to provide fabrication shops with a tool to evaluate existing financial performance and to identify new ways to create improvement.

The 24-page report is organized in the following sections, each designed to assist managers in specific areas of inquiry:

Executive Summary - An overview of study results including a graphical presentation of key results.

Detailed Results - An in-depth analysis of return on investment, the income statement, the balance sheet, and financial and productivity ratios.

Customer Emphasis - Firms were analyzed by concentration of sales to selected customer groups.

Trends - An examination of changes in performance over time for key results and ratios.

Ratio Calculation - A summary of ratio calculations and supporting commentary.

As in previous years, MIA contracted with Profit Planning Group, the well regarded association profitability and compensation analysis firm. Participants' proprietary financial data was kept strictly confidential.

The survey results and final reports were provided at no additional cost to those firms that participated in the study. The Performance Analysis Report is now available to firms that did not participate in the survey through the MIA bookstore at www.marble-institute.com/store/ (click on the "Business Management & Industry Resources" tab). MIA members' price is $199.00 US (non-members $349.00)

About the Marble Institute of America
For over 65 years the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has been the world's leading information resource and advocate for the natural dimension stone industry. MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers, distributors, and contractors around the world.