New trends in supply & demand

By Hank Ricklefs General Sales Manager Simpson Door Company

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for energy awareness among all building materials manufacturers and contractors will continue in 1985. Some products will lose favor because they are energy wasters, while new or adapted energywise products will be introduced. The cost of producing more energy+fficient materials will have to be weighed carefully against the real benefits provided, if the public is going to buy the more efficient materials.

The industry also must be keenly aware of traditional aesthetics which seem to counterbalance energy consciousness. For example, consumers still show a preference for traditional materials and techniques such as wood doors with leaded glass inserts. This means new product innovations will have to combine the best of both aesthetics and energy conservation.

Economic pressures for space efficiency (both land costs and building costs) will stimulate construction of smaller units and more multi-family dwellings. Builders will have to provide increased amenities and better aesthetics to balance the "value perception" among home buyers. Home buyers will demand more features and better quality to offset shrinking home size.

Strength in the U. S. building industry along with the soaring value of