May Construction Materials Prices Run Flat

It was a flat month of May for construction materials prices across America.  The U.S. Department of Labor is reporting that despite the less than spectacular numbers, materials costs are up 1.6 percent year over year. The June 13, 2014 Producer Price Index notes non-residential construction materials prices fell 0.2 percent for the month but are 1.3 percent higher than at the same time one year ago.

Additionally, crude energy materials prices expanded 2.7 percent in May and are 4.8 percent higher than one year ago. Natural gas prices expanded by 3.4 percent in May after declining significantly during the previous two months. Overall, the nation's wholesale goods prices remained flat in May and have increased 2.5 percent year-over-year.

"With construction spending expanding only in fits and starts and given recent evidence of disappointing global economic performance, it comes as little surprise that most construction materials prices are not rising," said Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. "This price dynamic can impact the prices of other materials, which means that materials price inflation may ensue even in the absence of a meaningful pickup in non-residential construction activity."

Seven of the 11 key construction inputs did not experience price increases for the month including the prices for prepared asphalt, tar roofing, and siding which slid 2.1 percent for the month and are down 5.8 percent from the same time last year, prices for plumbing fixtures, fabricated structural metal products and concrete products prices fell 0.1 percent in May but have increased 3.4 percent from the same time last year.

For more information, please give GET, LLC a call at 671-797-0789 or drop us a line at www.get-guam.com for more information on the related products and services we provide-though our friends at Terex, Deco Lighting, Independence LED Lighting, Savoy Furniture, Cisco Systems, Panduit and Fiber Optic Marketplace LLC.

Guam-A Different Perspective

Former Guam Governor Carl Gutierrez and Attorney Gary Gumataotao will be the Democratic Party of Guam's candidate for Governor and Lt . Governor of Guam in the upcoming General Election this Fall.  Gutierrez and Gumataotao will face the incumbent Republicans Governor Eddie Calvo and Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio in what many are already describing as one of the most definitive in Guam's history.

Carl Gutierrez has run for Governor in each Gubernatorial election since 1974-you can also count the eventual loss of his wife Geri who ran for Governor in the 2002 Primary Elections.  Many political insiders see this as his last attempt to remain relevant to the Democratic party faithful and pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.  But this seems to be more daunting a task than what is rumored to be the motivation for the Agana Heights resident to be the only man in the history of the island to be elected to the highest post for an unprecedented third term.

The Democratic Party of Guam seems to be headed for yet another dreadful performance in the 2014 General Elections.  From a breaking of four decades of tradition in naming Gutierrez as candidate way ahead of the formal registration process to less than spectacular statements and actions of the Party's Central Committee in the lead up to the eventual re-election campaign kickoff of the Calvo Tenorio team, there is not much that will stop of the electorate from staying home this year.  What is baffling to many is that for four decades, the party of the "people" have not groomed a single man or woman who can challenge for the seat of the Maga'låhi.  Now there are some notable leaders in the community whom this blogger feels could take on any GOP team and make it an interesting race for Adelup-Senator Frank Aguon Jr., former Senator and Bank of Guam President Lou Leon Guererro, GCC President Mary Okada, former Interior Assistant Secretary Tony Babauta and Attorney Peter Perez Sr.  But hey, what do I know about elections!  Throwing out these names helps the Democrats-if they could see past the petty way they have run their party in recent years.

Would any of the aforementioned one day take over the duties of the Democratic Party of Guam and seek the highest office in the U.S. Territory? Not sure.  Many that I have spoken to about the run up into the fall elections are content with Governor Carl and his machine that is beginning to show wear and tear.  Many of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the onetime Popular Party have all passed.  The children of the pioneers of Guam's modern political system have no interest to take on the mantle of leadership and bring their views and political ideas to the fold.  Even harder to accept, each are beholden to Governor Gutierrez and await who he will eventually pass the party baton over to.  

It is a shame.  There is no reason for those who have the ideas of the party, that at one point touted as claiming two-thirds of the island's electorate, cannot lead it today.  

GOP leaders are happy Governor Gutierrez is making the run-again.  But they should not be overconfident.  The Calvo Tenorio team did not have a mandate-winning by just 487 votes four years ago.  Five months can change the minds of the Guam electorate. 

Lumens-Are you getting your money's worth?

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based LEDs Magazine re-released an 2012 article recently as a way of reminding lighting reps and manufacturers alike that we should keep a close eye on the relationship between the latest technology in light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and the delivery of lumens as advertised.  

The article says that LED efficacy has been improving similarly to the evolution of the microprocessor of today's computers, but LED-based illumination designs are not consistently taking advantage of capabilities such as brighter operation at higher drive currents. 

"Today, luminaire manufacturers may find that the surest path to lower system cost is to take advantage of the full LED operating capacity or lumen output that they are already paying for while relying on the growing statistical evidence that they can do so and deliver long product life.

Advances in the production of lighting class, high power LEDs should cause the lighting industry to reassess how to create cost-optimal, LED-based designs. Several advanced LED manufacturers have developed a large and expanding body of information concerning performance maintenance of LEDs over time and temperature. This knowledge of long-term behavior is now standardized. The highest quality parts and in well-designed systems, LEDs can operate at high current and high temperature levels with fewer performance penalties than ever before. This same data calls into question legacy luminaire and driver design methodology that has yielded systems that drive the LEDs around binning-current levels rather than over a wide range of drive currents and temperatures.

Using LEDs at higher operating capacity can deliver more lumens per LED with a corresponding reduction in system cost. For many lighting applications, more aggressively priced products can be created with reduced component count. Such a design methodology can result in higher operating temperatures and lower efficacy. Still, taking full advantage of an LED’s operating capacity becomes an attractive option for applications requiring maximum lumen output at a reduced cost."

Writers and critics will say  LEDs have far more luminous capacity than most designers are using. The highest quality LEDs are capable of operating at sustained, elevated currents and temperatures far above manufacturers' binning information. New luminaire and lamp designs should take advantage of these attributes. For lighting class LEDs, there is no reliability penalty for using more of this capacity.

To learn more about the lighting products that GET, LLC provides, including the LED lines of our partners, Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc., please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us at 671-483-0789 to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-All Made in America!!!



A Panduit "Out of the Box" Solution for Small Data Centers

Recently, the Tinley Park, Illinois-based Panduit and friend of GET,LLC rolled out there SmartZone™ Rack Energy Kits-an innovative system that allow smaller data centers to cost effectively integrate data center infrastructure management (DCIM) capabilities. Panduit SmartZone™ Solutions deliver comprehensive energy efficiency and physical infrastructure management through a range of intelligent products and systems.

SmartZone™ Rack Energy Kits provide easier installation through non- and minimally-invasive device options that add and overlay intelligence into cabinets and manage multiple data points through one single IP address. Data is displayed through an intuitive GUI platform that delivers accurate and actionable information which small data centers can use to optimize operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and increase resiliency of their data center environments. SmartZone™ Rack Energy Kits also simplify the purchase process by including all intelligent hardware and software necessary to perform power and environmental monitoring on a per-rack basis.

“Small data centers have many of the same concerns and challenges as their larger counterparts, but often face limited resources in terms of technology, staffing, and financial support,” said Director of Panduit Intelligent Management Systems Khaled Nassoura. “We help overcome these obstacles by packaging some of the same high quality components from our comprehensive DCIM SmartZone™ Solutions portfolio into kits that can be purchased, installed, and operated with minimal investment.”

SmartZone™ Rack Energy Kits include a combination of software, gateways, sensors, and patch cords that are packaged with a variety of rack PDUs and inline meters. These kits are packaged to address predefined applications for new data center builds or expansions, or to overlay monitoring intelligence onto “dumb” PDUs and devices in existing data centers. The kits offer high quality, affordable options that are simple to order, install, and use—leveling the DCIM playing field for small data centers.

For all of your structured cabling needs in the Western Pacific, please contact GET, LLC for information on our solutions that can be of assistance to you and your respective businesses including access to the Panduit and Cisco line of products-of which we are proud Business Partners of both.  Give us a call at 671-483-0789 or find out our more at our website at  www.get-guam.com.


LED Lighting Can Help Your Business

GET, LLC works diligently to pass along advice to small business owners on how they can improve their operations and importantly their collective bottom lines.  Among the many ways this has been done through this Blog has been through our writing on the use of energy efficient lighting solutions-specifically Light-Emitting Diode or LED Lighting.  A great piece of advice was shared with us recently by our friends at Deco Lighting and we thought we would do the same to you-LED lighting can boost your business.

"Converting your business from traditional lighting solutions to LED lighting fixtures is an excellent way to get started on a new path toward energy efficiency and true lighting control. Because LED lights are so advanced compared to their traditional competitors, investing in LED can have an incredible impact on your business’s bottom line and its appeal to customers. LEDs are also environmentally friendly, giving you one more angle to highlight when promoting your business.

It is estimated that converting your entire business to LED lighting fixtures will generate enough energy savings to provide a return on the investment within two to three years. LED lights use only a third of the energy required by old-school lighting solutions and burn less of this energy off as heat. You can also use fewer LED lights, as the light created is brighter and more uniform.

If you have a customer-facing operation, converting to LED lighting fixtures delivers ancillary benefits. LED lights can be finely-tuned to create exactly the atmosphere you desire, and the reduction of glare and hotspots makes for no better way to attractively light a given space than with LED technology.

LED lighting fixtures enable you to demonstrate incredible control over where your light does and doesn’t go. If your business is located in an area where strict regulations cover light spill, LED lights can assist you in ensuring your business is well-lit without infringing on nearby homes or other businesses. This control is simply unavailable in standard incandescent or florescent lighting setups.

The way in which you light your business is critical for the productivity of your employees, the attraction of your customers, and the total on your monthly energy bill. LED lighting fixtures give you flexibility and efficiency you won’t’ find in any other lighting solution; investing in an LED lighting conversion will certainly pay off for you and your business over the long term."


To learn more about the lighting products that GET, LLC provides, including the LED lines of our partners, Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc., please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us at 671-483-0789 to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-All Made in America!!!