News
July Safety Report Now Available
The July Safety Report Is Now Ready for Members to Download
Fall Meeting Attendee List Published; Hotel Reservation Deadline Extended
The Fall Meeting attendee list is now available online, featuring representatives from more than 60 member companies. Rooms for the September 27-29 meeting at the Hyatt Regency Savannah must be reserved by September 9 to secure the discounted group rate. Current meeting details and hotel reservation information are available online. See Annual Meetings. More Info: Anna
Unilin Names New CEO
Unilin announced the appointment of An Nuyttens as CEO. She will join the company in mid-October, succeeding Paul De Cock, who will become CEO of Mohawk Industries on September 30. Nuyttens brings over 30 years’ experience to the role, most recently serving in executive positions at Solvay. Unilin is a global manufacturer of panels and
August U.S. Consumer Confidence Dips
U.S. consumer confidence measured 89.4 in August, a decrease of 0.8 points from the adjusted July reading, according to The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index. The index gauging current business and labor market conditions climbed 6.8 points in August to 121.2. The short-term outlook index for income, business, and labor markets slid 5.8 points to
U.S. New Home Sales Down in July
U.S. sales of new single-family homes in July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 607,000, falling 10.5% from June and 6.3% below the comparable month in 2025. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new homes for sale in July was 488,000, representing a 9.6-month supply at the existing sales rate. This is 1.9% higher
July U.S. Construction Spending Weakens
U.S. construction spending in July reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.16 trillion, decreasing 0.5% from June and 3.8% year-over-year. Total public and private residential spending declined 1.3% month-over-month and 7.3% from July 2025 to $871.21 billion. Non-residential spending totaled $1.29 trillion, 0.1% higher than June but down 1.3% from the same month last
October U.S. Furniture Orders Decline
U.S. residential furniture factory orders in October 2022 decreased 29.6% from the comparable month in 2021. Year-to-date orders fell 29.5% over the same period in 2021. Furniture shipments increased 2% from October 2021 and were up 6.5% year-to-date. With shipments continuing to outpace new orders, October backlogs declined 47% from 2021. See Smith Leonard
Architectural Billings Weaken in November
The November 2022 Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dropped 1.1 points to 46.6, according to The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Economics & Market Research Group. A score above 50 indicates growth in billings. Design contracts dipped from 48.6 in October to 46.9. November billings fell below 50 in all geographic regions except the South, which
October Canadian Furniture Store and Building Material Sales Grow
Canadian retail furniture store sales in October 2022 increased 0.1% from September to $1.17 billion (CAD) but were 6.5% lower than the same month in 2021. Sales for building material dealers rose 0.3% from September to $4.1 billion and were ahead 5.9% from 2021. Total Canadian retail sales improved 1.4% from September to $62 billion
Mexico Manufacturing Registers Progress in December
In December 2022, the seasonally adjusted S&P Global Mexico Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was 51.3, rising 0.7 from November and marking the most growth since June. The index increase was attributable to improved demand and expected higher prices in 2023. The PMI index comprises five sub-indices tracking changes in new orders, output, employment, suppliers’
Canadian Government Confirms Plans to Amend Its Formaldehyde Rule in 2023
This week Environment Climate Change Canada confirmed the government’s plans to amend the Canadian formaldehyde rule, which will enter into force in January 2023. The amendments are slated to be proposed after April 2023 and will address a few issues which CPA has worked with the government over the past year to address. In the
CPA Meets with EPA on TSCA Risk Assessment
CPA, along with other American Chemistry Council (ACC) Formaldehyde Panel representatives, met with EPA about the formaldehyde risk assessment the agency is conducting under the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA). Three topics were addressed during the meeting, including: a review of the EPA schedule for completing the assessment, an overview of an occupational exposure data