SPFA participated in first annual Insulation Industry-wide DC Fly-In at the end of March with 82 representatives from all leading insulation technologies. The event boasted two days of briefings, including one from Senator Jeanne Shaheen regarding her proposed S.385 - Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (also known as the Shaheen-Portman Bill), along with Hill visits on both House and Senate sides. SPFA was a co-signer on the Shaheen-Portman legislation support letter, and worked to educate lawmakers upon the economic impact of insulation and jobs, the benefits of continuing Energy Star, and industry/customer benefit from extension of the 25C and 179D energy efficiency tax credits. SPFA was also made aware through these meetings of the new Make It in America Act and the new Bring Jobs Home Act, both emerging from Senator Debbie Stabenow’s Senate office and of likely interest to SPFA members:

The Bring Jobs Home Act is legislation amending US tax laws to support American manufacturers and to create jobs here at home. The bill makes it clear that both companies using contract manufacturers and the contract manufacturers themselves are eligible to claim tax deductions that reward domestic manufacturing activities in the United States. U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) also introduced the legislation. Section 199 is one of the largest tax incentives that benefits domestic manufacturing. It provides companies with a 9% deduction on their income from domestic manufacturing activities, giving those activities a lower effective tax rate and making U.S. manufacturing a more attractive investment. 

Regarding the Make It in America Act, "it’s common sense that American tax dollars be used to purchase products made in America, not overseas," said Senator Stabenow. "My Make It in America Act will create more opportunities for American jobs by strengthening our current Buy American law and holding federal agencies accountable. The products needed by our federal agencies, including critical defense systems, are being designed and made by talented Michigan workers and workers across the country. American jobs and American businesses need to be our highest priority." More information on these initiative can be found on her website.

SPFA Tweeted much of the events from the day if you want to visit the Twitter page: https://twitter.com/TheSPFA (and follow us!). Interesting points emerging from the effort:

1. Manufacturing, distribution and installation of insulation generates 400,000 US energy efficiency jobs and spans $20B in payrolls.

2. An $11B industry in 2016, insulation manufacturing in the US employs 33,000 people across 42 states.

3. Insulation manufacturing supports 42,000 jobs through the supply chain including purchasing, raw materials, equipment and services.

4. Economic activity supported by the insulation industry adds $1.1B to state and local governments, and $1.9B in federal tax revenues.

Additionally reported upon at the briefings, Kermit Baker of the Harvard Center for Housing announced the release of the report Improving America’s Housing 2017: Demographic Change and the Remodeling Outlook. Useful information for the SPF contractor, you can download a complimentary copy of the report here.

Each of the attendees broke into small teams to cover the 58 different Hill meetings. The day was widely lauded as a great example of what it could look like if the disparate insulation industries were working together more often. The image accompanying this report is of the team SPFA was part of. Demonstrating the diversity of representation the image from left to right: Kurt Riesenberg, SPFA Executive Director; Dan Lea, Cellulose Industry Association; Joyce Wallace, Chemours; Rene Rockweiler, Rockweiler Insulation; and Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group/SPFA Government Affairs Consultant.

Watch your direct-member emails from SPFA (if you unsubscribe, you don’t get any more info from us – so don’t do it!), and on the SPFA Member-Only section of our website for additional policy and presentation materials that will be posted soon.