Fitch Releases 1Q’12 Building Materials Volume & Pricing Trends Update
CHICAGO, May 30, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Volumes showed across-the-board increases for most U.S. building
materials subsets this past quarter, according to Fitch Ratings in its
latest quarterly building materials report.
This was a somewhat unusual development compared to past quarters, where
improvement was only evident in select categories. The volume expansion
for building materials was aided by growth in overall construction
spending as well as favorable weather conditions during the first
quarter.
As a result, all Fitch-rated building materials companies saw higher
year-over-year revenues for 1Q'12 compared to the same period last year.
This is an encouraging sign for the sector, though it remains too early
to tell if this is the start of a sustainable trend.
The full report, 'Building Materials Volume and Pricing Trends:
First-Quarter 2012' is available at '
www.fitchratings.com '.
Additional information is available at '
www.fitchratings.com '.
Applicable Criteria and Related Research: Building Materials Volume and
Pricing Trends -- First-Quarter 2012
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SOURCE: Fitch Ratings
Fitch Ratings
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Director
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or
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Copyright Business Wire 2012
Financial Glossary
Words used in this article:
World Low Emission Vehicle Market Trends & Prospects Reviewed in New Study …
LONDON, May 30, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
The global low emission vehicle market is expected to grow from
USD 27.45 billion in 2012 to USD 103.13 billion by 2017 at an estimated
CAGR of 30.3% from 2012 to 2017. Low emission vehicle shipments on a
global level are expected to reach 3532.1 thousand by 2017, at a CAGR of
27.8% from 2012 to 2017.
Rise in the global price of petroleum-based fuel, increase in the number
of initiatives taken by different governments, ever-growing availability
of different HEV models, and ongoing development in battery technology
are driving the low emission vehicle market. Lack of support
infrastructure, power, performance, and higher cost as compared to
ICE-vehicle end-user segments are acting as restraints for the market.
Charging infrastructure market and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology are
the future opportunities for the low emission vehicle market.
New market research study "Global
Low (Zero) Emission Vehicle Market -- by Degree of Hybridization & Type
of Traction Battery used, Forecast, Market Trends & Analysis (2012 --
2017)" drawn up by MarketsandMarkets delves into extensive
research and in-depth analysis of the worldwide low emission
vehicle market market, categorizing it on the basis of degree of
hybridization, different types of batteries used in the vehicle, and
geographical analysis. To enhance the understanding of the sector, the
report details major market drivers, challenges, opportunities, and
burning issues. Furthermore, the competitive landscape along with
elaborate profiles of more than 20 companies analyzed through a company
overview, key financials, products & services, strategy and developments
can also be found in the study.
Report Details:
Title: Global Low (Zero) Emission Vehicle Market -- by Degree of
Hybridization & Type of Traction Battery used, Forecast, Market Trends &
Analysis (2012 -- 2017)
Published: May, 2012
Pages: 272
Price: US$ 4,650.00
http://marketpublishers.com/report/industry/machinery_equipment/global_low_zero_emission_vehicle_market_by_degree_of_hybridization_type_of_traction_battery_used_forecast_market_trends_analysis_2012_2017.html
Report Contents:
1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 KEY TAKE-AWAYS 1.2 REPORT
DESCRIPTION 1.3 MARKETS COVERED 1.4 STAKEHOLDERS 1.5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1.5.1 MARKET CRACKDOWN 1.5.2
KEY DATA POINTS FROM SECONDARY SOURCES 1.5.3 KEY DATA POINTS FROM
PRIMARY SOURCES 1.5.4 ASSUMPTIONS MADE FOR THIS REPORT 1.5.5
LIST OF COMPANIES COVERED DURING PRIMARIES 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
MARKET OVERVIEW ...
More new studies by MarketsandMarkets can be found at
http://marketpublishers.com/members/marketsnmarkets/info.html
SOURCE: The Market Publishers
The Market Publishers, Ltd.
Tanya Rezler
Tel: +44 208 144 6009
Fax: +44 207 900 3970
ps@marketpublishers.com
MarketPublishers.com
Copyright Business Wire 2012
Financial Glossary
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Travel Plaza Television Announces Nationwide 3D Digital Signage Program
OGDEN, Utah--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Travel Plaza TV, LLC has launched the first nationwide 3D digital
signage network accessible to more than 23 million travel plaza
customers every month, according to company officials.
As the driver-driven company, Pilot
Flying J is always looking for new and innovative ways to serve our
customers and to highlight our wide selection of merchandise, food and
beverages and other convenience items we offer to meet our customers'
needs.
"This 3D experience, without glasses, is revolutionary. Customers will
be amazed at what they are seeing and advertisers will reap the
benefits. 3D is the future, and of course our system will display 2D
content as well," said Bill Botte, senior executive vice-president of
Travel Plaza TV. Deployment of the specialized 3D screens at over 400
travel plazas across the US will be completed by the end of June.
"The driver recruiting industry has been looking for an innovative,
digital replacement for print advertisements for decades. The 'reach out
and touch' digital technology is going to give advertisers and
recruiters a unique edge," said Ralph Head, board member and 30-year
industry expert.
This initial launch of the 3D digital signage includes 350 locations in
the Pilot Flying J network. Pilot Flying J is the largest operator of
travel centers and travel plazas in North America, serving more than 400
million customers per year. The company also ranks No. 11 on Forbes'
list of America's largest private companies.
"Pilot Flying J is proud to partner with Travel Plaza TV to make this
exciting new 3D signage available at many of our nationwide travel
centers and travel plazas," said Mark Hazelwood, executive vice
president for Pilot Flying J. "As the driver-driven company, Pilot
Flying J is always looking for new and innovative ways to serve our
customers and to highlight our wide selection of merchandise, food and
beverages and other convenience items we offer to meet our customers'
needs."
Roadys is a leading national association of truck stops and travel
plazas eager to participate in Travel Plaza TVs initial roll-out of
screens, helping make TPTV the largest network of 3D digital signage in
the market today.
TPTVs 46- and 32-inch screens will deliver the 3D content completely
"glasses free." Officials say this is the first national distribution of
3D content where the customer does not need any special equipment or
setup. Just walk in and be amazed. Watch for this innovative technology
only at Travel Plaza TV equipped plazas.
About Travel Plaza TV
Travel Plaza TV provides advertising services and opportunities to the
traveling public, long-haul specialists, advertisers and travel plaza
operators across the US The company's network of nearly 400 nationwide
locations features 3D advertising displays that reach 25 million
travelers each month. Travel Plaza TV offers affordable 3D advertising
campaigns that are nationwide, specific to an Interstate corridor or
targeted to a specific geographic area. For more information, visit http://www.travelplazatv.com.
About Pilot Flying J
Pilot Flying J, the driver-driven company, is headquartered in
Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 retail locations across
North America. The company employs more than 20,000 people and is the
largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America.
Visit www.pilotflyingj.com
for more information.
Summer Travel Tips: Don’t Fall For the Top Five Travel Insurance Myths
Summer is a popular time for travel, and many Canadian families hit the road on road trips and vacations via air travel to other nations as well as within our borders. Most people look forward to a vacation for a long time, and there is nothing worse than having it ruined by the unexpected. Fortunately, the right travel insurance can lessen the blow, and InsuranceHotline.com helps identify the travel insurance myths that can lead to vacation disasters.
(PRWEB) May 02, 2012
With the kids out of school and the sun shining, summer is a wonderful time for a vacation. Whether for travel inside Canada or to another country - the United States or further abroad - travel insurance can protect vacationers. Unexpected changes to plans, medical emergencies and lost baggage are only a few of the ways a vacation can become a struggle and a financial burden. Many people aren't aware of why they need travel insurance, and may believe some of the myths surrounding it. Get the facts from InsuranceHotline.com on these five travel insurance myths.
Myth #1: Travel insurance is only needed outside Canada. While it's true that travel inside Canada presents a lesser risk of financial trouble, that doesn't mean the risk does not exist. The provinces have a reciprocal agreement that allows visitors to another province seek emergency medical treatment without cost, but that does not mean all costs are covered - some things are still out-of-pocket. And trip cancellation and interruption coverage can save a lot of money even inside Canada - a trip across the country can be pricey.
Myth #2: Airlines cover costs for cancelled flights. Unfortunately, airlines often do not help out with the costs incurred by travelers when a flight is cancelled due to weather. The overnight stay in a hotel, food and even rebooking of a flight if necessary will fall to the traveler to cover. Travel insurance, however, will make sure everything is taken care of.
Myth #3: Short trips don't require insurance. The risk of an accident or injury isn't decreased by the length of time of the trip. An accident can as easily occur on a weekend trip to the United States as on a long trip to Europe. And if the incident requires critical care and the injured person can't be moved, it could mean a long stay in a foreign hospital before transportation home is possible. That can add up a financial disaster quickly.
Myth #4: If it's an emergency, bookings will be refunded. Unfortunately, many hotels, airlines and attractions simply are not that understanding. Even if the hotel isn't paid for in advance, cancellation rules could cost you one night or the entire stay. And airline tickets, attraction tickets and other pre-paid travel plans are rarely refundable. Travel insurance is often the only way to get that money back. For a long trip where many things have been paid for in advance, not carrying travel insurance can cost thousands.
Myth #5: Travel insurance is too expensive, especially for multiple trips and families. Although insurance is often viewed as something pricey that must be paid for even if it isn't used, travel insurance is actually very affordable compared to the potential costs of not carrying it. And with companies offering multi-trip policies good for an entire year as well as family policies covering everyone under one plan, it is the most affordable way to get peace of mind on that summer vacation.
"The truth is that travel insurance is a smart choice every time you travel, inside Canada or abroad," Tammy Ezer of InsuranceHotline.com says, "But outside of Canada it's not just a smart choice, it's vital." A clear understanding of these common myths makes it easy to see why buying travel insurance is such a smart choice. Get travel insurance quotes well ahead of time to ensure everything is in place for a great summer getaway.
About: InsuranceHotline.com is a free online insurance rate comparison service that directs consumers to its large network of more than 30 insurance companies and licensed insurance professionals and provides quotes based on the lowest rates available through its network. In business since 1994, InsuranceHotline.com does not sell insurance, is not a licensed broker, and is not owned in whole or in part by an insurance company, agent or brokerage; ensuring consumers get a truly unbiased quote.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/5/prweb9465189.htm
Betsson Para islemleri
Bets10sport kullanima acildi. 24/06/2011 tarihinde yapilan engellemelerden bu sirket da nasibini aldi ve erisim sitesini Bets10sport olarak degistirdi. Telekomunikasyon baskanliginin 24/06/2011 Cuma gununde aldirdigi idari tedbir karari neticesinde spor uzantili olan site yayinina son verilerek yerine bets10sport internet sayfasinin acilmasi uygun gorulmus.
Betsson.com
Firma da site adini secerken biraz kurnaz davranmis. Sadece tek bir harf ekleyerek yeni adresi yani Bets10sport uzantili siteyi uyelerine bildirmis. Boylelikle oyuncular, cok fazla kafa karisikligi yasamadan yeni adres uzerinden hesaplarina giris yapabilecekler.
Umariz bu yeni internet sitesi de eskisindeki gibi sikintilar olmaz da oyunlarimizi Bets10sport adresinden kolaylikla oynayabiliriz. Saatlerce istedigimiz sayfalarin acilmamasi gibi bir durum bu adreste olmaz umariz.
Betsson.com
Zaten kapatilan sitenin son zamanlarinda bu gibi sikintilar artik yasanmiyordu. Bets10sport sitesi de bu sorunlardan arinmis sekilde uyelerine en iyi hizmeti verecektir eminiz ki.
30/03/2011 tarihinde oynanmakta olan Macaristan Kupa Betsson.commaclari Bets10spor iddiaa internet sitesinin canli iddiaa sayfasinda yer almaktadir. Bets10spor iddiaa internet sitesinin canli iddiaa sayfasini yenilemesinden sonra oynanan her karsilasmaya canli iddiaa marketi acmasi musteriler icin sevindirici bir durum oldu.
Betsson.com
30/03/2011 tarihinde oynanmakta olan Debrecen - Haladas Macaristan Kupasi maci da firmanin canli iddiaa sayfasinda yer almaktadir. Turkiye saatine gore 17:30'da baslayan karsilasmanin su anda 75. dakikasi oynaniliyor ve henuz 2 kulup de gol atamadi. Mac 0-0 devam ediyor. Mac ( Betsson.com ) oldukca durgun bir durumda ve acikcasi bu karsilasmadan gol cikacagini da dusunmuyoruz.
Bets10spor iddiaa internet sitesinin Debrecen - Haladas maci icin verdigi canli mac iddaa oranlari soyledir;
Bets10spor iddiaa adresi macin ev sahibi ekibi olan Debrecen kulubununsahadan galibiyet ile ayrilmasi icin 2.70 mac bahis orani verecegini ilan etmistir. Macin berabere bitme durumu icin verilen mac bahis orani da Bets10spor canli iddiaa sayfasinda 1.60 olarak gorulmektedir. Misafir takim Haladas kulubunun galibiyet mac bahis orani da Bets10spor iddiaa adresi tarafindan 10.50 olarak verilmistir.
Ocak ayinin son bir haftasinda Bets10 iddiaa internet sayfasi musterileri, oyuncu hesaplarina giris yapmakta sikinti yasadiklarina dair sitemlerle sitemize mesaj atmaktadirlar. Biz de bir arastirma yaptigimizda Turkiye lokasyonlu bir cok kullanicinin, hesabina girislerde ya da iddiaa oynama islemleri yaparlarken problem yasadiklarini bizzat gormus olduk.
Bu duruma izleyici kalmayan Bets10 iddiaa firmasi da cozum olarak yeni bir internet adresinin hizmet vermesini uygun gormusler ve boylelikle de Betsson110 uzantisi kullanilan iddiaa internet adresini yayina koymayi uygun gormusler.
13 Ocak 2011 gununden itibaren Betsson110.com sitesinden hesabiniza rahatlikla girebileceksiniz. Betsson110 sitesine ulasmak icin dilerseniz sitemizde yer almakta olan Betsson 110 bannerlarina da bir tik atabilirsiniz boylelikle daha kisa surede hesabiniza girersiniz ve site uzantisi degisse bile dogrudan acilan yeni Betsson110 sitesine giris yaparsiniz.
Su an Betsson iddiaa sitesine giris yapmaniz istedigimizde bir cok sorun ile karsilasiyoruz. Sitemize de bu konuya dair bir cok mesaj gelmis zaten. Bets10 iddiaa internet sayfasi son zamanlarda 909'lu internet adresinde yasanan problemlerden dolayi yeni, markanin ilaninin hemen oncesinde Betsson110 internet sitesini kullanima acma karari almis.
Kisaca bir sure daha Betsson110.com sitesinden hesabiniza giris yapmaniz gerekmektedir.
Bets10 markasi yayina sokulana kadar hesabiniza girisleri ve bahislerinizi Betsson110 sitesinden yapmaniz gerektigini lutfen dikkate aliniz.
Bets10 iddiaa internet sitesinin bu hafta acilacagini gecen yazilarimizda sizlere ilan etmistik. Lakin bugun aldigimiz bir habere gore Bets10 markasinin olusturulmasinda teknik problemler olustugundan dolayi Subat ayinin sonlarina dogru bu markanin yayina girecegini ogrendik.
Bunun yerine Bets10 iddiaa sitesi 3 ocak tarihinden itibaren kullanimda olan Betsson909.com uzantisi kullanilan internet adresinde de yasadigi sorunlar nedeniyle Betsson110.com internet sitesini yayina koymaya karar vermis.
Su anda Betsson110 sitesinden hesabiniza giris yapabilirsiniz. Diger sitelerde bir sansur gozukmuyor. Bahis sirketinin kendi istegi dogrultusunda Betsson110 internet sayfasi erisime acmistir.
Betsson 110 sitesine erisim saglamak istediginizde de arada hata raporlari karsiniza cikabilir. Yeni internet adresi oturana kadar bir-2 gun bu problemleri yasamaniz mumkundur. Bu sebepten dolayi sizlere tavsiyemiz sitemizde yer almakta olan linklere fareniz ile bir tik yaparak hesabiniza ulasmaniz olacaktir. Boylelikle kullanimda olan siteye direkt giris yapabileceksiniz.
Betsson iddiaa firmasi, Turkiye pazarina ilk olarak Betsson adresi ile erisim saglamisti. Kullanicilar bu internet adresi ismini yazarak oyuncu hesaplarina giris yapabiliyorlardi. Lakin zaman icerisinde cikan kanun sonrasinda Betsson uzantisi kullanilan intenet adresi 2 Mayis 2008 tarihinde girislere kapatilmis ve de bu internet sayfasi uzerinden hizmet verme imkanlari ortadan kalkmistir.
Betsson sitesine ait olan bu adrese giris yapmaya calistiginizda acilan sayfada 410.01.02.2008-227987 numaralierisime engelleme karari yazisi cikmaktadir. Betsson iddiaa sirketine ait olan bu sitenin kapatilmasina01/02/2008 tarihinde karar verilmis, 2 Mayis 2008 tarihinde de bu karar uygulamaya konulmustur.
Betsson iddiaa online oyun firmasinin Turk uyelerine Turk kullanicilara hizmet veren internet adreslerinin senede birkac sefer Turk Telekom'un aldigi karar ile sansure maruz kaldigini cogunuz biliyorsunuzdur.
2 mayis 2008 tarihinde Betsson iddiaa sirketine ait olan Betsson adli internet internet sitesinin erisime kapatilmasindan hemen sonra ayni tarihte acilan Betssononline.com internet sitesi de 21-08-2009 tarihinde gene Turk Telekom'un aldirdigi 412.02.02.2009-233215 numarali karar ile erisime kapatilmistir. Betsson kullanicilari bu tarihten itibaren yeni bir internet sayfasi duyurulana kadar Betssononline.com adresinden oyuncu hesaplarina giris yapamayacaklardir. Yeni adresi ogrenir ogrenmez sitemizden sizlere ilan edecegiz.
Bu arada sizde yeni adresi en kisa zamanda ogrenmek istiyorsaniz sitemizde yer almakta olan Betsson bannerlarina tiklayarak otomatik yonlendirme ile yeni internet sayfasi uzerinden Betsson hesabiniza giris yapabilirsiniz.
How Shame Destroys Relationships
Shame, one of the most difficult of all emotions, can slowly eat away at your heart, soul, stomach lining and relationships. And the relationships that it eats away at most are probably the ones that are most important to you -- the ones with your kids and your partners.
Now, let me tell you a little bit about shame. It is that soul-stirring, gut-wrenching, I wish I could vanish feeling that you get when you think that what you have may have done is unspeakable. At least you think that it is unspeakable. The tragedy is that if you didnt feel that youd be further shamed by speaking about it then you might feel relief after talking about the shameful behavior.
Let me bring this to light for you with some specific true stories.
1. A child waits 4 years before telling a parent that she has been sexually molested because she is not only ashamed, but is afraid that her parents will be ashamed of her. The sad fact here is that those who recover best from these life events are those who have confided in parents and gotten support.
2. A teen does not tell his father that he is being bullied because he thinks that his father will be ashamed of him as he is of himself for not fighting back. So, this kid silently endures being called a fag for months. Perhaps his father might have defused the situation by helping this child deal with the situation effectively.
3. A girl lies to her parents about being friendless because she doesnt want her parents to think shes a loser. She refers to her friends frequently and makes excuses about why they cant get together on the weekends.
4. A wife does not tell her husband that she feels ignored because she doesnt want to appear needy. You see, in her own family, being tough, not needy, was valued. Well, sadly, this woman divorced her clueless husband. Yes, he was clueless because of her shame. She was too ashamed to tell him how she felt and to give him a chance to make some changes.
And how about this one?
5. A beautiful woman is told that she is fat and spends the rest of her life reviled by her body. Her body becomes a constant source of shame for her and a target for her hatred. She alternately starves it, feeds it and picks it apart.
When we think about the most corrosive feelings we immediately think about depression, but for the sake of our relationships we should look shame squarely in the face.
Your thoughts?
Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nokia Lumia 900 is a fair comparison
Discussion Counterpoint. Colleague Tim Conneally and I got into a heated debate about smartphone comparisons this morning. He has the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone for review (and I -- whaaaaa -- dont). I suggested Tim do a comparison with Google-branded Galaxy Nexus, which we both have. He refused. Tim was quite adamant about it, too. His out-and-out refusal clearly taps into strong feelings about how products are compared.
We bantered back and forth over group chat, with neither of our positions changing. Buyers make these product comparisons all the time, I expressed late in our debate. I can see we wont agree. If I had the Lumia 900, I would compare them. But I dont, and Tim wont. So I suggested: Lets ask the readers...something like: Would you like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nokia Lumia 900 compared?
I had planned on one story with both our perspectives, but Tim smartly wrote something longer -- hence we have a separate point and counterpoint. Please read his Stop comparing unlike objects. RIGHT. NOW. Tim makes the case for why we shouldnt write a post/review comparing the two smartphones, while I advocate such comparison. Your feedback is vital to resolving our debate but also illuminating something else: How products are compared. There are lots of dumb comparisons out there, particularly tech products. Would this be one of them?
Licences of travel agencies revoked for cheating customers
KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Bernama) -- The licences of eight travel and travel agencies were cancelled for fraudulent activities involving clients, from 2010 to March 31, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit said throughout the period, 12 complaints of fraud were recorded, including five umrah packages and three travel packages, he told Senator Boon Som Inong at the Dewan Negara today.
Boon had wanted to know how many travel agencies are registered in the country and how many travel agencies had been punished for cheating cases involving travel packages, including umrah packages.
Dawos said as of March 2012, 3,069 licenced travel and tour agencies had registered with the ministry.
He added that the ministry was also in the process of amending the Tourism Industry Act 1992 to include new guidelines to protect the rights of clients and the tourism industry.
Since cheating cases have become rampant, especially when packages signed up by customers were not fulfilled, provisions are required to safeguard customers from being exploited by travel and tour agencies.
Creating Confidence in Long Term Relationships – The Future of the Green Deal
Initiatives such as the Green Deal require individuals to invest long term in projects which are as much to the public good as to themselves. The driver behind the Green Deal is that carbon reduction can be achieved through energy efficiency. Success will depend on homeowners being convinced to seek improved energy efficiency on a property by property basis.
These were some of the key findings to emerge from a think tank debate sponsored by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, and the Committee on Climate Change, at which an audience drawn from key organisations involved with the Green Deal considered the key issue of confidence-creation in such schemes.
The speakers broke down the success of the project into three key areas: That the logic of the scheme is sound, that the mechanism of the scheme is sound and that the implementation of the scheme is sound.
Speaker David Kennedy, Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change reviewed the logic of the scheme. He focused on context, putting the Greal Deal into the bigger picture where it works in conjunction with complementary industry initiatives. He felt the good news is that government funding for supporting renewable power, renewable heat and the electric car market has been protected, even in the current climate. However, it is the Green Deal that is attracting the attention as the significant platform for delivering carbon reduction.
A key concern is that the Green Deal is complicated. A simple silver bullet solution is theoretically preferable. But it was agreed that in reality a multi-dimensional scheme is the only real answer when properties are so varied. David Purdy, Deputy Director Green Deal at the Department for Energy and Climate Change asked how a scheme like The Green Deal would be delivered so that it simplifies the options for consumers. His answer was that it is largely dependent on breaking it into simpler steps.
Purdy suggested conditionality was key to ensure clear stepping stones between the actions required and the rewards achieved. Prioritisation should be put on the lower cost measures that had higher benefits. Loft and cavity wall insulation are the main priority, and while solid wall insulation is more challenging in terms of cost and delivery it needs to be addressed. We then need people to consider renewable heat generation on a more widespread basis.
The final consideration was successful implementation. Key to this is creating confidence amongst Green Deal participants that the scheme will work. For the property or homeowners, this will be demonstrated largely by costs and bills said Andrew Pendleton, who has recently produced a report for the IPPR on how Government should encourage households to use renewable heat. However, the other deliverables that could be highlighted are that homes will be warmer and jobs as well as heat will be generated.
However a key blocker is the complexity. There is too much of a gap between action now and pay back later. There are too many stages and too many issues at each stage. People dont want to clear their lofts, havent got ladders, dont want strange people in their homes. They dont know how to choose suppliers, how to judge whether the level of service they get is right, or good value or finally if they will really get any benefits.
Although some issues are successfully addressed by accreditation, others are more stubborn. Using accredited certification for assessors and installers gives the public assurance that a system of identifying trustworthy suppliers has been set up on their behalf. David Purdy was asked what was needed to drive take-up of Green Deal and other policies. He said we need to make change more aspirational. What are future homes going to look like and feel like? Andrew Pendleton highlighted the key issues which should be brought front of mind. How can people be encouraged to change the way they live? He felt the future of the Green Deal has to be translated into personal issues. It is about a future where home owners are warmer, more comfortable but not out of pocket.
Mitchell Releases All-Digital Multi-Edition Industry Trends Report for Second …
SAN DIEGO, CA, May 02, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --
Mitchell, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and
information solutions to the Property & Casualty claims and Collision
Repair industries, today announced the availability of its Industry
Trends Report (ITR) for the second quarter of 2012. Mitchell's
quarterly publication has served the auto physical damage collision
and casualty industries with emerging industry trend highlights and
key performance indicators for more than a decade.
The Auto Physical Damage edition of the second quarter 2012 ITR
features the article, "Pulling and Squaring: A Look at Frame and
Unibody Straightening," written by Mitchell's Vice President of
Industry Relations, Greg Horn. In this article, Horn examines
frame/unibody straightening, an important area of estimating subject
to regional and other variances that make direct comparisons of
repair costs difficult. Evaluation of hourly data findings from
approximately 1.5 million repairable estimates revealed surprising
results that show the value of in-depth collision repair expertise
and the industry's most extensive auto claims database.
"This examination of Mitchell frame/unibody straightening auto claims
data produced two significant conclusions: first, the exemption from
bumper crash standards given to trucks leads to more frame repair;
and second, Asian vehicles are more susceptible to frame damage than
their Domestic and European counterparts," said Horn. "Our analysis
showed frame labor as averaging $54.05 per hour, with Domestic
vehicles having the highest hourly frame/unibody labor rate. Domestic
and European vehicles had an identical frequency of straightening;
surprisingly, Asian vehicles had a straightening frequency 12 percent
higher than European or Domestic makes. These results, while in some
ways counterintuitive, show how important it is to look at repair
costs in the aggregate in order to maximize shop and auto claims
management business performance."
The second quarter 2012 ITR Casualty Edition feature article, written
by Edward H. Olsen, DC, CPCU, Senior Business Process Consultant with
Mitchell, and Chris M. Atkinson, Research Analyst in Mitchell's Risk
and Performance Optimization (RPO) group, showcases the Mitchell
Price Index (MPI), a powerful data analysis tool. The MPI enables
insurance payers to easily compare Auto Casualty, Workers'
Compensation and Personal Health Insurance markets at a National,
Regional and State level, monitoring medical charge trends by
coverage state and medical service group.
"Mitchell's Medical Price Index empowers the Property & Casualty
industry to completely understand all of the forces driving overall
claims costs," said Olsen. "In this Industry Trends Report Casualty
edition, we analyzed the impact of medical fee schedules -- used by
regulators in an attempt to control spiraling medical costs -- on
claims cost containment. We made the important discovery that while
fee schedules appear to reduce provider unit charges, a significant
piece of the puzzle left unaddressed is utilization, which once
included, significantly changed the actual results of this regulatory
claims cost containment initiative."
As an example, he added, "Mitchell's analysis of Florida's update to
its medical fee schedule in 2008 revealed that while medical fee
schedules decreased the average allowed amount per unit by
approximately 22%, provider behavior increased the number of units
per claimant by about 42%. The net effect was an overall increase of
close to 12% in the average allowed amount per claimant in Florida
PIP claims, demonstrating the need for claim handling procedures that
are flexible enough to react to changes in provider behavior in order
to provide full visibility into medical cost containment efforts."
Complete content is available in the latest Industry Trends Report,
which may be downloaded by visiting
www.mitchell.com . First published
in April 2001, Mitchell's Industry Trends Report has grown in both
content and circulation, now reaching more than 46,000 collision and
casualty industry professionals.
About Mitchell
Mitchell empowers clients to achieve measurably
better outcomes. Providing unparalleled breadth of technology,
connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty
claims and Collision Repair industries, Mitchell is uniquely able to
simplify and accelerate the claims management and collision repair
processes.
As a leading provider of Property & Casualty claims technology
solutions, Mitchell processes over 50 million transactions annually
for over 300 insurance companies/claims payers and over 30,000
collision repair facilities throughout North America. Founded in
1946, Mitchell is headquartered in San Diego, California, and has
1,700 employees. The company is privately owned primarily by the
Aurora Capital Group, a Los Angeles-based investment group. For more
information about Mitchell, visit
www.mitchell.com .
SOURCE: Mitchell International
Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
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