The AMBA Winter 2024 Newsletter is now available! Check out our upcoming events and industry news. Announcing a 2024 AMBA 1st Year MBSE Bursary Recipient, Nathan Hutchinson. Also, check out news from our members, , a Project Profile by Behlen Industries & Atkinson Construction (ACL) Ltd., and more!
Join us in welcoming our incoming Chairman, Colin Porte, Commercial Sales Manager at Brytex Building Systems Inc. After many years serving as AMBA Chair, John Weran has stepped down. John will continue serving AMBA as a Director. Doug Heinrichs has also resigned in his role as Director. We thank both John and Doug for all their guidance and support over the years – they have been instrumental in improving the quality, integrity and growth of our industry.
After many years serving as AMBA Chair, John Weran has stepped down. John will continue serving AMBA as a Director. Doug Heinrichs has also resigned in his role as Director. We thank both John and Doug for all their guidance and support over the years – they have been instrumental in improving the quality, integrity and growth of our industry.
What an unprecedented time the world has just gone through! After close to 18 months of battling COVID-19, Canada is starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. On July 1st, Alberta removed the majority of the health restrictions. However, the dark cloud of variants still lurks. The key weapon in the battle is vaccination and thankfully Alberta's vaccination numbers improve daily. Alberta still very much relies on the energy sector. With oil prices breaking $75/barrel there is new optimism in the oilpatch. As the various energy companies return to profitability we will see dollars reinvested, creating jobs and economic growth. At the same time natural gas pricing has recovered. Supply is at low levels and demand has been growing. The hydrogen sector is heating up and attracting both government and private sector investment. Combined they will be a significant economic driver for Alberta. The demand for construction services should start to see some tangible increases.
Compositesworld.com indicated that North American glass fiber producers are struggling to keep up with consumption. With restricted travel and many working from home, increased sales of boats, RVs, swimming pools and hot tubs have increased the demand for continuous strand roving (Gun Rovings). The raw materials used to produce Gun Rovings are also used in the production of fiberglass insulation. Although fiberglass manufacturers have quickly ramped up production, they have been unable to keep ahead of demand (see graph above).
Well, we certainly live in interesting times! Just when COVID numbers were trending down along with hospitalizations, ICU patient numbers and the arrival of vaccines, a curve ball arrives in the new variants and numbers start to spike. In spite of the pathetic efforts of our federal government, Alberta is about 15% vaccinated and the arrival of new vaccines is supposed to spike. On the plus side, we are seeing positive numbers being forecast on economic growth. With the largesse of the federal government, Canadians have the highest level of savings in some time. Who thought paying 15- 17 year-olds living at home $10,000 in CERB was a good idea?
