Activities & Programs

Advocacy: NIA is Working on Your Behalf

NIA explores many opportunities to enhance or develop programs to further promote the powerful benefits of insulation and grow the industry. These programs benefit internal and external audiences and strengthen our relationships through strategic partnerships with allied associations, the design and building community, and with state government officials and Capitol Hill.

 

A list of our current initiatives is below.

NIA has been advocating for the insulation industry on your behalf. Below is a listing of recent activities and calls to action.

May 2021: NIA Joins Broad Coalition to Support Family-Owned Businesses. NIA and 115 other organizations urged U.S. Senate and House leadership to protect family-owned businesses from tax increases by defending stepped-up basis and opposing any changes to current law. The letter with an accompanying economic study illustrates how repealing stepped-up basis by imposing capital gains taxes when assets transfer ownership at death would force many family-owned businesses to liquidate assets or lay off employees to cover the tax burden. This new tax would be imposed on top of any existing estate tax liability, further compounding the negative impacts and creating a second tax at death. Click here to read the letter and report.

February 26, 2021: NIA advocated for small businesses in support of the Main Street Tax Certainty Act of 2021, to make permanent the Section 199A 20% deduction for qualified business income. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure permanent tax parity for the millions of employers organized as S corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships. It will also provide certainty to the countless businesses who have been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

July 17: NIA urged the U.S. Senate Finance Committee leadership to consider proposals for new refundable tax credits covering 30% of home and business improvement expenses as a necessary step to stimulate the economy and help get Americans back to work by investing in our homes and businesses. 

May 1: NIA partnered with 53 other construction industry organizations to sign and send letters to Congress and to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support additional federal resources for virtual capabilities for code departments.

In spring 2020, NIA's Congressional Fly-In Became a Call-In: NIA and industry members advocated for the industry, especially regarding stimulus packages and their needs during COVID-19. At this critical time, members of Congress heard how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting your business and our industry. Click here to visit the Insulation Industry National Policy Conference web page.

April 21: NIA sent a letter to Governors in the Northeast about Reopening Their Economies Responsibly with the Construction Industry

April 7: Sign the letter to the government to address the problems for the insulation and construction industry when applying for the SBA loans.

March 30: Write a Letter to Congress. If you would also like to advocate for yourself, we have drafted a letter for you to personalize and send to your members of Congress. Click here to download a letter to personalize.

March 23: NIA urged modifications to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency’s Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce so that insulation industry manufacturers and installers are deemed essential as part of this nation’s critical manufacturing and public works infrastructure. 

2021 Insulation Industry National Policy Conference

Energy efficiency is the most effective action that can be taken to address climate change and reduce toxic air emissions, and insulation is the first step toward constructing an energy-efficient building. A properly insulated home or building means lower utility bills and increased comfort for occupants, and insulation also reduces the energy used to power manufacturing and industrial sites. Insulation industry leaders are committed to educating local, state and national policymakers about our industry and the policies that promote the increased use of insulation.

The Contributions of Insulation to the U.S. Economy in 2020

Working with members of the Insulation Industry Association Council (IIAC), NIA and the Foundation for Education, Training, and Industry Advancement contributed updates for the commercial and industrial insulation data in The Contributions of Insulation to the U.S. Economy in 2020 report which was released in August 2021 by the Economics and Statistics Department of the American Chemistry Council. To access the report click here.

Profit concept with growth chart and arrow.

Industry Measurement Survey
Every 2 years, NIA’s Foundation conducts a survey to gauge the size of the insulation industry. This survey began in 1997 and sought to gain data about the size of the insulation industry and growth rates for the U.S. commercial and industrial mechanical insulation market. NIA members that participate in the survey provide information to an independent, third-party company. To read about the most current survey results, please click here.

Career/Recruitment Video
The Foundation Steering Committee is seeking the input of NIA's Young Professional Advisory Committee (YPAC) on the value of creating a video(s) to aid in recruitment to the industry, and YPAC created the Video Task Force. The task force decided to focus attention first on the recruitment of management/office personnel.

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3D Modeling
Working with a third party, NIA created a 3D model of a mechanical system that demonstrates heat loss due to lack of, insufficient, or damaged insulation.