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C o n s t r u c t i o n M a r k e t p l a c e T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 7 2 gallons of rainwater. It takes up just slightly more space than a normal perimeter fence, is customizable in its look and is manufactured in California. You won't be able to tell that there is water storage in it, either. WaterFence is a series of interconnected fence sec- tions, each holding 240 gallons, and connected together gives you thousands of gallons of harvested rainwater hidden in a fence. WaterFence is also a terrific sound suppressor and also does not burn, making it a very effective fire bar- rier. Invented by a 14-year-old high school boy to help solve California's drought, and after a year of engineering and testing and passing all of California's rigid building standards (including earthquake and wind), it has rapidly become a multinational phenom- enon, with Canada and England leading the way. We also have had inquiries from more than 20 other nations. WaterFence is now available and being installed all over the United States. The WaterFence installs just like a regular fence, with post holes, cement, etc. The two main differences of install are we use 6 x 3 inch galvanized hollow steel beams for support with the depth decided by soil type, and our tanks sim- ply slide into place. We connect the tanks together with ball valves and a flexible hose. It's really a very simple installation process. WaterFence was nominated as one Waterfence (Cont'd. from p. 1) of the five finalists for International Product of the Year at the NAHB (IBS) International Builders Show in Las Vegas in January of last year. Housing developments are probably offering solar power, but it's a shame that not one has come forward and given any thought to add rainwater harvesting to their new homes – especially in these climate change, drought-ridden times. Don't you think that the housing sector should step up and lead us into the 21st century by supplying rainwater harvesting in their new homes? The first company doing that would make their company one of the leaders in sustain- ability. Don't forget the Leed points! Rainwater harvesting using WaterFence is a huge asset to your home sales, not only giving your home buyer just about any look to their fence but also allowing them to have just about any landscaping of their choice. It takes very little rain to save thousands of gallons. A 2000 square foot roof, with only one inch of rain, will give you 1260 gallons of runoff. You are putting up a fence any- way – why not make it a WaterFence and supply your home buyers free water for decades? That alone is a great selling point. By adding it to your designs, you can make a difference in climate change and drought. For more information, visit www. waterfence.com, www.facebook.com/ waterfence, email ken.mcdowell@ thewaterfence.com or call 415.595.3596. KJ: Today's Baby Boomers and Millennials feel more confident in the economy and want to put money back into their homes, making this a great time for dealers to win business. Baby Boomers currently account for half of all consumer spending, while Millennials are seeing their financial sit- uations improving to a point that they are willing to spend more on certain kinds of luxury. Also, these groups are influencing each other in how they make product choices. Baby Boomers used to do so only while at the store, but Millennials have been showing the advantages of making purchases online rather than making the trip to the store. CM: How do you sell to Baby Boomers and Millennials? KJ: These two groups have differences and similarities in how they choose to make a purchase for their home. Baby Boomers are often looking to renovate or downsize, while many Millennials are buying their first home. Baby Boomers have more discretionary spending to make more elaborate pur- chases while Millennials have limited funds to make a purchase. However, Baby Boomers and Millennials both share preferences in selecting products. Both groups desire customization, luxury, quick turn- around, competitive pricing, peer reviews and store showroom access. In a recent white paper, "Selling to Today's ODL, Inc. (Cont'd. from p. 1) Buyers," ODL developed Seven Steps for Selling to Baby Boomers and Millennials that readers might find help- ful. One: Understand the impact of the Internet. Two: Understand that curb appeal is a fashion business. Three: Embrace and leverage the shifting point of first contact. Four: Optimize buyers' showroom experience. Five: Step up your online game for everyone, while still considering those shoppers looking online first. Six: Compete with Amazon, Overstock, Wayfair and other venues. Seven: Meet demands that are difficult to meet – or avoid them. CM: What is the most important thing to know when selling to Baby Boomers and Millennials? KJ: Education is the key. Building product dealers need to provide quality information that inspires and excites these two customers to want the product in their homes. A great platform to edu- cate these customers is with a presence on social media websites, such as Houzz. Visitors can view a company's products throughout the interior and exterior of the home and learn about their various features. With the right tools and information, building product manufacturers have a better chance at engaging Baby Boomers and Millennials to purchase products for home improvement. For more information, visit booth #C2139, call 800.253.3900 or go to www.odl.com. In a similar fashion, home remodel- ers can improve home water use and provide greater comfort by installing these products in their rebuild/home improvement projects. This plumbing product category is gaining fresh new attention in light of the prolonged drought affecting California and five other Western states. According to a Department of Energy research study, a family of four wastes between 3,600 gallons of water per year and up to 12,000 gallons while waiting for hot water to arrive at the faucet or shower head. How much is 12,000 gallons of water? That's almost 91,000 bottles of water, enough water to fill a 12 x 20 x 7 foot swimming pool. Domestic hot water recirculation products are designed specifically to conserve water by reducing delivery time to home outlet fixtures. They also recirculate clean, unused water that would otherwise be wasted down the drain. A small, quiet pump is at the heart of these products, which get installed either under a sink or at the hot water heater. The pump can be activated auto- matically by a timer, memory technolo- gy, motion sensor, or with the push of a button. Hot water recirculation products have historically been sold on the basis of their ability to deliver instant hot water at household points of use, be it a sink or a shower. Their sell message has been: Install one or more of these prod- ucts and there will be no more waiting Taco (Cont'd. from p. 1) for hot water. Today, however, saving water is just as important as having instant hot water. Consider California, which is facing a potential "mega drought" that could last a decade or more. To deal with the water crisis, an emergency mandate restricting water use is now in effect. Homeowners and businesses that exceed the mandate, which requires a 25 percent cut in monthly water use, get fined. The drought is effectively changing the way Californians live in regards to how they view and use water. They are responding to the water use mandate by successfully reducing how much water they are using, and they are responding to products and services that can assist that effort. Sales of hot water recircula- tion products are going up every month as a direct result. Home builders should consider offering homes with these products already installed and ready to go. They make a perfect accompaniment on the plumbing side to the granite countertops and latest styles in faucets, sinks and showers. Taco Comfort Solutions is exhibit- ing its line of hot water recirculation products at the NAHB International Builders' Show. Taco has been manufac- turing these products since the 1990s. Taco's suite of hot water recirculation products are specifically designed for American homes and American plumb- ing systems. For more information, visit booth #C1147 and www.tacocomfort.com. GC: While stones remain a popular sur- facing choice, in 2016 homeowners are looking for new alternatives beyond the typical granite and stone options to express themselves in a unique way. We're seeing that reclaimed wood, concrete and quartz patterns are desirable surfacing looks for homeowners as they develop their own sense of personal style. With the growing popularity of paint- ed cabinetry, oxidized and weathered woods with silver-gray undertones are on- trend for residential countertops. We're embracing this trend with our new 2016 Formica Laminate Residential Collection wood designs, such as 6321 Oxidized Maple 180fx by Formica Group. Oxidized Maple is a lightly planked weathered yet refined wood look, which has undergone oxidization to age the wood and give this pattern an on-trend mix of cool grays and light browns. CM: How can homeowners bring their personal style into design choices when it comes to surfacing? GC: Our research shows that homeowners are looking to create individual curated interiors. We're seeing Millennial home- owners gravitate toward contemporary and modern styles, but we're also seeing them express interest in rustic, traditional and eclectic styles. Younger homeowners are Formica (Cont'd. from p. 1) also drawn to textured materials and reclaimed wood surfaces, which gives them a closer connection to nature. With Formica Laminate, homeowners have endless options for bringing their per- sonal style into their design choices. Since the material is durable to withstand every day wear and tear, affordable to fit into the renovation budget, and beautiful to com- plement homes of all styles, homeowners have more choices than ever when it comes to selecting surfacing options that fit their lifestyles. CM: Do you see overall kitchen design changing at all in 2016? GC: Trends in general are an evolution, so we're not seeing any drastic changes when it comes to kitchen design in 2016. With that in mind, there are more ways than ever before to achieve a beautiful, practical and functional kitchen. With advances in tech- nology, kitchens are becoming more streamlined and smart to help homeowners with their busy lives. An example of this is Formica Corporation's EliteForm, a new surfacing technology that comes standard on all Formica Laminates. EliteForm delivers industry-leading scratch resistance and impressive durability to stand up to the wear and tear of daily life. For more information, visit booth #N1548, call 1.800.FORMICA or go to www. formica.com.