Top Story

• Domed roof of N.Y. college stadium to help collect rainwater
  A 10-foot-wide gutter rings the fabric roof of the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University in New York. It has three dozen drains that funnel about 13% of the stormwater runoff into four giant tanks suspended from the stadium's upper bleachers. The harvested water will be used to flush toilets in the stadium's restrooms. The school is also looking into using additional runoff for irrigation. The Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) (1/7)     

News & Trends

• Construction industry will grow modestly, economists say
  Several key markers of growth in the construction industry, including the 30,000 jobs added in December, could be attributed to an improving economy, but economists are cautious about calling it a rebound. Ken Simonson, chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America, and several other economists said they expect modest growth for the industry in 2013. The Washington Post (1/4), CoStar Group (1/4)     

• Roofing contractors remain busy with storm repairs in Ky.
  Roofing contractors in Louisville, Ky., are still working to finish repairs on 80,000 to 90,000 homes damaged by two hailstorms that hit last spring. "No one is exactly sure how long it will last, but all the contractors feel we will have pretty good backlogs going into March and April," said Todd Skaggs, regional sales and marketing director for Shelter Distribution, a wholesale supplier of roofing materials. American City Business Journals/Louisville, Ky. (1/4)     

• N.Y. roofing contractor warns of ice dam effects
  The buildup of snow and ice on the roof could damage the house if not removed, says Stanley Tibbles, owner of Ken Tibbles Roofing in Watertown, N.Y. "Try to keep it off the house as far as you can reach to the eave area," Tibbles said. "But don't wait until it builds up or gets really heavy." Roof rakes can help remove the snow from the roof and save the house from damage, he advised. YNN Rochester (N.Y.) (1/6)     

• More money needed for roof project on Mass. fire station
  The Sun Chronicle (Attleboro, Mass.) (1/6)     

Energy & the Environment

• Energy upgrades at Boston housing complex win LEED Platinum
  Castle Square Apartments in Boston is a four-tower complex that has been awarded LEED Platinum certification after 192 residential units underwent a "Deep Energy Retrofit" that is expected to reduce energy use by hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The retrofit, which cost more than $8 million, included a five-inch super-insulated shell, an insulated reflective roof, high-efficiency windows and air sealing. EarthTechling.com (1/6)     

• Biomimicry could provide "fresh solutions" post-Sandy
  The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Green blog (1/4)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by NRCA SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Column: Reflective roofs not for everyone, nor for every climate (Living Green Magazine online)

• Homebuilder expects 12% rise in cost of roofing materials (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

• 3D laser scans help preserve roof of historic Calif. church (Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model))

• Roofing co. accepts good deeds going forward as partial payment (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

• 2 tools that could protect the roof from ice dams (WCMH-TV (Columbus, Ohio))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

In the Office

• Get personal to engage your team
  John Bossong writes that when his 17-year-old daughter picked up her first paycheck, she found that her boss had added a brief handwritten note welcoming her and encouraging her to give her all. That simple act showed the boss' commitment to achieving a "higher purpose" and keeping workers motivated and engaged, Bossong writes. "If you want a team that is unified and aligned, make leadership personal," he writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (1/3)     

• It's time for leaders to get real
  Leadership should be about facing up to uncomfortable realities, not about burying your head in the sand, writes George Ambler. Only reality-based leadership can inspire employees or bring long-term strategic success. "Convincing ourselves that things are better or different from reality is never a good idea," he writes. George Ambler blog (1/4)     

Government & Regulatory

• Small-business owners face taxes, health care law
  Some small-business owners will have to deal with higher taxes this year, and the implementation of President Barack Obama's health care law is set to continue. Company owners who exceed the 50-employee threshold in the law will have to decide whether to provide insurance or pay a penalty beginning in 2014. "It's when you are running something with 40 employees that is where you have to be careful, because there are significant costs for crossing the threshold," said Edmund F. Haislmaier of the Heritage Foundation. Fox Business Small Business Center (1/3)     

NRCA News

• Post your testimonial for a chance to win a $100 gift card!
  We want to know how NRCA has helped your business in 2012. Post your testimonial on NRCA’s Facebook page in January for a chance to win a $100 gift card! And don’t forget to "like" NRCA on Facebook for live updates, industry news and exclusive promotions! To post your testimonial, visit NRCA’s Facebook page.     

SmartQuote

If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so properly be said to possess wealth, as that may be said to possess him." --Francis Bacon, British author and statesman