DWM - June2006

Volume 7 Issue 6 June 2006

FMA Insights

FMA and Keystone Certifications:
Fighting for Manufacturers in the Southeast
by Freddie Davis Cole

Editor’s Note: This column will appear monthly. Future columns will tackle specific issues facing fenestration manufacturers.

As a fenestration manufacturer or supplier, you know what goes into producing a quality product. You also know that serving the hurricane-prone market is a complicated and challenging mission. It is imperative to keep abreast of the latest changes to codes, standards and regulations while continuing to meet changing consumer demands. A partner is needed who can keep you informed as important events occur. The Fenestration Manufacturers Association (FMA) and the FMA Keystone Certifications Programs are here to serve you.

What sets FMA apart is that since 1989, our primary function has been advocacy for the fenestration community doing business in the complicated hurricane-zone market. What began as a service to Florida’s fenestration industry has expanded to serve the interests of industry members in the East and Gulf coastal regions of the United States. FMA has even reached out internationally to industry members in Bermuda and the Western Caribbean.

FMA’s headquarters are in Tallahassee, Fla., where FMA enjoys unparalleled access to the people who matter most. FMA serves the needs of both impact and non-impact resistant glazing manufacturers on issues such as development and adoption of standards and codes, certification and quality assurance (in partnership with Keystone Certifications) and government affairs.

Partnership with Keystone Certifications Inc.
Founded in 1998, Keystone Certifications Inc. offers fenestration manufacturers a third-party thermal, structural and impact-resistance certification program, as well as a third-party quality assurance program for other building envelope product manufacturers. The FMA Keystone Certification Programs enable licensees to demonstrate compliance with the ICC’s structural and impact performance requirements in 45 states and with the Florida Building Code. The FMA/Keystone partnership works with members to develop practical solutions to real-world issues.

Freddie Davis Cole serves as FMA president. He is also the national sales manager for General Aluminum.