At the time, negotiations were proceeding with a division of the nation's liability underwriters, which was housed in the WTC and is now defunct. The association is now seeking to arrange meetings with other carriers before the end of the year. EIMA's efforts to obtain affordable coverage may be complicated by the fact that many insurance carriers are reporting declines in earnings and an increase in claims in all categories.

In other company news, EIMA is developing a series of case studies on older commercial EIFS installations that are meeting or exceeding customer expectations. Prepared by Al Paul Lefton Co., the articles focus on issues such as ease of maintenance, durability, energy conservation and aesthetics.