The insulation industry is hosting the third-annual Insulation Industry National Policy Forum May 21-22 at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel in Washington, D.C. where organizations plan to engage with policymakers about the substantial contributions of the insulation industry, as well as its key priorities and challenges.

Participating organizations include: American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) and Spray Foam Coalition (SFC), Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association (CIMA), Extruded Polystyrene Association (XPSA), Insulation Contractors Association of America (ICAA), National Insulation Association (NIA), North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association (PIMA), Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA) and their respective member companies.

The insulation industry has three key priorities it will focus on during the Policy Forum and beyond:

• Ensure federal infrastructure policies support the construction of energy efficient, resilient buildings;
• Address climate change through actions that increase the energy efficiency of buildings – perhaps the most cost effective opportunity for significant GHG reductions; and
• Support federal policies that promote a legally admitted, foreign-born workforce for the construction industry.

An economic study released by ACC this month on the contributions of insulation to the U.S. economy in 2018 reported the insulation industry – including the manufacture, distribution and installation of insulation – generates more than 550,000 jobs in the U.S. and more than $33 billion in payrolls that support families and local communities around the country.

In addition, insulation manufacturing is a $16 billion business and directly employs more than 39,000 people across 45 states. Indirectly, through its purchases of supplies, raw materials, equipment and services, insulation manufacturing supports an additional 57,400 jobs in supply-chain industries. Through the household spending of the wages and salaries paid to workers in insulation manufacturing and their suppliers, an additional 65,000 payroll-induced jobs are supported.