ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Two years ago, the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI), asked the FMI Corporation to begin research on a contractor growth initiative. Erik Emblem, executive director of NEMI, believed that the economy and market could be on its way to slowing down and flattening out. NEMI, along with its industry partners, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) and the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA), set out to find new market opportunities for union workers and contractors.
In its research, FMI zeroed in on three emerging markets that represent a combined $40 billion opportunity. They are: building commissioning and retro-commissioning, energy management, and indoor air quality.