What were the greatest challenges for FDM 300 companies? Here are the responses:

--Taxes, regulation, fierce competition, medical costs, risingmaterial costs.

--Continuing to outperform the overall industry and gainmarket share.

--Maintaining profitability and keeping up with client designchanges and compressed schedules.

--Pricing/supply of raw materials

--Exceeding expectations for our customers, associates andenvironment.

--Remaining strong and successful in a competitive market.

--At this time there is still more supply then there is demandthus making pricing extremely competitive, especially with lumber pricesrising.

--The institutional markets have declined by over 40 percentfrom the peak. It appears that we are close to the bottom of the decline andwill see some growth in the next few years. Decline has reduced the number ofmanufacturers; supply and demand balanced.

--Each customer presents a unique challenge that seek to meetwith capabilities and service that are just as customized as the fixtures. Ourgoal is to build long-term partnerships with our customers, supporting everystage of their brand journey.

--Customer lead times, and tightening availability of well-qualifiedemployees.

--Sales conversions.

--Freight into Eastern Canada.

--Competitive pricing pressure.

--Volatile raw material markets.

--Working with such thin margins

--Rising costs of heath care.

--Competition from China

--Unpredictable volatility of markets due to recentrecessionary influences.

--Lack of demand in the current economic environment

--Economy, developing the best industry-wide promotions todrive consumers to our independent dealer showrooms

--Lack of support protection from U.S. and state governmentfor domestic manufacturers

--Government regulation, state and federal and horriblehousing market

--Competing for market share