Small Business Resources, Business Advice and Forms from AllBusiness.com

Briefly …

• Allegheny County, Pa., which represents the greater Pittsburgh area, recently voted 14-1 to enact legislation for smoke-free workplaces, including all offices, restaurants, bars and casinos. It also includes all indoor and outdoor property owned by an area health-care organization.

>• The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has announced that commercial property owners can potentially enjoy significant tax deductions by making their buildings more energy efficient. It also approved Trane’s TRACE 700 software as an official tool to certify energy savings.

• LONMARK International announced a new program to test and certify users of LONMARK Open Systems. The program provides a worldwide standard of proficiency for individuals that install, integrate and maintain systems utilizing LONMARK-certified products, and is expected to launch next month.

• The Associated General Contractors of America released its latest Construction Inflation Alert, which warns of an inflation rate for construction materials of 6% to 8%, with periods of 10% increases possible.

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