BD&C industry indexes.

Gypsum products inflation higher than other construction materials

According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gypsum product prices have been rising at a much faster rate than other construction materials during the past year. Between September 1997 and September 1998. average prices for materials used in construction increased in price by just 0.3 percent. However, the price index for gypsum products surged by 10.9 percent during 1997 and rose another 5.5 percent during the 12 months ending in September 1998. For 1998 as a whole, we expect that average gypsum