August 26, 2025
Welcome to the sixth issue of our newsletter.
It’s been such an amazing summer and we can’t wait to share our highlights with you! As always, if you have a project that you would like to feature in the next issue or know someone that would be interested in receiving our monthly newsletter, let us know.
Thanks for reading,
Ravenna Gemignani
Editor in Chief
Media Consultant
Project Spotlight
Over the past few years, we’ve been working on Toll Brothers’ Middletown Walk project in Middletown, NJ. This project is a series of three-story luxury townhomes featuring onsite amenities such as a pool, gym, clubhouse, tennis court, and playground.
Spotlight on Your Favorite Employee at Louis & Sons
In this section, we hope to get you familiar with some of the great people we have working here
For 40 years, Dean has been a core member of our team. He started when the company was still Louis & John, and continued through the leadership of Mike and Bob when we transitioned to Louis & Sons in 2001. He learned his craft of installing insulation through his neighbor, Tom, which helped him get the job.
Outside of work, Dean likes to go fishing on his boat and spend time with his brother. Having Dean on our team is a true asset and his reliability and strong work ethic will be a benefit to all of your projects.
Roberto’s Birthday Party
On Friday July 25th, we celebrated Roberto’s 60th birthday at the Louis & Sons office. For over 20 years, Roberto has been our go-to-guy for everything! We wanted to show our appreciation for all the great things he does for our team. We had a party in the warehouse and made some makeshift tables with spray foam barrels and drywall sheets in true Louis & Sons/Gemini style.
Long Branch City Lifestyle Magazine Luau
On Friday July 25th, the L&S office crew went to the Greater Long Branch City Lifestyles Magazine VIP Luau. Over the past year, you might’ve seen our ads for Louis & Sons and Gemini featured in there. We also had an article about the history of the company published in the June 2024 Issue of their magazine.
To see the June 2024 issue with the Louis & Sons article, visit: https://issuu.com/lifestylepubs/docs/long_branch_nj_june_2024
Battle on the Beach
On Saturday August 8th, we sponsored NJGAKAD’s 9th annual Battle on the Beach boxing event in Long Branch. New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream (NJGAKAD) is a program that supports at-risk youth through Olympic-style amateur boxing, along with fitness training, mentoring, and academic support. It’s a really great cause and we highly recommend supporting it if you can. We had a great day at the boxing match and even got to give the belts to the winners!
We want to give a huge thank you to Alicia and Jackie for organizing such an amazing and unforgettable event! You two are AMAZING! Can’t wait for next year!
Tariff News
Current Situation (as of 8/26/2025 according to Associated General Contractors of America and whitehouse.gov)
The tariff situation is constantly evolving and rates can change at any time.
Universal Tariffs -All goods coming into the US will have a 10% tariff in addition to any other existing tariffs except Canada and Mexico.
Steel, Aluminum, and Copper – President Trump imposed 50% tariffs on all steel, aluminum, and copper imports into the United States. These tariffs discard all previous deals and exclusions that were given when these tariffs were put in place during President Trump’s first term.
This includes:
- Aluminum: windows/doors/frames, ladders, hinges, motor vehicle/building/other mountings/fittings, door parts, frames and mirrors (and parts), several categories of mechanical and electrical machinery.
- Steel: sheet pilings, rail parts, multiple categories of tube/pipe fittings, buildings, tanks/vats/casks, wire/rope/cable, barbed wire, nails/tacks, screws/bolts, pins and needles, radiators, sinks and basins, elevator parts, bulldozer blades, front-end loaders, rooters, rock cutters; plows (and parts), electrical conduit tubing.
- Copper: semi-finished copper products (such as copper pipes, wires, rods, sheets, and tubes) and copper-intensive derivative products (such as pipe fittings, cables, connectors, and electrical components)
The Association of Wall-Ceiling & Carpentry Industries of New York advises that contractors and subcontractors should consider negotiating with their supplier’s contracts to add provisions relating to tariffs or tariff-based language into contractual change provisions.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What are some short-term choices you can make to mitigate tariffs in your business?
- What are some long-term investments you can consider to prioritize supplies produced in the US?
- How can you be adaptable and respond to change?
Sources:
https://www.agc.org/tariff-resources-contractors
Walls & Ceilings: Off the Wall Magazine – Volume 3 Issue 2
Helpful Tips for Homeowners
Sad to say that summer is almost over. As usual, it went by too fast. But with the kids back in school, now is the perfect time to do those projects you have been putting off. Homeowners, you might consider maybe the attic needs more insulation or you have been thinking about upgrading to spray foam. The basement remodel is calling your name. Schedule an appointment with your architect to see about that addition you have been putting on hold. Builders might consider clients will probably have more time now and will have more incentive to sit down with you and your projects. The Fed meets again in September and we are all hoping for lower rates. Hopefully, the inspectors are all back from their vacations and finally get you jobs moving.
I hope everyone had a great summer and I look forward to working with all of you in the fall and winter.
Stay positive!
Thanks,
Michael Gemignani
President
Caroline’s Corner – Words of Wisdom
Anyone who has met or talked to our Office Manager will know that she is the most positive, optimistic and wonderful person you will ever meet. She often has quotes that get us through our tension-filled days. We thought we would like to include her in our newsletter in a section we call “Caroline’s Corner – Words of Wisdom.”
“No grit, no pearl.”
Cartoon
Jokes
My grandfather has the heart of a lion, and a lifetime ban at the zoo.
My wife asked me to buy her something nice with diamonds in it, for her birthday, so I bought her a deck of cards.
Quotes
“It is not good to want a thing too much. It sometimes drives the luck away. You must want it just enough.”
― John Steinbeck, American author
“Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.”
— Ingrid Bergman, Swedish actress
Louis & Sons Drywall, Inc. 