llews Briefs

(Continued from page 20) lion ... single family starts plummeted l2.3Vo to a 1.577 million pace, while multi-family slipped 5Va ... regionally, starts in lhe West dropped22Vo... permits slid 4.4Vo nationwide

Canfor, Vancouver, B.C., agreed to pay $205 million for New South Cos. Inc., including four sawmills, two treating plants-, and an import trading division in North and South Carolina

S EMC O Manufacturing, Las Yggut, Nv., has been acquired by Plasticon International, Inc.. Lexington, Ky. ...

Keller Manufacturing Co., Inc. has acquired an 857o stake in Paragon Door Designs,lnc. ...

Columbia Forest products. Portland, Or., had its hardwood plywood mills in Old Fort. N.C.. and Chatham, Va., adopt the ISO 9001 management system ...

Weston Forest Group, Mississauga, Ont., has renamed its indus- trial division Weston Forest Products Inc.

Masco Corp., Taylor, Mi., sold storage product subsidiary Zenith Products, New Castle, De.. to Charlesbank Capital Partners ...

Laticre te I nternational earned certification from the Greenguard Environmental Institute

Grabber Construction products ligng9 a l5-year distribution pact for No-Coat structural drvwall corners with Srrrctus Building Technolgies, Bend, Or.

Simpson Strong-Tie, Dublin, Ca., is opening a Midwest distribution and training facility late this month in Eagan, Mn. ...

C ertainTeed's Chowchilla. Ca.. fiberglass insulation plant has logged more than I miliion hours of operation without a lost-time accident ... CertainTeed received U.S. design patents for its decorative composite post caps and base nngs...

_ _ Aurora Capital Group acquired New AXIA Holdings Inc., parent company of Ames Taping Tools, Duluth, Ga., from the Cortec Group for $287.5 million

Columbia Flooring will begin manufacturing a line of hardwood and laminate flooring under the Laura Ashley brand name ...

Home Depot faces a lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., which alleges that the chain added a lOVo iurcharge to thousands of customers who rent tools and equipment; Sgreed to purchase Chem-Dry, Logan, Ut.-based carpet and upholstery cleaning franchisor, as part of its At-Home Services division, and plans to scale back on new-store openings, focusing rnstead on new products and store formats, as well as its growing tothe+rade division ...

Home Depot apologized to Michael Panorelli, a carpenter who absentmindedly pocketed a pencil in the Metuen, Ma., store and was accused of shoplifting and banned from all Depoti worldwide; Panorelli said he- had no intention of doing business with the chain again.

Associotion llews

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This year's show will feature nearly 1,300 dealers and suPPliers. Highlights will be cash prizes on the hour and a grand prize everY daY, vendor quick pitches and educational sessions, and a free buffet for exPo guests.

Western Wood Products Association heads to Scottsdale, Az., March l1-14 for its annual meeting. Highlights include a golf tournament, construction tour, and lumber retailer forum.

A spouse's tour of the Desert Botantical Garden and a Southwest cooking demonstration, plus a spring league game between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers are also planned.

Western Hardwood Association holds a board meeting March 8 at the Inn at the Quay, Vancouver, Wa.

Western Wood Preservers Institute elected new officers during its annual meeting Nov. 13-16 in Hawaii.

President is Ted Hodgkiss, All- weather Wood, Washougal, Wa.; vice president Dave Perry, Exterior Wood, Washougal, Wa.; secretarY Todd Brown. Bell Lumber & Pole Co., Conway, Wa., and treasurer Richard Keeley, J.H. Baxter, San Mateo, Ca. o Various grades and widths

Tacoma-Olympia Hoo'Hoo Club will hold a general meeting and oldtimer's night April 4 at the Tacoma Elk's Club.

American Hardware Manufacturers Association conducts its annual Hardlines Technology Forum April 30- May 3 at the Hyatt RegencY, San Francisco, Ca.

Seminar topics will range from "Credit Card Security and Identity Management" to "What Comes after Data Synchronization?" and "Learn More about How to Communicate with Your Trading Partners."

Connie Dyer is the association's new v.p. of marketing and communications.

Wood Moulding & Millwork Producers Association holds its 44th annual winter business meeting March 13-17 at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. Destin, FI.

The Sandestin offers the following amenities free: select children's activitiest four hours of bicycle rental; one hour of canoe, kayak and boogie boards; one hour on the tennis courts; access to the fitness center for adults; resort-wide tram and water shuttle transportation, and cane fishing at the marina for children.

National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association presents its annual legislative conference April 3-5 at the Ritz Carlton, Washington, D.C.

Forest Resource Association has planned a western region spring meeting April 25-21 in Spokane, Wa.

Association of Millwork Distributors presents its top management leadership conference April 27-30 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix, Az.

Speakers include Cam Marston on "Attracting and Retaining a New Generation of Employees" and Steve Little on "The Seven Irrefutable Rules of Business Growth: Proven Initiatives for Building Better Relationships and Profits."

. Prompt, on-time delivery o Consistent in grade

. Mixed truckloads