CSI Merging With High-TechPartner

Wood chemical producer Chemical Specialties, Inc. has agreed to merge its wood protection chemicals business with parts of Rohm & Haas' Biocides business into a new company based at CSI's headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.

The new joint venture-equally owned by CSI and Rohm & Haas-is designed to strengthen the companies' new product development programs, marketing, sales and services to the wood treatment industry.

"CSI and Rohm & Haas are a perfect fit," said CSI president Steve Ainscough, who will serve as president and c.e.o. of the combined business. "With more than $200 million in annual sales, we will be in a unique position to combine our technologies and expertise to provide advanced products and services."

The merger will result in the introduction in 2OO7 of multiple "next generation preservatives which have been through more than l0 years of field performance testing," Ainscough said. "This will enable our customers to deliver wood products that provide long-lasting protection and improved long-term appearance at cost competitive levels required by retailers and the end consumer."

The merger combines CSI's experience in the wood treating market with Rohm & Haas' expertise in microbial control technologies, regulatory issues, and access to global manufacturing and research facilities.

The joint venture will begin operations under a new, yet-to-beannounced name January l,2OO7.

As part of the deal, Rohm & Haas will pay CSI $75 million. Rohm & Haas' microbial control business for paints, coatings and other building products, metalworking, water treatment, mineral processing, as well as household and personal care preservatives, are not included in the deal.

Adobe Buys Fairfield Site

Adobe Lumber, American Canyon. Ca., has acquired a 130,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution building on 9.8 acres in Fairfield, Ca.

Adobe, which paid $7 million for the site, will occupy the surrounding yard and about 30,000 sq. ft. of the facility and lease the remaining

100,000 sq. ft.

The plant had been vacated late this summer by fireplace accessory manufacturer Pilgrim Home & Hearth LLC.

PlyGem Buys Alcoa Exteriors

PlyGem Industries. a U.S. manufacturer of new-construction and do-ityourself renovation products, has agreed to pay 5305 million in cash for Alcoa Home Exteriors. which makes vinyl and aluminum siding.

Alcoa Exteriors has I,400 employees. posted 5600 million in revenue for 2005. and has manufacturing plants in Atlanta, Ga.: Denison. Tx.: Gaffney, S.C.: Sidney, Oh., and Stuarts Draft. Va. Products include vinyl and aluminum windows and siding, injection molded shutters. and vinyl, aluminum and injection molded accessories.

Based in Kearney, Mo., Ply Gem is majority-owned by Caxton-lseman Capital. "We expect the addition of Alcoa Home Exteriors to enable us to capitalize on attractive market opportunities and provide a strong platform to fully serve all channels of the vinyl siding market." said c.e.o. and president Lee Meyer. The sale is expected to close by the end of the year.

Utah County Threatens Depot

A Home Depot that opened in late 2003 outside Salt Lake City, Ut., must meet all conditions of its conditional use permit-or the county will close the store.

"This is obviously an extreme measure, but it's the only measure that appears to be getting their attention," said Jeff Daughtery, county planning director.

Despite site inspections, notices of violations, and correction notices, the store was still in violation of nine provisions of the permit, including having an improper storage unit in the parking lot, failing to install metal deflectors on parking lot lights to minimize the effect of lighting on an adjacent neighborhood, and not replacing dead trees and shrubs.

When county officials recently threatened to close the store, light shields were installed in the parking lot, construction debris was removed from landscaping areas, and dead plants and shrubs were replaced. But officials said more work needs to be done-and the store must stay in full compliance.

"We are not going to play games," said county councilwoman Jenny

Wilson. "Just because they have a large amount of revenue coming in doesn't mean they can skirt the rules."

Home Depot officials insist that the problems will be fixed and the store will remain open. "We have satisfied many of these conditions and continue to work with the county on resolution of this matter," said spokesperson Kathryn Gallagher.

G-P Sells Mills To Roseburg

Roseburg Forest Products Co., Roseburg, Or., has agreed to acquire seven industrial wood products plants from Georgia-Pacific Corp., Atlanta, Ga., making Roseburg one of the largest particleboard manufacturers in the nation.

G-P initially agreed to sell particleboard mills in Eupora, Louisville, Oxford and Taylorsville, Ms.; Russellville, S.C., and Vienna, Ga. Oxford and Eupora also produce related products, such as thermally fused melamine and cut-to-size panels. Weeks later, the two parties also came to terms on G-P's MDF facility in Holly Hill, S.C., which supplies the Oxford thermally fused melamine plant.

The sales do not include other G-P businesses at complexes where some of the particleboard plants are located. Both transactions are set to close by Dec. l.

L-P Wins Class Action

[,ouisiana-Pacific Corp. has won a class-action lawsuit concerning the durability of its Nature Guard fibercement roofing, which LP produced and sold between 1995 and 1998.

The case was brought by seven homeowners from California, Oregon and Washington in January 2001 on behalf of approximately 5300 homeowners. According to the plaintiffs, L-P's advertising for the shingles misled homeowners and the shingles failed well before their warranted 25year life. They hoped to recover the cost of roof replacement, estimated to be approximately $l0O million, plus punitive damages.

During the trial, most of the class claims were dismissed by the Stanislaus County Superior Court in Modesto, Ca., and the case proceeded to trial on the individual claims of the seven plaintiffs-which were denied by the jury.

iLevel Rolls Out Site Solutions

ilevel by Weyerhaeuser has introduced a range of products, proprietary software, and services that allow builders to walk into dealer locations with architectural plans and walk out with an integrated framing solution.

ilevel NextPhase site solutions offer dealers and fabricators proprietary design and fabrication software tools that are compatible with industry-leading specialized saws, material handling, and component fabrication equipment. The services also include consultation on a dealer's equipment layout, installation plans, and operations.

NextPhase is based on three levels of services. all dependent on dealers' requirements: ilevel products and brands include Trus Joist Parallam parallel strand lumber, Trus Joist TimberStrand laminated strand lumber. TJI joists. Structurwood Edge and Structurwood Edge Gold floor panels, and Weyerhaeuser Premium Joists.

JobPack: ilevel software and equipment are utilized to provide streamlined production of precision-cut floor materials, allowing builders to lower cycle time and waste while improving on-site safety. Dealers can import optimized design solutions directly into component fabrication equipment, then framing components are labeled, marked and ananged for delivery, ready to be assembled at the job site.

. Component: proprietary fabrication software is customized to integrate with equipment for fabricating panelized floor components. Having pre-assembled components reduces construction time, waste, the risk of material theft, and the need for skilled labor on the job site.

TurnKey: Fully incorporated design, manufacturing, delivery and site assembly is enabled using specialized software, equipment and processes for a total integrated structure. It provides a whole house solution for optimal oerformance of all framins materials.

"Weyerhaeuser created the il-evel business as a way to work more closely with our customers to simplify home construction," said Kurt Liebich. v.p. of marketing for ilevel. "Services under il-evel NextPhase deliver on that promise by enabling dealers to provide builders with more efficient and cost-effective structural framing. In the tightening housing market. better construction and operating practices are going to be critical for builder and dealer profitability."

Whole House Software From ilevel

Whereas most fuaming soltware packages primarily focus on floor, wall or roof systems individually, il-evel by Weyerhaeuser has introduced a whole house solution for stnrctural framing.

Javelin design software allows dealers to specify optimized combinations of framing materials for floors, walls and roofs-all in a single file. Its 3-D modeling and computer-aided drafting capabilities pre' vide all of the power needed to track vertical loads from a home's ridge to the sill plate.

Using the system, dealen can provide homebuilden with a complete package of framing malerials desiped to work together.

Builders can accurately specify the amounts and types of materials needed, reducing jobsite waste and construction time.

"When designed and built correctly, the structural frame truly works as a whole unit, rather than as separate floor, wall or roof sections," said Ken Wiley, v.p. of strategic services for ilevel. "rilith Javelin software, dealers have a tool they can use to crcate a truly integrated framing solution for the entire home."

The software, powered by OptiFrame, combines ilevel's expertise in structural framing with MiTek Industries' expertise in metal plate-connected wood trusses, wall panel component desigr, and component manufacturing.

Other software tools from ilevel help dealers quickly and accurately input and analyze fuaming, as well as develop sizing solutions, marerial lists, framing plans and installation details.