News Briefs

(Continued from page 22) starts fell l}.IVa in the West ... permits decreased 7.3Vo to a rate of 1.23 million units...

Fiber Composites, LLC, New London, Ct., has completed its acquistion of the WeatherBest composite decking and railing business from Louisiana-Pacific Corp., Nashville, Tn., including a Meridian, Id., manufacturing facility and the WeatherBest brand

Dow Building Solutiorzs will close its foam insulation plants in Tracy, Ca., and Texarkana, Ar., and upgrade plants in Charleston, Il., and Pennsauken, N.J.

The Chamberlain Group has acquired access control provider PTI Integrated Systems, Scottsdale. Az.

Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., agreed to sell its Customer Service Center in Green Bay, Wi., to Weekes Forest Products. St. Paul. Mn.

Arch Wood Protection's Wolman AG, the non-metallic preservative used in Wolmanized L3 Outdoor wood, has been recognized for use within the Hallmark Certification of Window & Door Manufctcturers Association ..

Georgia Pacific Gypsum and Quiet Solution have partnered to produce a paperless, soundproof drywall panel named QuietRock DensArmor Plus 528

Lumber Liquidators expects to raise about $43.5 million in an IPO of I 1.5 million shares ...

Parksite Plunkett-Webster now distributes Weathe rBest composite decking and railing products from Fiber Composites

Laticrete will open a new 80,000-sq. ft. plant in January, in Lebanon, Or., to manufacture ceramic tile and stone installation systems ...

Louis & Co., Brea, Ca., was honored as Kerfkore's largest volume distributor ...

East Teak Fine Hardwoods, Dallas, Tx., has launched a new site, www.certifiedteak.com, to market recycled teak products

Versatex added an interactive module, www.pvctriml0l.com, to its website, to present instructions for installing PVC trim

Allied Building Products Corp. is awarding free gas for one year to five construction industry professionals who win a contest on its website.

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Have your recent expansion, Promotions or other company changes published in the next issue of The Merchant Magazine.

Just Fax your news to 949.852' 0231 or send by email to kdebats@ building-products.com.

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What makes our new Cl.earSide" V-Rustic Siding a smarter chotce for siding?

For starters, tt's manufactured with a durabte Douglas fir LVL core specifically engineered to minimize warping shrinking and spLitting. Wrapped with a sturdy, uItra-smooth overLay on atI exposed sides for crisp, trouble-free surfaces al.[ over. And then factory primed for faster, more retiabLe on-site finishrnq.

That means rt machines east[y Finishes faster with [ess paint. Reduces [abor costs. And remains straight fLat and trouble-free for years to come. lt even comes with a iimited '10-year warranty. How smart is that?

Vegas Gets Compound Plant

CertainTeed Gypsum broke ground last month on a new joint comPound plant in North Las Vegas, Nv.

By late next year, the 100,000-sq. ft. facility will begin manufacturing ready-mix joint compounds, settingtype joint compounds, and Powdered textures.

"Our customers in the Southwestern United States have asked us for a full interior finishing system consisting of ProRoc-branded gypsum board, joint treatments and tapes," said George Wattman, general manager for CertainTeed Gypsum Finishing Products.

CertainTeed currently operates a gypsum wallboard plant in Las Vegas and selected the city for a second facility because it will provide customers in the Southwest region quick access to a full-line offering of wallboard and finishing products. In addition, the proximity of two facilities will allow the company to Provide both product lines in a single shipment.

"This will be our second joint compound plant in the U.S. and builds upon the very successful entrY and growth model we've established in the

Pacific Northwest at our Kent, Wa', facility," noted Don Moses, president of CertainTeed Gypsum.

Book Traces HistorY Of Aloha

A new book chronicles the long history of Aloha Lumber Co., which operated one of the more successful smaller logging operations in Grays Harbor County, Wa.

Aloha Lumber Co. 1906-2006 was penned by longtime employee and former owner Dick Sterling. He and his wife now live in Great Falls, Mt., but came back in early September for book signings at the Museum of the North Beach, the Hoquiam LibrarY, and the Polson Museum.

From 1955 to 1968, the author was a timber cruiser for Aloha Lumber. From 1963 to 1968, he was a forestry consultant for the City of Hoquiam watershed. He owned the mill from 1980 to 1984. until he sold it to Phil Roderick, who died in a car accident last year.

The mill was formally incorporated on Oct. 13, 1906. As manY as 400 were employed there during World War II, but the mill averaged about 200 workers during most of its history. Sterling said that its best years were probably in the 1950s: "Because there was a gigantic housing market then and mill owner Paul Smith was a marketing genius." During this period, the millproduced up to 50 million bd. ft. a month and cut about 50,000 logs a day. ln his introduction. Dan Williams of Hoquiam, Wa., says little has been written about smaller logging companies. such as the 58,000-acre Aloha Lumber Co., but Sterling "has given us much more. Beyond the vivid Portrayal of the men and women who comprised the company and the community, he has taken us back into the history of the area-into the geology, the topography, and the total environment of the area- including the exploration and the record ofthe native people who were there first. No one is better qualified to tell that story than Dick Sterline."

Through the use of 15 maPs and 180 illustrations, Sterling provides an insight into the area, the roads, the bridges, and the townspeople. He used a wealth of resources, most notablY former owners and employees, company joumals, archives at the University of Washington, and newsPaPer accounts.

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Built to withstand a houseful of household objects, homeowners can actually live on their AZEK Deck. Spilled wine, fruit punch, even hamburger grease are no match for AZEK Deck's stain resistance. And since it's scratch resistant also, you won't have to worry about scuffing it up during installation and AZEK Deck will keep looking great for years.

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To see why AZEK Deck is the solid choice for building a better deck, visit azek.com or call 877-ASK-AZEK.

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