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LP promotes Luoma to VP of procurement

CertainTeed Opens New Window Manufacturing Plant in West Sacramento, California

Tapping into the high-growth markets of the Western United States, CertainTeed Corporation, one of North America's leading building products manufacturers, announces the grand opening of its new window fabrication facility in West Sacramento, California.

This morning, state and local officials, including West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, join CertainTeed employees for the official ribbon cutting and dedication of the multi-million dollar, 229,000-square-foot production facility that manufactures CertainTeed's popular vinyl new construction and replacement windows and patio doors. "The city of West Sacramento is pleased to welcome CertainTeed to the Southport Business Park," says Mayor Cabaldon. "CertainTeed is a key part of our economic development strategy and further proof that California and our city are poised to be successful locations for manufacturing jobs."

The facility currently employs 79 people with the potential of employing 100 Californians by year's end and 500 workers within five years, making it one of West Sacramento's leading employers.

"We have all the necessary ingredients to be a real force in this part of the country," says Sam Ansley, President of the CertainTeed Window Group. "Easy access to major highways, a booming construction market, the most state-of-the-art window fabrication plant in the nation and West Sacramento's positive pro-business climate combine to make this city the right choice for our new facility."

Building-products distributor BlueLinx plans $150 million IPO

BlueLinx Holdings Inc., a distributor of building products, Thursday said it plans to go public in an initial offering worth as much as $150 million. Details about the number of shares offered and estimated price range for the IPO weren't disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Atlanta-based company said proceeds from the offering will be used to repay its operating company's $100 million term loan, to redeem up to $35 million of preferred stock and for general corporate purposes. For the period from May 8 to July 3, BlueLinx had net income of $11.2 million on net sales of $955.6 million, the filing said. The company intends to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "BXC."

Dixieply Remodels Website

DIXIEPLY, a wholesale distributor of plywood, lumber, building materials and specialty products to retail dealers and industrial markets, is proud to announce that their newly redesigned website is now live at: www.dixieply.com

DIXIEPLY's first wholesale distribution center opened in Atlanta in 1944 and the following year, their second center was opened in Savannah. DIXIEPLY now operates 10 state of the art distribution centers with their corporate headquarters located in Savannah, GA. However, the standards that were set when DIXIEPLY was created - professionalism, quality, reliability and outstanding service - are still the benchmark of DIXIEPLY today.

The newly redesigned site, developed by BuildingOnline, features product lines, vendors, exporting services, detailed branch information and more!

Huttig Building Products, Inc. Completes New $160 Million Credit Facility

Huttig Building Products, Inc. announced it has completed a new five-year $160 million secured, credit facility consisting of a $130 million revolving loan commitment and a $30 million term loan.

Thomas S. McHugh, Huttig's Vice President - Finance and Chief Financial Officer, said, "This new credit facility and improved pricing reflects Huttig's strong balance sheet, excellent financial performance over the last 15 months and our favorable outlook. The increased size of the facility will enhance our ability to expand our existing distribution network and take advantage of acquisition opportunities as they arise."

Huttig Building Products, Inc. is a distributor of building materials used principally in new residential construction and in home improvement, remodeling and repair work. Huttig's products are distributed through 50 distribution centers serving 47 states and are sold primarily to building materials dealers, national buying groups, home centers and industrial users including makers of manufactured homes.

Huttig Building Products Expands Distribution of Therma-Tru(R) Doors to a Total of 35 Locations

Huttig Building Products, Inc., one of the nation's largest distributors of both millwork and building materials for residential construction and home improvement, announced that it has expanded distribution of Therma-Tru® doors to five additional distribution centers, raising the total number of Huttig centers now handling the door lines to 35, or 78% of the Company's wholesale distribution locations. Huttig now has the ability to pre-hang and ship the full line of Therma-Tru products, which includes fiberglass and steel entry door systems and new sliding and hinged patio door systems, in 43 states.

Newly designated Huttig distribution centers now supplying Therma-Tru doors are located in Cape Girardeau, MO; Green Bay, WI; Jacksonville, FL; Manchester, NH; and Nashville, TN. Therma-Tru, a unit of Fortune Brands and one of Huttig's top vendors, is considered to be the nation's leading manufacturer of exterior door systems for residential construction.

"Huttig values its partnership with Therma-Tru and the continued growth opportunities it brings," said Jon Vrabely, Huttig's Vice President of Product Management. "Our customers like the quality, innovation and value Therma-Tru offers. Expanding Therma-Tru distribution is part of our strategic plan to add millwork and door shops to our building product centers and to leverage our national footprint and local delivery capabilities."

Huttig Building Products, Inc. operates through 50 distribution centers, serving 47 states. Its customers include building materials dealers, home centers and national buying groups. More than 50% of Huttig's $909 million in sales last year were in millwork, with doors one of its leading product categories. In 2003, Huttig sold more than 3.7 million brand name doors -- more than 39% of them pre-hung.

CONGRESS KEEPS CURRENT HOURS OF SERVICE RULES IN PLACE

A Congressional bill passed in late September (providing an eight-month extension to federal highway funding) includes a provision to keep the current hours-of-service (HOS) rules for truck drivers in place for up to one year.

The bill, which President Bush is expected to sign, will keep the existing HOS rules in effect until either the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issues new rules or Sept. 30, 2005, whichever is earlier. The rules were originally issued on April 28, 2003, and had a compliance deadline of Jan. 4, 2004.

J. J. Keller is actively following the progress and implications of the recent hours-of-service developments. Visit their Hours of Service Information Center for more details.

http://clickthru.jjkellermail.com/ct/click?q=f9-mtKTQxOIEWR1uG5lMWn9MbMxfprR

BUILDING PRODUCTS: GLOBAL INDUSTRY GUIDE AVAILABLE

Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) has announced the addition of Building Products: Global Industry Guide to their offering.

The Building Products Global Industry Guide is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the building products industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, textual analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, and profiles of the leading companies. This incisive report provides expert analysis on a global, regional and country basis

Scope of the Report:
- Contains an executive summary and data on value, volume and segmentation
- Provides textual analysis of the industry's prospects, competitive landscape and leading companies
- Covers Global, European, Asia-Pacific & 5 individual country markets
- Includes a five-year forecast of the industry highlights
- Detailed information is included on market size, measured by both value and volume.
- Market shares are covered by manufacturer and by brand, including private label.
- Distribution channels are also analyzed.

This report is designed to:
- Spot future trends and developments
- Inform your business decisions
- Add weight to presentations and marketing materials
- Save time carrying out entry-level research

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/

Commerce Department Unveils New China Business Information Center.

The Commerce Department has developed a new tool to help U.S. companies expand exports to China's growing market. The China Business Information Center (BIC) takes the work out of gathering international trade information and helps the U.S. exporter evaluate export readiness, pursue trade opportunities, and achieve international business objectives. The website is a comprehensive portal that will lead the user to China information published by federal and state government agencies, associations, and private sector entities. Click here to visit the website.

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