NEWS BRIEFS

Iaweb is refocusing on Texas: currently with ooly locations in Tyler and Longview, Tx., the chain plans new stores in Abilene, Baytown, Conroe, Lake Jackson, Sherman, Waco and possibly Victoria and Wichita Falls, and begins work in March on adjacent 760,000 sq. ft. regional distribution and 180,000 sq. ft. specialty distribution centers on a 20Gacre site in Mount Vernon, Tx., to be operational by 1996; the company also opened a replacement superstore in Asheboro, N.C.; is building a store in Bowling Crreen, Ky.; plans a unit in Richmond, Va., and is awaiting city decisions on a proposed superstore in Fort Smith, Ar., and a 950,000 sq. ft. regional DC near Statesville, N.C. ...

Payless Caslways is opening a new store in San Angelo, Tx., this spring Parlu Imber Co.,Gentry, Ar., is remodeling, adding 3,000 sq. ft. to sales and storage areas ... McCoy's Building Supply Centers has opened a new store in Tomball, Tx., JeffMetder mgr.

Scottyb has relocated its N. Palatka, Fl., unit to a 357o larger facility in Palatka and is considering opening a new store in Leesburg, F1., once South Lake Plaza is remodeled ... Elkins Hardware Co., Elkins, Ar., is expanding into lumber and building lumber storage sheds

Home Depot has opened new stores in N. Miami Beach, Orlando and Kissimmee, Fl.; Asheville and Durham, N.C.; Lafayette, La., and Columbia, S.C.; closed a smallerN. Miami Beach store; had its application to build in Clarendon, Va., put on hold until late Feb., and is considering sites in Fayetteville, Ga. ; Murfreesboro, Tn., and Hernando, Fl. The company will add 92 stores in 1995, with plans to have 800 by 1998

West Building Materials' has opened a new 50,000 sq. ft. store in Bainbridge, Ga., Mike Ellis mgr. ... Weiss ltmber & Buildcrs Supply is moving into a just-completed facility in Perryville, Ar., anticipating an April I grand openmg...

OneSource Home & Building Centers closed its Cantrell Rd., Little Rock" Ar., location; Chenal Pkwy., N. Little Rock, remains open...

Carolina Builders, Raleigh, N.C., acquircd Carolina Building Supply's Myrtle Beach, S.C., location, Phil Giles mgr. ... Willians Bros. Lumber, Duluth, Ga., has opened its 5ttr location, a conmctor yard in Villa Rica Ga ...

Builders Square is closing 15 stores as part of a conversion to larger Builders Square //s (see story p. 29\ and held a grmd opening in Homestea4 Fl., Mke llash gen. mgr., George Ruffin garden centermgr....

Anniversaries: Gator Door & Supply Co., Inc.,20th Professional F orest' P roducts, Statesville, NC.,5ttr

GrooVee Appalachian Hardwoods has opened a 60,000 sq. ft. remanufacnring plant in Old Fort, N.C., producing V-groove wainscotting and variable lengths for walls ... New South, fnc., has begun a $l million expansion at its Conway, S.C., treating facility

Universal Forest Products is expanding in Rockwood, Tn., ceasing treating operations in Fredericksburg, Va., and closing Eutawville, S.C. (see story p. 29) White River Hardwoods, Fayetteville, Ar., expanded, adding two new buildings and equipnrcnt..,

Georgia Lumber, Covington, Ga, has doubled its office space McShan Intnber Co., McShan, Al., has added an air kiln ...

Wilson Machinery, Houston, Tx., and subsidiary Ameritek Machinery, Houston and Dallas, Tx., are now representing Advanced Manufacturing & Devebpment in the Southwest ...

Tlvrmt-Tru Corp.'s charges of patent infringement against Peachtree Doors, Norcross, Ga., involving compression molded doors were upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals ...

Arkansas Forest Products, which operate.s a sawmill rccently purchased from ltndcrson Mantfacturing, Tenaha, Tx., has been formed by Russ Kimbell, Tom Gaston and Bill Mclord ... Everwood fieaorstt Co., Spmish Fort, Al., is coming on line this month with ACQ keserve ...

Norfok Soutlurn bas startod a new intermodal train offering scond-morning service between Atlanta, Ga., and Dallas, Tx. febdyrv Specialty fouipnent fu completed purchase of Kooi BelverB.V...

Milwaukee Electric Tool has opened its 4th power tool mfg. plmt in Kosciusko, Ms. T6110rRamsey Corp., Lynchburg, Vr., has doubled the capacity of its Eeatilg frcility

Loute's Cas. has joind wilh 40 vendors to sponsor the one-hor "At Hore wilh l.owc's" m Hre & Garden Televisim S$wn Soluiotts, Duluth, Ga, acquired the Distributors Management Accounting System from ConpubrTaskGrotry,Irc. ...

Housing starts in Dcc. (lalcst figs.) dip'ped l% to a seasonally adjusted annual rare of 1.53 lnillion, while permits inched up 0.6% 1994 starts totaled 1,453,100 million, tbe hig[est in six years and a 12.9% risc over 19913 ... single-family stats roee 6.2% in '94 (+2.8 h in Dec.), while multifamily stfits skyrocketeil58.9% last year (-13.9% it Dec.).